Includes bibliographical references (p. 322-369) and index.
Contents:
Providence and purpose in Colonial America and the young republic -- Wonder in the wake of war : publishing for the children from the gilded age to the dawn of the new century -- Innocence lost and found : the 1920s -- Sisters in crisis and in conflict : the 1930s -- World War and mass market : the 1940s -- Fun and fear : the 1950s -- Shaken and stirred : the 1960s -- Change and more change : the 1970s -- Suits and wizards at the millennium's gate.
Summary:
What should children read? As children's literature authority Leonard S. Marcus shows, that question created a rambunctious children's book publishing scene in colonial times, and went on to fuel the transformation of twentieth-century children's book publishing from genteel backwater to big business. Marcus delivers a provocative look at the fierce turf wars fought among pioneering editors, progressive educators, and librarians throughout the twentieth century. His story of the emergence, growth, and impact of the major publishing houses gains dramatic depth (and occasional dish) through the author's pathfinding research and in-depth interviews with dozens of editors, artists, and other key publishing figures whose careers go back to the 1930s. From The New England Primer to The Chocolate War, Marcus offers a witty analysis of the pivotal books that transformed children's book publishing, and brings alive the revealing synergy between books like these and the national mood of their times.--From publisher description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.