Dizer, John T.

Dr. John T. Dizer completed his Ph.D. at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. After a career in industry, he joined the faculty of Mohawk Valley Community College, retiring as Professor and Dean Emeritus. He strongly believes that the books which children read affect their attitudes and beliefs and he has spent many years exploring the phenomenon of popular children’s series books. Dr. Dizer has lectured extensively and has written four books and over one hundred

Readings in American Juvenile Literature

2006 0-7734-5601-5
This book is a study of popular children’s series books of the past century. It examines many facets of the field including prominent authors, sociological attitudes in popular children’s literature and recent research into the publishing patterns of early series books. It looks at two early story papers edited and published by Edward Stratemeyer, the publishing history of his early books and his attitude towards youthful heroism and villainy. It also includes recent research on such writers as Annie Fellows Johnston, Howard Garis and Percy Keese Fitzhugh. The study also explores the true origins of Boys Life, official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America. The research is a culmination of over forty years’ investigation into popular juvenile literature.

Tom Swift, the Bobbsey Twins and Other Heroes of American Juvenile Literature

1997 0-7734-8641-0
This study examines the contents, themes, and publishing histories of juvenile literature. Subjects range from Louisa May Alcott to Nancy Drew's home town, including Tom Swift (and his girlfriend), Dave Fearless, the Bobbsey Twins, Howard R. Garis, the Louisa May Alcott/Oliver Optic feud, Leo Edwards, Harry Collingwood, Edward Stratemeyer, the Rover Boys, Franklin Mathiews and Boy Scout Censorship, and Percy Keese Fitzhugh. This factual but humorous approach leans on the best scholarship in the field. It includes many illustrations to detail the publishing histories of these individual books and series, which often read like sophisticated pieces of detective work. With color illustrations.