Over the River and Through the Wood

Karen L. Kilcup is a professor of American literature at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her books include Teaching Nineteenth-Century American Poetry and Fallen Forests: Emotion, Embodiment, and Ethics in American Women's Environmental Writing, 1781-1924. Angela Sorby is an associate professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Her books include Schoolroom Poets: Childhood, Performance, and the Place of American Poetry, 1865-1917, and three poetry collections, most recently The Sleeve Waves.

• Statement of Editorial PrinciplesAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. "Pretty New Moons": Contact Zones in Nineteenth-Century American Children's PoetryChapter 1. Growing ThingsChapter 2. Landscapes and SeasonsChapter 3. Creepy CrawliesChapter 4. Feathered FriendsChapter 5. Domestic AnimalsChapter 6. Wild AnimalsChapter 7. Toys and PlayChapter 8. NonsenseChapter 9. Cautionary TalesChapter 10. Learning LessonsChapter 11. Slavery and FreedomChapter 12. Politics and Social ReformChapter 13. Death and Affliction Chapter 14. Fairy and FolkChapter 15. HolidaysChapter 16. HistoriesChapter 17. Science and TechnologyChapter 18. Homework and HandworkChapter 19. Family TiesChapter 20. Dreams and VisionsAppendixTable of Contents by DateWorks CitedAuthor IndexTitle Index

It will indeed be a living canon resonating with readers of all ages. Aside from the book's scholarly value, parents and grandparents will find themselves dipping into it regularly. Library Journal Over the River and Through the Wood provides a glimpse of a time less anxious about the boundary between adulthood and childhood, and draws attention to some wonderful poems. -- Teresa Michals Times Literary Supplement This book is a landmark text for scholars of the nineteenth century, for specialists in children's literature, and for scholars of poetry. But many people who are none of these-including people still in elementary school-will find much in the book to enjoy. -- Julia Mickenberg Review 19 A fascinating collection with relevance in many areas of the curriculum... These poems gathered in this very attractive, illustrated and accessible edition, are a delight. -- Frank Startup School Librarian A comprehensive, engaging collection... The editors' careful attention to detail in providing authorship information, dates, and original publication sources as well as the diversity of the poets make this anthology an important scholarly tool for anyone interested in American and/or children's literature. Choice