The Moving Canon(s) of Slavic Children’s Literature

This volume brings together contributions from leading scholars of children’s literature and culture, who apply various theoretical perspectives to capture transcultural and interdisciplinary links between the global and local canons. The chapters are divided into three thematic clusters: School Canons, Children’s Literature and Young People’s Reading Practices, and the Canon and Popular Culture. The twelve essays by international researchers illuminate the distinctiveness of the canon(s) in Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Croatia, while positioning them within a global discourse. This volume fathoms the key question of what determines canon formation and legitimization, namely whether the canon is established by experts affiliated to institutions, such as universities, scholarly journals, and literary awards, or whether it is perhaps formed by readers—common consumers of literature with their popular tastes. The essays point to other questions that call for in-depth examination, including the relationship between the global and local canons, the co-presence of international classics and contemporary authors in school curricula, crossover literature, and the blurring of the line between popular culture and the canon(s).