Classic Children’s Literature

C.S. Lewis argued that “a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story.” The best children’s literature provides profound moral lessons in a form that delights and inspires young and old alike.

A proper moral education addresses both the head and the heart. Good children’s literature is essential to this type of education because it not only provides instruction in right and wrong, but also stirs the imagination of children through captivating examples of heroes worthy of emulation.

Beauty and the Beast is an ancient story that features many of the key elements of a fairy tale, including magic, royalty, and the customary opening phrase, “once upon a time.” Most importantly, the tale concludes with what J.R.R. Tolkien calls a “good catastrophe”—or joyous turn—in which the Beast is restored through the courage and love of Beauty.

Hans Christian Andersen is the author of many of the most beloved children’s stories, including The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea, and The Emperor’s New Clothes. In his classic work, The Snow Queen, Anderson provides a timeless lesson about the relationship between faith and reason through a tale of two young friends, Kay and Gerda.

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland provides a vivid illustration of the challenges  of growing up. By going down the rabbit hole, Alice leaves the security of her childhood home and enters a strange and unsettled world underground. Through a series of encounters between Alice and the memorable characters of Wonderland, Carroll demonstrates how one can maintain a child-like sense of wonder in adulthood.

Aesop’s Fables is a collection of stories that present the intractable nature of man and the world through wry and amusing tales. These stories provide an education in prudence as they expose the folly of wishful thinking, and demonstrate how the real world works.

The stories of Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne contain some of the most recognizable characters in children’s literature, including Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Tigger. Through beautiful narratives about these characters, Potter and Milne enable our imaginations to see the truth about the world more clearly.

Treasure Island is an adventure story filled with fast-paced action, conflict, and danger. As Jim Hawkins encounters a series of characters who test his courage and integrity, he begins to answer the question: what should I be when I grow up?

A.A. Milne described The Wind in the Willows as the type of “book which everyone in the household loves and quotes continually afterward.” The great theme of this book is friendship, as the adventures of the four characters reveal what it means to be a good friend.