From Cover to Cover (Revised Edition) Evaluating and Reviewing Children' s Books

From Cover to Cover is a fresh, up-to-date look at some of the best examples of children's literature today, and also includes practical advice on how to write clearly articulated, reasoned opinions so that others can learn about books they have not yet read. In addition to a brief introduction that clearly explains how children's books evolve from manuscripts into bound books, and a simple explanation of the importance of the many different parts of a book (jacket flaps, title page, copyright, Cataloging-in-Publication information, etc.), the author demonstrates how to think about and critically evaluate several different genres of children's books. Included are sections about books of information (and the author's responsibility to document sources); traditional literature (myths, legends, tall tales, folktales); poetry, verse, rhymes, and songs; picture books; easy readers and transitional books; and fiction. There is also a concluding chapter on how to write reviews that are both descriptive and analytical.