Children's Literature Comes of Age

This scholarly work offers a rigorous semiotic analysis of children's literature, arguing for its recognition as a serious canonical art form rather than merely preparatory reading. Nikolajeva applies sophisticated literary theory—including concepts of chronotope, polyphony, and intertextuality—to texts from world literature, demonstrating the complex narrative structures operating within works for young readers. The book traces the historical evolution of children's storytelling through this theoretical lens, revealing how the genre has developed its own distinct artistic traditions and complexities that merit serious academic consideration alongside adult literature.

What distinguishes this study is its uncompromising theoretical framework that refuses to condescend to its subject matter, treating children's books with the same analytical depth as any other literary form. Literature students and scholars will find particularly valuable the examination of how metafiction and epic conventions operate within children's narratives, challenging prevailing assumptions about the simplicity of these texts. Nikolajeva's work fundamentally shifts the critical conversation, establishing children's literature as a field worthy of serious intellectual engagement and providing the theoretical tools to undertake it.