Bruce Handy. (2017). Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult. Simon & Schuster.

Bruce Handy. 2017. Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature As an Adult. Simon & Schuster.

Bruce Handy, Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature As an Adult. Simon & Schuster, 2017.

Bruce Handy. Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature As an Adult. Simon & Schuster, 2017.

OverDrive Product Record

images

• cover:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG100.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg
• thumbnail:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG200.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover150Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG150.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover300Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG400.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg

formats

1. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781501150425
   • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
   • id: ebook-epub-adobe
2. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ASIN
        • value: B01MPZDNSS
   • name: Kindle Book
   • id: ebook-kindle
3. • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781501150425
   • name: OverDrive Read
   • id: ebook-overdrive

otherFormatIdentifiers

1. • type: ISBN
   • value: 9781451609967

mediaType

eBook

primaryCreator

• role: Author
• name: Bruce Handy

isOwnedByCollections

True

title

Wild Things

dateAdded

2017-08-04T21:39:00Z

contentDetails

1. • href: https://link.overdrive.com?websiteID=141&titleID=3022436
   • type: text/html
   • account:
     • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
     • id: 1151

sortTitle

Wild Things The Joy of Reading Childrens Literature as an Adult

crossRefId

3022436

subtitle

The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult

id

81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715

starRating

3.8

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain

False

formats

1. • fileName: WildThings_9781501150425_3022436
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 7293875
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781501150425
   • rights:
     1. • type: Copying
        • value: 0
     2. • type: Printing
        • value: 0
     3. • type: Lending
        • value: 0
     4. • type: ReadAloud
        • value: 0
     5. • type: ExpirationRights
        • value: 0
   • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: ebook-epub-adobe
   • onSaleDate: 8/15/2017
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: ebook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=81b85b3d-204a-4bc2-976c-617515a70715&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
2. • fileName: WildThings_3022436
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 0
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: ASIN
        • value: B01MPZDNSS
   • name: Kindle Book
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: ebook-kindle
   • onSaleDate: 8/15/2017
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: ebook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=81b85b3d-204a-4bc2-976c-617515a70715&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
3. • fileName: WildThings_9781501150425_3022436
   • partCount: 0
   • fileSize: 6765230
   • identifiers:
     1. • type: ISBN
        • value: 9781501150425
   • name: OverDrive Read
   • isReadAlong: False
   • id: ebook-overdrive
   • onSaleDate: 8/15/2017
   • samples:
     1. • source: From the book
        • formatType: ebook-overdrive
        • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=81b85b3d-204a-4bc2-976c-617515a70715&.epub-sample.overdrive.com

keywords

1. • value: Children's Classics
2. • value: The Lion
3. • value: Beatrix Potter
4. • value: children's books
5. • value: Harry Potter
6. • value: Storytelling
7. • value: Children's Literature
8. • value: Disney
9. • value: l frank baum
10. • value: Hans Christian Anderson
11. • value: JK Rowling
12. • value: C.S. Lewis
13. • value: Where the Wild Things Are
14. • value: Literary studies
15. • value: Picture books
16. • value: fairy tales
17. • value: Peter Rabbit
18. • value: Dr. Seuss
19. • value: Curious George
20. • value: the Wizard of Oz
21. • value: maurice sendak
22. • value: goodnight moon
23. • value: The Witch
24. • value: beverly cleary
25. • value: Ramona Quimby
26. • value: and the wardrobe
27. • value: the cat in the hat
28. • value: children's publishing
29. • value: green eggs and ham

creators

1. • role: Author
   • fileAs: Handy, Bruce
   • bioText: Bruce Handy is currently a contributing editor of Vanity Fair. A former writer and editor at Spy and Time, his articles, essays, reviews, and humor pieces have appeared in such publications as The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, New York magazine, Rolling Stone, Vogue, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker. Handy was nominated for an Emmy in 1993 as a member of Saturday Night Live's writing staff. He won a GLAAD Award in 1998 for his "Yep I'm Gay" Time cover profile of Ellen DeGeneres. At Vanity Fair, he has written on topics and personalities as diverse as Mad Men, Amy Schumer, film composer John Barry, PeeWee Herman, Miley Cyrus, the J.T. Leroy hoax, Cinerama, and the history of flight attendants. A native of California and a graduate of Stanford University, Handy lives in Manhattan with his wife, novelist Helen Schulman, and their two children. Wild Things is his first book.
   • name: Bruce Handy

publishDate

2017-08-15T00:00:00-04:00

isOwnedByCollections

True

title

Wild Things

fullDescription

An irresistible, nostalgic, insightful—and "consistently intelligent and funny" (The New York Times Book Review)—ramble through classic children's literature from Vanity Fair contributing editor (and father of two) Bruce Handy.
The dour New England Primer, thought to be the first American children's book, was first published in Boston in 1690. Offering children gems of advice such as "Strive to learn" and "Be not a dunce," it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to "Let the wild rumpus start"? And now that we're living in a golden age of children's literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotte's Web and Little House on the Prairie?

A "delightful excursion" (The Wall Street Journal), Wild Things revisits the classics of every American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the back stories of their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces. Along the way, Handy learns what The Cat in the Hat says about anarchy and absentee parenting, which themes are shared by The Runaway Bunny and Portnoy's Complaint, and why Ramona Quimby is as true an American icon as Tom Sawyer or Jay Gatsby.

It's a profound, eye-opening experience to re-encounter books that you once treasured decades ago. A clear-eyed love letter to the greatest children's books and authors from Louisa May Alcott and L. Frank Baum to Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mildred D. Taylor, and E.B. White, Wild Things is "a spirited, perceptive, and just outright funny account that will surely leave its readers with a new appreciation for childhood favorites" (Publishers Weekly).

gradeLevels

1. • value: Grade 10
2. • value: Grade 11
3. • value: Grade 12

reviews

1. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     April 17, 2017
     In an article about why he chose to write for children rather than adults, Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, acknowledged the “low pay, low status” accorded his profession. As if to redress this state of affairs, Handy, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, does his part here to give the iconic authors of children’s literature their due in his spirited, perceptive, and just outright funny account of reading childhood favorites through adult eyes. He takes readers from the first books of childhood—such as Margaret Wise Brown’s classic Goodnight Moon, Maurice Sendak’s surreal Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, and the dizzy, euphoric invention of Dr. Seuss’s works—to the chapter books of Beverly Cleary, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and E.B. White. He asserts that these works represent a shift from the dull realm of the Dick and Jane storybooks to more complex and idiosyncratic material. Biographical sketches of the authors complement thematic analyses of their works. Interestingly, most of the authors profiled here had no children of their own, but nonetheless had a great understanding of children’s feelings and viewpoints. Handy’s breezy, friendly style lends the book a bright feeling, as of old friends discussing old friends, and this book will surely leave its readers with a new appreciation for childhood favorites. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Talent.

2. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     Starred review from May 15, 2017
     A Vanity Fair contributing editor encourages adult readers to tumble back down the rabbit hole of childhood and rediscover their favorite books.In his first book, veteran cultural critic Handy, a former writer and editor at both Time and Spy magazines, astutely discusses the central truth about rereading children's books, which is that the experience is equal parts nostalgia and revelation. Focusing on books for pre-young adult ages, he observes that adult rereaders of beloved childhood texts cannot engage with the work without acknowledging the mature perspective that adulthood confers; thus, they will rediscover the works from a new vantage point. A book like this is difficult to write and can be even more difficult to find an audience for. To succeed, the tone must be informative but not pedantic, and Handy nails it, displaying a highly engaging prose style that showcases an impressive ebb and flow of sentence structure and delicate mix of information and entertainment. The author expertly employs his experience as an editor and writer, mingling personal anecdotes with literary history and social commentary while discussing the enduring popularity of Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon or pondering what message Shel Silverstein's somewhat masochistic The Giving Tree is supposed to teach its young audience. Handy's candor is one of the book's most refreshing features, and he invites readers to puzzle through their own complicated thoughts about favorite novels right alongside him. Writing about everything from The Chronicles of Narnia to Where the Wild Things Are to The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the author demonstrates a deep love of children's literature and a keen understanding of the ways in which reapproaching beloved texts can highlight the connections and differences between a child's perception and adult reality. As well-researched as it is seamlessly composed, this book entertains as it educates.

     COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     June 15, 2017
     

     Handy (contributing editor, Vanity Fair) writes in an adult voice that is sophisticated and charming and occasionally profane, yet he accesses his own childhood authentically and reacts to the stories through this youthful gaze. The listening pose of a child hearing a story is rapt and present and expecting to be delighted, and Handy drops naturally into this posture, expressing a joy and wonder that is authentically his and often not shared by the children at his side. When this happens he shrugs off their no-funness in precisely the way they might shrug off their nonplussed neighbor at the library's story time. This invites the adult reader to sit at his other side, in the same posture, and makes this book delightful to read--especially for parents who may be encountering critical theories of children's literature for the first time. Once the reader is so "seated," the criticism served up on books such as Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat is rollicking and razor sharp, consistently engaging, always on point, and packed with history, theory, and humor. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone who reads--or has read--children's literature.--Jenny Brewer, Helen Hall Lib., League City, TX

     Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

4. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     October 30, 2017
     Reading his book in a friendly and welcoming voice, Handy revisits classic children’s literature from his youth and considers the staying power of each as he reads them to his own children. He discusses classic picture books such as Good-
     night Moon and Where the Wild Things Are and series such as the Oz, Narnia, and Ramona Quimby books. In each chapter, he explores a specific book, its background, related titles, and what he considers the most poignant elements of the story. In narrating, Handy clearly communicates his enthusiasm for rereading the books; listeners can easily imagine him sitting next to his children’s bed reading to them. He has a consistent cadence like that of a professional narrator that keeps the prose moving along but is tinged with youthful exuberance, which proves essential as he narrates passages from the stories or discusses his children’s or his own initial reactions. It’s a convivial performance sure to please anyone with a fondness for classic children’s books. A Norton hardcover.

popularity

524

links

• self:
  • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/81b85b3d-204a-4bc2-976c-617515a70715/metadata
  • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json

id

81b85b3d-204a-4bc2-976c-617515a70715

starRating

3.8

images

• cover:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG100.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg
• thumbnail:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG200.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover150Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG150.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg
• cover300Wide:
  • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0439-1/{81B85B3D-204A-4BC2-976C-617515A70715}IMG400.JPG
  • type: image/jpeg

isPublicPerformanceAllowed

False

languages

1. • code: en
   • name: English

subjects

1. • value: Biography & Autobiography
2. • value: Children
3. • value: Literary Criticism
4. • value: Nonfiction

publishDateText

08/15/2017

otherFormatIdentifiers

1. • type: ISBN
   • value: 9781451609967

mediaType

eBook

shortDescription

An irresistible, nostalgic, insightful—and "consistently intelligent and funny" (The New York Times Book Review)—ramble through classic children's literature from Vanity Fair contributing editor (and father of two) Bruce Handy.
The dour New England Primer, thought to be the first American children's book, was first published in Boston in 1690. Offering children gems of advice such as "Strive to learn" and "Be not a dunce," it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to "Let the wild rumpus start"? And now that we're living in a golden age of children's literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotte's Web and Little House on the Prairie?

A "delightful excursion" (The Wall Street Journal), Wild Things revisits the classics of every American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the...

sortTitle

Wild Things The Joy of Reading Childrens Literature as an Adult

lexileScore

1290

crossRefId

3022436

subtitle

The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult

publisher

Simon & Schuster

bisacCodes

1. • code: BIO007000
   • description: Biography & Autobiography / Literary
2. • code: BIO026000
   • description: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs
3. • code: LIT009000
   • description: Literary Criticism / Children's & Young Adult Literature