The Statement by Brian Moore is a little more than a pursuit thriller. I stress a little more because it genuinely transcends the “who’s going to do it” genre, though overall it misses an opportunity to address some important and potentially fascinating ideas.

Pierre Brossard is the original, but not the only name of a politically right-wing Frenchman who worked with a wartime fascist militia in Vichy France. As part of his duties he was responsible for assisting the transport of Jews to Nazi concentration camps and at least once he organised killings, in particular a massacre of fourteen individuals. He was later tried and convicted, though years later a Presidential pardon meant that he was no longer a wanted man. Still one the run, however, he was convicted of a crime against humanity via a judgment and indeed a jurisdiction that not everyone in France either respected or recognised.

Pierre Brossard’s rediscovery of his Roman Catholic faith provided him with something more than solace. Through confession he could secure effective pardon, both within his own and also his sympathisers’ minds, where forgiveness was not needed. But also he secured effective support within the minds of sincere devotees of the faith, who often declared themselves more interested in a believer’s soul than any debt to history or even the human race.

So, on the run for years, Brossard found haven in a series of religious houses where, in effect, he could come and go incognito, almost as he wished. Meanwhile cheques supplying his financial needs arrived regularly from both known and unknown donors, some connected to societies within the Church, societies that also sympathise with a more traditional form of the faith than that emanating from Rome. Brossard is pursued by the law, a faction of which wants to bring him to justice, whilst another wants to protect him. He is also hunted by an untraceable Jewish group that hires contract killers to do away with him. Paradoxically, the faction of the police that wants to bring him to justice also wants to arrest him to protect him from the assassins. And all this in just over two hundred pages.

And that, perhaps, is the problem. Though the book is well written, well set and constructed, the characters, including Brossard, never attain much more than cameo status. Several of the protagonists express strong opinions about race, culture and faith, but we are never presented with a probing analysis of their motives or identities. The role of the Church in supporting, or at least turning a blind eye towards fascism is mentioned, but not worked through. The schism represented by the Lefevre faction in 1980s France is mentioned, but its ideological foundation is glossed over. The existence of Masonic-type societies within the Church is mentioned, but quite who they are, what they want to achieve and how they operate is largely ignored. Even Brossard’s own identity is effectively taken for granted, once we have been introduced to his racism, his anti-Semitism and his ruthlessness.

The Statement of the title refers to a typed sheet carried by Brossard’s would-be assassins. It is their intention to pin it to their victim’s corpse, thus claiming closure of the case of the wartime massacre of Jews in the village of Dombey.

The plot, as ever in a “who does what”, eventually works its way out. I will, of course, not reveal the detail, because with The Statement that would remove the prime reason for reading the book. If some of the other themes the book touches upon had been worked through - even just a little - the book would have provided a more substantial, subtle and sophisticated experience and it would be an interesting read even if the reader knew all the plot. As it is, it fills a couple of hours in an enjoyable, mildly informative and mildly stimulating way.

Philip Spires
Author of Mission, an African novel set in Kenya
http://www.philipspires.co.uk

It’s fifty years since A Room At The Top first appeared. Against a backdrop of post-war Britain, a period when people really did believe that a new future, a different kind of society was just around the corner, Joe Lampton, born January 1921, aspired to social and economic elevation. Though competent and already promoted, as a local government officer in a grubby northern English town, with spare time interests in amateur dramatics, cigarettes and beer, even he himself rated his prospects of success as very poor.

But Joe’s other passion was the ladies. Two in particular caught his eye. Alice Aisgarth was married, older than him, and had a local reputation for being a bit “forward”. Basically she wanted love and passion to light up her dull, unhappy life with excitement. Susan Brown was a different prospect entirely, being nineteen, virginal and daughter of a rich businessman. If Joe Lampton could never work his way to wealth, he might just be able to marry it. His problems arose out of Susan’s desire to remain pure during their courtship, a position that meant Joe had to continue seeing Alice to satisfy his needs. Further complications arose when Susan relented and fell immediately pregnant.

Well Joe achieved his goal. He and Susan married and he attained what he had sought all along, a meal ticket for life. He was not entirely without conscience, however. So when the rejected Alice, who deeply loved him, is killed in a car crash after a drunken night trying to drown her sorrows, Joe Lampton does suffer some remorse. But eventually, like many social climbers, he achieves his heights by trampling on others.

What remains enduringly intriguing about Room At The Top is its portrayal of British society’s obsession with social class. Joe perceives his best chance of social elevation is to marry money. And, in 2007, I re-read this novel in a week when a United Kingdom report declared that current day social class differences were widening, whilst opportunities for social mobility are actually decreasing. So John Braine’s novel is also a social document. The book is very much of its own time. It reminds us, for instance, that in the 1950s everyone smoked - and smoked a lot. Men drank pints in the pub - some of which did not even admit women. Homosexuality was not only not tolerated, it was illegal, though remained visible. Some of the recorded individual aspiration now seems nothing less than quaint. Alice Aisgarth, for instance, declares that she would like to sleep with Joe. “Truly sleep,” she qualifies, “in a big bed with a feather mattress and brass rails and a porcelain chamber pot underneath it.” In the 1950s, most north of England houses did not have bathrooms and the potties were usually enamel.

But it is in the area of social class that A Room At The Top is bitingly and enduringly apt. Joe Lampton believes he lacks the capacity to succeed, lacks the necessary background, the poise, the breeding. He sees himself as essentially vulgar and possesses no talents which might compensate for this drawback. His rival for Susan Brown’s affections, however, is one John Wales. He is studying for a science degree at Cambridge, and thus acquiring not only the knowledge which will ensure that he will become the managing director of the family firm, but will also endow the polish of manner, the habit of command, the calm superiority of bearing, the attributes of a gentleman.

Fifty years on, we might change an odd word, and the family firm might now be multi-national, but the spirit of contemporary Britain’s class system is arguably the same. And so despite the aspiration for and perceived attainment of social change in post-war Britain, Room At The Top, juxtaposed with recent evidence, reminds us that very little, if anything, has changed - except for the cigarettes and the chamber pots, of course. Oh, and we might now also prefer lager.

Philip Spires
Author of Mission, an African novel set in Kenya
http://www.philipspires.co.uk

As I re-read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad for the third time, I began to realize a ton of GEMS in there!

In fact, I began to realize that classics like this and others such as Think And Grow Rich had been read by people often more than once in order to extract the precious nuggets of information so richly buried in them. Bill Bartmann, a billionaire, had read Think And Grow Rich many times and so had Alex Mandossian, an Internet marketing guru.

Back to Rich Dad, Poor Dad, it is a book released about a decade ago that needs no introduction and had been on the New York Times Bestseller List for many years.

Then, why talk about this book after so long?

Here are some of my reasons:

Firstly, I believe that this book had changed more lives than most other books. I’ve personally heard testimonials that someone become a successful businessman just by reading this book; someone’s life changed from an employee to become an investor; and countless many others.

Secondly, Robert is my personal FAVORITE No. 1 author. Robert has the passion for helping others to become financially free as well as the courage to write books on the importance of financial literacy that many of us are lacking. I am a living example who had made countless mistakes and just hope that many young people, especially those in their 20’s or 30’s will not - simply by picking up a copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and reading it…. seriously!

As I re-read Rich Dad, Poor Dad for the third time, these are the first words that I read in 2008: “PAY YOURSELF FIRST: The power of self-discipline. If you cannot get control of yourself, do not try to get rich.”

I love those hard-hitting words! Never did I realize to this extent that SUCCESS is just a matter of “Simple Acts of DAILY DISCIPLINE … in doing the RIGHT things!”

For more information on personal development tips and resources, visit the author’s blog.

Roger Loh believes that personal development is the key to success in all areas of life. For more information on personal development tips and resources, visit his blog at:

=> http://www.personal-development-blog.com

=> Robert Kiyosaki: Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Audio books have changed the reading habits of avid book readers. Several online shopping portals have great deal of latest books compiled in CDs and Vices. These book are designed to enhance innovative method of learning. Listening is quite easy compared to reading hence; the compilation CD lessons give a wonderful experience to youths, as they don’t have to spend hours in going through the pages of the textbook. It allows multi-tasking and you are not distracted while listening to different interactive lessons.

These books are attracting more, as narrators explain the subject in a very informative way. These book can be downloaded into PCs or iPods for future use. The reading materials for various subjects are designed in such a way that it suits the requirements of consumer. Reading book is quite monotonous and makes one disinterested. Understanding this fact, online shopping portals are providing books compiled in CDs, DVDs and MP3 players to make reading book, a fun. Conventional form of reading books has taken a backseat.

Children like to listen to books while playing and young ones like to go for it during daily chores. Audio books are not only meant for kids only but can be ordered by old ones also. You can try several online book like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) [Children's Edition] (Harry Potter Audio Book) by J. K. Rowling, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBC Audio) by Douglas Adams, The Wit of Cricket 2 by Richie Benaud, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Junior Classics) by Benedict Flynn.

Now customer wants something interesting. They want interactive platform and not just bundle of pages to turn. Online book stores are offering books on either CD or VCD in MP3 or WMA format. The interesting thing is that the books are narrated in the form of story book and gives a feel of drama or play. There are thousands of books on various subjects such as literature, thriller, drama, science and technology, spiritual and comedy books, suiting your tastes. Go through the books and decide to go for it afterwards.

If you would like more information on Audio Books and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

There are thousands of online shopping portals which provide books on every subject. You can select from the fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, thriller, comedy, horror, crime, mystery, science fiction and many more. Accompanied with several benefits and discounts, you can find best deals on the latest inexpensive books.

Go through all the books available online and select the one you can afford. With unlimited choice and cheaper prices, you can select from a vast collection of books. The book can be explored by titles, author, publisher and prices. The avid book readers can enjoy reading cheap book online on every subject at far cheaper prices then ever. Search for those book you always wanted to read.

Nowadays, cheap books include both school and college textbooks. These book are used for a short period of time hence, going for half-priced books can be a good decision. The book lovers have lot to enjoy in a single platform and indulge in their favourite hobby. Without spending a lot, one can buy onlinebook The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, A spot of Bother by Mark Haddon, Don’ts for Wives by Blanche Ebbutt at far cheaper prices from online shopping portals.

There are various alternatives to find old books or to avail required materials at discounted price. Online book stores have on display traditional textbooks, for book lovers. They facilitate convenient shopper stop with more and more people going for buying book online. Going for online book shopping is advantageous as, you can select from new, slightly used or antique books. Search the online book stores by title of the book you want. You can find detail list of books at varying prices. Compare the prices of book and find the one you want at the lowest possible quote.

You can also consider buying slightly used books in “just like new” form which, are available at low prices. If you want to buy more than 2-3 books then look for great discount or bouquet offers. Use discount coupons or wait for clearance sales to buy cheap books.

If you would like more information on Compare Magazines Prices and Price Comparison.

On May 31, 1889 an earthen dam on the Little Conemaugh River gave way after torrential rains and washed Johnstown, a small community east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania off the face of the earth. McCullough published his work on the disaster in 1968, for which he was able to interview survivors, getting first-hand accounts of the flood. McCullough, who would later win a Pulitzer Prize, researched historical records and publications to piece together a minute-by-minute recreation of the tragedy, much like Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larsen and The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin.

Unlike those later works, McCullough’s work reads more like a history book, stating facts in a school-book manner. Larsen and Laskin put faces on the tragedies, giving the reader a personal connection with the victims. McCullough finally does break away from the aloof prose, but not until after the depiction of the flood.

His style also includes frequent moments of ‘familiarity’ as though he were speaking to the reader rather than writing. His sentences are peppered with vague descriptors like ‘more or less’, ’something like’, ‘no more than’. McCullough also cannot help inserting his own editorializing in the final chapter when blame for the tragedy was being tossed about. He comments that ‘anyone with a minimum of horse sense’ could have known about or realized that the dam was in no condition to hold indefinitely.

Another drawback to McCullough’s style was a frequent propensity to digress when discussing the people involved with tragedy. He mentioned facts and historical points of interest that may or may not have any bearing on the story. These tangents often subtract from the subject of the book.

McCullough also moved back and forth in time whenever shifting to different points of view. He may describe how one person experienced the wave when it hit Johnstown about an hour after the dam burst; then in another sentence he discussed another person’s witness but starting well before the dam broke. It gives a confusing account of the sequence of events. Larsen and Laskin changed points of view but kept the timeline in tact throughout their works.

Overall, the book is a great account of one of the country’s worst disasters. McCullough’s exhaustive research interviewing eyewitnesses and historical records pays off in the end result. The reader sees and feels the sadness and horror of a town utterly destroyed, followed by the heroism and scandal that followed.

According to mythology, Zeus raped the princess Europa on the small island of Matala, so it is the ideal setting for Holden’s dark, erotic, noir-thriller. Filled with tough, cynical characters, Matala is a short, crisp read that demonstrates the sharp contrast between the haves and have nots. The line between sensuality and violence often blurs, melding the two into a shapeless, symbolic raping of innocence that changes both the con and the mark at the very core of their being.

A combination graduation-birthday gift from her parents, this six week, guided tour of all the famous European sites was a painfully boring journey for Darcy Arlene. A napping chaperon provided the perfect opportunity to sneak away from the Hotel Abitazione and experience the “real city.” Walking through Rome she makes her way onto a bridge, spanning the Tiber, where she encounters an attractive young man who seems oddly familiar. An innocent introduction, leads to dinner, where the two continue to talk like old friends. Will invites Darcy to meet him for drinks at a wine bar in Olympic Village, but is convinced she’s blowing him off when she insists on returning to the hotel to face her chaperon and freshen up.

Appearing innocent and completely out of her element Darcy makes her way to the wine bar where she meets Will and is unceremoniously introduced to his older traveling companion of two years, Justine. After several rounds, Darcy explains she has to be up early to catch a train to Florence - the next stop on the tour schedule, but is easily convinced to stay for one more drink. The next morning, still a bit dazed and confused, she realizes she has missed the train and has been separated from both the tour group and all her cash. Her new friends comfort her, offering to travel with her to Florence, provided she pay their way, of course.

Justine was, by all accounts the web-weaver, setting up the marks, utilizing her vast network of underground contacts, she was a master manipulator and a sadist by nature. But she knew her ex-husband, Maurice held the key to the big-scam. And although she hated the very thought of working for Maurice, the chance to settle debts and make some real cash was too tempting and she reluctantly agreed. The job was pretty straight-forward, but not without risk…deliver a package to Matala by Christmas. When pushed for more information, Maurice simply stated, “a special gift for one who has everything.”

Finally free of chaperons, routines and the stifling constraints thereof, the excitement of the unknown, the dangers that could await her, delighted her beyond anything she had ever known. Darcy fancied herself streetwise, the mere thought of stealing awakened carnal urges deep within her that seemed to electrify her entire body. She knows there’s something fishy going on between Justine and Will - things don’t quite add up - she’s more than willing to play along because she finds the thrill of the con so appealing. Justine and Will had survived in a state of codependency, now with the addition of a third angle, what had once seemed a benevolent need to dominate and control, felt very wrong. Will realized he was changing, but so too were Justine and Darcy. What follows is a series of double deals and cutthroat betrayals that keep the reader on the edge, searching for answers.

How this three-way plays itself out is Holden’s trump card, which he skillfully holds close to the vest. The tension builds as the story hurdles toward the moment all the players and pawns in this high stakes game face off in a final showdown. Struggling with the contours and mysteries of ideals and self discovery each character is laid bare for all to see at the conclusion.

What begins with a spoiled little rich girl touring Europe, down shifts into a fast paced romp through the half-dens and hostels, courtesy of a couple of well seasoned grifters. As the three match wits and one up each other in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse, the roles of con and mark blur.

Chock-full of deceit, debauchery and dark desires, Matala is best suited for a mature reader. The characters are well developed and delivered with razor sharp precision. The plot is well crafted and presented in stages which adds depth and dimension to the story. Although all the threads are neatly tied together at the conclusion, it feels forced and contrived, as if the story simply ran out of steam and was hurriedly wrapped up. However, with Holden’s exceptionally ability to craft compelling and complex characters I look forward to his next novel with great anticipation.

Reviewed by RJ McGill, Real Reader Reviews

Are you having trouble getting people to buy what you are selling? Read this book. Let’s say you already know that to be successful marketing your business you need to identify your audience’s problems and show why you have the best solutions. Isn’t that good enough?

David Sandler (who created the Sandler Sales Institute) offers great insights for improving your sales presentations. His book begins with his five rules of sales success:

Qualify your prospects

Extract your prospect’s “pain”

Verify that the prospect has money

Be sure the prospect is a decision maker

Match your service or product to the prospect’s “pain”

Rules #1, #2, and #5 are identical to the rules of effective marketing: identifying your market and their challenges (rule #5 might involve a creative packaging of your products or services for the prospect’s needs). Rule #3, while obvious, shouldn’t be skipped. Rule #4 ensures that you’re not wasting your time talking to the wrong people in an organization.

The book continues with a description of the “Sandler Submarine”, a series of selling steps:

Bonding & Rapport. Make the prospect fell more okay than you feel.

Up-front Contracts. Create an agreement to see if you have anything to discuss.

Pain. Find a prospect’s “hurt” and probe how much pain they are in. Show how your business can eliminate the pain.

Budget. Identify their budget, or offer a lower end “entry” solution.

Decision. What is your prospect’s decision-making process? When will they be moving forward? How do you get paid? Who will be involved the the decision-making process?

Fulfillment. Review your prospect’s contract, pain, budget, and decisions. Ensure that your solution solves the prospect’s pain.

Post-Sell. To avoid buyer’s remorse, thank them for the order, bring up a agreed upon compromise, and give them a chance to back out now.

Additionally, he introduces a number of techniques to control the selling conversation, including:

Reversing (”That’s an interesting question. Why do you ask?”)

Controlling the Interview (”Can we just back up for a moment?”)

Stroke-Repeat-Reverse (”I appreciate the fact you’re telling me I’m close, but let me ask you a question”)

Negative Reverse (”Could you tell me more specifically just how you see my product solving your problem?”)

Thanks to Bob Annick (707. 343.1722 Business Growth & Development Corporation) for recommending this month’s book.

Jay Hamilton-Roth founded Many Good Ideas (http://www.ManyGoodIdeas.com) to help small businesses brainstorm, design, and implement effective marketing strategies. He combines creativity with common sense to demystify the process of getting great results. He has used his high-tech background from MIT to help him launch five businesses. He consults with companies in a wide range of industries and publishes a free monthly marketing newsletter (Creative Business Ideas) and a daily blog.

Have you ever taken the time to read “Think And Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill? If you are on the quest to become a millionaire or become a successful entrepreneur this book is highly recommended. It is book that inspires and motivates anyone who has lost their hope for ever becoming rich in this world. If you are a person who is stuck in your rut of 9-5 and you truly believe that is the best you can do, you really should begin reading this book today. It will teach you that your mind is the most powerful asset you have, and will show you step by step how you can take control of it now.

I remember when I first picked up the book about 4 years ago I could not understand a single word; so needless to say I put it down and did not pick it up for another year. Today I have read the book at least 3 times and as a matter of fact I am reading it again. It will be a hard read if you have not been involved with personal development and do not have an understanding of the whole process of how your mind works. However Think and Grow Rich; if you follow the steps can and will change your life in any area you desire.

In chapter 2 he talks about developing more faith. Napolean Hill states that “FAITH is the starting point of all accumulation of riches!” If you do not have faith that you can achieve something you most likely will not achieve it.

When you sat down and wrote out your goals for 2008, did you really believe that you were going to reach them? Or did you just write them out in hopes of reaching them? As a matter of fact are you still working towards your goals or have you already threw in the towel? You must learn how to develop faith, otherwise you will never accomplish anything different than what you currently possess. You are probably asking how can I develop more faith. Well in Think And Grow Rich he takes you step by step on how to develop more faith. Did you know that if you continually lie to your subconscious mind that it will tend to believe that lie? If you tell it everyday that you already have your goals and see yourself with the goals you desire (with feeling and emotions.) Your subconscious mind will bring about opportunities to you for you to reach your goals?

Without faith you would never experience any miracles. Have you ever known anyone who has been diagnosed with an illness and the doctor told them that they would not live or be cured? Yet a year or so later they are completely healthy again. The only explanation for this miraculous recovery is that the person’s faith was so strong and they believed that they would be healthy again. You too possess the same power as that person; as a matter of fact we all do. Most people never fully realize how to tap into their unseen power, and live a common unhappy life.

If you are on the path to financial freedom or just wish to learn how to tap into your unseen power of your mind. I recommend you pick up a copy of “Think And Grow Rich” and begin your personal development journey today; you can visit the site below for more information on other powerful information that will literally change your life forever.

Get all your free tips on the importance to personal development and receive free techniques to utilize as meditation, visualization and lots of other wealth generating techniques Plus sign up for the free Powerful Living Newsletter.

It may seem strange to think that there is some question as to what constitutes a children’s book for many after all this would seem like a question with an obvious answer. A children’s book was after all created for children. However Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain one of the books considered to be classical children’s literature was originally intended for adults and as indeed received some past censorship because of how interpret it was considered for children. The Grimm’s fairy tales also where written initially for adults, yet they where bought for children. This situation of children taking over what was supposed to be an book for adults has led to many problems. After all society then complains that the story was not appropriate for children, and so attacks to book. Further the book not being appropriate for children perhaps does cause some social problems. Yet we still seem to consider many such books as children’s literature.

Why is it books written for adults become children’s books? Or at least books read by children. Although it is perhaps impossible to state all the reasons for this situation, I would forward three theories on ways in which this can occur.

The first reason is that a book offers a fantastic reality, an imaginative story, children like such stories and so for whatever reason it is presumed that such imaginativeness is in the realm of children’s literature. This could for example be the case with Gulliver’s Travels and of course the Grimm’s Fairy Tales. In many ways I would argue it’s sad that if a story is fun and imaginative it is automatically pushed off into the realm of children. Not that children’s literature is lesser, indeed this imaginativeness has helped in many ways to make it superior to that created for adults. Rather it is sad that adults do not presume that such creative genius is worth more of their time.

Another reason which a book might become children’s literature is that it is about a child, for some reason a child character makes people automatically assume a child should read it, as if they are the only ones who can relate to a child. This is a ridiculous notion of course, we where all children and besides of which all such books where written by intelligent adults.

The final reason I will propose is that many books and works of art intended for adults become children’s as a means of expanding their reach or extending their life. This is why for example one will find the works of Jane Austen in the children’s literature section at the book store with a little charm.

This still does not answer the question of what is children’s literature. Part of the problem here may be that we have not yet truly defined the question, broad questions have broad answers. The question may be what should parents have their children read, or what should educators and those studying children’s literature study in order to learn about the impact of literature on children? In the case of the first question the answer is in regards to the parents beliefs and their kids reaction to things. If a parent does not believe their kid should be exposed to something then it does not constitute children’s literature for that kid. This definition of course makes the whole field of children’s books very difficult as there are so many differing views on what is acceptable for children to read.

However this problem would beg the question, is the purpose of the definition to help people study children’s literature or to help parents decide which books their kids can read? In the case of the purpose for study children’s literature would constitute all books which children regularly read. After all the purpose of study is to determine what is acceptable to read and what impact such readings have on children, as will as ways to make future books better. For this purpose to be effective all books which children read must be included. Part of the difficulty of course with determining what constitutes children’s literature is that there is some debate as to what children are.

After all different cultures have at times believed many different things about children. However I would point out that this in and of itself is exactly the point, childhood is viewed as different by different cultures. It is then a cultural definition, one which our society can answer and change. Certainly it is difficult for people to accept this idea, and for many the idea that the culture determines someone’s role is tantamount to prejudice, however when it comes to defining a state and an impact we are indeed looking at cultural variables. One cannot for example assume that a picture book based on the Impressionist style, and with Swedish Motifs would have the same impact on Americans as it does Japanese or Swedes. It is culture which determines the role literature plays in our lives so it is through a cultures definitions of something that that thing should be defined. Further accepting one cultures definition of what defines children and not another’s is prejudice.

In American culture this definition of child has been constructed in a way as Minors to the age of 18, however not all of these ages are considered children per say, they are teenagers, pre-teens, Elementary, Preschool, Toddlers and more. However as a society we have defined these groups and so a wish to understand their demographic must begin with the societies definitions of them. Arguing that a culture is wrong is often a mute point, just as literature is a social construct many of the emotions and impact surrounding it are too.

Children’s literature then according to my definition and the definition which will be found throughout this site is literature which impacts directly through reading a fairly decent percentage of the population which is considered children by the culture it is from. Or in the case of cross-cultural analysis such impacts will extend to ages determined by the culture with the oldest children or the largest definition of them. Why? Because in many cases especially historical ones children where considered adults fairly young, yet if we want to compare differences in impact between 8 year olds we must study both sets of 8 year olds. It is important to stress that this is not a means to push one cultures definition on another it is merely a research construct intended to help study literature, so that we can better understand its impact.

Ty Hulse has degree’s in art and psychology with both with a children’s and a cross-cultural focus. He is currently working to create the site Zeluna.net which discusses Children’s Literature and Picture Books, as will as Fairy Tales.