Reading History in Children's Books

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

   PDF

2. Introduction: That Was Then?

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 1-16

3. The Eagle Has Landed: Representing the Roman Invasion of Britain in Texts for Children

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 17-47

4. Once, Future, Sometime, Never: Arthur in History

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 48-72

5. ‘She Be Faking It’: Authenticity and Anachronism

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 73-105

6. Dreams of Things That Never Were: Authenticity and Genre

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 106-143

7. Ancestral Voices, Prophesying War

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 144-162

8. Patterns of History

   • Catherine Butler, Hallie O’Donovan

   Pages 163-185

9. Back Matter

   Pages 186-207

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This book offers a critical account of historical books about Britain written for children, including realist novels, non-fiction, fantasy and alternative histories. It also investigates the literary, ideological and philosophical challenges involved in writing about the past, especially for an audience whose knowledge of history is often limited.

• authenticity
• bibliography
• Britain
• fiction
• future
• genre
• Great Britain
• history
• history of literature
• knowledge
• non-fiction
• novel
• philosophy
• writing
• British and Irish Literature

'Many people with an enthusiasm for history form their impressions of it by childhood reading. This book shows clearly how complex the portraits of the British past given in children's literature actually are, and how culturally and ideologically loaded. It is one of those works which both vindicate and reinforce the importance of their subject.'

Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol, UK

Author Catherine Butler: Catherine Butler is Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of the West of England, UK.

Policies and ethics