"In this lively and engaging analysis of three of the most popular canons in children's literature to emerge during recent years, Christopher Wrigley examines the reasons for their huge popularity and takes issue with those who assert that 'adults shouldn't read children's books' and that such books have no value as 'literature'." "He also draws intriguing and thought-provoking parallels between the three works: the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Each, he argues, presents a version of the hero myth which can be traced back as far as the literature of ancient Greece, but each, just as importantly, articulates the three quite different visions of the three authors."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved