Liminal Spaces in Childrens and Young Adult Literature

Scholars in the field of childrens literature studies began taking an interest in the concept of liminal spaces around the turn of the 21st century. For the first time, Liminal Spaces in Childrens and Young Adult Literature: Stories from the In Between brings together in one volume a collection of original essays on this topic by leading childrens literature scholars. The contributors in this collection take a wide variety of approaches to their explorations of liminal spaces in childrens and young adult literature. Some discuss how childrens books portray the liminal nature of physical spaces, such as the childrens room in a library. Others deal with more abstract portrayals, such as the imaginary space where Max goes to escape the reality of his bedroom in Maurice Sendaks Where the Wild Things Are. All of the contributors, however, provide keen insights into how liminal spaces figure in childrens and young adult literature.