An Avid Reading Fan

Abstract

We need to maintain our commitment to putting books into the hands of children, whether through formal literacy programs or by just acting on the memories of our own love of reading at an earlier age. Okay, I will admit it: I am a collector—mostly of children’s books. The stories by Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder that I grew up with often seem to remain fresh in my mind. When I discovered eBay (alas), I began pursuing the McGuffey readers of the 19th century, some of the Little Golden Books that are now out of print, and the Dick and Jane readers that took me right back to my elementary school where I spent some of the best years of my life. I even rediscovered the classic Nurses Who Led the Way, a glossy-covered tome (published in 1961 by the Whitman Company of Racine, Wisconsin) where I was first introduced to Mary Breckenridge, Edith Cavell, and Lillian Wald. The history of children’s literature dates back to the 17th century, when Charles Perrault (1628-1703) of France wrote stories that became the foundation for a number of fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. In 1744, John Newbery of England published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, which marked the beginning of pleasure reading (rather than just instructional reading) for children. In the 19th century, the Brothers Grimm