Liminal Spaces in Children’s and Young Adult Literature

This academic collection explores the concept of liminal spaces in children's and young adult literature, examining those transformative thresholds where characters navigate between childhood and adulthood, reality and fantasy, or safety and danger. Leading scholars in children's literature studies analyze how these in-between moments create powerful narrative tension and developmental significance in works for young readers. The essays collectively demonstrate how liminality serves as a crucial literary device across genres, from fantasy portals to psychological transitions that mirror adolescent experiences.

What distinguishes this volume is its comprehensive approach to a concept that has gained significant scholarly attention since the early 2000s, bringing together diverse critical perspectives in a single authoritative resource. The contributors employ varied methodological frameworks to examine how these transitional spaces function in children's and young adult texts, making it particularly valuable for literature students, educators, and researchers seeking to understand the structural complexity beneath surface narratives. This compilation establishes an essential foundation for future scholarship while illuminating why liminal moments resonate so profoundly with readers navigating their own developmental thresholds.