Education
- Ph.D. Bowling Green State University, 1983
- M.E.A.S. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 1980
- B.A. Franconia College, 1975
Areas of Interest
- Children’s literature; Children’s popular culture; History of childhood; Writings by American Presidents
Selected Publications
Books:
- M. I. West and Frye Gaillard, eds. The Literary Legacy of Jimmy Carter: Essays on the President’s Books. Rowman & Littlefield, 2025.
- M. I. West and Dina Schiff Massachi, eds. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Broadview Edition. Broadview Press, 2024.
- M. I. West, ed. Liminal Spaces in Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Stories from the In Between. Lexington Books, 2024.
- M. I. West, Kathy Merlock Jackson, and Carl Sederholm, eds. Forgotten Disney: Essays on the Lesser-Known Productions. McFarland, 2023.
- M. I. West, ed. Theodore Roosevelt on Books and Reading. Rowman & Littlefield, 2023.
- M. I. West. Theodore Roosevelt and His Library at Sagamore Hill. Rowman & Littlefield, 2022.
- M. I. West. The Peeve and the Grudge and Other Preposterous Poems. Warren Publishing, 2022.
- M. I. West and Kathy Merlock Jackson, eds. Storybook Worlds Made Real: Essays on the Places Inspired by Children’s Narratives. McFarland, 2022.
- M. I. West and Kathy Merlock Jackson, eds. Shapers of American Childhood: Essays on Visionaries from L. Frank Baum to Dr. Spock to J. K. Rowling. McFarland, 2018.
- M. I. West and Kathy Merlock Jackson, eds. Walt Disney, from Reader to Storyteller: Essays on the Literary Inspirations. McFarland, 2015.
- M. I. West and Kathy Merlock Jackson, eds. Disneyland and Culture: Essays on the Parks and Their Influence. McFarland, 2011.
- M. I. West, ed. The Japanification of Children’s Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki. Scarecrow Press, 2009.
- M. I. West. A Children’s Literature Tour of Great Britain. Scarecrow Press, 2003.
- M. I. West, ed. Helen Hunt Jackson : Selected Colorado Writings. Filter Press, 2002.
- M. I. West, ed. Bits of Colorado: Helen Hunt Jackson’s Writings for Young Readers. Filter Press, 2000.
- M. I. West and Lucy Rollin. Psychoanalytic Responses to Children’s Literature. McFarland, 1999.
- M. I. West. Everyone’s Guide to Children’s Literature. Highsmith Press, 1997.
- M. I. West, ed. Westward to a High Mountain : The Colorado Writings of Helen Hunt Jackson. Colorado Historical Society, 1994.
- M. I. West, ed. A Wondrous Menagerie: Animal Fantasy Stories from American Children’s Literature. Archon Books, 1994
- M. I. West. Wellsprings of Imagination: The Homes of Children’s Authors. Neal-Schuman, 1992.
- M. I. West. Roald Dahl. Twayne Publishers, 1992.
- M. I. West, ed. Before Oz: Juvenile Fantasy Stories from Nineteenth-Century America. Archon Books, 1989.
- M. I. West. Trust Your Children: Voices Against Censorship in Children’s Literature. Neal-Schuman, 1988. Expanded second edition published in 1997.
- M. I. West. Children, Culture, and Controversy. Archon Books, 1988.
Recent Articles:
- M. I. West. “Theodore Roosevelt’s Life-Long Interest in Children’s Literature.” Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal 45.4 (2024): 24-29.
- M. I. West. “Dealing with Childhood Anxieties through Play.” Clio’s Psyche 30.2 (2024): 247-249.
- M. I. West. “Recuperative Spaces in African American Children’s Literature.” Clio’s Psyche 28.2 (2022): 176-181.
- M. I. West. “Cultivating Empathy through the Reading of Literature.” Clio’s Psyche 27.3 (2021): 312-315.
- M. I. West. “A Place to Play in Astrid Lindgren’s Stories.” Bookbird: A Journal of International Children’s Literature 58.4 (2020): 74-78.
- M. I. West. “Infant Depravity in Children’s Literature in Puritan America.” Clio’s Psyche 24.3 (2018): 339-345.
- M. I. West. “Childhood in the New South as Reflected in Children’s Literature.” The Southern Quarterly 54.3/4 (2017): 126-150.
- M. I. West. “John S. C. Abbott’s Views on Female Education in Antebellum America.” The Journal of American Culture 39.2 (2016): 228-232.
- M. I. West. “Preserving a Presidential Persona: A Bibliophile President Created a Well-Traveled Library.” New York Archives 15.4 (2016): 36-37.
- M. I. West. “The Globalism of Dr. Seuss.” The Dragon Lode 32.2 (2014): 53-55.
- M. I. West. “Playing in the Worlds of Beatrix Potter and Charles Dickens.” The Dragon Lode 31.2 (2013): 54-58.
- M. I. West. “Martin Gardner and His Contributions to the History of Oz.” The Baum Bugle: A Journal of Oz 56.2 (2012): 20-21.
- M. I. West. “The Intersection of Fantasy and Social Commentary in Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Moon City Review (2012): 87-93.
- M. I. West. “Dorothy and the Heroine’s Quest.” The Baum Bugle: A Journal of Oz 54.2 (2010): 7-15.
- M. I. West. “Mark Twain, Walt Disney, and the Playful Response to Pirate Stories.” American Journal of Play 2.4 (2010): 429-435.
- M. I. West. “Theodore Roosevelt and the Golden Age of Children’s Literature.” Journal of American Culture 33.2 (2010): 121-125.
- M. I. West. “Reflections on Rereading The Wind in the Willows.” The Dragon Lode 25.1 (2006): 24-25.
- M. I. West. “Making Hogwartian Dreams Come True: Reflections on Running a Harry Potter Summer Camp.” The Dragon Lode 23.1 (2004): 49-51.
- M. I. West. “Godzilla and His Progeny: Why American Children Like Japanese Monsters.” South Carolina Review 36.2 (2004): 154-158.
- M. I. West. “Helen Hunt Jackson ‘s Nelly’s Silver Mine: A Lost Treasure Reclaimed.” The Lion and the Unicorn 28.1 (2004): 70-76.
- M. I. West. “Images of Mothers in Beatrix Potter’s Picture Books.” The Dragon Lode 21.2 (2003): 1-6.
- M. I. West. “The Home of Beatrix Potter and the Potential of Geographical Criticism.” South Carolina Review 35.2 (2003): 157-163.
- M. I. West. “Martin Gardner: North Carolina ‘s Annotator of Alice and Historian of Oz.” North Carolina Literary Review 10 (2001): 92-96.
- M. I. West. “Fantasy Literature for Children: Past, Present, and Future Tensions.” Journal of Children’s Literature 26.2 (2000): 35-39.
- M. I. West. “The Dakota Fairy Tales of L. Frank Baum.” South Dakota History 30.1 (2000): 134-154.
Courses Taught
Undergraduate:
- English 3103 Children’s Literature
- English 3104 Literature for Adolescents
- English 3102 Literature for Young Children
- English 4102 Classics in British Children’s Literature
- English 4103 Classics in American Children’s Literature
Graduate:
- English 6103 Introduction to Children’s Literature and Culture
- English 6104 Major Figures in Children’s Literature
- English 6090 Children’s Literature Award Winners
Professional Appointments
Faculty appointments:
- UNC Charlotte since 1984
- Washburn University of Topeka, 1983-84
Administrative appointments:
- Chair of the Department of English, UNC Charlotte, 2014-2019
- Interim Chair of the Department of English, UNC Charlotte, 2012-2013
- Interim Associate Dean for Student Services, UNC Charlotte, 2010-2011
- Director of M. A. Program in Liberal Studies, UNC Charlotte, 2009-2013
- Interim Chair of the Department of Art and Art History, UNC Charlotte, 2007
- Associate Dean for General Education, UNC Charlotte, 2002-07
- Director of the American Studies Program, UNC Charlotte, 1992-2002
- Graduate Coordinator of English M.A. Program, UNC Charlotte, 1990-92
Professional Service
- Editor, RISE: A Children’s Literacy Journal, 2014-present
- Book Review Editor, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, 2000-present
- Editor, The Five Owls, 1999-2006
- President, Children’s Literature Association, 2000-2001
Recent Awards
- Distinguished Faculty Award, UNC Charlotte Alumni Association, 2021.
- Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service, 2019.
- Bonnie E. Cone Professorship in Civic Engagement Award, UNC Charlotte, 2019.
- Anne Devereaux Jordan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature, Children’s Literature Association, 2016.
- Finalist for Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, UNC Charlotte, 2013.