Changing Concepts of Childhood and Children's Literature

Book excerpt: The varied collection of essays presented in this volume bridges the gap between continental and Anglo-American approaches to childrenâ (TM)s literature, and discuss the state of the art of what is topical in childrenâ (TM)s literature studies in Europe and the United States. Varied as the different subject areas under discussion are, considering different subgenres, historical periods, and geographical contexts, two main themes surface in nearly all the essays: ideology and childrenâ (TM)s literature on the one hand, and images of childhood on the other. The contributions illustrate the wide range of subject areas and the increasing level of sophistication with which criticism of ideology and Cultural Studies have enriched childrenâ (TM)s literature criticism. The essays address, among others, the influence of globalisation and mass market culture on the production of childrenâ (TM)s books, as well as the choices governing the production of translations and adaptations of texts for young readers. Representing a broad array of methodological approaches and of representations of childhood, this publication intends to render visible actual manifestations of the tension between pedagogy and aesthetics, inherent to and constitutive of childrenâ (TM)s literature.