Worlds of Wonder Celebrating the Great Classics of Children's Literature

I have to confess my heart sank when this book landed in front of me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Aimed at an adult readership this is, as the title proclaims, a celebration of works that are already judged to be classics of children’s literature together with titles that may surprise some readers. The desire is to show-case books written for children (and Hahn qualifies this further – no Teen/YA, no picture books or non-fiction) that have acquired a certain status; they are classics. Inevitably the result is selective – 79 titles ranging from the 19th – 20th century presented by a panel of critics, academics and writers. This is not a critical work. However, the titles have been selected because they have qualities that made them stand out in their time; they were memorable, unique and above all loved – and still are. They opened doors to worlds of wonder, whether those were through a looking glass, up a Faraway Tree or into the real world of Prince Edward Island. They introduced a young audience to interesting, inspirational characters and exciting stories. The articles demonstrate this and it is this sense of a relationship in the choices that comes over as does the individual voice of each contributor.  It is an impressive list and all are passionate about reading for pleasure. None of the entries are overlong. They present the plot, the context and the author ( fascinating facts emerge) and what makes the book stand out (some of the contributors expand this element more than others; all are illuminating). The selection certainly reflects publishing in the Uk and to a certain extent, North America– but there is more and we find books from across Europe and even the Far East. Hahn is a translator and passionate about bringing awareness of books in translation over here. Some of these titles will already be well known – Heidi, Pinnochio, Asterix. Others not so much – but this is exciting; so much to explore. Sadly – and this may be picked up by critics- there is little representing the diversity found today. Hahn comments on this himself and expresses a hope for a future ‘celebration’ which will redress this as new ‘classics’ emerge. Celebratory certainly – difficult aspects are not ignored but not dwelt on. However there is no sense that the editor and contributors are creating a Must Read list. These are books that could be explored both by readers who will remember many of the titles with pleasure and excitement and  those who might feel encouraged to to find titles they missed or never encountered. They are books that could be offered to young readers with an appetite because they are worth reading with attention. All will, potentially, open that window onto a world ready to inspire the imagination. What is on offer here is only the tip – what has not been chosen? Where are Juliana Ewing, George Macdonald, Paul Berna,  Rosemary Sutcliff  and what about Tom’s Midnight Garden? Readers will have their own list of books that made an impression and were loved. Indeed, the very title raises the interesting question – what is a classic? What is a great classic? Who gets to decide? Here, as Julia Eccleshare tells us are some suggestions  – riches to satisfy memory, encourage curiosity and above all bring that pleasure to reading that transcends the merely educational.

Editor Daniel Hahn explains the selection process for Worlds of Wonder here (and what happened to Tom’s Midnight Garden).