Children's Literature Development
After 1785, the production of children's books in the United States increased but remained
largely reprints of British books, often those published by John Newbery, the first publisher to
produce books aimed primarily at diverting a child audience. Ultimately, however, it was not the
cheerful, commercial-minded Newbery, but Anglo-Irish author Maria Edgeworth who had the
strongest influence on this period of American children's literature. The eighteenth century had
seen a gradual shift away from the spiritual intensity of earlier American religious writings for
children, toward a more generalized moralism. Newbery notwithstanding, Americans still looked
on children's books as vehicles for instruction, not amusement, though they would accept a
moderate amount of fictional entertainment for the sake of more successful instruction. As the
children's book market expanded, then, what both public and publishers wanted was the kind of
fiction Maria Edgeworth wrote: stories interesting enough to attract children and morally
instructive enough to allay adult distrust of fiction.
American reaction against imported books for children set in after the War of 1812 with the
British. A wave of nationalism permeated everything, and the self-conscious new nation found
foreign writings (particularly those from the British monarchy) unsuitable for the children of a
democratic republic, a slate of self-governing, equal citizens. Publishers of children's books
began to encourage American writers to write for American children. When they responded, the
pattern established by Maria Edgeworth was at hand, attractive to most of them for both its
rationalism and its high moral tone. Early in the 1820's, stories of willful children learning to
obey, of careless children learning to take care, of selfish children learning to "tire for others,"
started to flow from American presses, successfully achieving Edgeworth's tone, though rarely
her lively style. Imitative as they were, these early American stories were quite distinguishable
from their British counterparts. Few servants appeared in them, and if class distinctions had by
no means disappeared, there was much democratic insistence on the worthiness of every level of
birth and work. The characters of children in this fiction were serious, conscientious, self-
reflective, and independent-testimony to the continuing influence of the earlier American
moralistic tradition in children's books.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The career of Maria Edgeworth as an author of children's books
(B) The development of children's literature in the United States
(C) Successful publishers of children's books in Britain and North America
(D) Basic differences between British and American
2. The publisher John Newbery is principally known for which of the following reasons?
(A) He produced and sold books written by Maria Edgeworth.
(B) He had more influence on children American children's literature than any other publisher
(C) He published books aimed at amusing children rather than instructing them.
(D) He was commercially minded and cheerful.
3. The word "notwithstanding" in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) in spite of
(B) in addition to
(C) as a result of
(D) as a part of
4. The word "they" in line 9 refers to
(A) children
(B) Americans
(C) books
(D) vehicles
5. The word "allay" in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) clarify
(B) attack
(C) reduce
(D) confirm
6. It can be inferred from the passage that American children's books sold before 1785 were
almost always
(A) written by Maria Edgeworth
(B) attractive and interesting to children
(C) written by American authors
(D) intended only for religious and moral instruction
7. By the end of the eighteenth century, the publishers of childrens looks in the United States
were most concerned about which of the following?
(A) Attracting children with entertaining stories that provided lessons of correct behavior
(B) Publishing literature consisting of exciting stories that would appeal to both children and
adults
(C) Expanding markets for books in both Britain and the United States
(D) Reprinting fictional books from earlier in the century
8. The word "permeated" in line 15
(A) opposed
(B) improved
(C) competed with
(D) spread through
9. According to the passage, American children's stories differed from their British equivalents in
that the characters in American stories were
(A) children who showed a change of behavior
(B) children who were well behaved
(C) rarely servants
(D) generally not from a variety of social classes
10. The word " testimony to" in line 28 is closest in meaning to
(A) inspiration for
(B) evidence of
(C) requirement for
(D) development of
