Children's literature takes many forms - works adapted for children in antiquity, picture books and pop-ups - and now includes the latest online games and eBooks. This vast and amorphous subject is both intimately related to other areas of literary and cultural investigation but also has its own set of concerns, issues and challenges. From familiar authors including Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl, classic books such as Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, and The Secret Garden, to modern works including Harry Potter and the Twilight series, thisVery Short Introduction provides an overview of the history.

"In the Christian life, spiritual formation is hugely influenced by devotional reading. Whether its Augustine's Confessions or C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, books greatly shape your beliefs and actions. Renovare has long been a proponent of the importance of being well-versed in the spiritual classics. Now they have polled leaders and thinkers in the field to present the twenty five books every Christian must read. These are the books that should be shaping the church, your faith, and your engagement with the world. From timeless classics like Dietrich Bonheoffer's Life Together to contemporary works, 25 BOOKS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD READ will gather the most important books along with historical background, why they made the cut, how to read them, and an excerpt"--