Debates about "authentic" children's literature often focus on the question of who can legitimately write children's literature. Therefore, an author's age, race, and/or ethnicity, (dis)ability, and sexuality become important considerations in establishing credibility and authenticity. If we define children's literature by authorship,…

This article looks at how four British-based poets born in the Caribbean exploit the rich language repertoire available to them in their work for children and young people. Following initial consideration of questions of definition and terminology, poetry collections by James Berry, John Agard, Grace Nichols and Valerie Bloom are discussed, with a…

The plays "Harlem Duet" (1997) by African Canadian playwright Djanet Sears and "Desdemona" (2012) by Toni Morrison signify upon European texts aiming to carve out a new definition of what it means to be black in North America. Therefore, both texts make for interesting reading in the study of (black) identity construction…

This paper introduces a pedagogical approach and strategies for using online resources and interactive media to teach in English about writers and writing from around the world without colonizing or excluding other languages and cultures. First, I explain the context and challenges of teaching world literature: the importance of including diverse…

Presents 12 brief answers by editors and authors to the question of what a short story is. Includes a 23-item annotated bibliography of the best new (published between 1997 and 2000) short story collections for young adults. (RS)