Lit Timeline

  • 1744- First children's books

    John Newbery opened book store in London where he published and sold children books. These books were meant to teach children how to have proper behavior.
  • 1871- Books for pleasure

    Children books were now written for purely for pleasure and no longer to instrust children.
  • 1907- Children and school

    When child labor laws were passed in 1907 more and more children started to attend school. This increased the publication of a veraity of books for children.
  • 1919- Macmillan publishing house

    In 1919 the US piublishing house Macmillan created a department made just for children's books.
  • 1920's Modern picture books

    In the 1920's modern picture books began to develop through 1920's-'30's
  • 1922- Literature Awards

    In 1922 the John Newbery Award was established by the American Library Association followed by the Randolph Caldecòtt Award in 1938.
  • 1922-1923 first female editors

    In 1922-'23 Helen Fisher and May Massee became the first children's books editors.
  • 1924- Publications

    In 1924 The Horn Book Magazine was published by the Bookshop for Boys and Girls in Boston. It was published under the guidance of Bertha Mahony and ELinor Whitney.
  • 1933- Viking children's book department

    In 1933 May massee moved to open a children's book depeartment at Viking. Other publishers began to develope children's books.
  • 1940s -'60s Children's books

    Through the 40s-'60s children's and young adlut's books became an important part of libraries, schools, and homes. There became an increase of rooms devoted to children and teens in public libraries.
  • 1975- Diversity

    In 1975 due to the the lack of picture book diversity, Harriet Rohmer established Children's Book Press. This was devoted to publishing bilingual picturebooks that reflect diversity.
  • 1988-Just Us Books press

    Founded in 1988, Just Us Books were established to address lack of diversity in the field.
  • 1999- Lack of diversity

    A study shows that since 199 less than 3-4 percent books were related to people of color.