British children's writers since 1960 : first series /

This third DLB volume covering British children's writers follows the format of other volumes in the series. For 30 authors (including Joan Aiken, Lucy Boston, Penelope Farmer, Richard Hughes, to name a few) biographical information and critical assessment of their publications are provided. Overall the quality of the contributions is high, but it does vary. Each entry provides a list of the author's books and other writings by and about the author. The introduction gives a brief history of children's literature during this period and explains why some expected authors (e.g., Rosemary Sutcliff) will follow in the forthcoming second series. There is a list of suggested further readings and a cumulative index to the entire series. Although this title is recommended for university and college libraries with strong children's literature departments, it is not a necessity. Considering the number of authors treated, the price will be prohibitive for many libraries. All these authors are treated (if not in as great depth) in Twentieth-Century Children's Writers (4th ed., 1995), which contains more than 800 authors, and also in Gale's Something about the Author (1971- ). Most are in the various editions of H.W. Wilson's Junior Authors (1931- ) and in Dictionary of British Children's Fiction, ed. by Alethea Helbig (CH, Mar'90), which includes author, title, and character entries. T. M. Racz Eastern Michigan University