A Made-up Place New Zealand in Young Adult Fiction
Despite a strange cover that seemingly shows two girls in their underwear, this fascinating book by New Zealand-based scholars who teach children's literature discusses what is likely to be new ground for many of us: young adult literature from New Zealand. It analyses a number of topics (ranging from race to sport, the Gothic to money) and refers to many authors, including Margaret Mahy, Maurice Gee, and Witi Ihimaera. The main topic is national identity, which is connected to other issues, so Jackson, Miles, Rickets, Schaefer, and Walls analyze young adult literature from New Zealand with the apparent aim of understanding what such works say about New Zealand and about the New Zealander identity (or identities). / B.J. Epstein. - Includes index