Opening with a quickly and effectively illuminated scene from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and continuing through such high-school syllabus texts as The Odyssey, Shakespeare’s works, a sonnet by Christina Rossetti, and more, this introduction to literary methods, tropes, and symbols is refreshingly accessible. Without condescension, Foster adapts some of the concepts that he presents in his adult titles, including How to Read Literature like a Professor (2003), with kid-friendly examples, such as Dr. Seuss stories that show how a universal literary theme can play out in a specific work without losing its universal meaning. With a closing short story that invites young readers to try out their newfound analytical skills, this slim guidebook can provide language art students with just the right open window to catch the academic breeze of enlightenment without leaving them cold. An essential purchase for all library collections where there are readers new to exploring literature as a fine art, beyond reading for uncritical pleasure. Grades 6-10. –Francisca Goldsmith