THE ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF AMERICAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Books meant for young readers did not appear until scholars such as John Locke began to suggest a more modern concept of childhood. Though the eighteenth century saw the establishment and growth of children's book publishing, it was as late as the nineteenth century when children's literature truly came of age. This article traces the development of American children's literature from its early European roots to the rich and diverse literary offerings available to young readers in the twenty-first century.