This collection argues that the romanticized conflation of "childhood" and "innocence" in American culture has been on a steady decline at least since the 1960s--largely due to postmodern critiques of overarching narratives involving both "the child" and the "innocence" of childhood. Additionally, this collection highlights and analyzes examples of children's literature and culture throughout the 20th century (and into the 21st) which pointedly defy traditional, idealized notions of "childhood". Such an analysis serves to reiterate the idea that the romanticized notion of "childhood" which has pervaded American culture for over two centuries is little more than a cultural construction that bears little to no resemblance to the actual, lived experience of American children.

Focusing on the mythological narratives that influence Irish children's literature, this book examines the connections between landscape, time and identity, positing that myth and the language of myth offer authors and readers the opportunity to engage with Ireland's culture and heritage. It explores the recurring patterns of Irish mythological narratives that influence literature produced for children in Ireland between the nineteenth and the twenty-first centuries. A selection of children's books published between 1892, when there was an escalation of the cultural pursuit of Irish independence and 2016, which marked the centenary of the Easter 1916 rebellion against English rule, are discussed with the aim of demonstrating the development of a pattern of retrieving, re-telling, remembering and re-imagining myths in Irish children's literature. In doing so, it examines the reciprocity that exists between imagination, memory, and childhood experiences in this body of work.

Celebrate with Harmony Ink Press as we recognize the talented winners of our first annual Young Author Challenge. This anthology showcases the LGBTQ genre's best up-and-coming-authors between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one. The transition from childhood to adulthood is never easy, and growing up presents unique challenges for LGBTQ youth. Confusion, bigotry, and struggle transcend time and place, but fortunately, so does love. Travel with these exceptional young authors from country cottages to big cities, into the past and the future, from fantastic lands of magic to the recognizable landscapes of our world. Regardless of the setting, the characters in these stories, along with families, friends, lovers, and allies, fight to claim their places in life. Their identities and situations are different, but the young people in this collection share the strength and courage to succeed, sometimes against great odds, and they invite you to join them on their journeys. Cigar, Parasol, Star by Laura BeairdCounting Stars by L.A. BuchananThe King of Dorkdom by Avery BurrowHappy Endings Take Work by Morgan CairTess by Becca EhlersOur First Anniversary by Trisha HarringtonThe Dragon Princess by Eleanor HawtinAn IRL Love Life by Rebecca LongOn Their Own Terms by D. William PfiferGlitterhead by Benjamin Shepherd QuiñonesCity Lights Will Carry You Home by Amanda ReedThe Gift of Flame by Scotia RothWaiting by Annie SchoonoverQuiet Love by Gil SegevParanormal Honor Society by Leigh Taylor

Focusing on the mythological narratives that influence Irish children's literature, this book examines the connections between landscape, time and identity, positing that myth and the language of myth offer authors and readers the opportunity to engage with Ireland's culture and heritage. It explores the recurring patterns of Irish mythological narratives that influence literature produced for children in Ireland between the nineteenth and the twenty-first centuries. A selection of children's books published between 1892, when there was an escalation of the cultural pursuit of Irish independence and 2016, which marked the centenary of the Easter 1916 rebellion against English rule, are discussed with the aim of demonstrating the development of a pattern of retrieving, re-telling, remembering and re-imagining myths in Irish children's literature. In doing so, it examines the reciprocity that exists between imagination, memory, and childhood experiences in this body of work.