Books Received Mark I. West Classic Toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame. By Scott G. Eberle. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2009. A project of the Strong National Museum of Play, this lavishly illustrated volume could easily be mistaken for a coffee table book, for it includes striking photographs of classic toys on each of its 263 pages. This book, however, is much more than a collection of photographs. Scott Eberle provides a thoughtful and well-researched essay for all of the toys that are covered in the book. For example, the section on alphabet blocks traces the origins of these blocks to the teachings of John Locke, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Friedrich Wilhelm, August Froëbel, and other pioneers who wrote about the philosophy of education. Readers who are interested in such topics as the history of play, the material culture of childhood, and the development of the toy industry will find much of interest in this book. The Complete Fairy Tales. By Charles Perrault. Translated by Christopher Betts. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Christopher Betts is a skilled translator, and in this volume he provides lively new translations of all of Charles Perrault’s fairy tales, including three lesser-known tales written in verse. Betts also provides a scholarly introduction in which he covers both Perrault’s life and the history of the French fairy tales that Perrault brought into print in the 1690s. Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book: Life Lessons from Notable People from All Walks of Life. Edited by Anita Silvey. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2009. In preparation for editing this book, Anita Silvey, a former editor of the Horn Book, contacted many prominent people representing a wide range of occupations and asked them to provide a brief essay about a children’s book that had a significant influence on him or her. One hundred of these essays are included in this volume, along with brief excerpts from the children’s books that are discussed in the essays. Among the many contributors to this book are several wellknown children’s authors, including Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Lois Lowry, and Katherine Paterson. Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements: How to Teach What Really Matters about Character, Setting, Point [End Page 208] of View, and Theme. By Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Michael W. Smith. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Michael W. Smith rose to prominence in English education circles with the 2002 publication of their groundbreaking book, Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men. In this new collaborative project, Wilhelm and Smith provide middle school and secondary teachers with a range of activities and tools to help students understand how literature works and how it can relate to their lives. This book is co-published by the National Council of Teachers of English. Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip. By Nevin Martell. New York: Continuum International Publishing, 2009. A long-time fan of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Nevin Martell set out to write a book about Watterson and his comic strip. As Martell explains in the prologue, he tried mightily to interview Watterson for the book, but like a number of writers before him, he was unable gain access to Watterson, who is nearly as reclusive as the late J. D. Salinger. Thus, Martell based his book on information that he gleaned from the public record. Nonetheless, Martell provides a lively account of Watterson’s career as a cartoonist. Throughout the book, Martell discusses the history and appeal of Watterson’s famous comic strip. [End Page 209] Copyright © 2010 Children's Literature Association