The Well-Worn Book and the Reading Child. Cultural and Cognitive Aspects of Materiality in Children’s Literature

Hombrecher H, Wassiltschenko J (2020)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Neohelicon Kluwer Academic Publishers

Book Volume: 47

Pages Range: 537-557

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1007/s11059-020-00551-0

Open Access Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11059-020-00551-0

Abstract

Children’s books often feature complex material aspects. Despite that fact, little research has been done on questions of materiality in children’s and youth books. The article aims at outlining the field of the materiality of historical German-language children’s books. By analyzing historical author’s pedagogical statements as well as the design of historical children’s and youth fiction, the article summarizes different approaches concerning the materiality of children’s books. Based on the historical development and the generic study on how children modify the materiality of their books, the article further investigates the book-as-object and emphasizes the child’s point of view by scrutinizing the adult-culture book-toy distinction. It will become apparent that the specific forms of children’s book reception emerge since the materiality of the book and its exploration present a new embodied experience. The specific reception forms can be embedded into a semiotic model of the text-reader interaction in reference to Roland Barthes’ concept of écriture and scription.

Authors with CRIS profile

Hartmut Hombrecher Juniorprofessur für Neuere deutsche Literatur mit dem Schwerpunkt Kinder- und Jugendliteratur

Involved external institutions

Universität Hamburg (UHH) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Hombrecher, H., & Wassiltschenko, J. (2020). The Well-Worn Book and the Reading Child. Cultural and Cognitive Aspects of Materiality in Children’s Literature. Neohelicon, 47(2), 537-557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11059-020-00551-0

MLA:

Hombrecher, Hartmut, and Judith Wassiltschenko. "The Well-Worn Book and the Reading Child. Cultural and Cognitive Aspects of Materiality in Children’s Literature." Neohelicon 47.2 (2020): 537-557.

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