Books about Children's Books

This page is a listing of books about children's literature. The items are taken from Children's Literature: a guide to reference sources prepared under the direction of Virginia Haviland and published by the Library of Congress in 1966. This page lists only those items published before 1923 and omits the descriptions. The LoC call numbers are provided. Maybe eventually we can get all of these books into PG.

History and Criticism

Historical Studies

• Ainger, Alfred. Lectures and Essays. v. 1. London, New York, Macmillan, 1905. 407 p. PR99.A5
  

"The Children's Books of a Hundred Years Ago" (p. 382-407)

• Ashton, John. Chap-books of the eighteenth century. London, Chatto and Windus, 1882. 486 p. PR972.A7--Rare Bk.
• Bacon, George B. The literature of our Sunday Schools. Hours at home, v. 10 Feb.-Apr. 1870: 293-300, 450-459, 558-567. AP2.H8, v. 10.
• Eames, Wilberforce. Early New England Catechisms. A bibliographical account of some catechisms published before the year 1800, for use in New England. Read, in part, before the American Antiquarian Society, at its annual meeting in Worcester, October 21, 1897, by Wilberforce Eames. Worcester, Mass., C. Hamilton, 1898. 111 p. Z208.E12--Rare Bk
• Earle, Alice (Morse). Child Life in Colonial Days. New York, Macmillan, 1899. 418 p. E162.E13.
• Field, Louise (Story). The child and his book. Some account of the history and progress of children's literature in England. By Mrs. E. M. Filed. 2d ed. London, W. Gardner, Darton [1895] 358 p. Z1037.F45
• Ford, Paul L., ed. The New-England primer; a history of its origin and development. New York, Printed for Dodd, Mead, 1897. 354 p. PE1119.A1N43
• Goody Two Shoes. Goody Two-Shoes; a facsimile reproduction of the edition of 1766. London, Griffith & Farran [successors to Newbery & Harris] 1881. 156[4] p. PZ6.G639H8--Rare Bk. (PG also has another edition, from 1888)
• Halsey, Rosalie V. Forgotten Books of the American Nursery; a history of the development of the American story-book. Boston, Harles E. Goodspeed, 1911. 244 p. Z1037.H24.
• Hewins, Caroline M. The history of children's books. Atlantic Monthly, v. 61, Jan 1888: 112-126. AP2.A8, v. 61.
• Hindley, Charles. The history of the Catnach Press at Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in Northumberland, and Seven Dials, London. London, C. Hindley [the younger] 1886 308 p. Z232.C36H3
• Moses, Montrose J. Children's books and reading. New York, M. Kennerley [1907] 272 p. Z1037.M92.
• Pearson, Edwin. Banbury chap books and nursery toy book literature. London, Arthur Reader, 1890. 116 p. Z2014.C4P3.
• Pyle, Howard. Chapbook heroes [and] A famous chapbook villain. Harper's new monthly magazine, v. 81, June-July 1890: 123-138, 186-197. AP2.H3, v. 81.
• Rickert, Edith. The babees' book: medieval manners for the young: done into modern English from Dr. Furnivall's texts. In New medieval library. v. 4. London, Chatto and Windus; New York, Duffield, 1908. 203 p. PN665.N4 v. 4.
• Stone, Wilbur M. The divine and moral songs of Isaac Watts; an essay thereon and a tentative list of editions. New York, Privately printed for the Triptych, 1918. 93 p. MnU.
• Tuer, Andrew W. History of the Horn-book. London, Leadenhall Press; New York, Scribner, 1897. 486 p. Z1033.H8T8.
• Tuer, Andrew W. Pages and pictures from forgotten children's books, brought together and introduced to the reader. Four hundred illustrations. London, Leadenhall Press; New York, Scribner, 1898-99. 510 p. Z1037.T92.
• Tuer, Andrew W. Stories from old-fashioned children's books, brought together and introduced to the reader. Adorned with 250 amusing cuts. London, Leadenhall Press; New York, Scribner, 1899-1900. 439 p. PZ5.T814S.
• Welsh, Charles. A bookseller of the last century. Being some account of the life of John Newbery, and of the books he published with a notice of the later Newberys. London, Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, 1885. 373 p. Z325.N53W.
• Welsh, Charles. The early history of children's books in New England. New England magazine, v. 26, Apr. 1899: 147-160. AP2.N4, v. 26.
• Welsh, Charles. Some notes on the history of books for children. Newbery house magazine, v. 3, Aug-Nov. 1890: 221-226, 336-343, 458-471, 599-613. BX5011.N5, v. 3.
• Yonge, Charlotte Mary. What books to lend and what to give. London, National Society's Depository [1887] 146 p. Z1003.Y65.

Early Magazines for Children

• Our Young Folks. An illustrated magazine for boys and girls. v. 1-9; 1865-73. Boston, Ticknor and Fields. 9 v. monthly. AP200.O8--Rare Bk. (DP project Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad is a "collection of articles ... from the children's magazine "Our Young Folks""; it's in proj_submit_pgposted as of now).
  • Vol. I, No. 1
  • Vol. 1, No. 2
• Riverside Magazine for young people; an illustrated monthly. v. 1-4. Jan. 1867-Dec. 1870. New York, Hurd and Houghton. 4 v. AP200.R6--Rare Bk.
• St. Nicholas; a monthly magazine for boys and girls. v. 1-70, no. 4; Nov. 1873-June 1943. New York. 68 v. in 120. AP201.S3. (We have some issues of this, see Periodicals/St. Nicholas Magazine)
  
  • Volume numbers irregular: v. 68-69 omitted. Publication suspended Mar. 1940-Feb. 1943. Absorbed Our Young Folks in Jan. 1874; the Children's Hour in July 1874; the Little Corporal and the Schoolday Magazine in May 1875; Wide Awake in Sept. 1893.
  • Vol. 5
    • No. 1
    • No. 3
    • No. 6
    • No. 7
    • No. 8
    • No. 9
    • No. 10
    • No. 11
    • No. 12
  • Vol. 13
    • No. 7
    • No. 8
    • No. 9
    • No. 10 proj_submit_pgposted
    • No. 11
    • No. 12 proj_submit_pgposted
• Youth's Companion; for all the family... v. 1-103 no. 9; Apr. 16, 1827-Sept. 1929. Boston, Perry Mason Co. AP201.Y8.
  

Weekly, 1827-Aug. 1927; monthly Sept. 1927-Sept. 1929. Merged into American Boy, Oct. 1929.

• • Vol. 52
    • No. 11

Collections, Catalogs, and Exhibitions

• Halliwell-Phillips, James O. A catalog of chap-books, farlands and popular histories. London, For private circulation, 1849. 190 p. Z2014.C441--Rare Bk. Z997.H19.
• Lane, William C., ed. Catalogue of English and American Chap-books and broadside ballads in Harvard College Library. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1905. 171 p. (Harvard University Library. Bibliographical contributions, no. 56) Z1009.H33, no. 56.
• Welsh, Charles. On some of the books for children of the last century. With a few words on the philanthropic publisher of St. Paul's churchyar; a paper read at a meeting of the Sette of odd volumes by Brother Charles Welsh. London, Printed by Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, 1886. 108 p. AC1.S5, no.11. Z1037.W43.

Reviewing

Early Review Media

• The Atlantic monthly v. 1+ Nov. 1857+ Boston, Atlantic Monthly Co. AP2.A8
  • Vol. 1
  • Vol. 2
  • Vol. 3
  • Vol. 4
  • Vol. 5
  • Vol. 6
  • Vol. 7
  • Vol. 8
  • Vol. 9
  • Vol. 10
  • Vol. 11
  • Vol. 12
  • Vol. 13
  • Vol. 14
  • Vol. 15
  • Vol. 16
  • Vol. 17
  • Vol. 18
  • Vol. 20
• The Bookman. v. 1-76; Feb. 1895-Mar. 1933. New York, Dodd, Mead. 76 v. monthly. AP2.B78
• Harper's Magazine. v. 1+ June 1850+ New York. monthly. AP2. H3.
• The Nation. v. 1+ July 6, 1865+ New York, Nation Associates. weekly. AP2. N2.
• Lippincott's monthly magazine. v. 1-72; Jan. 1868-Dec. 1891. Philadelphia, Lippincott. AP2.L55.
• The Literary world. v. 1-13. Feb 6, 1847-Dec. 31, 1853. New York, Osgood. 12 v. in 12. weekly. AP2.L642.
• Scribner's monthly, an illustrated magazine for the people. v. 1-22; Nov. 1870-Oct. 1881. New York, Scriber. AP2.S4.

Contemporary American Review Media

• The Booklist and subscription books bulletin. v. 1+ Jan 1905+ Chicago, American Library Association. Z1035.A49.
• The Instructor. v. 1+ 1891+ Dansville, N.Y., F. A. Owen Publishing Co. monthly (except July-Aug.) L11.N74
• The New York Times book review. v. 1+ 1896+ New York, New York Times Co. weekly. AP2.N657.
• Publishers' Weekly. 1+ Jan. 18, 1872+ New York, R. R. Bowker. Z1219.T98.
• Scientific American v. 1-14, Aug. 28, 1845-June 25, 1859; new ser., v. 1+ July 2, 1859+ [New York] T1.S5.

Contemporary British Review Media

• Ontario library review. v. 1+ June 1915+ Toronto, Public Libraries Branch, Ontario Dept. of Education. quarterly. Z671.O57.
• The School librarian and school library review, v. 1+ 1913+ [London] 3 no. a year. Z675.S3S27.
• The Times, London. Literary supplement. 1902+ weekly. AP2.T45.

Authorship

Writing and Publishing for Children

• Molesworth, Mrs. [Mary Louisa] On the art of writing fiction for children. In On the art of writing fiction. London, W. Gardner, Darton [1894] p. 84-98. PN3365.05.
• The writer magazine. v. 1+ Apr. 1887+ Boston, Writer Publishing Co. monthly. PN101.W7.

Critical Appraisals of Individual Authors

• Scudder, Horace E. Hans Christian Andersen. In his Childhood in literature and art. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, 1894. P. 201-216. PN56.C5S3.
  • Currently proj_submit_pgposted
• U.S. Library of Congress. Catalog of the Jean Hersholt collection of Hans Christian Andersen; original manuscripts, letters, first editions, persentation copies, and related materials. Washington, 1954. 97 p. Z8035.3.U5. Z663.C3.
• Reade, Aleyn L. The Mellards & their descendants, including the Bibbys of Liverpool, with memoirs of Dinah Maria Mulock and Thomas Mellard Reade. London, Private printing for the author at the Arden Press, 1915. 227 p. CS439.M387.
• Clarke, William F. In memory of Mary Mapes Dodge. St. Nicholas, v. 32, Oct. 1905: 1059-1071. AP201.S3, v. 32.
• Collingwood, Stuart D. The life and letters of Lewis Carroll. New York, Century, 1899. 448 p. PR4612.C6. 1899a
• Oliver, Grace A. A study of Maria Edgeworth with notices of her father and friends. Boston, A. Williams, 1882. 567 p. PR4646.O5
• Zimmern, Helen. Maria Edgeworth. Boston, Robert Bros., 1883. 305 p. PR4646.Z5 1883a
• Goodrich, Samuel. Recollections of a lifetime. New York, Miller, Orton, 1857. 2 v. (542, 563 p.) PS1755.A6 1857a.
• Harris, Julia (Collier). The life and letters of Joel Chandler Harris, with portraits and other illustrations. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, 1918. 620 p. PS1813.H3 1918.
• Wiggins, Robert L. The life of Joel Chandler Harris, from obscurity in boyhood to fame in early manhood. Nashville, Publishing House, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Smith & Lamar. 1918. 447 p. P1813.W5
• Balfour, Sir Graham. The life of Robert Louis Stevenson. New York, Scribner, 1901. 2 v. (216, 239 p.) PR5493.B2.
  • Copyright cleared July 11, 2022
• Swinnerton, Frank A. R. L. Stevenson, a critical study. New York, M. Kennerley, 1915. 215 p. PR5496.S8.

Compilations of Biographical and Critical Sketches

• Lang, Andrew. Essays in little 2d. ed. London, Henry and Co., 1891. 205 p. PN511.L25 1891.
• Mitchell, Donald G. About old story-tellers: of how and when they lived, and what stories they told. New York, Scribner, Armstrong, 1878. 237 p. PZ5.M69A.

Illustration

Illustrating for Children

• Crane, Walter. Of the decorative illustration of books old and new. London, New York, G. Bell, 1916. 341 p. Z1023.C89 1916.
• Hardie, Martin. English coloured books. London, Methuen [1906] 339 p. Z1023.H38.
• Pittsburgh. Carnegie Library. Illustrated editions of children's books; a selected list. Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library, 1915. 20 p. Z1037.P6913.
• Sketchley, Rose E. D. English book-illustration of to-day; appreciations of the work of living English illustrators, with lists of their books. With an introduction by Alfred W. Pollard. London, K. Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1903. 175 p. Z1023.S62.
• Tuer, Andrew W. 1,000 quaint cuts from books of other days including amusing illustrations from children's story books, fables, chapbooks... London, Field & Tuer, New York, Scribner & Welford [1886] 170 p. NE1265.T8
• Welsh, Charles. On coloured books for children by ... chapman to the Sette. Read before the Sette at Willis's Rooms, on Friday, May 6th, 1887. With a catalogue of the books exhibited. London, Imprynted by C. W. H. Wyman, 1887 [59 p.] AC1. C5--Rare Bk. AC1.S5, no. 13.
• White, Gleeson. Children's books and their illustrations. [New York, J. Lane, 1897?] 68 p. NC965.W5.

Critical Appraisals of Individual Illustrators

• Dobson, Austin. Thomas Bewick and his pupils. Boston, J. R. Osgood, 1884. 232 p. NE1212.B5D62.
• Hugo, Thomas. The Bewick collector. London, L. Reeve, 1866. 562 p. NE1212.B5H8.
• Hugo, Thomas. A Supplement ... consisting of additions to the various devisions of cuts, wood blocks, etc. ... illustrated with a hundred and eighty cuts.... London, L. Reeve, 1868. 353 p. NE1212.B5H8. Suppl.
• Hugo, Thomas. Bewick's woodcuts. London, L. Reeve, 1870. 28 p. NE1212.B5H9.
• Hugo, Thomas. Catalogue of the choice and valuable collection of books, wood engravings, and engraved woodcut blocks, manuscripts, autograph letters & proof impressions, by or relating to Thomas & John Bewick, and their pupils, gleaned from every available source by the late Rev. Thomas Hugo ... which will be sold by auction, by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge ... 8th of August, 1877, and the following day. [London] Dryden Press, J. Davy [1877] 91 p. NE1212. B5H93.
• Bidou, Henry. Boutet de Monvel. Art et decoartion, v. 33, May 1913: 137-148. N2.A45, v. 33
• Kahn, Gustave. Boutet de Monvel. Art et decoration, v. 11, Feb 1902: 36-50.
• Blackbrun, Henry. Randolph Caldecott: a personal memoir of his early art career. London, S. low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1886. 216 p. NC242.C3B6
• Crane, Walter. An artist's reminiscences: with one hundred and twenty-three illustrations by the author, and others from photographs. New York, Macmillan, 1907. 520 p. ND497.C75A5.
• Konody, Paul G. The art of Walter Crane. London, G. Bell, 1902. 147 p. ND497.C75K8.
• Schleinitz, Otto Julius Wilhelm, freiherr von. Walter Crane; mit 145 abbildungen nach gemalden und zeichnungen. [Liebhaberausg.] Bielefeld und Leipzig, Welhagen & Klasing, 1902. 151 p. ND497.C75S3.
• Rutter, Frank. The drawings of Edmund Dulac. International studio, v. 36, Dec. 1908: 103-113. N1.I6, v. 36.
• Spielman, Marion H. and G. S. Layard. Kate Greenaway. New York, Putnam, 1905. 300 p. ND1942.G8S7
• Morse, Willard S., and Gertrude Brinckle, comps. Howard Pyle; a record of his illustrations and writings. Wilmington, Del., Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts, 1921. 242 p. NC139.P8M6.
• Baldry, A. L. Arthur Rackham; a painter of fantasies. International studio, v. 25, May 1905: 189-200. N1.I6, V. 25.
• Marguillier, Auguste. Un illustrateur anglais, Arthur Rackham. Art et decoration, v. 32, July 1912: 1-16. N2.A45, v. 32.
• Rackham, Arthur. Arthur Rackham's book of pictures. With an introduction by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. London, W. Heinemann [1913] 43 p. NC115.R2Q5--Rare Bk.

Bibliography

General Lists and Catalogs

Early Compilations

• American Institue of Child Life. Young Folks' Directory; lists of the best books, toys, stories and pictures. Philadelphia [1915] 193 p. Z1037.A45.
• Boston. Public Library. A list of books for boys and girls, in the Public Library of the city of Boston. 2d. ed. rev. Boston, The Trustees, 1913. 110p. Z1027.B75 1913a
• Hewins, Caroline M., comp. Books for boys and girls; a selected list. Published for the American Library Association Publishing Section. [Boston] Library Bureau, 1897. 31p. Z1037.H59.
  

2d. ed., rev. Boston, ALA Publishing Board, 1904 56p. Z1037.H6.
3d ed., rev. Chicago, ALA Publishing Board, 1915. 112p. Z1037.H6 1915.

• Hewins, Caroline M., Books for the young. A guide for parents and children. New York, F. Leypoldt, 1882. 94p. Z1037.H58.
• New York (City) Board of Education. Bureau of Libraries. Catalogue of books for public school libraries in the city of New York. Graded and annotated. [New York] Bureau of Libraries, 1904. 202p. Z1037.N555.
• Pittsburgh. Carnegie Library. Catalogue of books in the Children's Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, 1909. 604p. Z1037.P689.
• Pittsburgh. Carnegie Library. Children's reading: a catalog compiled for the home libraries and reading clubs conducted by the Children's Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Boston [19--] 110p. Z1037.P688.
  

The first of many editions of this pioneer catalog was published in 1905....

• Sargent, John F. Reading for the young; a classified and annotated catalog, with an alphabetical author-index. With a supplement, 1891-1895, and subject-index to the complete work, compiled by Mary E. and Abby L. Sargent. Boston, Published for the American Library Association Publishing Section by the Library Bureau, 1890-96. 2 v. in 1. (121p.) Z1037.S24.
• Wilson, H. W., firm, publishers. Children's catalog. New York, H. W. Wilson, 1909. 267p. Z1037.W76.

Bibliographies of Sources

• Bulletin of bibliography. v. 1+ Apr. 1897+ Boston, R. W. Faxon. 3 no. a year. Z1007.B94.