Nathaniel Hawthorne, A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys

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Ten years after finishing

Biographical Stories for Children

, his fourth book for children, Nathaniel Hawthorne returned to writing for children with

AWonder Book for Girls and Boys.

Unlike the histories that had been the focus in his previous books for children,

A Wonder Book

instead focused on classical myth. Hawthorne had considered rewriting classical myth for children for years, beginning as early as 1838. When he finally undertook the project with

A Wonder Book

, he became the first writer in English to retell classical myths for children. Most if not all popular versions of these classical myths today emerge from Hawthorne’s pioneering renderings in

A Wonder Book

and

Tanglewood Tales

(Hawthorne’s sixth book for children). In adapting the stories for children, Hawthorne used…

2715 words

Citation: Laffrado, Laura. "A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 August 2011; last revised 08 October 2018. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6909, accessed 19 March 2024.]

6909 A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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