This collection of scholarship on the world of the child offers an eclectic overview of several aspects of youth culture today. The first essay focuses on Donna Williams, Joanna Greenberg, Temple Grandin and other children whose unusual minds raise questions that take us deep into the mysteries of all of human existence. The second, Colonel Mustard in the Library With The Sims: From Board Games to Video Games and Back, gives a historical context and theoretical frame for considering contemporary video and board games in our current age of television The third, Just a Fairy, His Wits, and Maybe a Touch of Magic; Magic, Technology, and Self-Reliance in Contemporary Fantasy Fiction, takes on the technological world of childhood, in this case considering how it is represented in three fantasy series, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and Faerie Wars, The fourth essay offers a detailed view of the history of children’s literature in China, including discussions of the important philosophical views that controlled what got taught and how, detailed charts of significant historic dates, genres of children’s literature, and award winning books of Chinese literature. The fifth considers contemporary Western world consumerism, in this case three popular book series, Clique, Gossip Girl, and The A-List, all published by Alloy for teenage girls. The sixth,
Surfing the Series: A Rhizomic Reading of Series Fiction, once again deals with series fiction. The seventh explores the recent Monet Mania that has sparked interest in the great Impressionist Claude Monet among adults and educators. The final essay, Jean Craighead George’s Alaskan Children’s Books: Love and Survival, focuses on her book Julie of the Wolves and how it expresses aspects of Alaskan culture.