Liminal Spaces in Childrens and Young Adult Literature: Stories from the In Bet [Hardcover]

Scholars in the field of childrens literature studies began taking an interest in the concept of liminal spaces around the turn of the 21st century. For the first time,Liminal Spaces in Childrens and Young Adult Literature: Stories from the In Betweenbrings together in one volume a collection of original essays on this topic by leading childrens literature scholars. The contributors in this collection take a wide variety of approaches to their explorations of liminal spaces in childrens and young adult literature. Some discuss how childrens books portray the liminal nature of physical spaces, such as the childrens room in a library. Others deal with more abstract portrayals, such as the imaginary space where Max goes to escape the reality of his bedroom in Maurice SendaksWhere the Wild Things Are. All of the contributors, however, provide keen insights into how liminal spaces figure in childrens and young adult literature.Mark I. Westis professor in the English department at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.

The essays inLiminal Spaces in Childrens and Young Adult Literature,edited by West, considers multiple interpretations of liminality in childrens and young adult literature. The collection is divided into two parts. The first part of the collection includes essays on clusters of books written for children or young adults exploring themes and genres that consider connections between texts in their treatment of liminal spaces. Examples include Claudia Millss chapter, which considers childrens books set in libraries, examining the library as a physical liminal space. Scott G. Eberles analysis of found objects and portal fantasies in the work of C.S. Lewis and Francis Hodgson Burnett considers imaginative, or abstract, liminal spaces. The second part of the collection includes essays about individual works in which the authors use of liminal space is an essential component of the story. Examples include Tl£.