The Children's Books History Society (CBHS) is a group promoting children's literature of the past. It was founded by book critic Brian Alderson in 1969. History of Reading News. Vol.XXIII No.1 (1999:Fall) Publications by the society include three newsletters annually, each with articles, reports and reviews and an ''Occasional Paper'' (covering topics such as Early Alphabets, Peter Pan, Chapbooks, and Children's Illustrations of the 1860s)from time to time. In July 1999 the group celebrated the 200th anniversary of the founding of the

Religious Tract Society The Religious Tract Society was a British evangelical Christian organization founded in 1799 and known for publishing a variety of popular religious and quasi-religious texts in the 19th century. The society engaged in charity as well as commerc ...

, a leading publisher of children's books in the 19th century. The Children's Books History Society was initially created as a Branch of the Friends of the Osborne Collection, a collection of early children's books at the

Toronto Public Library Toronto Public Library (TPL) is a public library system in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2023 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other public library system internationally, making i ...

. It is now independent, although it maintains links to the Osborne Collection. The society gives a biennial award in honor of Harvey Darton to the author of the best book published in the two preceding years for a book, published in English, which extends our knowledge of some aspect of British children's literature of the past. Society meetings occur in England with a one-day conference with an opportunity to explore a theme in greater depth. Membership is £15 a year for the UK and Europe plus additional mailing costs for those residing outside the U.K.

References

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External links

The Children's Books History Society
Clubs and societies in Canada Children's literature organizations