The four books making up The Immortals are the 5th - 8th (of 15) novels set in Tortall, and introduce the' Wildmage', Veralidaine Sarrasri, who appears in most later novels in the Tortall series. The Notes in this book cover Tamora Pierce's life and work; the world of Tortall (including the geography, cast, and neighbouring cultures); the strange menagerie of immortal creatures who may be friend or foe; and the pantheon of interfering multicultural god/desse/s. The well-illustrated Annotations pay special attention to the many animals who feature, cultural and historical references, and the major thematic issues that develop throughout the quartet. Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, The Emperor Mage, and The Realms of the Gods are all covered on a chapter-by-chapter basis, and there is a link to the deleted chapter of The Emperor Mage (in which Daine heals a poisoned camel). The Essay compares The Immortals with its successor quartet, Protector of the Small, for both the brave teenage heroines have a particular and very educational relationship with Pierce's greatest fantasy-beasts, the amazing (and amazingly smelly) Stormwings. The Bibliography has a section detailing works about' Tamora Pierce and Children's Writing'.

Tamora Pierce is a prolific and very unusual modern master of fantasy for young adults and the first such author to appear regularly on the New York Times bestseller lists. The four books making up The Protector of the Small are the 9th to 12th (of 15) novels set in Tortall, and follow the progress of Keladry of Mindelan from the first openly female page in more than a century to her attainment of Knighthood and introduction to war. The Notes cover Tamora Pierce's life and work; the world of Tortall (including the geography, cast, and neighbouring cultures); the strange menagerie of immortal creatures who may be friend or foe; the pantheon of interfering multicultural god/desse/s; knighthood; and the school series format that Pierce adapts. The well-illustrated Annotations cover unusual words, ideas, and objects mentioned, real-world cultural, historical, and literary references, and the major thematic issues that develop throughout the quartet. First Test, Page, Squire, and Lady Knight are all covered on a chapter-by-chapter basis. The Essay considers The Protector of the Small as a revisioning of Song of the Lioness, the structure of the quartet, and the nature of Blayce and the killing devices. A Note on Fanfiction surveys the enormous Tortall archive of fanfic as a resource for readers of the quartet, and a Bibliography provides checklists both of Pierce's works and of writing about her. Tamora Pierce read the book in manuscript and has generously allowed her comments to be published, including new extracanonical facts about Jump, women in combat, the death magic that powers the killing devices, and much more.

Now in its second edition, this book explores a great variety of genres and formats of young adult literature while placing special emphasis on contemporary works with nontraditional themes, protagonists, and literary conventions that are well suited to young adult readers. It looks at the ways in which contemporary readers can access literature and share the works they're reading, and it shows teachers the resources that are available, especially online, for choosing and using good literature in the classroom and for recommending books for their students’ personal reading. In addition to traditional genre chapters, this book includes chapters on literary nonfiction; poetry, short stories, and drama; and film. Graphic novels, diversity issues, and uses of technology are also included throughout the text. The book's discussion of literary language—including traditional elements as well as metafictive terms—enables readers to share in a literary conversation with their peers (and others) when communicating about books. This book is an essential resource for preservice educators to help young adults understand and appreciate the excellent literature that is available to them. New to the second edition: New popular authors, books, and movies with a greater focus on diversity of literature Updated coverage of new trends, such as metafiction, a renewed focus on nonfiction, and retellings of canonical works Increased attention to graphic novels and multimodal texts throughout the book eResources with downloadable materials, including book lists, awards lists, and Focus Questions

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