Abstract
[Autom. eng. transl.] Within the recent and very complex challenge of analyzing and investigating the
infantile thought in its historical articulation, the studies conducted on the "scriptures
little girls” have also found a space for affirmation in historical research
on children's literature. If on the one hand there are magazines for kids
brought to the attention of critical reflection as possible sources for tracing
the lively voice of the young reader also on issues relating to books and reading,
on the other hand, another new area of research can be offered by the material
archive preserved by children's libraries. In particular, in the second
post-war the birth of public libraries as ideal places for construction
of a cultural fabric based around rediscovered democratic values,
outlined new profiles of child readers: they were active users of books
made available in spaces suited to them and were participants in the life of the
library, reworking and suggesting what came in written and oral form
offered to them, with a view to mutual exchange.
Reading education initiatives are placed on this cultural side
promoted by the writer and journalist Jella Lepman (1891-1970) over the years
Fifty inside the Internationale Jugendbibliothek, the first library
European library for children and teenagers with an international bibliographic heritage.
Caution in choosing the works to include in the library catalogue
took two fundamental aspects into consideration: the literary quality of
texts, which had to reflect the educational project of the library, but also
the literary tastes of young readers, who were left room for thought and judgement.
Starting from this assumption, the idea of having reviews written was born
to the readers themselves, giving publishers and authors the opportunity to listen to them
opinions of their audience and to possibly recalibrate the editorial proposal.
This attention to youthful thinking emerged in an even more decisive way
186 The historical-educational heritage as a source for the Public History of Education
with the creation of discussion groups on books. Guided children from 9 to 18 years old
by the presence of an adult as mediator, and in some cases even with the
participation of the author, structured a critical debate on the works read.
This research work intends to bring some of these testimonies to light
children's writings, preserved in the historical archive of the library
Munich. With due caution in analyzing these sources, it is believed that they
allow us to broaden the axis of attention from an adult critical evaluation
around literary production for children to an valorization of thought
existing youth critic and the training processes of critical reflection. Furthermore, the
dialogue that these sources could establish with the Public History of Education
represents an elective opportunity to propose a narrative of practices
education of the past century to the educational community of today in the field
children's librarian or school librarian and to enhance more effectively
the infantile traces of time, bringing to light the identity, interests and
the reading tastes of young readers of the second half of the twentieth century and observing them today
possible development itineraries.
Translated title of the contribution | [Autom. eng. transl.] “The word to children”: childhood voices from the historical archive of the Internationale Jugendbibliothek |
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Original language | Italian |
Title of host publication | Il patrimonio storico-educativo come fonte per la Public History of Education. Tra buone pratiche e nuove prospettive. Historical-educational heritage as a source of Public History of Education. Between good practices and new perspectives |
Pages | 185-186 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Event | III Congresso della Società Italiana per lo Studio del Patrimonio Storico-Educativo - Milano - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Duration: 14 Dec 2023 → 15 Dec 2023 |
Conference
Conference | III Congresso della Società Italiana per lo Studio del Patrimonio Storico-Educativo |
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City | Milano - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore |
Period | 14/12/23 → 15/12/23 |
Keywords
- Letteratura per l'infanzia
- Scritture bambine
- Novecento
- Biblioteche
- Germania
- Jella Lepman