How to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids

School Library JournalGr 6–9—This companion to the author's adult titles is geared toward young people who want to get a bit more out of J.K Rowling or Dr. Seuss. Foster uses both of these authors, along with Shakespeare and Homer (not Simpson), to illustrate various approaches to literature. He argues that there is really only one story, that of a journey or quest, and that it takes shape in many forms, in novels, plays, and poems. The book also delves into symbolism, irony, and the political and geographical aspects of literature. Readers will enjoy seeing Green Eggs and Ham from Foster's perspective of how food is often more than just a meal. Of course, he also touches on how the Bible, folk and fairy tales, and ancient literature form the basis of many of our favorite stories.