Whether it's real or imaginary, every child has a secret space, and this remarkable book explores them all. For some it's a treehouse or a hidden spot beneath a bush; for others it's a private psychic refuge--a favorite book, or a dollhouse that becomes a stage for a young imagination. As the more than four dozen pieces collected here reveal, such spaces play a key role in a child's development and retain a symbolic power that resonates throughout our adult lives. No reader will put this book down without experiencing a rush of familiar memories and new insights into that bygone...

A literary celebration of childhood collects perceptive contributions from Anne Frank, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Brodeur, Sally Mann, Nancy Willard, Wole Soyinka, Diane Ackerman, Paul West, Robert Coles, and many others. (LIterature).

Explores the representation of war and its after effects in children's books and documentary films. This volume examines the influence of violence and war on children's literature by studying the childhood experiences of authors writing for children, the children represented in war stories, and experiences of children who make up the readership.