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Golden Age
The ‘Golden Age’ of children’s literature refers to the rise in popularity of books aimed toward children; containing fantastical themes and characters targeted to child readers. Some of the books written during this era include Black Beauty, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan. However, before the ‘Golden Age’ began, many people were very hesitant to allow their children to read such books as they thought that these texts would corrupt the minds of the children. Also, in the preceding revo -
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, 1865
Children’s literature was changing when Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865. Children books were no longer written in an adult’s point of view to emphasize rules and manners, but imagination was starting to surface. Stories such as Alice in Wonderland had depictions of fun and excitement which was very appealing to children. The protagonist, Alice, was bored one day so she decided to follow a white rabbit down a rabbit hole where she experiences all her adventures. The moral o -
Black Beauty
Black Beauty, a novel by Anne Sewell, was an unusual book in its era. The story is focused on the titular character, Black Beauty, a horse that journeys from home to home, encountering unique situations and lifestyles along the way. Told from the animal’s point of view, this stretches the limits of a child’s imagination as it reimagines a world where animals can talk and understand exactly what is going on around them. By exploring the tentative imagination of a child, adults proved that they ha -
Treasure Island
The novel Treasure Island by renowned author Robert Louis Stevenson is a tale of a young boy’s courage on a fantastical quest to obtain wealth without losing his life to the many dangers that often accompany such a dangerous mission. In this world of mystical buried treasures, the rules of the natural world are dismissed as the men slowly become nothing more than power-hungry beasts (figuratively) and the dead make an appearance (literally). Clearly, Treasure Island fits right in with the recurr -
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain in 1885 and was written directly in connection to his experiences while growing up. Similarly, Twain and Huckleberry always found themselves in the middle of troubled predicaments. For example, Huckleberry ends up making everyone believe he is dead and escapes with Jim, a black slave who is on the run for freedom. At this time in the world, interracial friendships were prohibited and minorities were discriminated against. Therefore, th -
Dime Novels
The Golden Age was a time of prosperity for both authors and publishers alike, as popular authors turned their attention to writing tales that appealed to a child’s imagination. Publishers picked up these short novels and distributed them as dime novels, nicknamed “penny dreadfuls” by the general population because of their unimpressive length and supposed lack of style and depth. However, dime novels flourished in the 19th century since many proved to be an immense hit with the younger generati -
Beatrix Potter, 1902
Beatrix Potter was the author and creator of the character Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit first appeared in Beatrix Potter’s children book titled “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, which was published in 1902. The detailing of the illustrations of Beatrix Potter’s children books and her delightful stories have made her one of the top children’s literature authors of the golden age. She had the mindset that children’s literature should be for children. -
J. M. Barrie
J.M. Barrie was a noted writer during the Golden Age. He attended Edinburgh University where he had published many articles in the newspaper and later obtained a job as a full time writer. J.M. Barrie wrote many stories for children and especially enjoyed reading them aloud to them. He wrote stories such as the all famous “Peter Pan” which was about a little boy named Peter living in a magical place called Neverland. Peter played with magical creatures such as fairies, and on top of that, he nev -
L. M. Montgomery
VideoLucy Maud Montgomery was one of the most influential writers during the Golden Age. She wrote the all famous “Anne of Green Gables” series about a little girl named Anne who was pure, innocent of heart and free as a bird. During, the Golden Age, children were no longer viewed as miniature adults, but rather as children- free and full of imagination, just as Anne, the protagonist in “Anne of Green Gables” was. Children tend to read stories about children thus, making Montgomery’s “Anne of Green -
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911
The story is about a young girl named Mary who was sent away to live with her uncle after her parents died. Mary was a bitter and spoiled child but she soon discovered the secret garden which leads to purpose and excitement. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel was considered one of the most influential and treasured children’s books of all time. The book followed in the idea of books that appealed to children’s imagination rather than just learning lessons asserted by adults. -
Jules Verne
Jules Verne was a prominent writer during the Golden Age of Children’s Literature and was recognized as the individual who introduced the world to the genre of ‘science fiction’. Among his science fiction books, he wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth, an enthralling novel about the expedition a boy and his uncle embark on in order to test out their scientific hypotheses on the mysteries in the center of the earth. Also, another classic written by Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days follo -
A. A. Milne
VideoA. A. Milne was also an author that had contributed a lot during the Golden Age. Milne was the author of the well known story of “Winnie the Pooh” which was about a little boy named Christopher Robin and his adventures with his animal friends, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet etc. Milne focused his literature such as “Winnie the Pooh” as a method of connecting with our inner child. Milne’s all famous story was however not largely broadcastly as a movie, rather, as amateur films.
