Ways of Knowing : Literature and the Intellectual Life of Children

Children's literature can open many doors to children so that they may encounter and reflect upon the world. Children listening to a story learn to consider information, ideas, values, and the nature of the human condition. Ways of Knowing provides a forum in which teachers, librarians, academics, and researchers discuss the power that literature has in the intellectual development of children. The authors who contributed to this volume share a strong belief in a multicultural, gender-fair, and nonhierarchical view of children's materials. Through this sharing of their expertise, they instruct the reader on the best possible resources for children and ways in which literature can combat gender and cultural biases. They also discuss the importance of literature in the aesthetic growth of children and the burgeoning importance of computers and technology as a factor in children's literature.