How have the writings of African American children's and young adult literature affected the development of their readers, particularly of young African American women? Rountree (English, North Carolina Central U.) examines a range of literature produced from after the Civil War to the present, focusing on novels written mainly for a young African American female readership. With insights drawn from cultural, social and psychological studies, Rountree provides criticism on such writers as Candy Dawson Boyd, Rita Williams-Garcia, Deborah Gregory, Rosa Guy, Virginia Hamilton, Mildred Pitts Walter and Jacqueline Woodson, locating their themes of identification and ambition, hope and experience, and the finding of their distinct voices. The result is a sure and rigorous treatment of a largely ignored genre and group of authors, along with insights about how literature directed at a certain group of young readers affects their development and understanding of themselves and their world. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)