Cirrus@Austlit

'Literature written for children and adolescents still has not been treated with due seriousness by standard Australian literary histories and companions. This is despite a growing number of critics over the last two decades who have pointed out how much of the genre is 'good literature' which can withstand any critical scrutiny. Whatever its conventional literary merits, writing for children and young adults is a major industry and an important cultural practice that requires as much attention as adult literature. Of particular interest is the relationship between children's reading and the reproduction of social attitudes and behaviour.' (Introduction)