The Bloomsbury Handbook of Children’s and Young Adult Literature in Education

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Children’s and Young Adult Literature in Education cover

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Children’s and Young Adult Literature in Education

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Pre-order. Available Feb 05 2026
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Description

This handbook provides a comprehensive review of the research and practice of engaging with children's and young adult literature in education. Drawing across scholarship focused on genre, creation, and utilization of children's literature, it provides a unique perspective on the role that children's literature can play in educational spaces from age 2 to 18, and from picture books to YA literature.

The volume is divided into two main sections: first, a review of the history of children's literature and its application in education; and second, a discussion of methodological approaches for studying children's literature in educating young people - particularly in relation to critical literacy and multimodality. The chapters cover a range of topics including diversity, intersectionality, transactional theory, representation, trauma-informed pedagogy, anti-racism, immigration, folk and fairy tales and more.

Written by leading scholars based in Australia, the US, Norway, South Korea, and the UK, the handbook represents the global use of children's literature in schools, revealing connections across international contexts while also honoring the differences in how literature is conceptualized and utilized across the world.

Table of Contents

Preface, Katrina Bartow Jacobs & Patricia A. Crawford (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
Foreword, Patrick Shannon (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
Section 1: Learning For the Field
1. Literature, Children, and Expansive Understandings of Global Identities, Vicky Macleroy & Sara Shahwan (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK)
2. Growing Diversity in Children's Literature, Denise Dávila (University of Texas at Austin, USA)
3. Global Perspectives on Children's Literature: Constructing Bridges or Walls to Cultural Understanding, Kathy Short (University of Arizona, USA)
4. Comics Matter: Meaningful Engagement with Comics as Enjoyable, Critical, and Complex Texts, Ashley Dallacqua (University of New Mexico, USA)
5. Researching the Multimodal Nature of Children's and Young Adult Literature, Frank Serafini (Arizona State University, USA) & Stephanie Reid (University of Cincinnati, USA)
6. Unpacking Intersectionality: A Look at Middle Grade Graphic Novels, Danielle Sachdeva & Westry Witaker (University of North Georgia, USA)
7. Transactional Theories of Reading Response: Underpinnings, Critiques, and Expansions, Desirée Cueto, Wanda Brooks, Laurie Esposito, & Lindsey Metzker (Temple University, Philadelphia PA, USA)
8. A Consideration of the Multimodal Complexity of Metafictional Picturebooks, Sylvia Pantaleo (University of Victoria, Canada)
9. A Historical Look at the Role of Picturebooks in The Classroom, Katrina Bartow Jacobs (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
10. Trauma-Informed Approaches to Children's Literature: A Review of the Research, Angela Wiseman, Bethany P. Lewis, & Amber Moore (North Carolina State University, USA)
11. Engaging Anti-Racism with Children's Literature, Aisha White & Shannon Wanless. (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
12. Immigrant Experiences in Transnational Literature: More than a Mention, Ruth McKoy Lowery & Zutella Vea Holmes (University of North Texas, USA)
13. Visual Voices: The Nature, Development, and Potential of Wordless Picturebooks, Patricia Crawford (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
14. Reading Across the Rainbow: LGBTQ+ Affirming Children's Literature and its Existence and Use in Elementary Schools, Adam Crawley (University of Colorado, Boulder, USA)
15. Dialogic Reading of Children's Literature: Developing Children's Literate Identities, Alyson Simpson (University of Sydney, Australia)
Section 2: Learning From the Field
16. Poetry and Language Play for the Early Years, Sylvia Vardell (Texas Woman's University, USA)
17. Literature Learning in Families and Communities, Leslie Colabucci, (Millersville University, USA) Sarah Jackson (Millersville University, USA), & Mary Napoli (Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, USA)
18. Folktales as Initial Socioemotional Supports for Children, Sherron Killingsworth Roberts (University of Central Florida, USA)
19. Exploring Language and Translingualism through Children's Picturebooks, Angie Zapata (University of Missouri, USA), Mary Adu-Gyamfi (University of Missouri, USA), & Sarah Reid (Illinois State University, USA)
20. The Past, Present, and Future of Graphic Novels, Carla Meyer (Duquesne University) & Elizabeth Hughes (Pennsylvania State University, USA).
21. Evolution of Comics as Children's Literature, Jason D. DeHart (Wilkes County Schools, USA), Suriati Abas (State University of New York, Oneonta, USA), René M. Rodrígues-Astacio (California State University, Fresno, USA) , David Low (California State University, Fresno, USA), & Karly Marie Grice (Independent Researcher).
22. A Tale of Two Media Specialists: Series Books, Vicky Cardullo & Amy Fitchett (Auburn University, USA)
23. Text Sets as a Bridge for Disciplinary Content and Literacy Integration in the Elementary Grades Literacy Block, Vicky Zygouris-Coe (University of Central Florida, USA)
24. Reading and Writing Informational Texts to Enhance Readers' Comprehension, Interpretation, and Critical Engagement with Historical Fiction, Linda Kucan (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
25. Bridging Digital Literacy and Disciplinary Literacy for Transnational Multilingual Adolescent Learners, Kwangok Song (University of Kansas, USA) & Byeong-Young Cho (Hanyang University, South Korea).
26. Texts as Social Support for Life's Challenges, Rachel Skrlac Lo (Villanova University, USA) & Susan Cole Dahlstrom (Radnor, PA School District, USA)
27. Integrating Children's Literature across Teacher Education Programs – From Learning to Read and Reading for Pleasure to Multimodal, Jon Callow, Alyson Simpson, & Deb Brosseuk (University of Sydney, Australia)
28. Picturebooks and Mathematical Learning in Early Years Classrooms: A Story from an Australian Classroom, Sharyn Livy (Monash University, Australia) & Tracey Muir (Australian Catholic University, Australia)
29. Teaching with Children's Literature, April Mattix Foster (George Mason University) & Michelle Sobolak (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
30. Picturebooks for Teenage English Language Learners, Sissil Lea Heggernes (Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway).
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Feb 05 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 368
ISBN 9781350383098
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions 244 x 169 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Katrina Bartow Jacobs

Katrina Bartow Jacobs is Associate Professor of Pr…

Anthology Editor

Patricia Crawford

Patricia Crawford is Associate Professor of Early…

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