Chronicles by example the history of educational practice and reading, and the changing perceptions of gender, race and class and the role of religion in teaching. Both European and American books from the 18th to the 20th c. are represented, drawn from the collections of the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections Division.

This book reappraises the place of children's literature, showing it to be a creative space where writers and illustrators try out new ideas about books, society, and narratives in an age of instant communication and multi-media. It looks at the stories about the world and young people; the interaction with changing childhoods and new technologies.

The Encyclopedia offers comprehensive and international coverage of children's literature from a number of perspectives - theory and critical approaches, types and genres, context, applications and individual country essays.