The York Notes Companion to Children's Literature explores the literature and criticism of a long-established genre, from fairy tales and early didactic literature through to the classics of the nineteenth and twentieth-centuries and the modern day. Examining key texts such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Swallows and Amazons, Where the Wild Things Are andThe Cat in the Hat, the Companion offers close analysis of texts in detailed commentaries, and guides students through key literary theories and debates. Connecting texts with their historical and scholarly contexts, this is essential reading for any student of children's literature.

Each York Notes Companion provides:

Ø Analysis of key texts and debates

Ø Extended commentaries for further in-depth analysis of individual texts

Ø Exploration of historical, social and cultural contexts

Ø Annotations clarifying literary terms and events in history

Ø Modern theoretical perspectives in practice

Ø Timelines and annotated further reading

Lucy Pearson has a PhD in children's publishing of the 1960s and 1970s from Newcastle University, where she has taught a range of Children's Literature courses.

Peter Hunt is a Visiting Professor at Newcastle University and Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University.