Children's Literature

The literary scene in the 1890s changed rapidly, with 'serious' writers defining themselves against popular fiction and that read by women and children. As modernist influences changed the style and concerns of adult fiction, many areas of publishing for children seemed determined to uphold traditional class and gender roles and to perpetuate a strong sense of national loyalty. During the twentieth century, however, a rise in secularism, new political, cultural and scientific theories and the emergence of youth culture expanded the range of issues and attitudes found in children's books. This updated version of Children's Literature in the 1890s and 1990s, reflects on these changes and how they have helped to shape the new century. It includes a revised and expanded bibliography.

Kimberley Reynolds is Professor of Children's Literature in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University in the UK. She was the first Associate Editor for Children's Literature for the 7th edition of The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Recent publications include Radical Children's Literature: Future Visions and Aesthetic Transformations (2007), which received the ChLA Award in 2009, and Children's Literature Studies: A Handbook to Research (2011).