The Child Reader, 1700-1840

Description

Children's literature, as we know it today, first came into existence in Britain in the eighteenth century. This book is the first major study to consider who the first users of this new product were, which titles they owned, how they acquired and used their books, and what they thought of them. Evidence of these things is scarce. But by drawing on a diverse array of sources, including inscriptions and marginalia, letters and diaries, inventories and parish records, and portraits and pedagogical treatises, and by pioneering exciting methodologies, it has been possible to reconstruct both sociological profiles of consumers and the often touching experiences of individual children. Grenby's discoveries about the owners of children's books, and their use, abuse and perception of this new product, will be key to understanding how children's literature was able to become established as a distinct and flourishing element of print culture.

M. O. Grenby is Reader in Children's Literature at Newcastle University.

'Fascinating ... [a] very readable scholarly work.' The Herald 'For the specialist, it is an original and scholarly resource; for the non-specialist, it is an intriguing and often entertaining piece of detective work.' Carousel 'Grenby's focus on the traces revealing how children actually used their books provides an astute counterbalance to current approaches to imagining the child reader.' Times Higher Education Supplement 'A wonderful book - and beautifully produced ... a very important contribution to children's literature, the history of the book, and the history of reading ... it's certainly the kind of book which scholars in the field will want to buy ... but also some dissertation students in literature and history.' Helen Rogers '... a welcome and long-awaited contribution to the historical study of children's literature. [This] thoroughly researched volume demonstrates that it is essential to extend the horizon of children's literature studies, endorsing a more decidedly cultural studies approach which considers all actors in the literary field.' Anja Muller, Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik 'Grenby's study marks a turning point in children's literature scholarship.' Sharp