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Literary Collections Canadian

From Instruction to Delight

An Anthology of Children's Literature to 1850

edited by Patricia Demers

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2003
Category
Canadian
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780195428179
    Publish Date
    Jun 2008
    List Price
    $79.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780195418897
    Publish Date
    Sep 2003
    List Price
    $43.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780199010882
    Publish Date
    Mar 2015
    List Price
    $114.99

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Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Description

Children's literature as we know it did not exist before the mid-eighteenth century; yet from medieval times on, a wealth of poetry and prose was read by and to children. In this anthology Patricia Demers illustrates the development of that literature, from its earnest beginnings to the dawnof its Golden Age, introducing the selections and placing them in historical context. From early colloquies and hornbooks to charming miniature libraries, the selections--many of which are accompanied by their original illustrations--provide a window through which to trace the developing concept ofchildhood in itself and the cultural value of the child.The academic study of children's literature has made important gains in the two decades since the first edition of From Instruction to Delight appeared. This expanded second edition reflects that growth in theoretical sophistication. In addition, it offers a number of new selections, includingsqamples of writing by children themselves (juvenilia) and 'mothers' advice', and an extensive bibliography.

About the author

A professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta, Patricia Demers is the author or editor of eleven books and over fifty articles. Her research interests range widelyâ??from early modern womenâ??s writing, Shakespearean and Jacobean drama, feminist hermeneutics, and childrenâ??s literature to contemporary Canadian womenâ??s writing. She is the recipient of a Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and a McCalla Research Professorship. In September 2005 she was awarded the University Cup, the University of Albertaâ??s highest recognition for outstanding teaching and research. In 2006, she was appointed University Professor.

Patricia Demers' profile page