Chapter 2 Blog

Chapter 2 reviews the history of children's literature. It states that before recorded history, family units and tribes shared their traditions and values through stories told around the campfire. Before the 1400's the literary heritage in Europe was mainly based on parchment manuscripts that were handwritten by monks and scribes. Around 1450 Johannes Gutenberg discovered a movable metal type which began the mass production of books. Before 1476 most children's books were not written with their interest in mind, so William Caxton began writing specifically for them. His most important publication may be considered the Fables of Aesop. During the 1600's political upheaval, religious dissent and censorship affected English literature. Book titles began stressing the importance of providing moral instruction for children. Since John Locke envisioned the child's mind as a blank page, he began writing books relating to the healthy upbringing of children. During the 1700's Charles Perrault published what is known today as the Tales of Mother Goose. These writing were mostly fairy tales retold from older traditions. In 1719 Daniel Defoe authored and published the adventure story Robinson Crusoe while in jail. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that children should be accompanied in their search for knowledge, so in 1762 he wrote Emile which stressed the importance of harmonious experiences in children's natural development. The Victorian authors of the 1800's were sensitive to the realities of poor children. From that mindset, Charles Dickens wrote about those unfortunate children in his book Oliver Twist. With the 19th century came what may be considered the greatest writer of adventure, Mark Twain and his book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout history, other authors such as John Newberry and Hans Christian Anderson became famous for their input towards children's literature.
Censorship, although it has always existed in some form, became prevalent during the late 1960's and '70's. This censorship covered topics like racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. There became a period of change regarding children and the family beginning in the late 1800's. Books began stressing the importance of responsibility and self improvement. Books like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor emphasize values of a traditional family. Since the late 1960's, however, children's literature has made changes. The ideal traditional family has declined and is reflective of emotional problems and personal issues as depicted in Meg Rosoff''s, How I live Now.
Overall, I believe this chapter highlights the different roles that authors have taken over the years in consideration of children's literature. It points out how books have changed in relation to the time periods and what their contents may reflect in relation to that specific time.