Chapbooks and Children's Literature in Archives and Special Collections

Archives and Special Collections offers a variety of resources pertaining to 19th and 20th century children's literature.

Chapbooks, also refered to as toybooks, are cheap books sold by chapmen, or peddlars, who traveled to rural villages and farmsteads selling the pocket-sized booklets from the 16th century to the 19th century. The books, which often featured morality tales, traditional folklore, rules of etiquette, and adventures stories, were most popular in England and Scotland during the 18th century, but also enjoyed popularity in the United States during the 19th century.

Children's literature in Archives and Special Collection range from fairy tales and fantasy to religious tales and myths. The materials span the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

Use the tabs to the left to explore books, digital collections, and artifacts from Archives and Special Collections as well as the University Libraries General Collection and Educational Resources Collections.

Learn more about collecting and exhibiting chapbooks and historic children's books.

Twin Travelers in South America was written by Mary Wade and published circa 1918.

View the entire book.