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Children’s literature is a diverse category of books written for children, including picture books, beginner’s books, and novels. It has existed since the 17th century and often focuses on children’s development as readers. While entertainment is important, reading is also seen as educational. Children’s literature often includes explicitly educational content and retellings of classic fairy tales with moral lessons. Adults can also enjoy reading children’s literature, but authors must be careful when writing on sensitive subjects.
Children’s literature is generally understood to be the subsection of literature written for an audience composed primarily of children. There are some caveats to this definition, including debates about what kinds of literature are actually appropriate for children. This category is not itself a genre, any more than adult literature can be considered a genre, but it actually encompasses many different genres. Literature intended for children has existed since at least the 17th century, when a combination of reduced costs in printing and increased attention to children’s education and entertainment made interest in this category of literature more common.
Many different types of books make up the children’s literature category. Picture books, beginner’s books, and made novels are all included in this category. Non-fiction, poetry, and historical books can also be found. Most of these texts share a focus on children’s development as readers and are written to be understandable for certain age groups. Even the thematic elements of children’s literature are often restricted to topics deemed appropriate for particular ages.
It’s not uncommon for children’s literature to have value as entertainment, but most people view the practice of reading as important to education. As such, even reading books that are purely intended for entertainment is still considered an activity of educational value. Many books go a step further and include explicitly educational content. This can take the form of introducing new vocabulary, highlighting historical details, or rewriting classic stories to levels children can understand.
Some of the earliest stories in children’s literature were retellings of classic fairy tales once told orally to children. These stories often had a direct moral that was thought to educate children in appropriate social values. This feature of children’s literature has been portrayed throughout history, as many children’s authors believe that the texts that will be available to children should have appropriate ethics. In more recent times, the idea of right and wrong actions in children’s books has become more complicated and is often debated when considering children’s access to literature in school. Given that adult literature is rarely judged by the ethics of its characters, this can be considered one of the major differences that distinguishes children’s literature.
While these books are usually meant to be written with children as the recipients, it’s not uncommon for adults to enjoy reading children’s literature as well. Likewise, just because a book is appropriate for children doesn’t mean it will always avoid complex subjects. For example, there are many examples of children’s books written on topics such as the Holocaust and slavery. Children’s literature is limitless in terms of subject matter, but authors writing on sensitive subjects must risk offending parents if their work is seen as too advanced for children.
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