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.

Utilizing new historicist, feminist, and cultural studies critiques, these essays by leading scholars provide new perspectives on early children's literary texts. The essays are divided into four parts: Part 1 critiques the rise of children's literature throughout the eighteenth-century, Part 2 focuses on the rise of the female educator and the 'rational dames', Part 3 contains three essays on the politics of pedagogy and the child, Part 4 is a detailed examination of the work of children's literature scholar Mitzi Myers (1939-2001). Scholars of children's literature, literary history, and gender studies will find this volume very illuminating.

The French Revolution sparked an ideological debate that brought Britain to the brink of its own revolution in the 1790s. As radicals turned to the writing of "Jacobin" fiction, the fear of rebellion prompted conservatives to write novels. This is the first book to examine the extent and variety of Anti-Jacobin fiction. As well as identifying an unprecedented number of these novels and considering what they contain, M.O. Grenby investigates why they were written, especially by women, and why they proved to be so popular.

Some of the most innovative and spell-binding literature has been written for young people, but only recently has academic study embraced its range and complexity. This Companion offers a state-of-the-subject survey of English-language children's literature from the seventeenth century to the present. With discussions ranging from eighteenth-century moral tales to modern fantasies by J. K. Rowling and Philip Pullman, the Companion illuminates acknowledged classics and many more neglected works. Its unique structure means that equal consideration can be given to both texts and contexts. Some chapters analyse key themes and major genres, including humour, poetry, school stories, and picture books. Others explore the sociological dimensions of children's literature and the impact of publishing practices. Written by leading scholars from around the world, this Companion will be essential reading for all students and scholars of children's literature, offering original readings and new research that reflects the latest developments in the field.

The French Revolution sparked an ideological debate which also brought Britain to the brink of revolution in the 1790s. Just as radicals wrote 'Jacobin' fiction, so the fear of rebellion prompted conservatives to respond with novels of their own; indeed, these soon outnumbered the Jacobin novels. This was the first survey of the full range of conservative novels produced in Britain during the 1790s and early 1800s. M. O. Grenby examines the strategies used by conservatives in their fiction, thus shedding new light on how the anti-Jacobin campaign was understood and organised in Britain. Chapters cover the representation of revolution and rebellion, the attack on the 'new philosophy' of radicals such as Godwin and Wollstonecraft, and the way in which hierarchy is defended in these novels. Grenby's book offers an insight into the society which produced and consumed anti-Jacobin novels, and presents a case for reexamining these neglected texts.

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.

Some of the most innovative and spell-binding literature has been written for young people, but only recently has academic study embraced its range and complexity. This Companion offers a state-of-the-subject survey of English-language children's literature from the seventeenth century to the present. With discussions ranging from eighteenth-century moral tales to modern fantasies by J. K. Rowling and Philip Pullman, the Companion illuminates acknowledged classics and many more neglected works. Its unique structure means that equal consideration can be given to both texts and contexts. Some chapters analyse key themes and major genres, including humour, poetry, school stories, and picture books. Others explore the sociological dimensions of children's literature and the impact of publishing practices. Written by leading scholars from around the world, this Companion will be essential reading for all students and scholars of children's literature, offering original readings and new research that reflects the latest developments in the field.

This book introduces students to the unique challenges of working with children's literature, updated for this new edition. Unlike the rigidly chronological approach of many introductions to children's literature, the genre-based approach of this volume ensures that all the principal genres are covered in detail. These include fables, fantasy, adventure stories, moral tales, family stories, school stories and children's poetry. This edition includes, additionally, coverage of illustrated and picture books. Grenby shows how these forms have evolved over three hundred years and explores the continuing popularity of these specific genres for children's books. It offers extensive coverage across genres, continents and periods. It has coverage of theory, including: definition, dual audience, canonicity, the relationship between text and image, 'childist criticism' and 'crossreading'. It links close readings of texts with the context of their original production and reception. It offers an extensive bibliography, including internet resources for rare and out-of-print primary texts.