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Rating: 
Summary: THIS is feminism???
Review: Look, I'm a man, so I might have a skewed view of what "feminism" is and is not. But Ms. Trites's view of what constitutes "true feminist literature" with its emhasis on communication, sharing and self-improvement over effective female heroes sounds, to this White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Male at least, a LOT like the "finer qualities of women" extolled by Victorian lady novelists. It has little, if any, bearing on the passionately activist and physically and morally courageous teenage girls and twentysomething women of my experience - or of the older women (one of whom I'm married to) who fought long and hard so someone like Ms. Trites could call herself a "feminist".Ms. Trites slams work featuring teenage girls taking effective action as "boys in drag", implying that a girl or a woman who actually defends herself, or fight for what she believes in, is somehow a gender traitor, while praising to the skies the kind of ovary-brooding tripe that encourages teenage girls to turn inward - and effectively, leave the driving to us men. I'm sure that her version of "feminism" goes over very well with the Religious Right and the Taliban - "Yes, you concentrate on making yourself a better person and communicating while we take away your civil liberties - oh, and put on this *chadoor* while you're at it!" I can't believe that I'm the only person who finds Ms. Trites's view of "feminist literature" smug, morally repugnant - and actively dangerous to young women. This book is SO not recommended - and if this is what Feminist Studies Departments are teaching these days, no wonder there's been a backlash against feminism.
Rating:
Summary: Trites does not consider cognitive abilities of adolescents
Review: Teaching children to read beyond the words is an important pedagogy, but one must consider the level of cognition of the audience. Trites uses young adult and childrens' literature to highlight her points. But her analagies and metaphors are leaps and bounds beyond the realm of understanding of youth. In fact, many of her examples are difficult for graduate students to comprehend. Only a few analogies are comprehensible to a youthful audience. She is a genius at literary analysis, but she needs to consider an age appropriate curriculum. I will not refer to this text in the future, nor will I recommend it to others.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read
Review: The previous reviewer criticizes the book for not being accessible to youthful audiences. It's quite clear that Trites is writing for a professional, adult audience. In doing so, she provides a thoughtful, intelligent, convincing analysis of feminist children's literature. Potential readers should not be mislead by the previous comments as the reviewer has misunderstood the intended audience for the book. The book is essential reading for any adult interested in feminist children's literature.
Rating:
Summary: Trites writes eloquently for her intended audience
Review: The previous reviewer criticizes the book for not being accessible to youthful audiences. It's quite clear that Trites is writing for a professional, adult audience. In doing so, she provides a thoughtful, intelligent, convincing analysis of feminist children's literature. Potential readers should not be mislead by the previous comments as the reviewer has misunderstood the intended audience for the book. The book is essential reading for any adult interested in feminist children's literature.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Trites' book is a must read for college students, teachers, parents, everyone... Her language is very accessible. I used this book as the main source for my senior thesis, and found it to be extremely helpful as well as enlightening.
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