An invaluable resource for professionals who wish to write book evaluations—and for all serious fans of children's literature! This revised edition of  From Cover to Cover offers a fresh, up-to-date look at some of the best examples of children’s literature and also includes practical advice on how to write clearly articulated, reasoned opinions so that others can learn about books they have not yet read. A brief, updated introduction clearly explains how children’s books evolve from manuscripts into bound books and the importance of the many different parts of a book (jacket flaps, title page, copyright, etc.) and changes in the children’s book industry, such as the creation of two new major genre awards. In addition, the author demonstrates how to think about and critically evaluate several different genres of children’s books. Included are sections about books of information (and the author’s responsibility to document sources); traditional literature (myths, legends, tall tales, folktales); poetry, verse, rhymes, and songs; picture books; easy readers and traditional books; and fiction and graphic novels. There is also a concluding chapter on how to write reviews that are both descriptive and analytical, including a segment on children’s literature blogs. Updated material includes: •An introduction that reflects the many changes in the children’s book industry •A section on genres, including a discussion of graphic novels •A section on children’s literature blogs •An introduction of two new major genre awards: the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award •And more than 90% of the books cited have been updated from the first edition to more recent publications! Horning's 13-year-old publication has become a standard in the field of reviewing, evaluating, and selecting children's literature. This revised edition has the same broad categories as in the earlier edition but offers separate chapters on children's book publishing and the fundamentals of review writing. It includes a section on illustrated novels such as Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic, 2007) and the expansion of the graphic novel for elementary-aged readers such as Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm's "Babymouse" books (Random). In "Traditional Literature," a section on fractured fairy tales has been added while the chapter on poetry now includes explanations of sound, imagery, ideas, and the growth of the verse novel. Numerous examples of quoted passages from literature across the spectrum round out Horning's very complete resource that will continue to be the venerable reference tool and required reading for education and library-science students, youth librarians, teachers, and anyone else interested in kids, reading, and children's literature.— Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. “Anyone entering the field of children’s book reviewing, or indeed, the wider field of children’s literature, will find From Cover to Cover an excellent guide.” — ALA Booklist “Succinct, highly readable, and eminently useful.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “An engaging read. Aspiring book review writers will treasure this book.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “A user-friendly handbook.” — The Horn Book The revised edition of From Cover to Cover offers a fresh, up-to-date look at some of the best examples of children's literature today and also includes practical advice on how to write clearly articulated, reasoned opinions so that others can learn about books they have not yet read. A brief, updated introduction explains how children's books evolve from manuscripts into bound books, the importance of the many different parts of a book (jacket flaps, title page, copyright, etc.), and changes in the children's book industry, such as the creation of two new major genre awards. In addition, the author demonstrates how to think about and critically evaluate several different genres of children's books. Included are sections about books of information (and the author's responsibility to document sources); traditional literature (myths, legends, tall tales, folktales); poetry, verse, rhymes, and songs; picture books; easy readers and traditional books; and fiction and graphic novels. There is also a concluding chapter on how to write reviews that are both descriptive and analytical, as well as a segment on children's literature blogs. From Cover to Cover is an invaluable resource for all professionals who wish to write book evaluations that go beyond a simple personal response. Kathleen T. Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was also a children's librarian at Madison Public Library for nine years. Ms. Horning was the president of the Associati