Includes bibliographical references and index.

Historicizing childhood -- The early history of children's literature -- Poetry --Fairy tales -- Picturebooks, visual media, and digital texts -- Domesticity and adventure -- Historical fiction -- Nonfiction : history, science, life writing -- Fantasy, realism, and genre fiction -- Race, ethnicity, and culture -- Genders and sexualities -- Censorship and selection.

This book reflects both the history of children's literature studies and its more recent developments. Reading children's literature invites readers to participate in the critical and cultural conversation involving children's literature and demonstration methods for reading.