History of Children's Literature

By michaelgaxiola
  • John Newberry Starts Publishing Children's Literature

    John Newberry Starts Publishing Children's Literature

    John Newberry publishes books that are intended to instruct proper behavior in children, but did not threaten them like earlier writings.
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne Publishes the First Book Specifically For Children

    Nathaniel Hawthorne Publishes the First Book Specifically For Children

    Hawthorne's "A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls" is published in 1851 and reprinted in 1893.
  • Lewis Carroll Shows That Children's Loiterature Can Be Fun

    Lewis Carroll Shows That Children's Loiterature Can Be Fun

    Unlike the instructional Newberry writings, Lewis Carroll's "Alice" books showed that children's literature can exist purely for entertainment.
  • As Child Labor Laws Are Introduced, Literacy Increases

    As Child Labor Laws Are Introduced, Literacy Increases

    With the introduction of child labor laws at the start of the 20th Century, children began to go to school and learned to read and write. As this happened, publishers began to diversify and increase the types of children's literature being released. Certain publishing houses even created children's departments.
  • The Modern Picture Book Takes Shape

    The Modern Picture Book Takes Shape

    During the 1920s and 1930s, as more and more children's departments open, the modern picture book develops.
  • Two Women Become the First Children's Book Editors

    Two Women Become the First Children's Book Editors

    In 1922 and 1923, Helen Dean Fish (pictured) and May Massee became the first two children's book editors.
  • Public Libraries Increase the Reach of Children's Books

    Public Libraries Increase the Reach of Children's Books

    From the 1940s to the 1960s, children's sections became an increasingly vital part of public libraries.
  • Publishers Begin to Focus on Diversity

    Publishers Begin to Focus on Diversity

    In the latter half of the 20th Century, publishers began to notice the lack of diversity represented in children's literature. Beginning in 1975 with Harriet Rohmer (pictured) and her Children's Book Press, more and more publishers began to focus on sharing diverse perspectives in children's books. While diversity in children's literature is still relatively low, the representation of women, LGBTQ+, and people of color has increased in overall number and quality.