-
850 BCE
The Iliad and The Odyssey
Written by the Greek Poet Homer and about odysseus's travels. -
600 BCE
Aesop's Fables
Written by a teacher named Aesop as lessons for his students and remain a staple on children's bookshelves. These fables were about talking animals, each with a pointed moral. -
8 BCE
Metamorphoses
Written by Roman poet Ovid. Had many of the ancient Greek and Roman myths and legends. -
900
Beowulf
Tells of the struggles between Beowulf and the monster Grendel. -
Orbis Sensualium Pictus
Written by John Cominius to teach latin vocabulary through pictures. -
The Pilgrim's Progress
Witten by John Bunyan to tell stories about adventure and monsters to entertain children. These stories are still told today. -
New England Primer
One of the most famous school books of the period and introduced Puritan children the alphabet through rhymes. -
Thoughts Concerning Education
Written by John Locke about his idea that children's minds are blank slate. -
Robinson Crusoe
Written by Daniel Defoe about a man on a deserted island. -
Guliver's Travels
Written by Jonathon Swift and a story about the adventures of Guliver. -
Tales of Mother Goose
Written to tell fairy tales. -
A Little Pretty Pocket Book
Written by John Newbery and was the first children's book on sale in the book store. -
Emile
Written by Jean Jacques Roussea and was about her thoughts on ideal education. -
The Story of the Robins
Written by Sarah Trimmer about a family of robins living with humans and had talking animals which was frowned upon at that time. -
Tales from the Arabian Nights
Childrens addition was written by Elizabeth Newberry and was a collection of middle eastern tales. -
Simple Susan
Written by Maria Edgeworth and was about a country girl and her triumph. -
Grim's Fairytales
Written by the Grims brothers and were a collection of folk tales. -
The Fairchild Family
Written by Mrs. Sherwood to tell scary moral stories to children. -
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Published by Lewis Carrol and was written strictly for entertainment.