Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism

by Tom Durwood, Kara Colley, Ali Raza

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. Featuring exclusive interviews with notable literary scholars, including Amanda Lagji, Alexander Maxwell and Anna Kozak and others, the instructional content is catered for high-school senior to early college-level classes and/or homeschooling students.

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.

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From the Foreword by Todd

This is a unique book in that the three sections are quite different. Part One is the ‘critical tool box’ and begins with the elements of the universal coming-of-age narrative ... His consideration is broad and inclusive. We meet many recurring literary characters that will challenge historical stereotypes.

The second section of “Kid An Introduction to Literary Criticism” is a sampling of new scholarship in children’s literature ... Readers will … a breakdown of Afrofuturism and other schools of the ‘Empire Writes Back’ movement  … why scholars of the family consider Finding Nemo a step forward and The Incredibles a step backward ... the vital connection between Star Wars and Vietnam     … the social Darwinian structure supporting the animal monarchy of The Lion King … why Kung Fu Panda and The Hobbit are the same story, just as Avatar and Dances with Wolves are the same movie

Part Three is the fun and immediately practical part, especially for teachers, where we see just how to bring these concepts into the classroom. The ready-to-implement lessons in the book’s third section give readers a taste of what it’s like to spend a semester in Tom’s class. These lesson plans are the proof of the every teacher needs classroom activities and exercises that allow students to apply their learning to their own lives. Here, the underlying dynamics of Harry Potter and The Secret Garden and The Hunger Games render lessons in gender, race, trauma, identity and the Other. Tom wants students to connect these elements to their own coming-of-age narratives.

Todd Whitaker is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University and the author of the national bestseller What Great Teachers Do Differently.

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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

Topics The Coming-of-Age Matrix Identity and the Other The Building Blocks of Literature Gender The Three-Act Structure Class and Trauma Billy Wilder

Genres: Nonfiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2020

About the author

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.

Early reader response to Tom’s historical fiction adventures has been promising. “A true pleasure … the richness of the layers of Tom’s novel is compelling,” writes Fatima Sharrafedine in her foreword to “The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter.”

The Midwest Book Review calls that same adventure “uniformly gripping and educational … pairing action and adventure with social issues.” Adds Prairie Review, “A deeply intriguing, ambitious historical fiction series.”

Tom earned a Masters in English Literature in San Diego, where he also served as Executive Director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity.

Two of Tom’s books, “Kid Lit” and “The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter,” were selected “Best of the New” by Julie Sara Porter’s Bookworm Book Alert 2021.

His new book, "An Introduction to Higher Math: Five Concepts Taken from the 'Ruby Pi' Stories (Ruby Pi Adventure Series)" is out now on Amazon!

👉 https://amzn.to/3ZyiA4l

Visit the links below for free pdf's to read a sample of each book!

https://www.themathgirls.com
https://www.boatmansdaughter.com
https://www.mycolonials.com
https://www.teddystantrum.com
https://www.kidlitcrit.com
https://www.empirestudies.com
https://www.usginchina.com

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction into going deeper into a piece of literature than just the text using children's literature as the main examples. Short, which both makes it a breezy overview but also makes it somewhat superficial at points. Focuses a lot on the Campbellian hero's journey, which makes sense given the coming of age narratives of a lot of children's literature. It also has a major focus on Orientalism and the literature of empire, which is very interesting. I liked how the book was split into traditional textbook-like passages, interviews with scholars studying children's lit, and lesson plan/assignment guides.

**Thanks to the author and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read the fantastic Ruby Pi series by Tom Durwood, then you'll love this essential companion guide. Who better to explain the math topics in the Ruby Pi series than actual math teachers? I found this book to be an excellent in-depth look at the many math topics covered in the series. Whether you're a more advanced math student that wants a deeper understanding or are just intrigued by how the mathematics plays a role in the Ruby Pi stories, this book is for you!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reader Copy

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish it had been around for my teachers when I was still in school!!
While I am no longer in school I am looking forward to doing the exercises myself and seeing where it takes me.

As a mother (who because of COVID) has resorted to badly teaching my children this is a resource I think I will be keeping handy for the foreseeable future. I will also be recommending it to the school board when school issues have been resolved (I am president of my childs' PTA and correspond regularly with our governing school board)

I recommend this to anyone who has a love of literature and/or movies. You will not be disappointed!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and Helpful. This book really has three sections in many chapters. The first section is an introduction. The second section was insightful. As a teacher I can see how this section would be helpful for an English teacher in middle or high school. It offers many examples and explanations for terms as well as types of stories that exist. The third section offers assignments that a teacher could give to students learning to write. The lesson could also be given in relation to a story students read for class.

[Mochalove · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small but concise booklet, Miss Ruby Presents an Introduction to Higher Math is a workbook to be used as a companion to The Adventure of Ruby Pi series by author and teacher, Tom Durwood. This booklet has been created in co-production with Tom Durwood and math teachers, Kara Colley, Ali Raza, Graham van Gottfrier, Justin Gardiner, and Ahmed Dakwar.. In particular, this book places focus on five of the math concepts taken from the inspiring Ruby Pi stories. Purchase Here.

Chapter by chapter, this booklet allows participants to hone a deeper understanding of the math used in the Ruby Pi series. Dutifully, each chapter provides a basic template to build the math psyche, which includes sections provided by author Tom Durwood who dispenses his insight into the math and how it applied in its related story. Additionally, included are sections of expertly helmed introductions to the math in each chapter provided from the savvy perspective of a different co-author, a math teacher.

Moreover, the book includes a hands approach with practice examples with clearly illustrated problems to be solved. In particular, the workbook includes the topics of Geometry, Bayes Rules, Algorithms, Data and Analytics, and Probability and Kinematics.

Meanwhile looking briefly at the included math topics by chapter; Chapter 1, Geometry, comes from the story The Architect, where female protagonist Isoke has a life-saving awareness of geometric patterns. The introduction to Geometry included in this chapter is written by math teacher Kara Colley. Next Chapter 2, looks at Bayes Rules from the story, The Case of the Shy Mathematician, the introduction to the theory is written by math teacher Ahmed Dakwar. Then Chapter 3 Algorithms stems from the story Pen’s Black Swan, with the introduction to the concept written by math teacher Justin Gardiner. Followed by Chapter 4, Data and Analytics featured in the story Numerators, the introduction to this subject is written by math teacher Ali Raza. Chapter 5, Probability and Kinematics features from the story, Blue Moon over Mogollons, with the introduction to these math concepts written by math teacher, Graham van Gottfrier.

Altogether, I was intrigued by The Adventures of Ruby Pi series and have found, this booklet, Miss Ruby Presents an Introduction into Higher Math to be invaluable as a companion to the mathematical applications presented in the Ruby Pi series. The chapters are well thought out, and the math topics are explained with math-literate clarity, while the included math questions give nurturing rise to enhancing the math skills of the math-curious reader. I definitely recommend this book to complement reading the series.

Comments are closed

[Catherine]

Tom Durwood’s “Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism” represents the latest in a growing body of work reflecting the author’s ongoing interest in history and literature as well as his experience as an editor of an open-access journal and a professor of composition and literature.

Durwood most recently taught composition and literature at Valley Forge Military College, where he won the Teacher of the Year Award five times. One colleague, Pat Murray, Ph.D., has described him as a professor who creates “new ways to appeal to students and to make writing concrete to their experiences as well as their individual needs.” Another colleague has said that he “has a gift for making complex ideas understandable” and creating a class “forum for collaborative learning and global thinking.” He is an editor of an online scholarly journal, Empire Studies Magazine, which provides a collection of open-access essays, interviews, and curriculum materials for English, history, and global studies courses. For seven years, Durwood wrote a newspaper column called "Shelter,” and as an undergraduate at Harvard, he edited an arts journal. He has written ten ebooks, including historical fiction, illustrated historical fiction (including comics), nonfiction history, and textbooks. Of one of his ebooks, Teddy’s Tantrum: John D. Weaver and the Exoneration of the 25th Infantry (2017), Durwood has said that “narratives can correct the past, and help make us collectively whole.”

Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism (2020) is an attempt at sharing the wonders of literature and the tools for unpacking the way literature works. The ebook is presented with artistic font and illustrations; it mimics the design of children’s literature and offers the reader an aesthetic journey through the book. In an “Author’s Welcome,” Durwood describes the collection as starting from a file of material from his course at Valley Forge Military College. He writes that readers “must begin taking control of their worlds, starting with becoming an active reader.” And he encourages them to “Look under the hood. Think critically, in all things.” Throughout the book, he encourages readers to join him in “looking under the hood” of literature, to interpret what he shares, respond, and “then produce your own theory to replace mine.”

Kid Lit is divided into three parts: “Your Lit Crit Toolbox,” which includes chapters on what he refers to as “conceptual instruments” that will help readers “unlock” literature, such as the coming-of-age matrix, the building blocks of literature, and more; “In-Depth Studies,” which includes case studies of scholars analyzing texts such as “‘The Lion King’ and Its Message of Social Darwinism,” “Star Wars and Government,” “Pixar Gender, Pixar Rules,” and “Philosophy in Comics” as well as interviews with the scholars; and “Lesson Plans,” which provides an explanation of Durwood’s class and resources for teaching these skills and concepts.

In the first section, Durwood writes that in the book, “we take a deliberately broad and inclusive approach to the field of Children’s Literature (Kid Lit).” He describes four phases of the history of children’s literature, ending with “the current golden age,” in which gaming provides participants with interactive storytelling and diverse cultural perspectives “bring ‘buried narratives’ to the surface.”

Durwood notes that we still have “a long way to go to represent all cultures fairly in children’s literature.” In a chapter on gender, he cites research when explaining that “girls and women have been drastically under-represented in Kid Lit, at all levels . . . .” Durwood also cites Deborah Tannen, a linguist, in arguing that authors should represent characters in ways that acknowledge differences in experience. And he cautions the reader to critique his assumptions: “You don’t have to agree with any of this, but you need to begin assessing female and male characters in stories, and how they are portrayed.” Durwood codifies these concepts in an effort to give children and youth access to terms and frameworks for critical reading. But readers should be cautioned not to “essentialize” (describe people according to simplified or stereotypical traits). Especially with children and youth, it’s important to use inclusive language and acknowledge the consequences of misrepresenting others’ identities and experiences.

In the chapter called “Building Blocks of Literature,” Durwood describes terms that will be familiar to educators, such as dialogue, as well as “fancy” terms such as anagnorisis. (I was not familiar with this term.) Anagnorisis, according to Durwood, “refers to the moment of clarity in a story, a moment of recognition when the hero suddenly understands the real truth – things as they truly stand.”

The second section of the book, “In Depth,” provides case studies of scholars’ interpretations of children’s literature as well as interviews with those scholars. A chapter called “Pixar Gender, Pixar Rules: A Sampling of the Literature on Pixar” includes an analysis called “Gender in Pixar” by Durwood; “Family Roles in Pixar: An Excerpt from ‘Empowered Mothering’ by Suzan G. Brydon; and “Pixar Rules Part 1 (from a Pixar story artist)” by Emma Coats, which describes writing rules that Coats originally tweeted, such as “Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about until you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.” And finally, “Pixar Rules Part 2 (from a sharp-eyed observer)” by Kyle Munkittrick, which was originally published in Discover Magazine (“The Hidden Message in Pixar Films,” May 2011). According to Durwood, Munkittrick describes three rules of Pixar, including this one: “The first Rule of Pixar is that there is no magic. No problems are caused or fixed by the wave of a wand.”

The third section starts with “Nine Things to Know About Prof. Durwood’s EN 210 Class,” which is addressed to students. This list includes the propositions that “(constant writing) works” and that “Your most important work is done outside class.” Here Durwood describes himself as his students’ “writing coach” and explains that his goal is to help his students succeed in and outside class. In a chapter called “What Is This Class All About?” he cites the research of Raj Chetty and John N. Friedman in arguing that “good teachers have a lasting positive effect on their students.” The rest of this section includes assignments. One asks students to explore what it means to be “heroes of two worlds,” like Superman and Ariel of the Little Mermaid. The assignment asks, “Do you? Does this belonging to two worlds make you stronger, or weaker? What special powers do you have because of this? What have you gained from each world that helps you in the other world? Please write a one-page essay answering these questions. Draw specific comparisons between a hero from two worlds and yourself.”

Kid Lit includes references to research and scholarship as well as links to articles. It also includes an index where readers can search authors’ names, literary elements, and literature titles.

Of Kid Lit, Durwood explains, “The driving idea or impetus . . . is to bring scholarship out of the amber of scholarly journals and dissertations and into the classroom, where these powerful ideas could have a wide impact.” This is a laudable goal, and Durwood welcomes useful critiques of his interpretations and language in his quest to make literature more accessible for readers, especially children and youth.

[Steff Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Durwood's Kid Lit was honestly one of the more fascinating reads I've gotten my hands on. There's a lot of merit, I think, to analyze what's depicted in children's literature, especially as a teacher and a parent. While I would expect everything to apply to working with kids, there's something truly important to note about how you engage with them in discussion about the material that they interact with and are exposed to. In this sense, it gives opportunity for increased development of thought and the manner in which they view the world.

Aside from that, it's also just really fun to analyze media, even more so when it's something that you may have engaged with yourself when you were a child. Though I think my personal background and interests make me a smidge more inclined to find this sort of book interesting, I do think there's a lot of merit anyone can find in reading it.

One thing I didn't love about this, though, was the organizational structure of everything. It just didn't work for me as well as I'd have liked. Outside of that, I'm quite fond of and impressed by the wealth of information and discussion opportunity that Kid Lit represents.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Isabella V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I got this from a raffle/giveaway and finished the book in one sitting.

I really liked how easy everything was presented and how there were simple problems to illustrate the point. At the end the intent of the author was stated and I thought it was inspiring. If you don’t want to learn about the math, I’d suggest reading the other works the author has written.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great explanations

Five complex problems made easier with simple explanations. Follow that up with multiple sample problems and you have a clearer understanding of the concepts.

#GoodreadsGiveaway

[Linda]

This book shows up in the list of books I won in a Goodreads giveaway, but I never won a book of this title. I have a book by the same author titled “An Introduction to Higher Math”, which is probably the book I won, although I would have been interested in this one, too.

[LitPick Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism by Tom Durwood is informative and interesting to read. It begins by briefly defining children’s literature, kid lit for short, and highlights its history. It covers coming-of-age resources well, so plans for future editions include adding information about picture books and some international literature too. The book is divided into three sections. The first clearly summarizes concepts such as identity, gender, social class, trauma, and war as they relate to literary criticism. It also discusses the basic elements of story structure and the empire theory of literature as simply as possible. The second part of the book, “In-Depth Studies,” contains editorial introductions as well as interviews and links to essays from scholars who have strong opinions about popular stories and movies. The book ends with Mr. Durwood’s expectations for his college classes, his mission, and lesson plans. While this book could be used as a detailed outline or textbook for a class, I see it as a reference book of ideas about critical thinking and writing because of the frequent author notes, scholarly essay information, sample lesson plan writing assignments, and thorough index it has.

Often people read stories including comics, play online video games, and watch movies for pleasure. They don’t think about them much beyond that, but this book considers these genres part of kid lit. As a result, Mr. Durwood challenges readers to look within the resources for deeper meanings each may have. He encourages people to question why some works have stayed popular over time and to look for the similarities and differences among them. He believes it’s important to think about how sources of entertainment might relate to history, politics, and world culture too. He builds an argument with examples for his own ideas, shows readers how scholars do the same, and invites people to practice justifying their ideas in their own writing. The process isn’t easy at first, but he’s found research that shows it develops skills that are highly valued in various professions. He also suggests that even when people disagree with one another, they have had an opportunity to think about ideas from a different perspective. This is what helps us become more knowledgeable and well-rounded over time.

This scholarly book is packed with information that is best suited for teachers and college students. It’s a collection of various kid lit ideas, so it is not intended to be read quickly beginning to end. I think probably the more it’s studied, the more information readers notice and learn. When I focused on small amounts of the book at one time, each idea seemed straight forward and well written. The author’s introductory notes and bold print statements inside text boxes highlighted important information. The numerous lesson plan writing assignments also looked challenging. The list of class expectations showed how student success is related to effort while the mission section explained the value of a good teacher. Both are reminders we all have a responsibility to do our best. I really liked the colorful photographs that consistently appear throughout. They grab readers’ attention and break up the seriousness of the text. I think the best part of the book is its emphasis on popular coming-of-age stories and movies. The familiarity most people already have with many of them can take away the fear they might feel if they’re practicing new academic skills such as thinking and writing critically for the first time.

[Julie Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many who don't think that literary criticism is necessary, beyond saying whether a work is good or bad. They especially are wary of criticizing Children's Literature, thinking that this form of literature is for kids and should just simply be recognized on that superficial level.
But what many don't realize is that whether they are aware of it or not, they criticize and analyze children's Literature. When they make comparisons between the Hunger Games' characters' rebellions against the Capitol and Marvel's hero's fights against HYDRA and Thanos, they are making an analysis. They are also criticizing literature when they introduce their own favorite childhood works to a younger generation and wondering if the writing still holds up or whether a work is appropriate for their children. Even a simple subjective analysis of whether a work is good or not is a form of literary criticism, because one has to analyze what specifically they liked or didn't like about it.
Tom Durwood's fascinating book Kid Lit: Introduction to Literary Criticism is an analytical look into children's literature and other cultural touchstones like popular movies and comics to understand that there are more to works that are aimed for children than many think.

The book is divided in two halves. The first half covers the history of children's literature as well as various analytical themes that are present in such works. The second half offers a sample of literary analysis discussing works as diverse as The Lion King, Harry Potter, Tintin, Tarzan, Pixar films, and Afrofuturist literature.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Author’s Welcome, Tom Durwood states - I hope you will disagree with my ideas. I think one of his goals for this book is to stimulate critical thinking. I will say this for his book - it did make me think and it did stimulate some interesting conversations with my adult children who are better versed in pop culture than I am. Some of the ideas presented in the book seemed far-fetched to us. We couldn’t see the same connections as the writers. We also wondered when comparisons were made to the Bible if the authors really understood the Bible.
When I think of “kid lit,” I think of books for children ages 0-10. That apparently is not Durwood’s definition. I think a better title would have been Coming of Age Media as much of what he discusses is more appropriate for ages 11 and up. It also seemed there were more references to movies than to books.
Part One starts the critical thinking process with looking at elements of story structure, characters, symbolism and more.
Part Two includes essays by others which could stimulate some lively discussion in a high school English class.
Part Three needs some work. It looks to me like it is taken directly from a syllabus. While the information is important if you are in his class, some of it will have little value to most readers. English teachers may appreciate the listing of assignments he gives his students - there is much here that can be repurposed.
While this book isn’t anything like what I was expecting I can see it’s usefulness for those teaching Young Adult lit.
This review was prepared in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Tom Durwood

[Tamera Mcmahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism” is a 238 page text book/syllabus, from Empire Studies Press, that I would have loved to have during my years as a middle school reading teacher.

The text begins with a useful “lit crit tool box.” The tool box provides, among other things, characteristics of the coming of age story , details about the role nationality has in a story’s makeup, the three act structure used in movies (that can be related to literature), and an approach for analyzing the role of the included female characters.

Something I have not seen before, the text provides interviews with scholars which contain key questions and responses based on current kid lit. (A Cultural Critic Sees Undertones of Fascism in the Popular Story [The Lion King] by Dan Hassler-Forest; The Heart of the Space-Based Franchise Lies in Civics [highlighting Star Wars] by Alexander Maxwell; The Role of Empire in One of Our Most Popular Comics by Emma Walker; Hidden Depths in a Story [Tarzan] You Think You Know by Anna Kozak; How a Close Reading of History Matters to “His Dark Materials” by R. L. Shields.

Finally the text contains in depth questions to guide the reader in the analysis of different aspects of kid lit - characters, reversal of fortune, and heroes.

4 Stars

[Olivia W · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a total nerd and someone who took a literary criticism class for fun, I was very excited to see a book like this. It probably would’ve helped my in-class analyis of various works and helped with my thesis project. There is a breakdown of the elements of different genres that he explains to introduce the common themes and differences in stories.
Addresses ideas of story structure, The Other (yes, I meant that capitalized), mysteries of what our English teachers say, gender theory (the not so hidden truths about society in the portrayal of gender and the disparity between female characters and male characters), class, trauma, how movies are brought to life, and the connection the stories have to life. He then goes in-depth on certain areas to demonstrate certain theories.

I think he does a great job at explaining ideas and bringing examples that everyone can understand. He doesn’t just stick to literature and applies it to other media. Modern examples of things like Star Wars, Tarzan, Marvel, and so many others that explain how the crossing of genres carry the same messages and points. He links in articles for people to do more reading and expand their knowledge of the concepts he covers.

[Kim Kitson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Tom Durwood says, "Who tells the stories wins." Durwood's book Kid Lit: an Introduction to Literary Criticism is all about empowering students to understand the perspective and intention of those who tell the narratives in our lives. This is something many students don't know how to do, and, quite often, don't want to explore. The three sections are logical, thoughtfully summarised and accessible. The Lit Crit Toolbox is set at an appropriate and engaging level for teenagers and the lessons included at the end are excellent challenges. The tasks move from critical to creative and this is a highly effective way to embed knowledge and new skills.
As a teacher, I found the content to be motivating, and I know it will create challenges and rich discussion in the classroom. I love the fact the book is based on experiential learning and students are asked to create their own theories. I will be applying many ideas here to my own teaching. I would recommend Tom Durwood's book to teachers, writers and parents.
I was sent a copy of the book from Voracious Readers and asked to write an honest review.

[Baeries ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for a more critical review kind of book when I picked this one up, with more reviews on classic children literature. This book was not what I expected but it was a pleasant surprise. The first part was mainly educational, more suitable for teachers’ reading, while I found the last part quite interesting. Some of the content were quite difficult, considering the use of complicated philosophical thoughts such as Darwinism and orientalism, so I believed this book would suit mature readers with a considerable amount of knowledge. Though difficult, the author kept it compact and the choice of literature reviewed in this book, including popular franchise such as Star Wars and Hunger Games and the Marvel superhero series, kept me engaged and I’m sure most readers would be at awe at the sophisticated arguments made by the author. This book would make a good place to start for young learners as a little pep talk and a great introduction to literary criticism.

*Thank you to the author and Voracious Readers for a free copy.

[Lisa's Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Durwood is a masterful teacher, keeping us interested and entertained in his new ebook, Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism. As an educator, books that teach theory are some of my favorites. Not being a specialist in literary criticism or literature in general, I love how he went back to the basics. Every imaginable is explained in a way beginners can understand.

I’m sure his students have loved his classes, because he takes things that are complex and makes them simple and understandable. This Introduction to Literary Criticism is not a dry textbook at all. Each chapter is filled with explanations and tons of real-book examples that we can all relate to.



I learned so much in this book! The inclusion of movies as literature was totally new to me and I was facinated with all the Star Wars information. The author researched to bring the reader vast amounts of knowledge, but also made it fun!

This review is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review. All opinions are my own.

[Emily Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really got me thinking about some of mine and the children in my class' favourite books. Raised some really interesting ideas about gender, class and sexuality and how these are portrayed in childrens' literature. I will definitely think a bit more carefully about these ideas when choosing class texts to read now, especially in terms of making sure I represent all groups across the year. Unfortunately, as a primary teacher I don't think many of the techniques mentioned would be appropriate to use with the children - they are more secondary school appropriate, but I still really enjoyed the book and the thought processes it provoked. There were a few spelling errors, but I realise this is not a final copy that I read, so hopefully these will be changed!

[Erica (The Literary Apothecary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter where we turn, narratives are at every corner.

The author brilliantly places the various components of classic stories in a realm accessible by youth.

From the typical coming-of-age stories to the magical tales that captivate young minds, Kid Lit provides the foundation necessary to read between the lines of any fictional narrative and extract the message.


This was my favorite nonfiction book of the year by far. Kid Lit forced me to step back and look at literature as more than just an art form used to escape daily life. I would recommend Kid Lit to anyone, especially ELA teachers and parents.

[Steph Anie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of Kid Lit via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review. Aimed at students but just as useful for anyone interested in literature, this resource essentially teaches the reader how to think critically while consuming stories. The format of the book encourages the reader to engage with the content while moving through the text. Complex ideas are presented clearly and convey that the author has both thorough knowledge of the subject matter and skill in teaching others. I would reccomend Kid Lit for teachers, students and literature enthusiasts.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book to learn more about English literature. I enjoyed reading this and the in-depth view and perspective it gives. It was a different way of looking at literature and the books I had read growing up, and the deeper view and further comprehension was interesting to read.

I would recommend this to those who want to learn more about English literature.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I wish this had been around when I was in college; I think it would pair well with any theater, film or lit class (classic, adult, childrens, etc...). It really explains well what makes a great story in easy terms. So concise. Doesn't talk down to students, but leads them to actual critical thinking of what they are watching or reading. Kudos Tom Durwood- well done!

I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this as an introduction to Critical Literacy for young readers. As a teacher of English Extension, I find that students are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of readings and criticism they come across, especially if they begin this subject in senior study. This is an easy-to-read and enjoyable text which gently eases them into the subject matter with popular texts and recognisable characters. Love it!

[Emma Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although aimed at secondary school pupils, Kid Lit has opened my eyes to some of the literature I've read, so that its viewed from a different perspective.
Very well written, critically of course- Kid Lit also shares detailed lesson plans and ideas for the examination of the literature children read.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for those looking to further their understanding of the English language. Not really a book that you sit down and read in one sitting. Rather, it’s more a book you read for help and references. Overall very helpful and nice to read!

[Airy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent take on learning. I read an advanced copy of this and it assists with comprehension and aspects of the literary world from a different angle than most instruction. Definitely helpful and I wish when I was taking English in school I had had this book

[Tianne Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I thought it would be like. This book deleted deeper and followed a better narrative than I was expecting. Worth reading but was not as gripping as I wanted to have it take me.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kid Lit is an absolutely valuable scholarly resource. Durwood’s work is useful for both student and teacher, and is ripe for dialogue and engagement around journeys through text.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.