{"product_id":"wild-things-the-joy-of-reading-childrens-literature-as-an-adult-9781451609967","title":"Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn irresistible, nostalgic, insightful--and \"consistently intelligent and funny\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e)--ramble through classic children's literature from \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e contributing editor (and father of two) Bruce Handy.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe dour \u003ci\u003eNew England Primer\u003c\/i\u003e, thought to be the first American children's book, was first published in Boston in 1690. Offering children gems of advice such as \"Strive to learn\" and \"Be not a dunce,\" it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to \"Let the wild rumpus start\"? And now that we're living in a golden age of children's literature, what can adults get out of reading \u003ci\u003eWhere the Wild Things Are\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGoodnight Moon\u003c\/i\u003e, or \u003ci\u003eCharlotte's Web\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLittle House on the Prairie\u003c\/i\u003e? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA \"delightful excursion\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eWild Things \u003c\/i\u003erevisits the classics of every American childhood, from fairy tales to \u003ci\u003eThe Very Hungry Caterpillar\u003c\/i\u003e, and explores the back stories of their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces. Along the way, Handy learns what \u003ci\u003eThe Cat in the Hat \u003c\/i\u003esays about anarchy and absentee parenting, which themes are shared by \u003ci\u003eThe Runaway Bunny\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePortnoy's Complaint\u003c\/i\u003e, and why Ramona Quimby is as true an American icon as Tom Sawyer or Jay Gatsby. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt's a profound, eye-opening experience to re-encounter books that you once treasured decades ago. A clear-eyed love letter to the greatest children's books and authors from Louisa May Alcott and L. Frank Baum to Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mildred D. Taylor, and E.B. White, \u003ci\u003eWild Things\u003c\/i\u003e is \"a spirited, perceptive, and just outright funny account that will surely leave its readers with a new appreciation for childhood favorites\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHandy, Bruce:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Bruce Handy is currently a contributing editor of \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e. A former writer and editor at \u003ci\u003eSpy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, his articles, essays, reviews, and humor pieces have appeared in such publications as \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, New York\u003c\/i\u003e magazine\u003ci\u003e, Rolling Stone, Vogue, The Village Voice, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e. Handy was nominated for an Emmy in 1993 as a member of \u003ci\u003eSaturday Night Live\u003c\/i\u003e's writing staff. He won a GLAAD Award in 1998 for his \"Yep I'm Gay\" \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e cover profile of Ellen DeGeneres. At \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e, he has written on topics and personalities as diverse as \u003ci\u003eMad Men\u003c\/i\u003e, Amy Schumer, film composer John Barry, PeeWee Herman, Miley Cyrus, the J.T. Leroy hoax, Cinerama, and the history of flight attendants. A native of California and a graduate of Stanford University, Handy lives in Manhattan with his wife, novelist Helen Schulman, and their two children. \u003ci\u003eWild Things \u003c\/i\u003eis his first book.","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50676361298194,"sku":"9781451609967","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_248762f4-24e6-4750-90c6-6b4aa8a6dc1d.jpg?v=1733878547","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/wild-things-the-joy-of-reading-childrens-literature-as-an-adult-9781451609967","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}