Reading Children in Early Modern Culture

This scholarly work offers a compelling examination of how children engaged with texts in late sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Britain, bridging the specialized fields of childhood studies, early modern literature, and the history of reading. Lamb meticulously analyzes literary portrayals of young readers across diverse genres, from foundational ABCs and prayer books to religious narratives and romance anthologies. The research provides a nuanced cultural history that positions the act of reading as central to the period's understanding of childhood itself.

What distinguishes this study is its dual focus on both the child as an active reader and the formative role that early literacy played in shaping early modern culture. By investigating a wide spectrum of children's literature and reading experiences, Lamb reveals how childhood was culturally constructed through textual engagement. This book will profoundly appeal to scholars and students of early modern history, literature, and childhood studies, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of literacy's power in defining youthful identity during this transformative era.