Reviews for Children's Literature of the Harlem Renaissance

The average rating for Children's Literature of the Harlem Renaissance based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-08-25 00:00:00 Richard Marion This book is well-researched, well-written, and overall, an incredible introduction to African American children's literature, poetry and drama of the early twentieth century. Capshaw Smith conducted interviews with living relatives of lesser-known writers for children during the period (including Effie Lee Newsome), did extensive archival research to find periodicals, letters, children's dramas and primers, and wrote a critical history of the Harlem Renaissance that yearns for more attention and further exploration. As she concludes: "By surveying the African American literary landscape of the twentieth century, we can discover that the roots of black children's literature are deep and the soil is rich" (276). Winner of the 2006 Children's Literature Association Book award, this is an necessary read for those interested in American children's literature and those studying African American literature - and those studying the intersection of both.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-07-21 00:00:00 Scott Mcdonald Scholarly yet engaging text exploring a wide range of "children's texts" of the New Negro/Harlem Renaissance, works(magazine articles, short stories, and novels) written by both famous authors (W.E.B. Du Bois, Arna Bontemps, and Langston Hughes) and some lesser known ones (Louise Lovett, Jane Dabney Shackelford). Smith articulates how understanding the children's texts of the era are essential to interpreting this literary and cultural movement(s). Recommended most for people doing some type of academic research, as it is a bit dense for a "light read".