This book reappraises the place of children's literature, showing it to be a creative space where writers and illustrators try out new ideas about books, society, and narratives in an age of instant communication and multi-media. It looks at the stories about the world and young people; the interaction with changing childhoods and new technologies.
List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Author's Note Breaking Bounds: The Transformative Energy of Children's Literature Breaking the Frame: Picturebooks, Modernism and New Media And None of it was Nonsense Useful Idiots: Interactions between Youth Culture and Children's Literature Self-harm, Silence and Survival: Despair and Trauma in Children's Literature Baby, You're the Best: Sex and Sexuality in Contemporary Juvenile Fiction Frightening Fiction: TheTransformative Power of Fear Back to the Future? New Forms and Formats in Juvenile Fiction Conclusion: The Foundations of Future Fictions Bibliography Index