Melvin Burgess

Alison Waller is Senior Lecturer in Children's Literature in The National Centre for Research in Children's Literature at the University of Roehampton, UK. She convenes the MA in Children's Literature by distance learning and is the author of 'Constructions of Adolescence in Fantastic realism' (2009).

"The chapters in this collection comprise a thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis of Melvin Burgess's innovative, yet often controversial, fiction. It's a must-read for any serious scholar, teacher or student of young adult literature." - Janet Alsup, Purdue University, USA

• Series Editor's PrefaceNotes on ContributorsIntroduction; A.WallerPART I: CONTROVERSY AND THE CULTURAL CONTEXT1. 'One of the Boys'? Writing Sex for Teenagers in 'Doing It'; Chris Richards2. 'Keeping it Real': The Debate for Boyhood and its Representations in 'Doing It' and 'Kill All Enemies'; Michele Gill3. The Girl and the Streets: Postfeminist Identities in 'Junk', 'Doing It', and 'Sara's Face'; Joel GwynnePART II: FORM, STYLE, GENRE 4. Beyond Face Value: Playing the Game with 'Sara's Face'; Kay Sambell5. Dystopian Worlds and Ethical Subjectivities in 'Bloodtide' and 'Bloodsong'; Robyn McCallum and John Stephens6. Transformation, Text and Genre in 'The Birdman'; M.GibsonPART III: HUMAN AND ANIMAL IDENTITIES7. Borderland: The Animal World of Melvin Burgess; Peter Hollindale8. 'You Know What I Mean': The Development of Relationships between Socially Isolated Characters in 'An Angel for May, 'Loving April', and 'The Ghost Behind the Wall'; Pat Pinsent9. Challenging the Paradigm: Examining 'The Baby and Fly Pie' and 'The Earth Giant' through Ecocriticism; Karen WilliamsPART IV: TELLING STORIES10. Found Fiction: An Interview with Melvin Burgess; Alison Wallerand Melvin BurgessFurther ReadingIndex.