This paper sees Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" as following a darker tradition in children's literature, most commonly found in the fairy tale. It explores some of the existential issues that concern us all: to do with identity, sex, death, ontology, evil, desire and violence. The article takes a largely psychoanalytical approach, showing how Freud's…

Sonya Hartnett's "Thursday's Child" was published in Australia by Penguin Books in 2000. Editions are available in the UK (Walker Books, 2002), the USA (Candlewick, 2002), as well as in Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Denmark. In 2002, the book was awarded the "Guardian's" Children's Fiction Prize in the UK. Like Harper, the narrator of the…

Offers readers a personal view of "Junk," a controversial novel about the young homeless, by Melvyn Burgess. Analyzes and critiques the book, concluding that the book has a mission to show how misconceived an "initial drug high" is without "wagging its finger" at the reader. (SC)

Discusses sexism in the work of Enid Blyton's series "The Famous Five." Defines sexism as a process rather than a thing, which draws its energy from relations of power. Analyzes the texts to provide support for this thesis. Concludes that Blyton's books are not sexist, rather they explore sexism in a way to which children can relate. (PA)