Children’s Literature emerged as one of the most dynamic areas of scholarship at the start of the new millennium. This volume brings together established figures and challenging new voices in the field, providing a clear sense of the range and diversity of research taking place in this complex and evolving area around the globe. Based on selected proceedings and plenaries from the 16th biennial congress of the International Research Society in Kristiansand in 2003 "Telling a World - Shaping a World", this volume presents articles that reflect both the truly international scope and the orientations of contemporary research on children’s literature.