Scarecrow Press
Pages: 168
Trim: 7 x 9
978-0-8108-5500-7 • Hardback • June 2006 • $71.00 • (£55.00)
Don Latham is assistant professor in the College of Information at Florida State University, where he teaches courses in young adult literature and information services. He has published articles on Peter Sís, Lois Lowry, and John Donovan in Children's Literature in Education, Children's Literature, The Lion and the Unicorn, and The ALAN Review.
Part 1 Chronology
Chapter 2 1. Memory and Magic
Chapter 3 2. Beyond the Bounds: Counting Stars
Chapter 4 3. Extraordinary Beings: Skellig, Novel and Play
Chapter 5 4. The Game Called Death: Heaven Eyes
Chapter 6 5. Damaged Children: Heaven Eyes
Chapter 7 6. The Forests of the Night: Wild Girl, Wild Boy; Secret Heart; and Kate, the Cat and the Moon
Chapter 8 7. At the Gates of Hell: The Fire-Eaters
Chapter 9 8. Gods and Monsters: Clay
Chapter 10 9. Afterword: Magical Realism Revisited
Part 11 Bibliography
Part 12 Index
Part 13 About the Author
This scholarly offering takes on an author whose complex and multilayered writings stand up effortlessly to Latham's admirably thorough investigation. Weaving his explorations almost as seamlessly as Almond wove the original stories, Latham clearly illustrates the novels' inherent depth and teachability....those hoping to teach an Almond book or further their own studies will welcome this insightful and professional criticism.
— VOYA, December 2006
The book begins with an introduction to David Almond's life and then provides analyses of Almond's major works...
— Children's Literature Association Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Winter 2006)
The winner of several prestigious literary awards, David Almond is a contemporary writer of young adult fiction known for his evocative use of magical realism. This resource for scholars, teachers, librarians, and parents considers each of the major themes of his writing within the context of that literary style. Particular attention is paid to Almond's concern with the development of identity. Latham (young adult literature, Florida State U.) also provides some biographical information and a chronology.
— Reference and Research Book News, August 2006