Castle Stories
• told by wandering instrels
or bards
• heroic stories (ie; knights,
princesses, dragons)
Cottage Stories
• often about
peasants
outwitting
manor lords or
fierce animals
=
=
There were no real
children’s books except
for schoolbooks, so
children usually
read/heard adult
stories.
The first real children’s
books were hornbooks.
They were made out of
a piece of parchment
glued onto wood, and
they included the ABCs,
vowels, and the Lord’s
Prayer.
They also doubled as a
good baseball bat.
Timeline of Children’s Books
Hornbooks --> ABC books --> Primers
Note:
All children’s books had strong religious overtones.
17th and 18 Centuries
Say with us!
I See the Moon – Mother Goose
I see the moon,
And the moon sees me,
And the moon sees somebody
I want to see.
God bless the moon,
And God bless me,
And God bless the somebody
I want to see.
17th-18th Century Children’s Literature
• Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in
Either England, Drawn from the
Breasts of Both Testaments for
Their Souls’ Nourishment (1656)
– John Cotton
– First book written for children in
American colonies
– Goal: To make godly, Puritan
children
• Orbis Pictus (1659)
– “The world in pictures”
– Johann Amos Comenius
Fairy Tales, and Nursery Rhymes
• Fairy Tales
– First one printed in France in 1697:
• Histoires ou contes du temps passe, avec des moralites (Stories or Tales of
Times Past, with Morals)
• Charles Perrault
– “Cinderella”
– “Puss-in-Boots”
– “Red Riding Hood”
• Nursery Rhymes (“Mother Goose” rhymes)
– Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book
– Mary Cooper in 1744
• Other Popular Literature:
– Daniel Defoe’s The Life and Strange and Surprising Adventures of
Robinson Crusoe (1719)
– Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
Newbery
• John Newbery wrote “A Little Pretty Pocket-Book”
and “Little Goody Two Shoes”
• Thought that children should play for pleasure.
• Influenced by enlightenment thinking.
• Emphasized love and play over the wrath of God.
• Honor the first man to believe that children need
their own literature.
Late Eighteenth Century Children’s
Literature
• Women authors entered the field
– Sarah Fielding, Sarah Trimmer
• Children’s poetry
– John Newbery, Isaac Watts, William Blake
• Aim of children’s literature- to teach children morals
• Main characters of stories were “exceptionally wellbehaved.”
• Children’s literature was still only available to
Caucasians, most of whom were upper and middle
class.
Reflection Questions
• What was the main goal that the authors of this
period were trying to communicate through
children’s literature?
• What are two books that were written during this
period?
– (hint: the puppets that we brought today represent
characters from some of the stories of the time).
• What was the main contribution of John
Newbery?
References
• Kiefer, B., Hepler, S., & Hickman, J. (2007).
Charlotte Huck’s Children’s Literature (9th
ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
Children’s Literature:
The Nineteenth Century
Presented by:
Laura Frei
Leah Burke
Meghan Moughler
Michelle Thomas
Information/
Instruction
• Noah Webster’s Blue
Backed Speller and
McGuffey’s Eclectic
Readers
• Were so widely used,
they basically WERE the
elementary literature
curriculum
Animal Stories
• Anna Sewell’s Black
Beauty
– Protested the cruel
treatment of horses
• More effective than any
lecture on humane
treatment of animals
Tales of
Adventure
• Rise in attention to adventure
stories
• Provided plenty of adventure, but
still superficial and predictable
until…
• Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island
(1883)
– Adults were reading
children’s books for the
adventure instead of children
reading adult books
– Characters shifted from
obedient and dutiful to real
live boys
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
(1876) and The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark
Twain
Family Stories
• Generally religious and
moralistic
• Became more popular
• 1st of family stories: The
Fairchild Family by Martha
Sherwood 3 book series.
Frighteningly realistic
• Little Women by Louisa May
Alcott- didn’t preach
morals, just loving family
Folktale and
Fantasy
•
There was a movement to
preserve the form and content of
old tales in text.
•
The “first stirrings” of modern
fantasy were seen.
•
1812 The Grimm Brothers:
Kinder und Hausmärchen–
Collection of retold stories by
servants and peasants
•
1865 Lewis Carroll: Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland–
Illustrated by John Tenniel and
written without a lesson or
moral, but purely made for
enjoyment
Poetry
•
Poetry flourished during this
century and transformed from a
religion and moral influence to a
nonsensical rhythm and rhyme
focus for entertainment
•
1846 Edward Lear: A Book of
Nonsense – Greatest contribution
to children’s literature, written
only for entertainment
•
1885 Robert Louis Stevenson: A
Child’s Garden of Verses
Magazines
Illustrators
• Became popular during the
second half of the century
with the Sunday School
movement
• St. Nicholas Magazine was
the most famous
• Illustrators began to receive
more recognition
• Illustrations moved from
crude woodcuts to refined
images
• Randolph Caldecott’s books
Hey Diddle Diddle Picture
Book and others became
known for their pictures
– Known for its artwork and
popular stories such as those
from Louisa May Alcott
– Contained many stories which
ended up becoming classics
of the day
– Edited by Mary Mapes Dodge
– The Caldecott Medal was
created in his honor for the
most distinguished picture
books
A Look Back
• Beginning of literature designed to bring
children joy and happiness
• Was ever present in America and England
• Illustrations were more beautiful
• Race, ethnicity, gender, and class were still not
present within children’s literature
Children's Literature: The 20th
Century
Madeline
TIME LINE DURING EARLY 20TH
CENTURY
WWI
Roaring 20’s
The Great Depression
WWII
Introduction to Literature and the
20th Century
• Literary and artistic quality in children’s books
was gaining popularity
• Publishing houses were increasing their
production of children’s books
• Public and School Libraries expanded their
services to children
• Technology made higher quality illustrations
Key Events
• 1915- The American Library Association had established a
School library division
• 1922- The Newbery Medal was first awarded for
“distinguished contribution to literature for children”
• 1938- The Caldecott was awarded for the most
distinguished illustration
• 1945- The Children’s Book Council was established to
promote children’s book week
• 1950s- Paperback book clubs made it possible for children
to own books
Characteristics
• Due to progressive education, the growth of
nursery school movement brought an increase
in books for preschool children
• Prior to the 1960s, characters in children’s
books were predominately white. When
Native Americans and African Americans
were included, they were very
misrepresented.
• Biographies were the first genre to represent
people of color.
Writings & Authors
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (~1900)
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper (1929)
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee
Burton (1939)
• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)
• Curious George by H.A. Rey
• I Am a Pueblo Indian Girl by E-Yeh-Shure (late 1960s)
•
•
•
•
QUIZ
• 1. What aided the improvement of illustrations?
• 2. What 2 major awards began in the 20th
• Century?
• 3. What did the American Library Association
Establish?
• 4. How would you describe the majority of
characters in the early 20th century?
• 5. Name famous books from this time period-
Presented By: Brittany Klaas, Jenny Novak, and Jess Mittelman
1950’s
“The Leave it
to Beaver Era”
1960’s
1970’s
“The That 70’s Show
Era”
1980’s
1990’s
“The Fresh
Prince of Bell-Air
Era”
Literature
• Folktales,
• Fantasy (serious themes)
• End of WWII
– Baby boom
– Explosion of jobs
– “ideal family life”
• Civil Rights Movement
– Racial Segregation of schools
unconstitutional
– Rosa Parks
• Launch of Sputnik
– C.S. Lewis, The Lion The Witch
and the Wardrobe (right and
wrong)
– E.B. White, Charlotte's Web
• Poetry (African writers more
prominent)
– Gwendolyn Brooks, Bronzeville
Boys and Girls
• Contemporary Realistic Fiction
(open discussion of prejudice, “all
American-boy”)
– Natalie Carson, The Empty
Schoolhouse
– Beverly Cleary, Henry Huggins
Literature
•Picture Story Books
•Misrepresentation of other cultures
•John Steptoe’s Stevie (1969) presented the
first authentic African American character
•Nonfiction: 1960s—social attitudes began to be
reflected about historical events and biography
•America: Adventures in Eyewitness History
(1962) by Rhonda Hoff recognized children’s
allowed children to draw own conclusions.
•Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees
and the Trail of Tears (1972) by Alex Bealer,
from the Native American point of view.
•
•
•
•
Kennedy’s Assassination
Vietnam War
Feminism
Civil Rights Movement
•Emphasis placed on individual African and
Jewish folktales, Native American legends.
•Gail Haley, 1971 Caldecott Medal for
A Story, a Story, an African Tale of
Anansi
•High Fantasy—themes of battle between
good and evil, other cosmic issues.
•Madeleine L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander,
Susan Cooper, etc.
•Poetry—Specialized collections celebrating
the uniqueness of other cultures and
women.
•Historical Fiction: by 1970s, concerned
with social conscience.
•Roll of Thunder, Head My Cry (1978)
by Mildred Taylor won the Newbery
award—culturally accurate and moving
account of African American’s in the
deep South.
•Contemporary Realistic Fiction, “new
freedoms” of 1960s.
•Harriet The Spy (1964) by Louise
Fitzhugh
•Other books dealt with death, suicide,
alcoholism, homosexuality, divorce.
•Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
(1970) by Judy Blume
1980’s
•
1980’s known as the “Me decade”
•
End of the Cold War
•
Feministic movement, multiculturalism
1990’s
•
1990’s centered around globalization
•
Acts of terrorism (9/11)
•
Throughout both decades the emphasis
was on sharing and appreciating all cultures
and forming tolerance and openness
concerning all races and ethnicities
Fantasy
•
books were popularized in the 1980’s
•
Virginia Hamilton’s Adventures of Pretty Pearl 1983
•
Laurence Yep's Dragon of the Lost Sea 1982
Historical fiction
•
Mostly concerned with social issues rather than personal
ones
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
•
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's Jimmy Yellow Hawk – dealt
with the issue of Native American children trying to live in
two worlds
•
Books by and about people of color finally received
recognition
•
The books of the 80’s and 90’s did not aim to present
children with happy, safe stories, but rather attempted to
expose them to trauma, issues, and differences
Recent Trends in Children’s
Books
Allie Seefeldt
Amy Ritter
Karen Bennett
$$$$$$$ Big Business $$$$$$$
$ Growth in publishing since 80’s
$ Titles go out of print within 5 years
$ Top 5 sellers
$ Poky Little Puppy, Tale of Peter Rabbit, Harry Potter
Goblin of Fire, Green Eggs and Ham, & Tootle
1980
2,895 books
2000
5,119 books
$ Celebrity authors and series
2004
13,522 books
Shifts in Publishing Emphases
• Hardcover fiction, especially fantasy, is becoming more
popular than picture books
– The Last Dragon by DeMari
• Reasons for picture book publishing decline
– Dropping birthrate
– Decrease in library fund-raising
• Rise of graphic novels – anime, manga, & comic books
• Rise of toy books – pop-up books, books with novelty
items
• Written to formula series books
– Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime by Barbara
Park
Changes in Writing and Illustrations
• Greater freedom in writing now
– More than just third person
– Novels in free verse
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
– Morphed genres
• Greater technology
– Allows photo clarity in illustrations
– Computer-generated art
• More complex interactions between pictures and print
– The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
Children’s Literature in the School and
Community
• Trade books
• Use of real literature
• Renewed emphasis on teaching phonics (NCLB)
– Less time for real literature
• Used for objective purposes = less enjoyable
• Community literacy programs
– Combat illiteracy in U.S.
– Read Across America
– Laura Bush’s Ready to Read, Ready to Learn
Development of a Multi-Literate
Society
• Post-literate society due to technology
• Advantages of Internet
– Accessibility of books
– Chat rooms for book discussions
– Online book stores
• Multi-literate and multi-modal kids
– Reading
– Computers
• Will the book be as important in the 21st century as it
was in the 20th?
REVIEW
Draw a picture that shows a recent
trend in children’s literature.
Multicultural Literature
Presented by:
Shannon Overdorff
Lia Quatrini
Martina Shearer
Early 1900’s…
• Latino and African American communities started to
recognize the need for children to see themselves
reflected in their books and stories
• 1909: National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) was founded.
• Included W.E.B. Dubois and Ida Wells Barnett
1920’s and 1930’s
• 1920: Dubois published the first issue of The Brownies’
Book which helped children of color realize that they
were normal
• 1920s and 1930s: Harlem Renaissance: introduced
African American artists into the art scene in the U.S.
• 1933: Sterling A. Brown’s Negro Character As Seen By
White Authors
• Blacks categorized:
–
–
–
–
The Contented Slave
The Wretched Freeman
The Comic Negro
The Brute Negro
1940’s-1950’s
• 1940s: African American librarians start to use more African
American books
• 1950: Pippi Longstocking, arrived in the US from the Swedish
author Astrid Lindaren
– Marked the beginning of international influence
• 1950s: The number of book fairs and exhibitions of children’s
books showed the growth of internationalism
• 1953: The first general assembly of the International Board on
Books for Young people was held
• 1954: Brown vs. Board of Education
1960’s and 1970’s
• Of 5,000 books published between 1962 and 1964, only
4/5 of 1% (40 books) included mention of
contemporary African Americans in either text or
pictures
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
provides fund for educational services to low-income
children
• 1967 and 1969: Publication of Virginia Hamilton’s Zeely
and John Steptoe’s Stevie.
• 1969: CIBC (Council on Interracial Books for Children)
establishes contest for publishers to write “culturally
authentic, and free of race and gender bias.”
1980’s and 1990’s
• Enormous growth in children’s book
publishing in late 1980’s
• Children’s book sales skyrocketed to 1 billion
in 1990
Multicultural Literature Today
• Multicultural literature includes 4 types of
literature:
– World literature (from non-West countries)
– Cross cultural literature (relations b/w
cultural groups)
– Minority literature (parallel cultures)
– Interesting cultures (mixed race or biracial
individuals)
Awards
• Awards Established:
– Coretta Scott King Award (1969) (African)
– Pura Belpré (Latino)
– Asian Pacific Award
• Publishers Created (59):
– Black Butterfly Press
– Just Us Books
– Arte Público