Lessons to Be Learned: A Study of Late Eighteenth-Century English Didactic Children's Literature (Amer Univ Studies, Series Xiv, Education, Vol 7)

Lessons to be Learned is a study of late eigtheenth century English didactic children's literature. Through an investigation of social-historical trends, contemporary con- ceptualizations of childhood, reprinting data and critical reviews, the author shows that these books are far more important than previously believed. Stories by Mrs. Trimmer, Maria Edgeworth, Mrs. Barbauld, Mary Jane Kilner and Dorothy Kilner were not only read and enjoyed by many generations of children, but also helped define the genre of children's literature. Lessons to be Learned is invaluable for correcting misconceptions about this seminal literary period, and for raising important questions about how scholars should define and study children's literature.