GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism!
Ten (10) winners receive:
A digital copy of Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism
The giveaway begins June 29, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends July 29, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism
Written by Tom Durwood
All Ages | 220 Pages
Publisher: Empire Studies Press | ISBN-13: 9781952520044
Publisher’s Synopsis: We are surrounded by narratives, in fiction and in our everyday lives. In this colorful collection of ideas, the author argues that understanding the components of our favorite children’s stories can lead to a lifetime of critical thinking.
Beginning with the elements of the universal coming-of-age narrative, “Kid Lit” shows young readers and general readers alike how to recognize story structure, class, gender, symbolism, trauma and Orientalism in children’s narratives.
Of value to all teachers, students, librarians, readers, literature lovers, and moviegoers.
“Tom Durwood is the best English instructor I have seen in my thirty-two years of teaching.” —Professor Patrick Murray, Valley Forge Military College
PURCHASE LINKS
https://bookshop.org/a/2078/
Tom Durwood is a teacher, writer and editor with an interest in history. Tom most recently taught English Composition and Empire and Literature at Valley Forge Military College, where he won the Teacher of the Year Award five times. Tom has taught Public Speaking and Basic Communications as a guest lecturer for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group at the Dam’s Neck Annex of the Naval War College.
Tom is editor of an online scholarly journal, The Journal of Empire Studies (www.empirestudies.org). Peter Suber, Berkman Fellow at Harvard University, an advocate of the open access movement, praises the journal as “a new opportunity for overcoming access barriers to knowledge and research.” Dr. Julian Fisher of Scholarly Exchange has also applauded Tom’s efforts. “Creating valuable academic content and then hiding it behind financial firewalls – the traditional scholarly publishing model – runs counter to the essence of scholarship, learning and sharing,” according to Fisher. “To see a journal such as the Journal of Empire Studies breaking that mold is exciting.”
Tom’s newspaper column “Shelter” appeared in the North County Times for seven years. Tom earned a Masters in English Literature in San Diego, where he also served as Executive Director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity. Tom earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard, where he edited an undergraduate arts journal and studied with David McClelland (Roots of Consciousness).
For more information, teacher resources, and lesson plans, visit www.kidlitcrit.com.
MY REVIEW
Kid Lit offers students and teachers guidance in analyzing and discussing children's and young adult literature. The book falls into three main sections: the Lit Crit Toolbox, In Depth studies, and Lesson Plans. The Toolbox introduces (or refamiliarizes) readers with the basics of the coming of age story, the three-act structure of many books and films, and issues that may arise in literature such as gender, class, war, trauma, and empire. The section of in-depth studies looks at essays by various scholars on such wide-ranging topics as portrayals of government in the Star Wars saga or gender roles in Pixar films. Besides an overview of the essay topics, there is also an interview with each scholar that offers further insight into their essays. The lesson plans are those used by the author in his own classroom and can be used as they are, or as examples for others to build their own activities.
One of the most attractive parts of this text is the use of popular culture as a source of discussion. Ranging from Kipling’s Jungle Book to “Black Panther” and all points in between, the author and the guest scholars point out multiple examples from stories of different genres and time periods to illustrate their points. Language arts teachers can use this to engage students in an exploration of themes and literary elements, either as a teacher’s manual or as a textbook for older students.
TOUR SCHEDULE
The Fairview Review is participating in the virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Tom Durwood.
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