ABSTRACT
The history of journals and reviews provides a revealing window on the process of canon formation, the use of children's and youth literature in teaching, and the development of critical theory and practice as regards children's literature. The initial choice of books for review, criticism, and use in the classroom has much to do with their eventual inclusion in the canon of significant children's literature. Nevertheless, knowledge of the subject is fragmentary, particularly for the earlier periods, with the exception of 1865– 1881 in the USA (Darling 1968); much research remains to be done.
