History of Children Literature

Emerging from Oral Tradition

Just as other forms of literature, children's literature grew from stories passed
down orally from generation to generation. Irish folk tales can be traced back
as early as 400 BCE, while the earliest written folk tales are arguably
the Pachatantra, from India, which were written around 200 AD. The earliest
version of Aesop's Fables appeared on papyrus scrolls around 400 AD.
In Imperial China, story telling reached its peak during the Song Dynasty
(960-1279 AD). Many stories from this epoch are still used to instruct
students in China today. No such equivalent exists in Greek and Roman
literature. However, the stories of Homer and other storytellers of the era
would certainly have appealed to children.
As Europe became a cultural center of the world, instructive texts became
increasingly common. These books were mostly written in Latin, with the
purpose of instructing children. During the Middle Ages, very little literature
was written for the sole purpose of entertaining children. Hornbooks,
textbooks containing basic texts like the Lord's Prayer and the alphabet
would not appear until the 1400's. Alphabet books began popping up around
Russia, Italy, Denmark, and other European countries roughly a century later.
The Advent of Illustration
Chapbooks, pocket-sized books often folded rather than stitched together,
were the first books to be illustrated for children. They usually contained
simple woodcut pictures to go along with their contents--often popular
ballads, folk tales, or religious passages.
Meanwhile, during the 1600's, the concept of childhood was evolving. Rather
than being seen as miniature adults, children were seen as separate entities
with their own needs and limitations. Thus, publishers throughout Europe
began printing books specifically intended for children. The purposes of
these texts were still frequently didactic, although several collections of fairy
tales were published with varying success.
The trend of illustrating children's books prevailed, and children's literature
grew in popularity throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In
1744, John Newbery published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book. The volume was
heralded as the true first book intended for children's pleasure reading. As
paper and printing became more economical, the children's book industry
veritably boomed during the 1800's.

Modern Children's Picture Books

It was in the 1920's that books could be mass produced in color and literacy
became sufficiently widespread to make children's picture books a true
industry unto its own. Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats (1928) was one of the
most successful of this era, selling more than a million copies. Other classic
children's picture books were published soon after: The Little Engine that
Could (1930); Babar (1931); Madeline (1933); and Curious George (1941).
Today, the variety and quality of illustrated children's books has made them
an interesting and desirable focus for rare book collectors. It's easy to build a
collection around a single illustrator like Charles Van Sandwyk or to focus on
children's
Christmas
books.
Whatever the focus of the collection, condition is always key. Some collectors
allow a bit more latitude for condition; children are hard on their books,
making copies in exceptional condition even more scarce. In this regard,
collecting children's books takes a fair amount of patience. Rather than
settling for a book in less than pristine condition, keep shopping until you
find the book you want in the best condition possible. The right children's
book bibliography is also an invaluable tool for collectors. You'll find
bibliographies dedicated to specific authors, illustrators, and eras.

History of Children Literature

The inventionof childhood The first author to speak of the invention of
childhood is French historian PhilippeAris in LEnfant et la vie familiale sous
lAncien Rgime (1960). transl. into Italian as Padri e Figli nellEuropa
medievale e moderna (1960) and into English as Centuries of Childhood
(1962) The Inventionof Childhood Aris used the representation of children
in the visual arts in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance The portraits of
children are used as evidence of the fact that, before the 16th century, there
was no interest inchildhoodas a specific category The Middle Ages Only few
children feature in works of art The only exception is baby Jesus The baby is
unnaturally standing, stiff posture The Renaissance There are more children,
but they are miniature adults Elizabethan Family at dinner the youngest
child is standing to eat, while the other child is serving the family Why were
there no children in art? For many years, art historians accounted for the fact
that portraits of children were embarassingly unrealistic by suggesting that
painters lacked the skill to paint children For Aris, they simply did not see
children, but little adults
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books,
magazines, and poems that are enjoyed by children. Modern children's
literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the
reader.
Children's literature can be traced to stories and songs, part of a wider oral
tradition, that adults shared with children before publishing existed. The
development of early children's literature, before printing was invented, is
difficult to trace. Even after printing became widespread, many classic
"children's" tales were originally created for adults and later adapted for a
younger audience. Since the 1400s, a large quantity of literature, often with
a moral or religious message, has been aimed specifically at children. The

late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries became known as the "Golden
Age of Children's Literature" as this period included the publication of many
books acknowledged today as classics.

History of Children Literature

Early children's literature consisted of spoken stories, songs, and poems, that
would have been used to educate, instruct, and entertain children. [9] It was
only in the 18th century, with the development of the concept of "childhood",
that a separate genre of children's literature began to emerge, with its own
divisions, expectations, and canon.[10]:x-xi
French historian Philippe Aris argued in his 1962 book Centuries of
Childhood that the modern concept of "childhood" only emerged in recent
times, and that for the greater part of history, children were not viewed as
greatly different from adults, and were not given significantly different
treatment.[11]:5 As evidence for this position, he noted that, apart from
instructional and didactic texts for children written by clerics like the
Venerable Bede, and lfric of Eynsham, there was a lack of any genuine
literature aimed specifically at children before the 18th century. [12][13]:11
Other scholars have qualified this viewpoint by noting that there was a
literature designed to convey the values, attitudes, and information
necessary for children within their cultures, [14] such as the Play of Daniel from
the 1100s.[8]:46[15]:4 Pre-modern children's literature, therefore, tended to be of
a didactic and moralistic nature, with the purpose of conveying conductrelated, educational and religious lessons.[15]:68
Antiquity and the Middle Ages
Every culture has its own mythology, unique fables, and other traditional
stories that are told for instruction and entertainment. [1]:654 Early folk-type
tales included the Panchatantra from India, which was composed about 200
AD and may be "the world's oldest collection of stories for children". [1]:807[7]:301
Oral stories that would have been enjoyed by children include the tale of The
Asurik Tree, which dates back at least 3,000 years in Persia.[16]

Iliad, Book VIII, lines 24553, Greek manuscript, late 5th, early 6th centuries
AD.
In Imperial China, children attended public events with their parents, where
they would listen to the complicated tales of professional storytellers.
Children also watched the plays performed at festivals and fairs. Though not
specifically intended for children, the elaborate costumes, acrobatics, and
martial arts held even a young child's interest. The stories often explained
the background behind the festival, covering folklore, history, and politics.
Storytelling may have reached its peak during the Song Dynasty from 9601279 AD. This traditional literature was used for instruction in Chinese
schools until the 20th century.[1]:830831
Greek and Roman children would have enjoyed listening to stories such as
the Odyssey, written by Homer, and Aesop's Fables by the eponymous
Aesop.
Examples of medieval literature include Gesta Romanorum, the Roman
fables of Avianus, the French Livre pour l'enseignement de ses filles, and the
Welsh Mabinogion. In Ireland, many of the thousands of folk stories were
recorded in the 11th and 12th centuries. Written in Old Irish on vellum, they
began spreading through Europe, influencing other folk tales with stories of
magic, witches, and fairies.[7]:256[17]:10
Early-modern Europe
During the 1600s, the concept of childhood began to emerge in Europe.
Adults saw children as separate beings, innocent and in need of protection
and training by the adults around them.[11]:67[17]:9 The English philosopher John
Locke developed his theory of the tabula rasa in his 1690 An Essay
Concerning Human Understanding. In Locke's philosophy, tabula rasa was
the theory that the (human) mind is at birth a "blank slate" without rules for
processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing are formed
solely by one's sensory experiences. A corollary of this doctrine was that the
mind of the child was born blank, and that it was the duty of the parents to
imbue the child with correct notions. Locke himself emphasized the

importance of providing children with "easy pleasant books" to develop their

minds rather than using force to compel them; "children may be cozen'd into
a knowledge of the letters; be taught to read, without perceiving it to be
anything but a sport, and play themselves into that which others are whipp'd
for." He also suggested that picture books be created for children.
Another influence on this shift in attitudes came from Puritanism, which
stressed the importance of individual salvation. Puritans were concerned with
the spiritual welfare of their children, and there was a large growth in the
publication of "good godly books" aimed squarely at children. [9] Some of the
most popular works were by James Janeway, but the most enduring book
from this movement, still widely read today, was The Pilgrim's Progress
(1678) by John Bunyan.
Chapbooks, pocket-sized pamphlets that were often folded instead of being
stitched,[7]:32 were published in Britain; illustrated by woodblock printing,
these inexpensive booklets reprinted popular ballads, historical re-tellings,
and folk tales. Though not specifically published for children at this time,
young people enjoyed the booklets as well. [17]:8 Johanna Bradley says, in
From Chapbooks to Plum Cake, that chapbooks kept imaginative stories from
being lost to readers under the strict Puritan influence of the time.[13]:17

An early Mexican hornbook pictured in Tuer's History of the Horn-Book, 1896.

The New England Primer

Hornbooks also appeared in England during this time, teaching children basic
information such as the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer.[18] These were
brought from England to the American colonies in the mid-17th century. The
first such book was a catechism for children written in verse by the Puritan
John Cotton. Known as Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes, it was published in
1646, appearing both in England and Boston. Another early book, The New
England Primer, was in print by 1691 and used in schools for 100 years. The
primer begins, "In Adam's fall We sinned all ...", and continues through the
alphabet. It also contained religious maxims, acronyms, spelling help and
other educational items, all decorated by woodcuts.[7]:35
In 1634, the Pentamerone from Italy became the first major published
collection of European folk tales. Charles Perrault began recording fairy tales
in France, publishing his first collection in 1697. They were not well received
among the French literary society, who saw them as only fit for old people
and children. In 1658, Jan mos Comenius in Bohemia published the
informative illustrated Orbis Pictus, for children under six learning to read. It
is considered to be the first picture book produced specifically for children.
[17]:7

The first Danish children's book was The Child's Mirror by Niels Bredal in
1568, an adaptation of a Courtesy book by the Dutch priest Erasmus. A
Pretty and Splendid Maiden's Mirror, an adaptation of a German book for
young women, became the first Swedish children's book upon its 1591
publication.[1]:700, 706 Sweden published fables and a children's magazine by
1766.
In Italy, Giovanni Francesco Straparola released The Facetious Nights of
Straparola in the 1550s. Called the first European storybook to contain fairytales, it eventually had 75 separate stories and written for an adult audience.
[19]
Giulio Cesare Croce also borrowed from stories children enjoyed for his
books.[20]:757
Russia's earliest children's books, primers, appeared in the late 16th century.
An early example is ABC-Book, an alphabet book published by Ivan Fyodorov
in 1571.[1]:765 The first picture book published in Russia, Karion Istomin's The
Illustrated Primer, appeared in 1694.[1]:765 Peter the Great's interest in
modernizing his country through Westernization helped Western children's
literature dominate the field through the 1700s. [1]:765 Catherine the Great
wrote allegories for children, and during her reign, Nikolai Novikov started
the first juvenile magazine in Russia.[1]:765
Origins of the modern genre
The modern children's book emerged in mid-18th century England. [21] A
growing polite middle-class and the influence of Lockean theories of

childhood innocence combined to create the beginnings of childhood as a

concept. A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, written and published by John Newbery,
is widely considered the first modern children's book, published in 1744. It
was a landmark as the first children's publication aimed at giving enjoyment
to children,[22] containing a mixture of rhymes, picture stories and games for
pleasure.[23] Newbery believed that play was a better enticement to children's
good behavior than physical discipline, [24] and the child was to record his or
her behavior daily.
The book was childsized with a brightly colored cover that appealed to
childrensomething new in the publishing industry. Known as gift books,
these early books became the precursors to the toy books popular in the
19th century.[25] Newbery was also adept at marketing this new genre.
According to the journal The Lion and the Unicorn, "Newbery's genius was in
developing the fairly new product category, children's books, through his
frequent advertisements ... and his clever ploy of introducing additional titles
and products into the body of his children's books."[26][27]
The improvement in the quality of books for children, as well as the diversity
of topics he published, helped make Newbery the leading producer of
children's books in his time. He published his own books as well as those by
authors such as Samuel Johnson and Oliver Goldsmith;[28]:36[29] the latter may
have written The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes, Newbery's most popular
book.
Another philosopher who influenced the development of children's literature
was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who argued that children should be allowed to
develop naturally and joyously. His idea of appealing to a children's natural
interests took hold among writers for children. [7]:41 Popular examples included
Thomas Day's The History of Sandford and Merton, four volumes that
embody Rousseau's theories. Furthermore, Maria and Richard Lovell
Edgeworth's Practical Education: The History of Harry and Lucy (1780) urged
children to teach themselves.[30]
Rousseau's ideas also had great influence in Germany, especially on German
Philanthropism, a movement concerned with reforming both education and
literature for children. Its founder, Johann Bernhard Basedow, authored
Elementarwerk as a popular textbook for children that included many
illustrations by Daniel Chodowiecki. Another follower, Joachim Heinrich
Campe, created an adaptation of Robinson Crusoe that went into over 100
printings. He became Germany's "outstanding and most modern" [1]:736 writer
for children. According to Hans-Heino Ewers in The International Companion
Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, "It can be argued that from this time,
the history of European children's literature was largely written in
Germany."[1]:737

Brothers Grimm, Wilhelm (left) and Jakob Grimm (right) from an 1855
painting by Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann
In the early 19th century, Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen
traveled through Europe and gathered many well-known fairy tales. [31] He
was followed by the Brothers Grimm, who preserved the traditional tales told
in Germany.[20]:184 They were so popular in their home country that modern,
realistic children's literature began to be looked down on there. This dislike of
non-traditional stories continued there until the beginning of the next
century.[1]:739740 The Grimms's contribution to children's literature goes
beyond their collection of stories, as great as that is. As professors, they had
a scholarly interest in the stories, striving to preserve them and their
variations accurately, recording their sources.[7]:259
A similar project was carried out by the Norwegian scholars Peter Christen
Asbjrnsen and Jrgen Moe, who collected Norwegian fairy tales and
published them as Norwegian Folktales, often referred to as Asbjrnsen and
Moe. By compiling these stories, they preserved Norway's literary heritage
and helped create the Norwegian written language.[7]:260
In Switzerland, Johann David Wyss published The Swiss Family Robinson in
1812, with the aim of teaching children about family values, good husbandry,
the uses of the natural world and self-reliance. The book became popular
across Europe after it was translated into French by Isabelle de Montolieu.
Golden age
The shift to a modern genre of children's literature occurred in the mid-19th
century, as the didacticism of a previous age began to make way for more
humorous, child-oriented books, more attuned to the child's imagination. The
availability of children's literature greatly increased as well, as paper and
printing became widely available and affordable, the population grew and
literacy rates improved.[1]:654655

Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes appeared in 1857, and is

considered to be the founding book in the school story tradition.[32]:78
However, it was Lewis Carroll's fantasy, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,
published in 1865 in England, that signaled the change in writing style for
children to an imaginative and empathetic one. Regarded as the first
"English masterpiece written for children"[7]:44 and as a founding book in the
development of fantasy literature, its publication opened the "First Golden
Age" of children's literature in Britain and Europe that continued until the
early 1900s.[32]:18 Another important book of that decade was The WaterBabies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby, by Reverend Charles Kingsley (1862),
which became extremely popular in England, and remains a classic of British
children's literature.
In 1883, Carlo Collodi wrote the first Italian fantasy novel, The Adventures of
Pinocchio, which was translated many times. In Britain, The Princess and the
Goblin and its sequel The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald,
appeared in 1872 and 1883, and the adventure stories Treasure Island and
Kidnapped, both by Robert Louis Stevenson, were extremely popular in the
1880s. Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was first published in 1894, and J.
M. Barrie told the story of Peter Pan in the novel Peter and Wendy in 1911.
Johanna Spyri's two-part novel Heidi was published in Switzerland in 1880
and 1881.[1]:749 In the US, children's publishing entered a period of growth
after the American Civil War in 1865. Boys' book writer Oliver Optic published
over 100 books. In 1868, the "epoch-making book" [7]:45 Little Women, the
fictionalized autobiography of Louisa May Alcott, was published. This "coming
of age" story established the genre of realistic family books in the United
States. Mark Twain released Tom Sawyer in 1876, and in 1880 another
bestseller, Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings, a collection of African
American folk tales adapted and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris, appeared.
[1]:478

Recent national traditions

China
The Chinese Revolution of 1911 and World War II brought political and social
change that revolutionized children's literature in China. Western science,
technology, and literature became fashionable. China's first modern
publishing firm, Commercial Press, established several children's magazines,
which included Youth Magazine, and Educational Pictures for Children.[1]:832833
The first Chinese children's writer was Sun Yuxiu, an editor of Commercial
Press, whose story The Kingdom Without a Cat was written in the language
of the time instead of the classical style used previously. Yuxiu encouraged
novelist Shen Dehong to write for children also. Dehong went on to rewrite
28 stories based on classical Chinese literature specifically for children. In

1932, Zhang Tianyi published Big Lin and Little Lin, the first full-length
Chinese novel for children.[1]:833834
The Chinese Revolution of 1949 changed children's literature again. Many
children's writers were denounced, but Tianyi and Ye Shengtao continued to
write for children and created works that aligned with Maoist ideology. The
1976 death of Mao Zedong provoked more changes sweep China. Many
writers from the early part of the century were brought back, and their work
became available again. In 1990, General Anthology of Modern Children's
Literature of China, a fifteen-volume anthology of children's literature since
the 1920s, was released.[1]:834835
Europe
Britain

A line-up of the American second edition printings of The Hobbit.

The Golden Age of Children's Literature ended with World War I in Great
Britain and Europe, and the period before World War II was much slower in
children's publishing. The main exceptions in England were the publications
of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne in 1926 and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien in
1937.[1]:682683 T. H. White's sequence of Arthurian novels, The Once and
Future King, began with The Sword in the Stone, published in 1938. In 1941,
children's paperback books were first released in England under the Puffin
Books imprint, and their lower prices helped make book buying possible for
children during World War II.[1]:475476
In the 1950s, the book market in Europe began recovering from the effects of
two world wars. In Britain, C. S. Lewis published the first installment of The
Chronicles of Narnia series in 1950, Dodie Smith's The Hundred and One
Dalmatians was published in 1956, and Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory in 1964. Children's fantasy literature remained strong in
Great Britain throughout the 1900s. In Wales, the Welsh Joint Education
Committee and the Welsh Books Council encouraged the publication of
children's books in the Welsh language as well as books in English about
Wales.

In 1997, J. K. Rowling published the first book in the Harry Potter series in
England. Despite its huge success, the children's book market in Britain
suffered at the end of the century due to a difficult economy and competition
from television and video games. However, picture books continue to do
well.[1]:687
Continental Europe
The period from 1890 until World War I is considered the Golden Age of
Children's Literature in Scandinavia. Erik Werenskiold, Theodor Kittelsen, and
Dikken Zwilgmeyer were especially popular, writing folk and fairy tales as
well as realistic fiction. The 1859 translation into English by George Webbe
Dasent helped increase the stories' influence.[1]:705 One of the most influential
and internationally most successful Scandinavian children's books from this
period is Selma Lagerlfs The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.
The interwar period saw a slow-down in output similar to Britain, although
"one of the first mysteries written specifically for children", Emil and the
Detectives by Erich Kstner, was published in Germany in 1930.[20]:315
The period during and following World War II became the Classical Age of the
picture book in Switzerland, with works by Alois Carigiet, Felix Hoffmann, and
Hans Fischer.[1]:683685, 399, 692, 697, 750 1963 was the first year of the Bologna
Children's Book Fair in Italy, which was described as "the most important
international event dedicated to the children's publishing".[33] For four days it
brings together writers, illustrators, publishers, and book buyers from around
the world.[33]
Russia and USSR
In Russia, Russian fairy tales were introduced to children literature by
Aleksandr Afanasyev in his children's edition of his eight-volume Russian Folk
Tales in 1871. By the 1860s, literary realism and non-fiction dominated
children's literature. More schools were started, using books by writers like
Konstantin Ushinsky and Leo Tolstoy, whose Russian Reader included an
assortment of stories, fairy tales, and fables. Books written specifically for
girls developed in the 1870s and 1880s. Publisher and journalist Evgenia Tur
wrote about the daughters of well-to-do landowners, while Aleksandra
Annenskaya's stories told of middle-class girls working to support
themselves. Vera Zhelikhovsky, Elizaveta Kondrashova, and Nadezhda
Lukhmanova also wrote for girls during this period.[1]:767
Children's non-fiction gained great importance in Russia at the beginning of
the century. A ten-volume children's encyclopedia was published between
1913 and 1914. Vasily Avenarius wrote fictionalized biographies of important
people like Nikolai Gogol and Alexander Pushkin around the same time, and

scientists wrote for books and magazines for children. Children's magazines
flourished, and by the end of the century there were 61. Lidia Charskaya and
Klavdiya Lukashevich continued the popularity of girls' fiction. Realism took a
gloomy turn by frequently showing the maltreatment of children from lower
classes. The most popular boys' material was Sherlock Holmes, and similar
stories from detective magazines.[1]:768
The state took control of children's literature during the October Revolution.
Maksim Gorky edited the first children's, Northern Lights, under Soviet rule.
People often label the 1920s as the Golden Age of Children's Literature in
Russia.[1]:769 Samuil Marshak led that literary decade as the "founder of
(Soviet) children's literature".[34]:193 As head of the children's section of the
State Publishing House and editor of several children's magazines, Marshak
exercised enormous influence by[34]:192193 recruiting Boris Pasternak and Osip
Mandelstam to write for children.
In 1932, professional writers in the Soviet Union formed the USSR Union of
Writers, which served as the writer's organization of the Communist Party.
With a children's branch, the official oversight of the professional
organization brought children's writers under the control of the state and the
police. Communist principles like collectivism and solidarity became
important themes in children's literature. Authors wrote biographies about
revolutionaries like Lenin and Pavlik Morozov. Alexander Belyayev, who wrote
in the 1920s and 1930s, became Russia's first science fiction writer.[1]:770
According to Ben Hellman in the International Companion Encyclopedia of
Children's Literature, "war was to occupy a prominent place in juvenile
reading, partly compensating for the lack of adventure stories", during the
Soviet Period.[1]:771 More political changes in Russia after World War II brought
further change in children's literature. Today, the field is in a state of flux
because some older authors are being rediscovered and others are being
abandoned.[1]:772

Criteria in Selecting Books for

Children
Parents, caregivers, and teachers have a wide variety of books to choose
from for young children. By sharing different kinds of books with children,
they
can
enjoy
different
kinds
of
readingexperiences.
Some books help children build confidence as they join in with a repeated
rhyme. Others jump-start the imagination with tales about talking animals or
a grandmother who flies. Books about familiar objects, people, and events
are reassuring to young children, while books with unfamiliar topics can
excite them about new ideas and places.
Books Types for Young Readers (ages Birth5)
ABC and counting books: Fun and colorful illustrations of the alphabet and
numbers
Example: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault,
illustrated
by
Lois
Ehlert
Wordless picture books: A story told through pictures and few or no
words.
Example:
Good
Dog,
Carl
by
Alexandra
Day
Concept books: Pictures or photos of familiar objects or ideas such as
colors,
shapes,
opposites,
or
sizes.
Example:
Color
Dance
by
Ann
Jonas
Pattern books: Repeating text and predictable plots that let children join in
Example: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.,
illustrated
by
Eric
Carle

Information books: Realistic pictures or photographs that introduce facts

about
a
specific
topic
Example: Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker and Joan Richards Wright
Traditional rhymes and stories: Nursery rhymes, fairy tales, fables, and
folktales
from
various
cultures
Example:
The
Little
Red
Hen
by
Byron
Barton
Picture books: Words and pictures that tell a story about realistic or
imaginary
characters
and
events
Example: Abuela by Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Elisa Kleven
Poetry: One or several illustrated poems for young children
Example: Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Spivey
Gilchrist
Easy-to-read books: Limited vocabulary, rhyme, and repetition for
beginning
readers
Example: The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Source: Read with Me, a RIF Parent-Teacher Partnership

Criteria in Selecting Books for Children

Whether you are reading a story to your toddler or helping your gradeschooler choose a book she can read herself, it's never too early to set your
little learner on the road to literacy. Books help your child develop reading
skills, broaden vocabulary, learn how to sequence events and gain critical
thinking skills. Selecting the best story for your child depends on a number of
factors including age, developmental level and interests.
Infants
In the first year of life, children have different literacy needs than older kids.
Infants are in the beginning stages of early literacy development, and they
need books that introduce the basics, such as simple words and sounds.
Instead of choosing a story that features a lengthy tale or an intricate plot
with a vast cast of characters, simplicity is key. According to the national
child-development organization Zero to Three, you should look for a story

that comes with large or colorful pictures; pictures or photos of other babies;
and thick, solid pages, such as those found in board books.
Toddlers
Toddlers' stories should also include a simple structure and brightly colored
pictures. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests parents choose
stories for toddlers that use repetitive or rhyming phrases, ask questions or
have a predictable narrative sequence. The experts at Zero to Three also
recommend that parents and educators choose simple stories with only a
couple words on each page.
Preschoolers
Although picture books are an ever-present staple of the preschooler's
library, kids between the ages of 3 and 5 are ready for a more complex
narrative structure. According to the International Reading Association,
stories for preschoolers should play to the child's growing interest in how
other people are similar or different. Additionally, stories for kids in this age
group should contain repetitive phrases and sounds. Preschoolers may also
enjoy stories about children their own age engaging in everyday situations
such as going to school or playing with friends.
Older Children
As your child moves into the grade-school years, he will begin to need stories
that have a more complex structure. While you can still select picture books
for your young grade-schooler, older elementary-school students -- from
roughly third grade and up -- often need more sophisticated stories such as
word-only chapter books.

Criteria in Selecting Books for Children

Criteria for Book Selection: Childrens Literature
As I see it, there are two main criteria that should govern the selection of
kids books. First, adults should choose childrens books that have what I call
subjective appeal. In other words, adults should choose books with
qualities that make them attractive to children. The subjective appeal of a
childrens book might consist in any number of considerations, such as an
interesting theme, attractive illustrations, a good story, or humor. To this

point in my series on how to choose childrens books, I have focused on this

criterion of subjective appeal, and I have written articles on each of the
considerations just noted.
However, there is a second general criterion that should guide adults in
choosing kids books, which I call developmental value. A childrens book
has developmental value if it has qualities that allow the book to contribute
to a childs cognitive, emotional, moral, or even spiritual development. In the
next few articles in this series, I will unpack what these developmentally
valuable qualities are. However, before doing that, in this article I want to
emphasize the importance of considering developmental value when
choosing childrens books.
The Importance of Developmental Value
Presumably, an adult that cares about a childe.g., a parent, a grandparent,
an aunt, a teacher, etc.has certain goals (or at least hopes) for the child.
At a minimum the adult likely wants the child to learn to read.
However, she might also want the child to gain knowledge of the world, to
understand herself better, to develop reasoning skills, to learn to manage her
emotions, to appreciate beauty, to learn to make good choices, and generally
to become a good human being.
In my view, childrens books have the potential to contribute to each
of these kinds of development. Most obviously, a child will not learn to
read well unless she gets some practice, and reading childrens books with
an adult is the best way for a child to start practicing. Indeed, empirical
studies have shown that parental reading to preschoolers is strongly
correlated with literacy and language acquisition in children.
Similarly, childrens books open the opportunity for kids to gain
valuable knowledge. For example, even a simple board book like The Very
Hungry Caterpillar (for my review of the board book The Very Hungry
Caterpillar, click here) introduces kids to numbers, days of the week, and the
life-cycle of a caterpillar. Moreover, complex mysteries can encourage a
childs deductive reasoning abilities, while good characters can function as
moral and emotional exemplars.
While I could multiply examples here (and I will in subsequent articles),
suffice it to say that childrens books represent an incredible
opportunity for growth and development in a child. For this reason, it is

important for adults to try to choose childrens books with qualities that will
facilitate the kinds of development I have mentioned.
On the flip side, childrens books can also be detrimental to certain goals
that an adult might have for the child in her life. For example, just like
television, books that glamorize certain forms of misbehavior might well
encourage the wrong sort of behavior and character in children. Thus, if a
childrens book lacks developmental value, not only might the book
represent a lost opportunity for growth, but it might also represent a
backward step in the childs development. In other words, such a book
might well leave a child worse of (albeit incrementally so). Thus, this
potential harm is another reason for adults to pay attention to developmental
value when choosing childrens books.
Now, a book need not exhibit all of the characteristics that might make it
developmentally valuable for it to be worth reading; however, I usually look
for at least one of them in any childrens book I choose. In some cases I
might still choose a book that has lots of subjective appeal (i.e., one the child
will like a lot) but that is relatively neutral with respect to developmental
value, as long as the book does not detract from a childs development.
Roadmap for the Series
In light of how important developmental value is as a selection criterion for
childrens books, I aim to focus the next several articles in this series on the
qualities to look for in a developmentally valuable book. For example, I plan
to write about characteristics such as exemplary characters, mischief,
character-building stories, edifying themes, story complexity, and
edifying language. I will explain further what these qualities are and how
they contribute to a books developmental value, and I will try to give
guidance on how to identify them when choosing childrens books. In the
next article in this series on how to choose childrens books for your
students, I will focus on edifying language in childrens books.

Criteria in Selecting Books for Children

1. Le Bon Libre : The Good Book Choosing Childrens Literature Fall 2008 ELE 616
Research in Childrens Literature
2. editor from 1974 to 1985
3. What Makes a Good Childrens Book?
literature for children

A good book latches onto a child and wont let go. What a
child needs is to be exposed to the pleasures of reading and to have access to a
large collection of books from which to choose when the child is ready to read.
What a child does not need is to be pushed into reading or to have an adult force a
child to read a certain book by insisting that it is a good book.

literature for children. Britannica Student

Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 23, 2005, from Encyclopdia Britannica . http://
student.britannica.com/comptons/article-203946/literature-for-children

4. What makes an effective childrens book?

Depends on the particular book in question

A story picture book should have all the elements of story,

engaging writing, a hero who grows and changes, and the best fit art for the
protagonist and tale.

A concept book should convey the concept (be it, say,

alphabet, numbers, colors) in a clear and engaging manner, one that will engage
young minds.

Humorous books should be funny. Adventure books

suspenseful and exciting. Mysteries intriguing. Fantasies imaginative. Gothics
scary.
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2004/11/effec

tive-aspects.html

Children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith

5. More from Cynthia Leitich Smith

A good book should be the best book it can be

A childrens novel must do all that an adult novel does, but

the hero and sensibility is that of a younger person. They are generally a bit leaner,
though, less self-indulgent on the part of the author. The audience tends to have a
shorter attention span.

No kid reads a book because of what the New York Times

has to say. To them, it must sing.

Basically, a good book should be the best book it can be, in

whatever manifestation fits best for its unique nature.

Effective aspects
6. What Makes a Good Childrens Book?
A good childrens book:

Stimulates the imagination

Has fun language, rhythm, rhyme, and patterns

Has big, clear print, and pictures

Is developmentally appropriate

Keeps a childs attention

Gets children involved with the story

Has sensory appeal

http://www.alsoottawa.org/family_literacy/children_book/
7. What about books for young adults?
Former English professor Don Gallo:

Good young adult books deal honestly and openly with

teenage issues and problems

The best novels for teens, he believes, are well written, yet
less complex than the famous classics

Short stories, too, are successful at addressing popular

themes such as multiculturalism and character development.
In the Interest of Teenagers

8. What makes good childrens literature?

Bev Clark, Alcott Fan and Childrens Literature Expert :

In my mind, what makes good childrens literature is the

same as what makes great adult literature: The work must be excellent in its own
right, never condescend to the reader and raise interesting questions.

It must speak to children and their parents -- and also to

the editors, publishers and sellers who first make it available.

9. What is good childrens literature?

Good children's literature is good literature. Period .
Good children's literature isnt silly or lightweight. Look
closely at enduring classics such as Charlottes Web and youll find a complex work
of art, every bit as interesting and rich as an adult novel. Even a childrens book as
seemingly simple as Goodnight Moon is in reality a subtly beautiful poem that
speaks to the deep longings and fears of both children and adults.
Why Parents Should Read Harry Potter by Robert

Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P .

10. Tips for Purchasing/Borrowing Books

When selecting books from your recommended list, consider the

following to reduce the anxiety

Include different authors, genres (biographies, adventure,

historical fiction, science fiction, myths, legends, poetry, cartoons, comics and
mystery) topics, and themes.

Cover multiple time periods (historical past, present,

future).

Include books with an array of unforgettable characters.

Tips on Choosing Good Books

11. More tips

Allow children to choose their own books to allow them to

pursue their own interests.

For good readers, choose books with a reading level that

will challenge and stimulate.

For reluctant readers, choose books they can read without

difficulty yet keep their interest.

Include picture books, even for older children.

Summer ReadingTips on Selecting Books for Kids
12. Classroom libraries
Why have a classroom library?
One of the main tasks of a K-5 teacher is to teach children
to read. Reading is a skill that requires a great deal of practice. To practice, you
need books. Thus, every elementary classroom needs its own library.
Build and Use A Classroom Library on
13. Arguments against classroom libraries
Books become restricted in their availability

. . . when we look at the big picture -- the needs of the

whole school -- it is obvious today's limited funds must be spent for the global good
of all. A centralized collection is the most economically viable solution to the heavy
demands for learning resources in today's classrooms.

Books are only inanimate objects until their potential for

learning is utilized by a teacher or teacher-librarian. If a book is perceived to be of
use with only one student, in a particular grade, at a certain time of the year, to
meet a specific need, then the potential of that book is being wasted. I have seen

teachers put books away in a box until next year when they do the same theme
again.

The classroom library: Are we returning to the 1950s,

or developing better collaboration?

14. Solution? Compromise!

Classroom libraries have undoubted advantages in promoting

reading and love of reading

By keeping track of your classroom collection using a

spreadsheet or database manager, and then share that list with others in the
school

See Classroom Libraries on The School Library Handbook

about how to organize your collection!

15. Need for policies and procedures

What are policies and procedures?

Policies explain why the collection exists and what will be

in it. A policy tends to address ideals and generalities.

Procedures explain how the policy will be implemented and

who will be involved with the implementation. A procedure should be concrete and
specific.
Information Access & Delivery: Policies and

Procedures

16. Do policies really make a difference?

Without a policy you may face some of the situations:

You are open to book censors.

You may be cited on copyright infringement lawsuits.

You could be accused of being biased in selection.

Information Access & Delivery: Policies and

Procedures

17. Importance of a Selection Policy

Why do I need a policy?

haphazard patterns of acquisition will result in waste

because someperhaps manymaterials will overlap in content, or will be
unrelated to changing patterns of instruction

when there are complaints about . . . fiction in the English

class, the use of the objectionable item can be explained more easily

ALA Workbook for Selection Policy Writing

18. Typical content
A good policy on the selection of instructional materials will

include basic sections on objectives, responsibility, criteria,

procedures for selection, reconsideration of materials, and policies on controversial
materials.

Your policy should state succinctly what your system is

trying to accomplish in its educational program, and, in somewhat more detail, the
objectives of selection.

ALA Workbook for Selection Policy Writing

19. Word of warning
Know thyself! [Website no longer available]

It is important that teachers and administrators are able to

recognize their own biases and also biases that appear in learning materials. When
teachers and administrators are aware of their own biases, they can take the steps
necessary to ensure that those biases do not influence their interactions with
students.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF

TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS

20. Contents of a selection policy

selection criteria

The set of standards used by librarian s to decide whether

an item should be added to the collection , which normally includes a list of subject
s or field s to be covered, levels of specialization , edition s, currency , language s,
and format s ( large print , nonprint , abridgment s, etc.). Selection criteria usually
reflect the librarys mission and the information need s of its clientele , but
selection decisions are also influenced by budget ary constraints and qualitative
evaluation in the form of review s, recommended core list s, and other selection
tools.

21. A Philosophical Question

Is Selection a Form of Censorship?

Do public libraries attempt to supervise the tastes of their

readers by making it a fixed policy not to buy objectionable books? It is a simple
expedient and has often been applied. The public librarian often has the plausible
excuse that as the funds of a library are limited, he must pick and choose, and
naturally the more wholesome books are to be preferred. He insists that he is
exercising not censorship but the prerogative of free selection.

Morris L. Ernst and William Seagle, To the Pure . . . A

Study of Obscenity and the Censor cited in Lester Asheim, Not Censorship But
Selection

22. Challenged, like Harry Potter

Look Out, Harry Potter ! Book Banning Heats Up

The Harry Potter series is keeping company with such

frequently banned classics as John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and J. D. Salinger's
The Catcher in the Rye.

Perhaps teachers are self-censored because they felt the

chill [from the controversy], said Charles Suhor, a field representative for the
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Article by Diane Weaver Dunne Education World

04/10/2000

23. Most challenged book of 2006? (and 2007 )

And Tango Makes Three tops ALAs 2006 list of most challenged

o
books

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnells award-winning And

Tango Makes Three , about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex
penguin couple, tops the list of most challenged books in 2006 by parents and
administrators, due to the issues of homosexuality.
Gay penguins have a place in school libraries? Nov 17, 2006

24. FINIS

History of Children Literature

1. The History of Childrens Literature I. A WORLDWIDE TRADITION OF

STORY II. EARLY BEGINNINGS OF WESTERN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE A.
The Oral Tradition ! ! 1. Beowulf ! ! 2. King Arthur ! ! 3. Fair Isabella ! ! 4.
Poor peasant stories B. The Earliest Manuscripts ! ! 1. Picture Bibles ! ! 2.
Lesson books ! ! 3. Available to the rich or teachers in monasteries ! ! 4.
Format: Dialogue between the pupil and teacher; Q & A format; ! ! !
rhymed couplets, for easy memorization ! ! 5. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
- 1387 C. The Printed Book ! ! 1. Originated in China - A.D. 175 ! ! 2.
Printing began in Holland - 1380 - 1420 D. Hornbooks, ABCs, and Primers !
! 1. Hornbook - small wooden paddle with a pasted sheet of
parchment ! ! ! ! printed with the alphabet, the vowels , and the Lord's
Prayer. ! ! 2. ABC Books - 1514 ! ! 3. Primers - King Henry's Primer - 1548
E. Lasting Contributions of the Period ! ! 1. Very few books were
available ! ! 2. The few books which existed were around for over 200
years III. CHILDREN'S BOOKS: THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH
CENTURIES ! A. The "Goodly Godly" Books of the Puritans ! ! 1. Books
influenced by religious beliefs ! ! 2. Concern for the salvation of children's
souls ! ! 3. Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in Either England, Drawn from
the Breasts ! ! of Both Testaments for Their Souls' Nourishment - First
book written and ! ! printed for children in the American colonies ! ! 4.
Orbis Pictus, Johann Amos Comenius - 1659 - First picture book for ! !
children B. Lighter Fare ! ! 1. Chapbooks - late 1500's ! ! 2. First printed
Fairy Tales - Stories or Tales of Time Past, wtih Morals - Tales ! ! of Mother
Goose - Charles Perault - 1697 ! ! ! a. Included stories: The Sleeping
Beauty, Cinderella, Red Riding ! ! ! Hood, Puss-in-Boots, Blue Beard. ! ! 3.
Beauty and the Beast - Mme. d' Aulnoy ! ! 4. Arabian Nights - Collection of
old tales from India, Persia, and North Africa

2. ! ! 5. Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book - Mary Cooper - 1744 Oldest ! ! surviving nursery rhyme book ! ! 6. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel
Defoe ! C. Newbery Publishes for Children ! ! 1. A Little Pretty Pocket-Book
- John Newbury - 1744 - Amusement for ! ! children appears for the first
time. ! ! IV. CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY A. Books
of Instruction and Information B. Family Stories ! ! 1. The rise of women
writers ! ! 2. Little Women, Luisa May Alcott - 1868 ! ! 3. Katy Series,
Susan Coolidge ! C. Tales of Adventure ! ! 1. Treasure Island - Robert Louis
Stevenson - 1883 ! ! 2. The Adventures of Tom Sayer - Mark Twain - 1876 !
! 3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain - 1884 D. Animal
Stories ! ! 1. Black Beauty - Anna Sewell - 1877 ! ! 2. The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling - 1894-1895 E. The Rise of Folktale Collections and
Fantasy ! ! 1. Household stories - Brothers Grimm ! ! 2. Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - 1865 ! ! 3. Journey to the Center of the

Earth - Jules Verne - 1865 ! ! 4. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne - 1869 ! ! 5. Around the World in Eight Days - Jules Verne 1872 ! ! 6. Harlequinades, or turn-ups - 1766 F. Poetry ! ! 1. The Night
Before Christmas - Sarah Josepha Hale - 1830 G. Magazines ! ! 1. Charm 1853 - First true children's magazine for English children ! H. Illustrators of
the Nineteenth Century ! ! 1. George Cruikshank - illustrated Grimm's
Fairy Tales ! ! 2. Throughout the centuries as printing techniques
developed, more and ! ! more illustrators were inspired to contribute to
children's books. ! ! 3. Randolph Caldecott emerged setting new
standards. V. CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY A.
Recognition of Children's Literature ! ! 1. Children's Book Week - Promoted
by Frederick Melcher - 1919 ! ! 2. Children's Book Concil - Established in
1945 ! ! 3. Newbury Medal - 1922

3. ! ! 4. Caldecott Medal - 1938 ! ! 5. Addition of Children's Departments in

publishing firms. B. The Rise of the Picture Storybook ! ! 1. Tale of Peter
Rabbit - Beatrix Potter ! ! 2. Clever Bill - William Nicholson - 1927, the first
true picture storybook ! ! 3. Millions of Cats - Wanda Gag - 1928, first
American picture storybook ! ! 4. The Little House - Virginia Lee Burton 1942 - first sociology book for kids ! ! 5. And to Think That I Saw It on
Mulberry Street - 1937 - Dr. Seuss ! ! 6. Illustrations were usually
stereotyped, but throughout the years that ! ! gradually changed C. The
Growth of Nonfiction Books ! ! 1. Increased understanding of human
development. ! ! 2. Children seen as naturally curious and active
information seekers. ! ! 3. Biographies appear - first genre to represent
people of color to children ! ! D. Folktales of the World ! ! 1. Pura Belpr first Puerto Rican librarian in the New York Public Library ! ! system.
Published Perez and Martina in 1932. ! ! 2. Various collections with folklore
of the world are presented to children. E. Fantasy ! ! 1. Fantasy stories
started out as simple stories such as animals that talked ! ! or a stories of
different worlds. ! ! 2. Throughout the years, fantasy stories for children
have become more ! ! complex and enriched with various characters,
fantastical worlds. ! ! 3. Wizard of Oz ! ! 4. Dr. Doolittle ! ! 6. J.K. Rowling's
Harry Potter Series F. Poetry ! ! 1. Children's poet - Walter de la Mare published the first children's poetry ! ! book - Songs of Childhood
(1902) ! ! G. Historical Fiction ! ! 1. The first Newbury Medal Winner - The
Story of Mankind - (1921) Hendrik ! ! Van Loon H. Contemporary Realistic
Fiction ! ! 1. At the beginning of the twentieth century, this time of writing
was provided ! ! and well accepted by children. ! ! 2. Little Woman ! ! 3.
These books also reflected the changes in society and history. ! ! 4.. Social
issues were addressed such as war, drugs, divorce, abortion, sex ! ! and
homosexuality. VI. THE MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE OF CHILDREN'S
BOOKS A. The Rise of Multicultural Literature

4. ! ! 1. La Edad de Oro - (1889) - Cuban writer Jos Mart published a

journal ! which lasted four issues. This journal contained various essays,

stories, poems ! and biographies with the intent of addressing social

issues. ! ! 2. This journal established a landmark in multicultural literature.
B. Defining Multicultural Literature ! ! 1. A term used to refer to at least
three kinds of literature: world literature ! (literature from non-Western
countries), cross-cultural literature (literature about ! relations between
cultural groups or by authors writing about a cultural group other ! than
their own), minority literature or literature from parallel cultures (literature
! written by members of a parallel culture that represents their unique
experiences as ! members of that culture) (Cai and Bishop, 1994). ! ! C.
An International Literature for Children ! ! 1. Providing access of these
various books to our children is imperative for ! ! them to appreciate the
various cultures and societies. ! ! VII. RECENT TRENDS IN CHILDREN'S
BOOKS A. Children's Books: Big Business ! ! 1. Enormous growth in
children's book publishing occurred in the late 1980s. ! ! 2. Number of
juvenile hardcover books published skyrocketed to 13,522. B. Shifts in
Publishing Emphases ! ! 1. Picture storybooks are still available but have
decreased in quantity. ! ! 2. Publishers now push for series books such as
the Harry Potter series. ! ! C.