Presenting the voices, perspectives, and experiences of authors from all over the world, this book presents a collage of ideas and images about well-written children's books. It contains 19 essays that discuss censorship, violence, raw images in picture books, depictions of the black family, the myth of emancipated women, political correctness in writing for children, the realities of selling books for children, and educators' views about using controversial children's literature. Essays in the book are: (1) "Censorship of Children's Books" (Amy McClure); (2) "Undesirable Publication: 'A Journey to Jo'burg'" (Beverley Naidoo); (3) "Justifying Violence in Children's Literature" (Carl Tomlinson); (4) "The Disturbing Image in Children's Picture Books: Fearful or Fulfilling?" (Barbara Kiefer); (5) "Gender Issues in Books for Children and Young Adults" (Shirley B. Ernst); (6) "Princess Furball: The Writing, Illustrating, and Response" (Charlotte S. Huck); (7) "Family Values and Kinship Bonds: An Examination of African American Families in Selected Picture Books, 1974-1993" (Deborah Thompson); (8) "Living in Sami's and Ahmed's Worlds: Picture Books Explore Children's Lives in Other Countries" (Judith Heide Gilliland); (9) "Fourth Graders Read, Write, and Talk about Freedom" (Susan Lehr); (10) "The Shaping of 'The Clay Marble'" (Minfong Ho); (11) "Pol Pot's Reign of Terror: Why Write about It for Children?" (Allan Baillie); (12) "Cultural Politics and Writing for Young People" (Joel Taxel); (13) "Creating Ethical Heroes Who Know How To Win: Or Muddling Through" (Grace Chetwin); (14) "Wise Women and Warriors" (Susan Lehr); (15) "Describing the Fantasy of My Own Life" (Brian Jacques); (16) "'Once They All Believed in Dragons'" (Susan Hepler); (17) "Let Us Read! Two Teachers Look Back at Fifty Years of Teaching" (John Milne and Sharon Scavone); (18) "But Will They Buy Them? A Bookseller's Point of View" (Sally Oddi); and (19) "Making Literature Meaningful: A Classroom/Library Partnership" (Judith A. Morley and Sandra E. Russell). An afterword ("'May I Read This Book?' Controversies, Dilemmas, and Delights in Children's Literature" by Violet J. Harris) concludes the book. (RS)