A Reflection on the Evolution of Nigerian Children’s Literature “Beyond Borders: Celebrating Children’s Literature around the World” series. From Chisom Mary Adigwe and Uchenna Maximus Emelife Nigerian children’s literature has undergone a series of transformative phases: from the oral tradition in pre-colonial Nigeria to written narratives that emerged with the proliferation of English literacy in… Continue reading Nigerian Children’s Literature
Category: Children’s Literature
Exploring Heidi in an Irish Context
In Conversation with Deirdre McGillicuddy, Assistant Professor and Researcher, University College Dublin Deirdre’s research areas include primary education, pedagogy, wellbeing, creativity and children’s voice and rights in education. She is the author of the newly released book Educaring From The Heart: How to Nurture Your Wellbeing and Rediscover Your Purpose in Education. From the Uplands… Continue reading Exploring Heidi in an Irish Context
Dante to Joyce
Museum of Childhood Ireland’s 5 year ‘Dante to Joyce’ Project began in 2023, and continues annually until 2027 Celebrating Bloomsday, Glasthule 2025 To celebrate both Dante Day or Dantedi and Bloomsday the Museum of Childhood Ireland continue to develop yet another world first, a lovely Irish-Italian project on Dante Alighieri and James Joyce for younger… Continue reading Dante to Joyce
Rethinking Enid Blyton
Interview with Dr. Siobhán Morrissey Rethinking Enid Blyton I thank Dr Siobhán Morrissey, University of Galway, School of Education, for her participation in this interview on Enid Blyton, primary school reading, reading practices, AI, Irish Indigenous literature and for sharing her personal reading experiences. Siobhán Morrissey specialises in studies on Enid Blyton and is busy… Continue reading Rethinking Enid Blyton
Why We Don’t Dream Like That: Rethinking Childhood and Fantasy in India
By Dr Supriya Baijal, Museum of Childhood Ireland’s Literature and Media Team member Introduction Growing up in India, I never stumbled upon enchanted wardrobes or magical portals in the books I read. Instead, I found lively fables, moral lessons, and clever folk tales—often featuring talking animals, wily tricksters, or noble kings. Stories like those from… Continue reading Why We Don’t Dream Like That: Rethinking Childhood and Fantasy in India
Remembering Jennifer Johnston: A Voice That Bridges Generations
“We read real books, right from the age of four up to 17. We also read history books. But it always seemed to me that history books were written by people who were trying to explain some enormous mess that we’d all got into but were never going to be able to explain. Whereas novelists… Continue reading Remembering Jennifer Johnston: A Voice That Bridges Generations
Leabhar
Upcoming: Leabhar Gaeilge and some books from/about Ireland and childhood in the museum’s collections will be display at BOI, Dúnlaoghaire in March 2026 Irish Language Children’s Books for Ages 0-18years Ages 0-3 Ages 3-6 Ages 6-9 Ages 9-12 Ages 12-15 Ages 15-18 Resources for Finding Irish language Books Many of these books are available through… Continue reading Leabhar
Michael Farry on Reading in Childhood
Rockfield NS showing the original two rooms of the school. These are now a small section of a much enlarged school. On reading in primary school, and with a special mention of the Famous Five, Enid Blyton series Books were scarce in rural Sligo in the 1950s and early 1960s when I attended our small… Continue reading Michael Farry on Reading in Childhood
Rediscover Timeless Tales
Rediscovering Timeless Tales: The Enduring Magic of Joan Aiken, Mollie Hunter, and Violet Needham Introduction: An Invitation to Revisit Forgotten Classics I often return to books from my childhood—the kind of stories that offered wonder, excitement, and a hint of danger. It’s like reconnecting with an old friend: comforting, familiar, but always full of surprises. Recently,… Continue reading Rediscover Timeless Tales
A Foreigner in the Land of Jacqueline Wilson
I was born an avid reader. For as long as I can remember, my mom used to take me to the library, and we would borrow handfuls of books. Therefore, I always had the impression that I was on the pulse of children’s literature. Not only did I read and know the new releases, but… Continue reading A Foreigner in the Land of Jacqueline Wilson