Humor in Contemporary Junior Literature

A scholar of children’s literature (she has a Ph.D. from Roehampton U., UK), Cross takes her subject seriously. Here she makes the case for the importance of studying humor in texts for young readers. The genre she’s analyzing encompasses books that are much read, but studied very little--and yet, since the 1960s, they have evolved considerably; and their analysis yields insights about what has changed in the ways adults view children and the ways children view the world and respond to literature. Cross reviews critical material regarding humor, theories of humor, ＂high＂ and ＂low＂ forms, subversity and transgressiveness, among other topics--in chapters based on genres including everyday-life fiction, fantasy, and boys’ and girls’ fiction. The study is quite analytical, yet accessible to non-specialists seeking cultural and literary context for what makes children laugh. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)