Reading Aloud, History of Children’s Mystery

Reading Aloud (3:55) It’s no secret that grandparents dote on their grandchildren. But have you ever thought about doting in a way that can make a lasting difference – actually giving those youngsters a let up on life? Today we’ll hear from one grandfather who dotes with a purpose – and that purpose is literacy. Rachel talks to Brad Wilcox and his daughter Wendee about the way this plays out in their extended family. Brad Wilcox is a professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Brigham Young University. He’s lived in Utah, Ethiopia, and Chile, serving as an advocate for children and learning wherever he has gone. And Wendee Wilcox Rosborough, Brad’s daughter, is a mom and author. History of Mystery (13:35) Next, Rachel welcomes children’s and young adult literature expert, Karen Coats. They’ll discuss the history of mystery and detective fiction with special emphasis on this genre for children and young adults. Mysteries for children arrived on the scene much earlier than most of us realize. Coats is a professor of English at Illinois State University. She publishes widely on the many ways youth literature both responds to and shapes contemporary culture, as well as how it supports cognitive and emotional growth. She’s also author of multiple books on children’s literature including her newest book, The Bloomsbury Introduction to Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Book Review (26:29) We finish up the show with a book review from Ann-Marie Marchant, Adult and Teen Services Librarian at the Provo City Library in Utah. She introduces a Middle-Grade book entitled Vanished: True Tales of Mysterious Disappearances by Elizabeth MacLeod.