Since the fifteenth century much literature has been aimed specifically at children, often with a moral or religious message.
Even after printing became widespread, many classic 'children's' tales were originally created for adults and later adapted for a younger audience.
The development of early children's literature, before printing was invented, is difficult to trace. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader.Ĭhildren's literature can be traced to traditional stories like fairy tales, that have only been identified as children’s literature in the eighteenth century, and songs, part of a wider oral tradition, that adults shared with children before publishing existed. Ĭhildren's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) is a canonical piece of children's literature and one of the best-selling books ever published.
