The mysterious and unspoken secrets of life can be a source of fascination for young people. The bildungsroman quest for identity is often coupled with a protagonist's attempts to decode a range of secrets. Jamaica Kincaid's work of fiction, "Annie John" (1985), illustrates this journey. In this novel, the female protagonist's maturity…

This paper reads the U.K. Government's "fundamental British values" project alongside two children's Gothic novels, "Coram Boy" (2000) by Jamila Gavin and "City of Ghosts" (2009) by Bali Rai. In 2011 the U.K. Government outlined what it described as "fundamental British values" (FBV), making it a requirement…

The Ministry of Education and Culture in Zimbabwe has introduced an intervention into the school curricula to complement the already existing mechanisms in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The literature in this programme is said to be designed to develop children's knowledge of HIV/AIDS and to maximise both individual and community commitment to the…

The British novelist Nicky Singer talks about becoming a writer, the role of editors and about who decides what can--and what cannot--be published on either side of the Atlantic. Her three novels explore territory which can make publishers nervous: "Feather Boy" (initiation rites and domestic violence), "Doll" (self-harm) and…

This article examines the challenges that faced two storytellers when developing an oral retelling of Homer's "Iliad" for use with children aged 9-11. Drawing on evidence from two schools in a deprived area of London the discussion explores the extent to which the storytellers have been successful in creating a version of the story that…

Discusses how the author decided to become a writer of historical novels based in Great Britain during the Middle Ages, with an audience of adolescents in mind. Reveals the kinds of decisions authors must make to present historical material and tell a good story simultaneously. (SKC)

Interviews Charles Causley, distinguished contemporary British poet, who talks about his art and his work with children. (SR)

Reports on the responses of children in Northern Ireland to "The Twelfth Day of July" by Joan Lingard, a contemporary novel set in their own country. (HOD)

Discusses Britain's lack of children's books that deal with the problem of skin color and examines some books that discuss this topic. (HOD)

Advocates the early introduction of children to the literature of other languages and cultures and notes some of the problems involved in translation. (MKM)

Uses the case of a 1988 children's book called "Abigail at the Beach" to discuss censorship (both visible and invisible) of children's books in Britain. Discusses issues of power, economics and politics, and the status of the Children's Book in a world that is suspicious of it and unsympathetic to it. (SR)

Examines similarities between L.M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" and Kate Douglas Wiggin's "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm." Raises questions about the Canadianness of Montgomery's novel and considers the author's literary indebtedness to American authors and contemporary children's literature. Argues that as a literary work,…

Discusses issues in translating a literary work, especially problems posed by differences between two linguistic and cultural systems. Focuses on the practice of replacing "foreign" names with familiar ones (a practice still common in English and German translations). Argues that such changes show a lack of respect toward other cultures and…

Offers a personal view on literature teaching in British schools and takes issue with the view that certain approaches to the teaching of literature can be ruled out a priori. Suggests that in the right hands all kinds of approaches are possible. (MG)

Discusses notions of what actually constitutes reading, relating this to the National Curriculum in England and Wales, and to C. King's children's book from 1963, "Stig of the Dump." Considers the broader implications for the value that society places upon the reading process as part of young children's education. (SR)