Utopian and dystopian writing for children and young adults / edited by Carrie Hintz and Elaine Ostry.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Hintz, Carrie, 1970-

Ostry, Elaine, 1967-

Series:

Children's literature and culture ; 29.

Children's literature and culture ; vol. 29

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Children's literature--History and criticism.

Children's literature.

Young adult literature--History and criticism.

Young adult literature.

Utopias in literature.

Dystopias in literature.

Physical Description:

xi, 244 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2003.

Summary:

Utopian elements abound in Neverland, Narnia, Hogwarts, Middle Earth, Oz, and the plethora of other fantastic literary landscapes available to young readers. From Alice in Wonderland to A Wrinkle in Time, countless books have captivated young audiences with portrayals of imaginary worlds measurably better or worse than the reader's own. Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults is the first study devoted to this increasingly popular genre of literature for young readers focused on the question of ideal social organization. The collection defines and explores the category of utopian writing and its thematic conventions, offering detailed case studies of individual works from the eighteenth century to the present day. Ten critical essays, all appearing here for the first time, discuss how imaginary worlds are created, how characters travel there, and how these worlds function as perfect or radically imperfect societies. All address the pedagogical implications of writing that challenges children to grapple with questions of social organization, individual autonomy, and just governance. In addition to critical analyses, the volume includes essays by leading contemporary authors of utopian fiction -- James Gurney, Monica Hughes, and Katherine Paterson -- as well as an exclusive interview with Lois Lowry, whose award-winning novel The Giver has generated ardent response from adults and children alike. The collection concludes with an annotated bibliography of primary sources, a valuable tool for those readers who wish to pursue further this pioneering exploration.

Contents:

I. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Utopia in Transit

1. Getting to Utopia: Railways and Heterotopia in Children's Literature / Alice Jenkins 23

2. American Boys' Series Books and the Utopia of the Air / Fred Erisman 38

3. Travels through Dystopia: H. G. Wells and The Island of Dr. Moreau / Alberto Manguel 52

II. Community and Socialism

4. Sarah Fielding's Childhood Utopia / Sara Gadeken 57

5. Tinklers and Time Machines: Time Travel in the Social Fantasy of E. Nesbit and H. G. Wells / Cathrine Frank 72

6. The Writing on the Wall of Redwall / Holly V. Blackford 89

7. 'Joy but Not Peace': Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green-sky Trilogy / Carrie Hintz 107

8. Terrible Lizard Dream Kingdom / James Gurney 118

9. Bridge to Utopia / Katherine Paterson 123

III. Child Power

10. Suffering in Utopia: Testing the Limits in Young Adult Novels / Rebecca Carol Noel Totaro 127

11. Educating Desire: Magic, Power, and Control in Tanith Lee's Unicorn Trilogy / Maureen F. Moran 139

12. The Struggle between Utopia and Dystopia in Writing for Children and Young Adults / Monica Hughes 156

IV. From the Wreckage: Post-World War II Dystopias and Utopias

13. Presenting the Case for Social Change: The Creative Dilemma of Dystopian Writing for Children / Kay Sambell 163

14. The Quest for the Perfect Planet: The British Secondary World as Utopia and Dystopia, 1945-1999 / Karen Sands-O'Connor 179

Interview with Lois Lowry, author of The Giver / Carrie Hintz, Elaine Ostry 196

Annotated Bibliography of Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults, Carrie Hintz, Elaine Ostry, Kay Sambell, and Rebecca Carol Noel Totaro 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 200-231) and indexes.

ISBN:

0415940176

OCLC:

50291027