Breathing electronic life into children's classics: The 1997 Woodfield Lecture

• Published in: The new review of children's literature and librarianship Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Author: Meakin, Derek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.1997
• ISSN: 1361-4541; 1740-7885
• DOI: 10.1080/13614549709510587

This 20th in the series of annual Woodfield Lectures, sponsored by the booksellers and library suppliers Woodfield and Stanley, examines the phenomenon of the electronic children's book. Multimedia publishing for children is now well established, and it is now time that a more critical approach is adopted by reviewers. The first CD-ROMs to be issued by Europress, whose viewpoint is discussed here, were in their Living Classics series; Alice's adventures in Wonderland and Treasure Island were produced as interactive storybooks. A revival of the classics was evident in sales of cheap adult books, and modestly priced children's CD-ROMs proved attractive. Editorial decisions were complex, but the author's original text was adhered to, and illustrators were copied faithfully. It is hoped that these versions will play a part in supporting children's reading development and in encouraging them to read fiction written before 1900, and specifically in supporting boys who are less literate than girls in primary school.