Childrens Books

Several books have been written specifically for instructing and entertaining young readers. They belong to the fiction and non-fiction genres. Children’s literature was separately classified in the later part of the eighteenth century; it includes fairy tales, lullabies, picture books, folk songs and fables. However, there were many famous educationists like St. Anselm, St. Aldhelm and Aelfric, who in medieval times wrote school text books in Latin. It is difficult to segregate the children's literature genre from the rest, as this genre is developing everyday with its set of published books. They cover such diverse topics as nursery rhymes, adventure stories and scientific information. These books usually feature rich illustrations and vivid photos that leave a lasting impression on the mind of a child.

Many famous childrens books, originally written for adults, were later adapted for children like Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”. The Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault was translated in English in 1729. John Newbery, an English author, published a collection of Mother Goose rhymes in 1765. Other memorable authors of children books are Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll and Enid Blyton. A series is at times kept alive by a children’s book publisher even after the death of the original creator. They hire authors to maintain the continuation of the series. There are several children’s book clubs all over the United Kingdom. In modern times, children's audio books are also available for visually challenged readers.