Throw the book away : reading versus experience in children's fantasy

Children's literature is an excellent way to educate children, on everything from social behavior and beliefs to attitudes toward education itself. A major aspect of children's literature is the importance of books and reading. Books represent adult authority.

This book examines the role that books, reading and writing play in children's fantasy fiction, from books that act as artifacts of power ( The Abhorsen Trilogy, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Harry Potter ) to interactive books ( The Neverending Story, Malice, Inkheart ) to books with character-writers ( Percy Jackson, Captain Underpants ). The author finds that although books and reading often play a prominent role in fantasy for children, the majority of young protagonists gain self-sufficiency not by reading but specifically by moving beyond books and reading.

• Acknowledgments p. ix
• Preface p. 1
• Introduction p. 5
• Part I Overviews
• 1 Children's Literature, Fantasy and Metafiction p. 9
• 2 Books as Artifacts of Power p. 27
• 3 Interacting with Books p. 50
• 4 The Writer-Character in Children's Fantasy p. 64
• 5 Books and Storytelling in Film p. 81
• Part II Specific Series
• 6 Harry Potter, Book Learning, Adolescent Scribbling and Self-Reliance p. 111
• 7 Inkheart and the Rejection of Literacy p. 140
• 8 Living Characters and Life Behind the Scenes in The Sylvie Cycle p. 155
• Conclusion p. 167
• Chapter Notes p. 169
• Bibliography p. 175
• Index p. 195