Historical Dictionary of Children's Literature

by Emer O'Sullivan

Overview

Children's literature comes from a number of different sources-folklore (folk- and fairy tales), books originally for adults and subsequently adapted for children, and material authored specifically for them-and its audience ranges from infants through middle graders to young adults (readers from about 12 to 18 years old). Its forms include picturebooks, pop-up books, anthologies, novels, merchandising tie-ins, novelizations, and multimedia texts, and its genres include adventure stories, drama, science fiction, poetry, and information books.

The Historical Dictionary of Children's Literature relates the history of children's literature through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on authors, books, and genres. Some of the most legendary names in all of literature are covered in this important reference, including Hans Christian Anderson, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Beatrix Potter, J.K. Rowling, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne, and E.B. White.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538122914
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/15/2023
Series:	Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	442
Product dimensions:	6.33(w) x 9.06(h) x 1.19(d)

About the Author

Emer O'Sullivan is professor of English Literature at Leuphana University. She has published widely in both German and English on comparative literature, image studies, children's literature, and translation, and she has received international recognition for her pioneering work in comparative children's literature studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Mark West Acknowledgements Acronyms and Abbreviations Chronology Introduction The Dictionary Appendix: Major children’s literature awards and their recipients Bibliography About the Author

Editorial Reviews

O'Sullivan's book wins out because of the strength of her clear and unbiased prose, showing her understanding of the issues and the way the history of children's literature across the English-speaking world and beyond has evolved.

Reference Reviews

For this entry in the publisher's Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts series, author O'Sullivan has written more than 500 entries for authors and genres as well as a few other topics, such as American Library Association, Ethnocentrism, Newbery Medal, and Wizards. Most of the entries are for authors, from Aesop to Stephenie Meyer. Although the emphasis is on literature in the U.S. and Great Britain, some individuals from other countries, such as Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, are also included. A handful of entries cover characters, among them Nancy Drew and Thomas the Tank Engine. There are also a few entries for works, such as The Arabian Nights; but in most cases, book titles serve as see references to author entries ("ALICE IN WONDERLAND. See CARROLL, LEWIS"). Preceding the entries are a list of acronyms, a chronology beginning circa 900 and ending in 2008, and an introduction to children's literature and its development....Closing the volume are an appendix of awards and a well-organized bibliography. Providing a concise overview to help the reader understand the historical development of children's literature, this work is recommended for academic and large public libraries. It could also find a place on the professional-development shelves of children's librarians.

Booklist

O'Sullivan (Leuphana Univ., Lúneburg, Germany) has produced a very nice small dictionary, more compact than the older large-format, single-volume works published a decade ago....O'Sullivan's contribution is...historically focused and wholly authored by one (or two) writers, resulting in a more consistent style. Features include a chronology; a good, brief introduction; an appendix listing winners of some major awards; and an extensive classified bibliography....Some cross-references are included. The main section features A-Z dictionary entries on authors, illustrators, awards, and topics, e.g., "Animal Fiction," "Dime Novels," and "Orphans."...The emphasis is on American, UK, Commonwealth, and European authors. This handy, well-written, but highly selective volume will be useful in collections serving children's literature programs. Summing Up: Recommended

Choice Reviews

O'Sullivan (Leuphana Univ., Lúneburg, Germany) has produced a very nice small dictionary, more compact than the older large-format, single-volume works published a decade ago....O'Sullivan's contribution is...historically focused and wholly authored by one (or two) writers, resulting in a more consistent style. Features include a chronology; a good, brief introduction; an appendix listing winners of some major awards; and an extensive classified bibliography....Some cross-references are included. The main section features A-Z dictionary entries on authors, illustrators, awards, and topics, e.g., "Animal Fiction," "Dime Novels," and "Orphans."...The emphasis is on American, UK, Commonwealth, and European authors. This handy, well-written, but highly selective volume will be useful in collections serving children's literature programs. Summing Up: Recommended

Choice

O'Sullivan (Leuphana Univ., Lúneburg, Germany) has produced a very nice small dictionary, more compact than the older large-format, single-volume works published a decade ago....O'Sullivan's contribution is...historically focused and wholly authored by one (or two) writers, resulting in a more consistent style. Features include a chronology; a good, brief introduction; an appendix listing winners of some major awards; and an extensive classified bibliography....Some cross-references are included. The main section features A-Z dictionary entries on authors, illustrators, awards, and topics, e.g., "Animal Fiction," "Dime Novels," and "Orphans."...The emphasis is on American, UK, Commonwealth, and European authors. This handy, well-written, but highly selective volume will be useful in collections serving children's literature programs. Summing Up: Recommended

CHOICE

For this entry in the publisher's Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts series, author O'Sullivan has written more than 500 entries for authors and genres as well as a few other topics, such as American Library Association, Ethnocentrism, Newbery Medal, and Wizards. Most of the entries are for authors, from Aesop to Stephenie Meyer. Although the emphasis is on literature in the U.S. and Great Britain, some individuals from other countries, such as Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, are also included. A handful of entries cover characters, among them Nancy Drew and Thomas the Tank Engine. There are also a few entries for works, such as The Arabian Nights; but in most cases, book titles serve as see references to author entries ("ALICE IN WONDERLAND. See CARROLL, LEWIS"). Preceding the entries are a list of acronyms, a chronology beginning circa 900 and ending in 2008, and an introduction to children's literature and its development....Closing the volume are an appendix of awards and a well-organized bibliography. Providing a concise overview to help the reader understand the historical development of children's literature, this work is recommended for academic and large public libraries. It could also find a place on the professional-development shelves of children's librarians.

Booklist

O'Sullivan's book wins out because of the strength of her clear and unbiased prose, showing her understanding of the issues and the way the history of children's literature across the English-speaking world and beyond has evolved.

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O'Sullivan's book wins out because of the strength of her clear and unbiased prose, showing her understanding of the issues and the way the history of children's literature across the English-speaking world and beyond has evolved.

"American Reference Books Annual"