Literature and Childhood: The Relationship Between Literary Texts and Children

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the origins of literature for girls and boys from a brief journey through the history of childhood and its relationship with literature, from its origin as Children’s and Youth Literature (Literatura Infantil y Juvenil, LIJ) and the evolution of the concept to Literature for Girls, Boys and Youth (Literatura para Niñas, Niños y Jóvenes, LNNJ). In a second moment, a reflection on what it means to be a girl or a boy nowadays is presented and then a discussion of the purposes of how literature is directed to girls and boys and their relationship within the school context.