Reading Wide Awake: Jean E. Karl, Atheneum Books, and Mythopoeic Fiction.
This article focuses on Jean E. Karl’s influential role as a children’s and young adult (YA) book editor and publisher, particularly in the development and popularization of mythopoeic fantasy. Karl, who led the children’s division at Atheneum Books from 1961 to 1985, edited and published numerous a...
| Published in: | Femspec Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 17 - 32 |
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| Format: | Article |
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Femspec
2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=193854892&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 193854892 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 15234002 ULL jtl: Femspec issn: 15234002 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2026 vid: 26 iid: 1 pid: 28065 pub: Femspec artinfo: ui: 193854892 ppf: 17 ppct: 15 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 1.4MB tig: atl: Reading Wide Awake: Jean E. Karl, Atheneum Books, and Mythopoeic Fiction. aug: au: Arts, Sophia su: Book editors Publishing Women's empowerment History of publishing Young adult fiction Children's literature Speculative fiction Newbery Medal sug: subj: Book editors Publishing Women's empowerment History of publishing Young adult fiction Children's literature Speculative fiction Newbery Medal ab: This article focuses on Jean E. Karl’s influential role as a children’s and young adult (YA) book editor and publisher, particularly in the development and popularization of mythopoeic fantasy. Karl, who led the children’s division at Atheneum Books from 1961 to 1985, edited and published numerous award-winning works by authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Patricia McKillip, Anne McCaffrey, and Tamora Pierce, shaping the genre’s growth and the rise of feminist themes in YA fantasy. Despite her significant contributions—including editing six Newbery Medal-winning books and fostering innovative YA science fiction and fantasy—Karl’s impact remains underrecognized in literary scholarship. The article also situates Karl’s editorial philosophy within broader cultural and publishing contexts, highlighting her advocacy for children’s intellectual agency, integrity in children’s literature, and resistance to censorship during a conservative era. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Copyright of Femspec is the property of Femspec and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. item: Femspec holder: Femspec dt: @attributes: year: 2026 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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