Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 234
•
Trim: 6½ x 9¼
978-1-4422-2939-6 • Hardback • April 2014 • $63.00 • (£48.00)
978-1-4422-2940-2 • Paperback • May 2016 • $15.00 • (£11.99)
978-1-4422-2941-9 • eBook • April 2014 • $59.50 • (£46.00)
Dr. William Patrick Martin is a book lover. His vision was to create a uniquely authoritative reference that he could use to make the best possible fiction choices for himself and his family. He has been a professor of education at Temple University and Monmouth University. He did his dissertation on the epic University of Chicago Great Books debate of the 1930s and 1940s. While at Monmouth University, Martin was also the director of the Governor’s School on Public Issues, a selective residential summer program for New Jersey gifted and talented teenagers. His career in Pennsylvania state government has included stints as a press secretary, management consultant, and special advisor to the Lieutenant Governor. He has a doctorate in education and a master’s in journalism.
Martin has extensive experience as an editor, college professor, publicist, management consultant, and meeting facilitator. He now works full time on writing, promoting, and selling books. He and his wife Marianne Martin operate Zabby Books @ Amazon.com.
IntroductionChapter 1 Preschoolers (Ages 2-5)Chapter 2 Early Readers (Ages 4-8)Chapter 3 Middle Readers (Ages 9-12)Chapter 4 Young Adults (Ages 13-17)Chapter 5 Adults (Ages 18+)Chapter 6 Special InterestsChapter 7 Twenty-Seven Writers You Should Know
Appendix 1 Preschool Booklist
Appendix 2 Early Reader Booklist
Appendix 3 Middle Reader Booklist
Appendix 4 Young Adult Booklist
Appendix 5 Adult Booklist
Bibliography
K-12 school libraries would be very well-served in purchasing this concise, well-researched book for their reference collections, as it does an excellent job of listing both contemporary and older children’s classics for a wide range of age groups.
— Reference Reviews
Martin’s stated purpose for writing his book is to give teachers, parents, and grandparents trustworthy guidance in choosing reading material for children and teenagers. In this he succeeds admirably, providing lists of not-to-be-missed titles for readers of all ages and interests. . . .Martin’s work of synthesizing the many book lists, his knowledgeable commentary, and the book’s convenient one-volume format make this a useful resource, especially for those new to the world of children’s and young adult literature. . . .For me at least, part of the pleasure of the more idiosyncratic, individualistic lists is finding quirky, obscure books that I’ve never heard of before. . . .[H]is extensive bibliography provides plenty of guidance for those seeking more specialized reading recommendations.
— Technical Services Quarterly
A Lifetime of Fiction: The 500 Best Reads for Ages 2 to 102 is both a work of love and scholarly discernment. I saw all my favorite books there and others that I now want to read.
— Frank Asch, author of Happy Birthday, Moon, a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year