Children’s Literature: A Reader’s History, from Aesop to Harry Potter

“Lerer has accomplished something magical. Unlike the many handbooks to children’s literature that synopsize, evaluate, or otherwise guide adults in the selection of materials for children, this work presents a true critical history of the genre. . . . Scholarly, erudite, & all but exhaustive, it is also entertaining & accessible. Lerer takes his subject seriously without making it dull.”—Library Journal 

“Lerer’s history reminds us of the wealth of literature written during the past 2,600 years. . . . With his vast & multidimensional knowledge of literature, he underscores the vital role it plays in forming a child’s imagination. We are made, he suggests, by the books we read.”—SF Chronicle  

“There are dazzling chapters on John Locke & Empire, & nonsense, & Darwin, but Lerer’s most interesting chapter focuses on girls’ fiction. . . . A brilliant series of readings.”—Diane Purkiss, Times Literary Supplement  

Seth Lerer is distinguished professor of literature at UC San Diego. He is the author of 9 previous books, & received the National Book Critics Circle Award & the Truman Capote Prize in Criticism for Children’s Literature.