''Green Library'' (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, ''Bibliothèque verte'') is a

collection Collection or Collections may refer to: * Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department * Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service * Collection agency, agency to collect cash * Collectio ...

of French

books for children Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

created in 1923 by

Hachette Hachette may refer to: * Hachette (surname) * Hachette (publisher), a French publisher, the imprint of Lagardère Publishing ** Hachette Book Group, the American subsidiary ** Hachette Distribution Services, the distribution arm See also * Hachett ...

. The books are characterized by their green covers. The books had commercial success, being most popular between 1955 and 1980.

History

Created in 1923 for young adolescents, and more particularly for boys, the ''Bibliothèque verte'' collection was initially designed to republish the great classics of

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

, in particular the authors of the ''Bibliothèque d'éducation et de récréation'' collection published by Hetzel (including

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

), which was bought by

in 1914. When the first volumes were published in 1923, the name ''Bibliothèque verte'' did not yet appear on the cover, but only on the title page, under the indication: ''Bibliothèque verte: Nouvelle Bibliothèque d'éducation et de récréation'' (In English, ''Green Library: New Education and Recreation Library''). These books are already green, a characteristic color of the collection until today. From 1948 onwards, a significant number of new books were published. Then in 1955, Louis Mirman (1916-1999), literary director of children's books at Hachette since 1947, originally an English teacher and a great admirer of

English culture The culture of England is defined by the cultural norms of England and the English people. Owing to England's influential position within the United Kingdom it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate English culture from the culture of the ...

, decided to relaunch the collection with the idea of making it a truly popular collection. The price of the books was henceforth set according to the monthly pocket money of the children of the time, and the presentation became more modern and more attractive. But the great novelty that Louis Mirman introduced was the publication of

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

series with recurring protagonist. The first protagonist was Alice by the American Caroline Quine, in August 1955. It was a huge bestseller. Other series were soon commissioned from French authors and added to the success: ''Michel'' by Georges Bayard in 1958, ''Les Six Compagnons'' by

Paul-Jacques Bonzon Paul-Jacques Bonzon (31 August 1908 – 24 September 1978) was a French writer, best known for the series '' Les six compagnons'' ("Six companions"). He was born in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche and educated in Saint-Lô. In 1935 he married a tea ...

in 1961 (both published in the ''Bibliothèque verte'') and ''Fantômette'' by Georges Chaulet in 1961, in the ''Bibliothèque rose''. The ''Bibliothèque verte'' and the ''Bibliothèque rose'' met with unprecedented success, which lasted until the beginning of the 1980s. The children of the sixties and seventies will appropriate these works, published in millions of copies, and will decorate the shelves of their room.

References

External links

List of the 467 books of the ''Bibliothèque verte'' published between 1958 and 1971

''Bibliothèque verte'' (1959-1975). Collection created in 1959, stopped in 1975
French children's books Series of children's books Editorial collections {{child-book-stub