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A concise, engaging, practical overview of children's literature that keeps the focus on the books that children read, this brief introduction leaves time to actually "read" children's books. Written on the assumption that the focus of a children's literature course should be on the actual books that children read, the authors first wrote this book in 1996 as a "textbook for people who don't like children's literature textbooks." Today it serves as an overview to shed light on the essentials of children's literature and how to use it effectively with young readers, from PreK to 8th grade. The authors use an enjoyable, conversational style to achieve their goal of providing a practical overview of children's books that offers a framework and background information, while keeping the spotlight on the books themselves. It is the authors' intention to encourage teachers to develop their own dependable book lists, and to do so they have organized the book lists at the ends of the chapters under five different headings: Fifteen Timeless Gems, Fifteen Gems of the New Millennium, Others We Like, Easier to Read, and Picture Books. The new Ninth Edition of "Children's Literature, Briefly" includes: A poem and learning objectives at the start of each chapter. Brief chapter summaries at the ends of chapters. A reorganization of the information from the first and last chapters into a new first chapter, which more clearly explains the importance of reading and how best to help children become lifelong lovers of reading. A new list of favorite titles, the Fifteen Gems of the New Millennium. The addition of pictures books as a separate category, rather than integrated within the chapter books. Updated examples and new research findings. A greater emphasis on modern publishing trends.