256 pages
244 x 170mm
March 2009

Acts of Reading is an enchanting and scholarly review of the history of reading and texts for children, from the 18th century to the digital age and beyond. They are examined through the eyes of their various audiences: the children, writers, teachers and parents, so as to explore the act of reading itself, whether oral, silent or performative, whether for pleasure or instruction. We see the changing representations of childhood over three centuries and the influence of the visual on reading. The genres explored include commonplace books, fairy tales, poetry, fiction, fables, picturebooks, Arthurian
legends, online messageboards, reading primers and A Very Pretty Story (1744).

This collection was inspired by Jane Johnson’s unique 18th century nursery library, which sheds light on perceptions of childhood and texts for children at the time. It traces the progression of the ideas around reading and childhood past, present and future, looking at the 19tth century through classic children’s literature. It shows how our expectations and ways of teaching are being modified as a result of the changes in the book and its relationship to other media, including multimodality and the digital
technologies.

The contributors are Eve Bearne, Janet bottoms, Peter Cook, Valerie Coghlan, Teresa Cremin, Prue Goodwin, Judith Graham, Elizabeth Hammill, Shirley Brice Heath, Anouk Lang, Karlijn Navest, Marilyn Mottram, Geraldine O’Connor, Francesca Orestano, Margaret Meek Spencer, Vivienne Smith, Laura Tosi, Victor Watson and David Whitley.