The Golden Age of Children's Literature, circa 1865 - 1926
The "Golden Age of Children's Literature" was a period of time in America and Britain where fictional books, fantasy stories, and dramas were published for a juvenile audience. The Golden Age is "characterized by imaginative and purely entertaining works" for children (Something About the Author: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Volume 100). Children's Literature was acknowledged for its literary importance and was the genre for publishing investment (Literary Ladders in the Golden Age of Children's Books by Laura Steveson, 2011).
Characters in Children's Literature During the Golden Age
Literature from the Golden Age often includes literate child heroes. A literate child hero is a young protagonist in a story who is not naive about the world around them but is an educated individual. Also, Children's Literature during the Golden Age included characters who were fully socialized subjects shaped by the culture, manners, and morals of the time. The authors assumed the child reader was capable to appreciate wordplay, elevated language, and references that pertained to literary, religious, and scientific topics (Artful Dodgers: Reconceiving the Golden Age of Children's Literature by Marah Gubar, 2009). Real children helped collaborate on literature during the Golden Age. One example is the Llewelyn Davies boys who inspired J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Another example is that children helped color illustrations in Rudyard Kipling's Just-So Stories (Between Generations: Collaborative Authorship in the Golden Age of Children's Literature by Victoria Ford Smith, 2018).
Scholarly Articles About the Golden Age
Artful Dodgers: Reconceiving the Golden Age of Children's Literature / Marah Gubar
The Golden Age by Kenneth Grahame
Freethought Children's Literature and the Construction of Religious Identity in Late-Nineteenth-Century America by Joanne E. Passet
Literary Ladders in the Golden Age of Children's Books by Laura C. Stevenson
Between Generations: Collaborative Authorship in the Golden Age of Children's Literature by Victoria Ford Smith (review) by Donna R. White
Chapter Four - Pictures of Partnership: Art Education, Children’s Literature, and the Rise of the Child Artist by Victoria Ford Smith
Books on Children's Literature Criticism
- Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children's Literature byCall Number: PR990 .C37 1985ISBN: 0395352932Publication Date: 1985-05-01
Inventing Wonderland : The Lives and Fantasies of Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, J.M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahame, and A.A. Milne by Call Number: PR990 .W84 1995ISBN: 0684822865Publication Date: 1995
Between Generations by
Between Generations is a multidisciplinary volume that reframes children as powerful forces in the production of their own literature and culture by uncovering a tradition of creative, collaborative partnerships between adults and children in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century England. The intergenerational collaborations documented here provide the foundations for some of the most popular Victorian literature for children, from Margaret Gatty's Aunt Judy's Tales to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Examining the publication histories of both canonical and lesser-known Golden Age texts reveals that children collaborated with adult authors as active listeners, coauthors, critics, illustrators, and even small-scale publishers. These literary collaborations were part of a growing interest in child agency evident in cultural, social, and scientific discourses of the time. Between Generations puts these creative partnerships in conversation with collaborations in other fields, including child study, educational policy, library history, and toy culture. Taken together, these collaborations illuminate how Victorians used new critical approaches to childhood to theorize young people as viable social actors. Smith's work not only recognizes Victorian children as literary collaborators but also interrogates how those creative partnerships reflect and influence adult-child relationships in the world beyond books. Between Generations breaks the critical impasse that understands children's literature and children themselves as products of adult desire and revises common constructions of childhood that frequently and often errantly resign the young to passivity or powerlessness.
ISBN: 9781496813374Publication Date: 2017-08-07
The Case of Peter Pan, or The Impossibility of Children's Fiction by
Peter Pan, Jacqueline Rose contends, forces us to question what it is we are doing in the endless production and dissemination of children's fiction. In a preface, written for this edition, Rose considers some of Peter Pan's new guises and their implications. From Spielberg's Hook, to the lesbian production of the play at the London Drill Hall in 1991, to debates in the English House of Lords, to a newly claimed status as the icon of transvestite culture, Peter Pan continues to demonstrate its bizarre renewability as a cultural fetish of our times.
ISBN: 9780812214352Publication Date: 1992-12-01
Children's Literature Published in the Golden Age
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) by
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (or, in more recent editions, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, the work is among the first in major American literature to be written throughout in vernacular English, characterized by local color regionalism. It is told in the first person by Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, the narrator of two other Twain novels (Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer, Detective) and a friend of Tom Sawyer. It is a direct sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The book is noted for its colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. Set in a Southern antebellum society that had ceased to exist about 20 years before the work was published, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an often scathing satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly racism.
Call Number: PS1305 .A1 1996ISBN: 0195114094Publication Date: 1997-03-06
Tom Sawyer Abroad and Other Stories by
Mark Twain's classic tale of Tom Sawyer and his friend Huck Finn delighted generations of readers. Here, Twain gives the reader more. Tom, unsatisfied with his life after his adventures on the Mississippi River, seeks out new adventures. Written from Huck's viewpoint, follow Tom, Huck and Jim as they take a hot air balloon ride across the ocean. Tom Sawyer, Detective is a retelling of a true story originally set in Sweden. Twain puts Tom, Huck and the now freed Jim on the trail of a diamond thief and murderer. Also included in this volume are other short stories including The Stolen White Elephant and The Great Revolution in Pitcairn.
Call Number: PS1320 .A1 2001 EbookISBN: 1582183422Publication Date: 2001-03-01- Little Women by The world's best-loved children's stories set in large type for easy reading. -- Over 100 illustrations in each bookCall Number: PZ7.A335 Li 1989ISBN: 9780866119559Publication Date: 1989-05-01
Peter Pan by
"All children, except one, grow up."And so begins the story of one of the most beloved characters in children's literature, Peter Pan. J. M. Barrie's classic tale, completely unabridged, features a boy who refuses to grow up, Tinker Bell the fairy, and the Darling children -- Wendy, John, and Michael. Their great adventure begins on the night that Peter flies into the Darling home looking for his shadow and teaches Wendy, John, and Michael how to fly with him back to the Neverland, where adventures happen every day.Caldecott winner Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations are as mischievous, ethereal, and playful as Peter Pan himself, making them an ideal compliment to the Scribner Illustrated Classic line.
Call Number: PZ7.B27539 Pd 2001ISBN: 0689830785Publication Date: 2001-10-01
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by
Lewis Carroll's timeless classic brought to life by one of the most revered children's book illustrators of our time! Suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Lewis Carroll's masterpiece, an exuberant mix of fun and fantasy, logic and lunacy, silliness and droll splendor, revolutionized children's literature. Its influence has been immeasurable, and the story's cast of characters, including Alice herself, the Mad Hatter, and the Cheshire Cat, hold a beloved place in our culture. Now Helen Oxenbury, one of the world's most acclaimed illustrators—whose many books for children include the award-winning FARMER DUCK, by Martin Waddell, as well as her Tom and Pippo books—has brought her own special brand of magic to Lewis Carroll's classic. And ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND is Helen Oxenbury at her very best. Her vision of Alice is unique and modern. Her Wonderland is fresh, whimsical, and lovingly created. With more illustrations than any other edition, this beautiful volume has all the warmth, depth of emotion, humor, and acute observations of people and animals for which Helen Oxenbury's work is so highly regarded. Join us in celebrating a major artistic achievement! And welcome back—to a Wonderland that is as astonishingly new as it is joyously familiar.
Call Number: PZ7.C234937 Al 1999ISBN: 9780763608040Publication Date: 1999-10-06
Just So Stories by
These wonderful and fanciful stories delight adult and child alike with their amusing and clever responses to such questions as how the leopard got his spots or why an elephant has a trunk. Kipling was born in India of English parents, and the impressions that exotic and fascinating country left on him in his early years would influence his writing in later years. Even in the deceptively simple Just So Stories, the reader recognizes Kipling's gifted ear for language and his vivid imagery.
Call Number: PZ7.K632 Ju 1999ISBN: 1560005017Publication Date: 1998-12-30
Treasure Island by
The epic tale of a young man's quest to capture a hidden treasure on the open seas -- one of the best-loved adventure stories of all time. EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: - A concise introduction that gives readers important background information - A chronology of the author's life and work - A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context - An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations - Detailed explanatory notes - Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work - Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction - A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.
Call Number: PZ7.S8482 Tr 1981ISBN: 9780684171609Publication Date: 1981-09-01- The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood byCall Number: PZ8.1.R55 P22 1952ISBN: 0448060205Publication Date: 1952-01-01
- The Princess and the Goblin and the Princess and Curdie byCall Number: PZ8.M1754 Pr 1990ISBN: 0192825798Publication Date: 1990-08-30
Children's Literature inspired by Authors of The Great Books
The connection between The Great Books and the Golden Age of Children's Literature
The Great Books are literature that aims to have students think critically about philosophy, religion, and literature. Similarly, Children's Literature in the Golden Age prompted active literacy that enabled children to think critically about the social, familial, and cultural influences around them.
Gulliver's Travels by
From the world's greatest satirist, the classic adventures of the intrepid Gulliver Broken into four parts, Gulliver's Travels marks the progress of a gallant explorer as he sails into the unknown, visiting surreal worlds like Brobdingnag, a realm filled with gigantic men; Lilliput, a diminutive land filled with pint-size people; Laputa, a floating island in the sky; and even the fabled land known as Japan. Along the way, Gulliver solves problems, starts and ends wars, and gets into--and back out of--one hot pot after another. Just beneath the surface of Jonathan Swift's dashing novel is a devastating satire of the world in the early eighteenth century, and few institutions escape critique. Swift calls into question the worthiness of human society, where the greedy and the wicked thrive. In the end, however, Gulliver's Travels remains, at its heart, a dramatic adventure filled with the curiosities and feats of daring that have thrilled readers for centuries. Seldom have audiences enjoyed such a balanced mixture of humor, satire, thrills, and philosophy. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Call Number: PR3724.G7 .S954 2014 EbookISBN: 9781497691117Publication Date: 2014-11-25
Shakespeare Stealer by
High jinks and high adventure fill every page of this exciting, panoramic novel set in Shakespeare's time. Widge, our hero, is a young orphan indentured to a cold, unscrupulous master because the young boy has a special talent'the ability to write a secret shorthand. The master is bent on getting hold of the script of Hamlet at any cost, so it becomes Widge's task to transcribe it'or else.This picaresque tale follows Widge as he hightails his way into the very heart of the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare's company of players. As full of twists as a London alleyway, this entertaining novel is rich in period details, colorful characters, villainy, drama, and chuckles.Swordplay and wordplay share the stage with pure fun, all of which will keep readers rapt to the final scene.
Call Number: PZ7.B5338 Sh 1998ISBN: 0525458638Publication Date: 1998-05-01- Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by A retelling of the story about a miser whose life is changed by Christmas.Call Number: PZ7.R3948 Ch 1988ISBN: 0816710538Publication Date: 1988-10-01
Pilgrim's Progress by
This volume offers a superb retelling in contemporary language of John Bunyan's beloved classic, masterfully illustrated with fifty watercolor paintings by Barry Moser.
Call Number: PZ8.S3527 Pi 1994ISBN: 0802850804Publication Date: 1994-10-01
The Golden Age Children's Literature Authors
L. Frank Baum (1856-1919)
E.B. White (1899-1985)
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)
J.M. Barrie (1860-1937)
Children's Literature Magazines
St. Nicholas Magazine (1873-1943). The magazine published authors such as Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and Mark Twain.
The Horn Book Magazine (1924-present). A magazine dedicated to reviewing the best of children's and young adult literature.
The Golden Age of Children's Literature and Christianity
Protestant Sunday Schools in America increased literacy amongst children because juvenile books were given as rewards in Sunday School in the mid 19th century. In America, literature in the late 19th century often contained Christian morals (i.e., Little Women by Louisa May Alcott). (see, "Freethought Children's Literature and the Construction of Religious Identity in Late-Nineteenth-Century America," by Joanne E. Passet, Book History, Volume 8, 2005, p. 107-129).
Biblical Stories for Children
Jessica's First Prayer by Hesba Stretton
Stretton's, Jessica's First Prayer, outsold Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. During 1865-1898 Carroll's novel sold 108,000 copies, whereas Stretton's novel sold 1.5 million copies ("Literary Ladders in the Golden Age of Children's Books," Stevenson 440).
- Aunt Louisa's Bible Picture Book by Contents include The story of King David -- Proverbs of Solomon -- Wonders of Providence. The picture book is bound in green cloth, stamped in gilt and black, colored portrait on paper pasted on front cover. The picture book is from the Owen Barfield Family Collection.Call Number: BS550 .A85 1880Publication Date: 1880
- The Story of Jesus : Told for Little Children byCall Number: BS551 .S76 1905Publication Date: 1905A book with Nursery Rhymes and located in the Stone collection. Illustrated by Anne Batchelor.
Animals of the Bible: A Picture Book by
Dorothy P. Lathrop's ANIMALS OF THE BIBLE first introduced children to the most memorable animals of the Old and New Testaments over sixty years ago, and her extraordinary book was awarded the very first Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book for children. Now, in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the Caldecott Medal and of its first recipient, this special edition of ANIMALS OF THE BIBLE celebrates Lathrop's award-winning collection of some of the most beautiful and appealing stories in the Bible. Dorothy Lathrop's richly detailed black-and-white drawings of the creation, Noah's ark, Daniel's lions, Jonah's "great fish", the animals around the Christmas manger, and many others bring the Bible's most fascinating animals vividly to life. A glorious tribute to a great tradition in children's literature, this special anniversary edition will be a keepsake to treasure for years to come. This book was planned by Helen Dean Fish, who selected the accompanying texts from the King James Bible.
Call Number: BS663 .B5 1937ISBN: 9780397300471Publication Date: 1937-01-21- David's Songs: His Psalms and Their Story by A selection of psalms, retold, chosen because they reflect David's life and faith.Call Number: BS1440 .E57 1992ISBN: 9780803710580Publication Date: 1992-09-01
The Life of Our Lord by
This - the last work of Dickens to be published - is a beautiful retelling of the familiar Bible story. Originally handwritten by Dickens for his own children, this inspiring account was created in order that they might know more of the book Dickens called the best that ever was or will be known in the world.
Call Number: BT302 .D5 1981ISBN: 0664213820Publication Date: 1981-09-01
Prayer for a Child by
Ideal for sharing, this Caldecott Medal-winning beloved classic presents an illustrated prayer full of the intimate gentleness for familiar things, the love of friends and family, and the kindly protection of God. Bless this milk and bless this bread Bless this soft and waiting bed Where I presently shall be Wrapped in sweet security Winner of the Caldecott Medal and in print since 1941, this is a prayer for boys and girls all over the world. It carries a universal appeal for all ages and brings to our hearts and minds the deep responsibility of preserving for all times the faith and hopes of little children.
Call Number: BV265 .F5 2004ISBN: 0689873565Publication Date: 2004-09-01
