Children's Literature of the United States

During the colonial period, few children's books were written in what became the United States. Those that did exist were commonly preachy and uninteresting. Not until the 19th century did notable children's writers begin to appear.

Washington Irving's Sketch Book (1819–20) was not written for children. Nevertheless, the stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" became children's favorites (see Irving, Washington). In 1822 Clement Moore's A Visit from St. Nicholas began a Christmas tradition in the United States. It is commonly known as The Night Before Christmas.

Beginning in the 1850s story characters were drawn in a more lifelike, less wooden way. An example is Mary Mapes Dodge's Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates (1865). Hans Brinker was also a forerunner of a popular type—stories about other lands. Ragged Dick (1867) was Horatio Alger's first of a series of popular rags-to-riches stories. Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a family story with realistic characters. In 1873 St. Nicholas magazine was founded. It greatly influenced writing for children in the United States. Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) shows the darker side of life and human nature—with humor and understanding. (See also Alcott, Louisa May; Twain, Mark.)

Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus (1880) was one of the first folktale collections in the United States. One of the first fine illustrators for children in the United States was Howard Pyle. He wrote and illustrated The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883). (See also Harris, Joel Chandler; Pyle, Howard.)

Children's Literature of the United States > Growth in Libraries and Books

In 1877 Minerva Saunders set aside a corner for children's books at the Pawtucket, R.I., library. The Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y., began training children's librarians in 1898. A training school for children's librarians was also set up at Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1899, story hours began at Carnegie Library. These were crucial steps in the development of children's literature in the United States.

The 20th century opened promisingly for the genre. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). That same year the American Library Association opened a children's section. A few years later, Effie L. Power set up a children's department in the Cleveland Public Library, and Anne Carroll Moore did the same in the New York Public Library.

In Boston, Mass., Bertha Mahony Miller opened a Bookshop for Boys and Girls in 1916. It was the first bookshop of its kind in the United States. Frederic G. Melcher helped found Children's Book Week in 1919. Later Melcher and the American Library Association inaugurated the Newbery and Caldecott awards (see literary awards). The Macmillan Publishing Company opened the first children's book department in the United States, with Louise Seaman Bechtel as editor.

In 1924 Anne Carroll Moore began reviewing children's books in the New York Herald Tribune book section. Her column was called “The Three Owls.” The Horn Book Magazine, a review of children's books, began the same year. Wanda Gág's Millions of Cats (1928) was one of the first fine picture books for the very young in the United States. In 1928 Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse in a movie cartoon, Steamboat Willie (see Disney, Walt).