Storybook Worlds Made Real: Essays on the Places Inspired by Children's Narratives - Paperback

by Kathy Merlock Jackson (Editor), Mark I. West (Editor)

Memorable children's narratives immerse readers in imaginary worlds that bring them into the story. Some of these places have been constructed in the real world--like Pinocchio's Tuscany or Anne of Green Gables' Prince Edward Island--where visitors relive their favorite childhood tales. Theme parks like Walt Disney World and Harry Potter World use technology to engineer enchanting environments that reconnect visitors with beloved fictional settings and characters in new ways. This collection of new essays explores the imagined places we loved as kids, with a focus on the meaning of setting and its power to shape the way we view the world.

Author Biography

Kathy Merlock Jackson, a professor of communication at Virginia Wesleyan University, teaches courses in media studies and children's culture. She is the author or editor of eleven books and former editor of The Journal of American Culture. She has served as past president of both the American Culture Association and the Popular Culture Association. Mark I. West is the former chair of the English department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has written or edited nineteen books on children's literature and culture and is a former president of the Children's Literature Association.