Timeline photo

A Brief History of Children's Literature

  • Newbery Bookstore

    John Newbery opened bookstore in St Paul's Churchyard, London where children's books were published and sold.
  • Period: to

    A Brief History of Children's Literature

  • First American Childrens Book

    The first American book specifically for children, A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls, was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
  • Heidi

    Swiss writer Johanna Spyri writes Heidi, a children's book about the events in the life of a young girl.
  • Pinocchioo

    Carlos Collodi's Pinnochio was written.
  • Child Labor Laws

    First child labor laws passed which freed children to go to school.
  • Technology

    New technologies reduced the cost of publishing books, leading to a rapid increase in the number of books published.
  • Public Libraries

    The system of public libraries began to develop at an accelerated rate.
  • Macmillan Publishing House

    Macmillan launched department specifically devoted to children's books.
  • Picture books!

    Modern picture books began development in this decade and the next.
  • Newberry Award

    The John Newberry Award was established by the American Library Association.
  • Helen Dean Fish

    Helen Dean Fish became one of the first editors of children's books.
  • May Massee

    May Massee becomes one of the first editor's of children's books.
  • Horn Book Magazine

    Published by the Bookshop for Boys and Girls in Boston under the guidance of Bertha Mahoney and Elinor Whitney, the magazine was dedicated to reviewing children's literature.
  • Viking Press

    May Massee opens childrens book department at Viking Press.
  • Caldecott Award

    Randolph Caldecott Award was established.
  • Children's Book Press

    Harriet Rohmer established the Children's Book Press which was primarily aimed at publishing bilingual picturebooks to reflect diversity in cultural experiences.
  • Just Us Books

    Just Us Books press was established to address the deficiency of diversity in the field.
  • Lack of Diversity

    A study revealed that only 3-4% of books published in the early 1990s were related to people of color with similar issues regarding books containing characters who were gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered in the later part of the decade.
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

    J. K. Rowling writes the first of the Harry Potter books.
  • Printz Award

    The Michael L. Printz Award was established which marked the resurgence of adolescent literature.
  • The Hunger Games

    Suzanne Collins writes the first book in the Hunger Games series.