The Victorian Era in Twenty-First Century Children’s and Adolescent Literature and Culture

This scholarly collection examines how Victorian literature continues to shape contemporary young adult fiction, revealing how nineteenth-century ideas about childhood and adolescence inform modern storytelling. The essays demonstrate that Victorian literary foundations provide a framework for exploring evolving concepts of youth across generations. By tracing these cultural connections, the work illuminates how contemporary authors repurpose Victorian themes to address current social disruptions. The collection positions itself at the intersection of literary history and youth studies, offering fresh perspectives on intergenerational dialogue in literature.

What distinguishes this academic work is its bidirectional approach—it not only examines Victorian influences on modern youth literature but also uses contemporary works to reinterpret nineteenth-century texts. The essays collectively argue that our current struggles with understanding young people mirror Victorian-era anxieties about childhood development and social expectations. Literary scholars and advanced students of children's literature will find particularly valuable insights into how cultural preoccupations with youth remain persistently relevant across centuries. This thoughtful analysis ultimately demonstrates that the conversation between Victorian and contemporary literature continues to shape how we conceptualize growing up in turbulent times.