Child Autonomy and Child Governance in Children's Literature

This book explores representations of child autonomy and self-governance in children’s literature. Although the idea of child rule is a persistent theme, the metaphor itself has not been properly unpacked with critical reference to the many texts contingent on the authority and/or power of children. Essays visit a range of texts in which children are empowered, discussing whether childhood itself may be thought of as a nationality. The "child rule"-motif can be seen in Robinsonades and horror films, in philosophical treatises and in series fiction. This collection shows how representations of child governance have been used for different ideological, aesthetic, and pedagogical reasons.