Popular Children’s Literature in Britain

Julia Briggs was, until her death in 2007, Professor of English Literature at De Montfort University, UK. She was the author of many books, including Night Visitors: The Rise and Fall of the English Ghost Story (1977), This Stage-Play World: English Literature and Its Background, 1580-1625 (1983), A Woman of Passion: The Life of E. Nesbit (1987) and Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life (2005). Dennis Butts taught children's literature at Reading University, UK. He has written widely about children's books, and edited many scholarly editions and critical studies including Stories and Society: Children's Literature in its Social Context (1992) and From the Dairyman's Daughter to Worrals of the WAAF: The Religious Tract Society (2006). M.O. Grenby is Reader in Children's Literature in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University, UK. He has published extensively on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century cultural history and on children's literature. His books include The Anti-Jacobin Novel: British Conservatism and the French Revolution (2001) and the Edinburgh Critical Guide to Children's Literature (2008).

• Contents: General introduction, M.O. Grenby; Part 1 Old Tales Retold: Introduction, M.O. Grenby; Before children's literature: children, chapbooks and popular culture in early modern Britain, M.O. Grenby; Robin Hood in boys' weeklies to 1914, Kevin Carpenter; From Madame d'Aulnoy to Mother Bunch: popularity and the fairy tale, David Blamires; From chapbooks to pantomime, George Speaight with Brian Alderson. Part 2 Forgotten Favourites: Introduction, Julia Briggs; Finding and sustaining a popular appeal: the case of Barbara Hofland, Dennis Butts; Telling the other side: Hesba Stretton's 'outcast' stories, Elaine Lomax; Exploiting a formula: the adventure stories of G.A. Henty (1832-1902), Dennis Butts; Angela Brazil and the making of the girls' school story, Judy Simons. Part 3 Popular Instruction, Popularity Imposed: Introduction, M.O. Grenby; Rewarding reads? Giving, receiving and resisting evangelical reward and prize books, Kimberley Reynolds; Tracts, classic and brands: science for children in the 19th century, Aileen Fyfe; Popular education and big money: Mee, Hammerton and Northcliffe, Gillian Avery. Part 4 The Famous Three - Blyton, Dahl and Rowling: Introduction, Julia Briggs; From Froebel teacher to English Disney: the phenomenal success of Enid Blyton, David Rudd; 'And children swarmed to him like settlers. He became a land'. The outrageous success of Roald Dahl, Peter Hollindale; 'The most popular ever': the launching of Harry Potter, Julia Eccleshare; The brand, the intertext and the reader: reading desires in the 'Harry Potter' series, Stacy Gillis; Further reading; Index.

'Popular children's literature has shaped our culture for around 400 years, and this book - scholarly, accessible, and wide-ranging - does full justice to a vitally important and yet curiously elusive literary form. Written by world-class specialists, it could well become the standard work'. Peter Hunt, Cardiff University, UK ’... cogent, helpful general introduction...A wide-ranging, richly informative treatment that does not limit or restrict the concept of ’popularity’ in children’s literature...Recommended.’ Choice ’Historians of children's literature will welcome this book of essays, which reflects an expanded purview of scholars inside the discipline who look beyond the traditional boundaries of children's literature and suggests why scholars outside the discipline are beginning to find children's literature a rewarding primary source for social history.’ Sharp News ’This book fulfils the expectations its range of distinguished contributors raises. It provides a lively and scholarly historical study that spans British children's literature from its beginning to Harry Potter, and is informative, challenging, and most enjoyable to read. ... the book amply rewards the careful reader with a greater breadth of analysis than popular children's literature in Britain has yet enjoyed.’ The Library ’... a fascinating addition to the study of popular children's fiction. It is entertaining, scholarly, and enlightening, and to be commended.’ Children's Books History Society ’Ashgate have carved out an interesting niche for themselves in this specialized area and readers may wish to explore their online catalogue for items on early childhood, women and education, Oscar Wilde and Rudyard Kipling. The book under review is destined for the academic library and for the scholarly shelf - there are specialists enough around the world. But above all, it is aimed at anyone who wants a good working list of critical and bibliographical works on early