Most important book on children's literature and childhood- By: Academic, 23 Aug 2006 Jacqueline Rose's book was first publishedin 1984, & remains the most important book on children's literature, & is also vital on childhoodin general. Rose argues that 'childhood' is a category of identity which changes over time, & not some kind of 'scientific' ('psychological') 'truth' for all time. She then considers how such an idea impacts on adults writing books 'for' children, but also on the wider implications of how & why a society defines 'childhood'in the ways it does. This is not an easy book, but then this is not an easy topic, despite the frequent assumption that anything to do with children must be simple. If that were really the case, why are education & child raising such complex issues?! Rose's book goes a long way to thinking about all of thisin a much more complex & thoughtful way than almost any other work I know.
