THE DEVELOPMENT OF
CHILDREN AND
ADOLESCENT LITERATURE
THE PERIOD OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT
LITERATURE
1.The Classical Period
2.The Middle Ages
3.The Renaissance Period
4.The 18th Century
5.The Victorian Era
6.Edwardian Era
7.Between the Wars
8.The Late 20th Century to Present
THE CLASSICAL WORLD PERIOD
500 BC to 400 AD
The following characteristics are depicted:
• Characterized by Oral storytelling
• Composed of Greek and Roman myths and epics
• Children heard and presumably, enjoyed, the same stories as their
parents, whether they were the adventurous tales of cultural
heroes
• Fables emerged during those times through Aesop.
THE CLASSICAL WORLD PERIOD
500 BC to 400 AD
Famous Literary Works
• Iliad and Odyssey (Homer)
• Jason and the Golden Fleece
• The adventure of Hercules
• The Travels of Odysseus (From Homer’s Odyssey
• Achilles’ heels
• Midas Touch
Iliad and Odyssey of Homer
• Pandora’s Box
THE MIDDLE AGES
476 AD to 1453
• Period between the fall of Rome in 476 AD and the Renaissance
(14th century)
• Roman Catholic Church is dominant in education, but access
was limited as education was a luxury and few people were
literate.
• Books are expensive and copied by hand on costly parchment,
making written material scarce.
• Primary form of entertainment - biblical stories, lives of saints,
and popular secular tales like King Arthur and the Knights of the
THE MIDDLE AGES
476 AD to 1453
Authors and Literary works during this period:
• Monks and other learned men wrote “lesson books” for children in 600
AD
• Aldhelm ( 640-700 AD), was probably the first man to write lesson books
for children
• Egbert of York - Collected works of previous monks and books by
outstanding Greek and Roman Authors.
• William Caxton - Creator of 1st English Printer in 1476. Among first
publications are Aesop’s Fables, Legend of King Arthur, Beowulf
THE RENAISSANCE
14th to 16th Centuries
• Around 1400, a new era began in Europe.
• It was called Renaissance, a term meaning "rebirth"
• Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg printing press.
• Famous Literary Works
• Hornbook
• “Book of Martyrs”
• “Aesop Fables”
Hornbook
THE RENAISSANCE
14th to 16th Centuries
• Most books for children were textbooks or education books.
• Thomas Elyot’s The Book Named The Governor (1531) and Roger
Acham’s The Scholemaster (1570) - examples of “books of courtesy”
• Roman Catholics and Protestants themed literatures such as Book of
Martyrs (1563)
• Orbis Sensualium Pictus (1658) by John Comenius - first children’s
picture book
THE 18TH CENTURY
• Children’s Book were intended to instruct but children’s folktales from
oral tradition also became popular.
• The publishing of children's books began, with John Newbery’s A Little
Pretty Pocket-Book (1744) being one of the first designed to both
entertain and teach.
• Children's Folktales became popular, with Charles Perrault’s Tales of
Mother Goose (1729), "Cinderella," "Little Red Riding Hood," and
"Sleeping Beauty.
THE 18TH CENTURY
• Mme. de Beaumont retold fairy tales, including
"Beauty and the Beast."
• Elizabeth Newberry published the first children's
edition of Tales from the Arabian Nights in 1791,
featuring stories like "Sinbad the Sailor" and "Aladdin
and His Lamp."
• Grimm Brothers published many folktales, which,
while not initially intended specifically for children,
Sinbad the Sailor
became some of the most famous fairy tales. Illustration by Milo
Winter
THE VICTORIAN ERA
1837 to 1901
• The golden age of Children’s Literature
• Rapid changes and developments in medical, scientific, and
technological advancements, as well as shifts in population growth and
location.
• Emergence of talented children’s stories writers due to:
1.Advances in book production technology (inexpensive and in color).
2.Increased status of women.
3.Mandatory education in the U.S. and England, creating a literate
audience.
THE VICTORIAN ERA
1837 to 1901
• Dominated by adventure and boys' stories.
• Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) with “The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer” (1876) and “The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn” (1884).
• “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) by Charles
Dodgson (Lewis Carroll).
• “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” (1901) by Beatrix Potter,
setting a high standard for illustrated children’s
Front piece of The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer, 1876, 1st edition
books.
THE EDWARDIAN ERA
1901 to 1915
• Named After King Edward VII; although his reign ended in 1910, the
period that followed is also known as Edwardian.
• Marked by rapid technological advancements (cars, phones, plumbing)
and shifting values.
• Writers explored the implications of a rapidly changing, scientific world.
• Notable Works are:
1.“Peter Pan” (1904) by J.M. Barrie, which became immensely popular.
2.“A Wind in the Willows” (1908) by Kenneth Grahame, an enduring
animal fantasy.
THE EDWARDIAN ERA
1901 to 1915
1.“Peter Pan” (1904) by J.M. Barrie, which became immensely popular.
2.“A Wind in the Willows” (1908) by Kenneth Grahame, an enduring
animal fantasy.
Cover of the first
Illustration of Peter Pan
edition (with
by D. Bedford (1911)
illustration by W.
Graham Robertson)
BETWEEN THE WARS
1920 to 1940
• Many notable fantasy figures of children's literature emerged during
this period
• Known literatures are:
• Hugh Lofting's “The Story of Doctor Dolittle” (1920) and A. A. Milne's
“Winnie-the-Pooh” (1926)
• P.L. Travers' “Mary Poppins” (1943)
• Tolkien's “The Hobbit “
• The most famous American children's author during this period was
Laura Ingalls Wilder with her Little House in the Big Woods (1932)
LATE 20th CENTURY
• Emphasis on representation across various experiences, including race,
disability, and gender identity.
• J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter “series, contributing to diverse and
inclusive portrayals of childhood.
• Jacqueline Woodson’s “The Other Side”, reflecting diverse experiences.
Addresses complex issues such as mental health, identity, and social
justice.
• Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give”, dealing with issues of race and
social justice
References:
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/history-of-children-and-adolescent-literature/53626293
https://discover.hubpages.com/literature/Literary-Periods-of-Literature
https://classicmuses.blogspot.com/2010/07/brief-history-of-childrens-literature.html
