Figure 1.--One popular type of non-fiction book, were activity books which provided suggestions and information on a wide range of activities for children. The image here is a page from the The Wonderbook of Things to Do. I'm not sure when it was published, perhaps about 1950. |
There were also a variety of non-fiction books. Our information on these ealy books is still limited. Hopefully our English readers will provide some information to broaden our assessment. These non-fiction books first began to appear in numbers after the turn of the century. Early books were published about biographies, geography, and history. Adavances in color lithography make attractic books with color prints inceasinly frasible for childrn's books. After World War I (1914-18) we note books on science and technology and sports. Books on sports were amuch more loy key approach than is the case for modern sport books. Even as late as the 1950s we note sport's books that put boys from exclusive private schools on the front cover rather than sports stars. There was a relatively compartively limited range of these books until well after World War II when non-fictions books on an increasingly wide range of topics began to appear. One popular type of non-fiction book, were activity books which provided suggestions and information on a wide range of activities for children. The image here is a page from the The Wonderbook of Things to Do.
There were also a variety of non-fiction books. Our information on these ealy books is still limited. Hopefully our English readers will provide some information to broaden our assessment.
These non-fiction books first began to appear in numbers after the turn of the century. Not obly did these books become available in greater numbers, but the subjects addressed evolved over time. Biblical thems were common in the 19th and early 20th century, but declined in populaity in he late 20th century. Science was little noted in the 19th century, but a major theme by the mid-19th century.
Early non-fiction books were published about biographies, geography, and history. Books with Biblical themes were especially popular. Some parents even restricted their children primarily to Biblical stories.Adavances in color lithography make attractic books with color prints inceasinly feasible for childrn's books. After World War I (1914-18) we note books on science and technology and sports. Books on sports were amuch more loy key approach than is the case for modern sport books. Even as late as the 1950s we note sport's books that put boys from exclusive private schools on the front cover rather than sports stars. There was a relatively compartively limited range of these books until well after World War II when non-fictions books on an increasingly wide range of topics began to appear.
One popular type of non-fiction book, were activity books which provided suggestions and information on a wide range of activities for children. The image here is a page from the The Wonderbook of Things to Do (figure 1).
Ther were substantial differences in the non-fiction books preferred by boys and girls. Boys enjoyed books about sports, science, and historical adventures. Books about disnasours were special favirites, but these books only appeared in the mid-20th century.
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