Children's Literature

Follow the remarkable story of an Ozarks farm woman who, at 65, turned her childhood into the best-selling Little House series. This portrait dives into the life, times and controversial legacy of this pioneer woman.

From his early childhood on the River Thames in London with his grandmother through his unhappy marriage and brief time as a father, the life of Kenneth Grahame is examined as we discover the real-life influences that helped shape his great literary works.

Roald Dahl, 1916-1990, Britain's best selling author of children's books like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach," is known for his children's stories, but he led an adventurous early life as biplane pilot in Africa, RAF fighter pilot in WWII, and British intelligence agent. His daughter Ophelia and his second wife, Felicity Crosland Dahl, recall Dahl's family and writing life at Gipsy House in Great Missenden, England.

It was not until the stage play Peter Pan, or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up that he became a world-conquering hero, a symbol of the refusal to grow up. This program explores the coming into being and the reception of the play itself as well as later critical analysis. It particularly examines Barrie's close and tragic relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family.

Arthur Ransome’s 1930 novel Swallows and Amazons is a classic children’s literature story of children adventuring on an island in the summertime. Set in a land inspired by the Lake District, the story is full of outdoor activities, risks, and excitement. Journalist John Sergeant explores the story, its setting, and Ransome’s history.

Author Kate DiCamillo tells the story of Despereaux Tilling and his love for music, stories, and a human princess named Pea in her book The Tale of Despereaux. In this interview, DiCamillo discusses what made her write about Despereaux, the prevalence of mice in children's literature, the darkness in her story, and more.

In the early 1970s, Judy Blume began writing about the real lives of young people in her fictional stories. She is the first author of children's literature to be honored by the National Book Foundation. In this interview, Blume discusses her desire to identify with books as a young girl, the need to find normalcy, her decision to write, and more.

His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Phillip Pullman that includes Northern Lights, Subtle Knife, and Amber Spyglass. In this video, Philip Pullman talks extensively about his internationally acclaimed trilogy and his other body of work. This celebratory tribute to Pullman and his works is scripted by the eminent literature critic Nick Tucker.

George's stories revolve around wild animals and young people interacting with nature. "My Side of the Mountain" received a Newbery Award. The author was inspired to write "Julie of the Wolves" after studying at the Naval Arctic Research Lab.

Fiction books have enabled new ideas to reach eager audiences across the globe. Illustrated Wonderlands shows us that they are not simply conveyors of story, knowledge and belief. Some of the most important books in the world are also stunningly beautiful, iconic masterpieces in their own right. First published in 1865, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll was one of the most remarkable books of the period, a combination of the genius of Carroll's nonsense verse and prose and the meticulously detailed illustrations of John Tenniel. Creating a handshake on the page, they formed an inseparable bond that has since become a cultural phenomenon. But beyond Tenniel, Carroll's masterpiece has been illustrated hundreds of times by artists like Salvador Dali, Ralph Steadman and Mervyn Peake, all creating their own distinctive Wonderlands. This series combines human stories, expert interviews and historic archive, to reveal the astonishing, absorbing, and arresting, beauty of books. Part of the BBC documentary series Beauty of Books. (30 minutes)

In this exciting animated adventure, viewers travel with Alice down the rabbit hole where she encounters the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and all of Wonderland’s strange residents. This unique presentation of Lewis Carroll's children’s classic utilizes audio portions of a rare 1948 radio recording starring Dinah Shore as Alice, Arthur Q. Bryan (the voice of Elmer Fudd) as the rabbit, and Ralph Moody. Featuring cutting-edge animation created in 2010, this video is an instant classic that will be remembered for many years to come. (57 minutes)