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

I love to read and reread classic children's literature, ancient and modern. Seth Lerer has provided a highly scholarly but extremely accessible and enjoyable work on its history. I had some misgivings in purchasing this, because in my experience too much analysis can kill even the most fervent attachment. But I realized I had nothing to fear when I found chapter after chapter of absorbing information. I learned so much that I never knew about old favorites like Aesop's fables, and found so many unexpected connections, like the link between Charles Darwin and Dr. Seuss!In a work covering such a broad field and span of time much must be summarized or barely touched upon. I would have loved to have read more about Harriet the Spy, for example. But this book was a delight to read and will be a treasure to keep and refer to again and again.

This is an exceptional book in scope, information, and insights. Lerer describes the way children, books, and reading were considered in Western culture from the days of Aesop to contemporary times. Scholarly, and filled with examples and quotations, it takes the reader on a multifaceted and lively journey. I believe that this is a valuable and very rewarding book for anyone interested in children's literature.

An extremely interesting book, with nice insights on some of the most beautiful books for children of all times. A must have.

First discovered Professor Lerer doing a Teaching Company series on the history of language.Brilliant. What a wonderful discovery that such a mind would turn his attention to something as important and misunderstood as chlidren's literature wasboth pleasantly surprising and richly rewarding.

This mostly got 5 star reviews from other commentators - possibly professionals in the field of philology or childrens' lit, but I was not impressed with his writing style & bogged down several times. His chapters on childrens' literature from the ancient world through the Middle Ages were pretty good; but it all came to a complete halt for me with the chapter on John Locke.

Excellent overview of the development of children’s literature. Easy reading with a lot of great information that letsTim stimulating conversations.

Lerer provides an excellent and engaging overview of children's literature. It remains accessible and interesting, while maintaining it scholarly quality.

Got me through the class.

I just adore this book, it was most helpful and informative for my academic studies in Children's Literature

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Very interesting and entertaining