(part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series) Yesterday (11-20-2011) The Simpsons continued its legacy of literary references with an episode featuring Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods, Anansi Boys, and many others . The episode, "The Book Job" (season 23, episode 6), explores the culture of tween lit, specifically stories featuring vampires and magicians, using an Ocean's Eleven-style heist as the plot backdrop. Though the episode speaks primarily to the idea that tween lit may be hugely factory produced for market consumption rather than intellectual stimulation, the optimistic take-away is that even in a world where television and the internet dominate as means of entertainment and information distribution, books seem to be making a resurgence. This, my hope anyway, will seed these tween literateurs with a life-long love of reading. About "The Book Job": Lisa becomes disheartened when she learns the shocking truth behind the "tween lit" industry and her beloved fantasy novel…
