I read this book as the main text for my History of Children's Literature class for my master's class. This is definitely a Euro-centric text without really acknowledging that, and sometimes Lerer's discussions of racism and colonialism are definitely clunky and cringeworthy. Also, although often enlightening and the area of the author's expertise, either the first chapters were written more circuitously or it took a while to get used to his writing style. I definitely enjoyed the back half of the book a lot more. Lerer is a professional philologist, and he filters his history through that lens (what the "reader's history" part of the title means), but overall a broad and enlightening introduction to Western children's literature. ( )

An excellent scholarly work on the subject. This book traces the idea of childhood through Western history (Ancient Greece to now) via selected literature read by those children. Engagingly written, it is a serious work and not to be confused with an encyclopedia or nostalgia for your favorite book. Mostly this book was like carrot cake: tremendously exciting before you start, a bit more carroty than you had imagined, but plenty of frosting and quite satisfying overall. Would be five stars on its own, but 4 for general readership (it does require a specific interest). ( )

Reading Professor Lerer’s overview of children’s literature throughout history was an education. I think of children’s literature as Charlotte’s Web. Lerer takes us on a journey much farther back, to “Aesop’s Fables” and The Iliad, which was foundational to children’s learning in the Western tradition. The real question ends up being: where do children fit in history? At what point did literature written specifically for children enter the canon?

Surprisingly, it’s much more recent then we may anticipate. Children’s literature only became such once children were accepted as different from adults.

I began a project of writing a post for each chapter I read in this book; I was trying to read the key foundational books that children, through history, used as their formative texts. When I got the chapter on Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, and so forth, I slowed down and I have not gone back and continued this project for the subsequent chapters.

My current thoughts about this book, having finished it, revolve somewhat around the first half, since that is the part I read two or three times. It’s a testimonial to me of classics. What amazed me is that children were able to read and learn from Robinson Crusoe in the 1800s. Why is it considered too advanced in language and concept for ten-year-old children today? In some respects, in reviewing the history of what children read, I realized that children are underestimated today. The fast-paced world of television and computer games has built generations of children that feel most comfortable with Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (Although I’ve read neither of these, they are the best-sellers and not Robinson Crusoe, so I feel safe making a stereotyped generalization.)

After reading about the history of children’s reading, my overall impression is that we need to offer our kids more. True, it’s okay to let them be kids: it took thousands of years to recognize the need for that stage of life. Professor Lerer’s chapters about the more recent themes in children’s literature are also important, because they illustrate the changing needs of children. After all, their role as children has only recently been created for them! It’s okay to have a separate children’s literature that they can best relate to. But at the same time, we need to believe in their abilities to understand, cope, and appreciate depth. It’s okay to give them a classic book we may consider “adult.” Chances are, two hundred years ago, it would have been a child’s favorite.

My (ongoing) project page on my blog ( )

This is a chronological account of the development of the genre, with some thematic discussions and pointers as to the subjetcs raised on some key books. It was very useful as to the didacticism of the genre, the issues behind some of the works mentioned, authorial intentions and historical background.

This books has been used as 'further reading' for my Open University course EA300 'Children's Literature', it was quite good with essays too, provided I also used e-journals in my bibliography, to go further in the various debates raised. ( )