Literature for children reflects social views of childhood; thus, children's books need to be considered as products of their times. Prior to books, stories were told orally, giving enjoyment to adults and children alike. Early manuscripts were lessons for children as were the first books printed on movable type. During 17th-century Puritanism, books reflected the moral spirit of the times. Children found enjoyment in chapbooks, nursery rhymes, and adventure stories. In the last half of the eighteenth century, a literature for childhood emerged influenced by the educational theories of Locke and Rousseau. John Newbery's publication in 1744 of A Little PM Pocket-Book hailed the beginning of children's literature because it was deliberately published for children's amusement. By the end of the Eighteenth century children had access to entertaining alphabet books, nursery rhymes and poetry, fairy tales and information books. The nineteenth century saw the rise of the novel in the form of family stories, adventure stories and animal stories.

During the first half of the 20th century children's literature became recognized as a field. The picture book rose to prominence with both English and American author-illustrators supplying the market. Nonfiction books became available to satisfy young people's natural curiosity about the world around them. Series books for both boys and girls became very popular. Folktales came from all over the world and most poetry and fantasy books came from England. The second half of the century saw an increase in American writers of fantasy and poetry. The genre of historical fiction was introduced to give children details about the past. Books of realism included minorities after the mid-60s and stories of families that were not idyllic appeared as "new realism" took over. An international literature began to develop.

Few books published before the 1970's accurately portrayed people other than white Americans. The growing movement for social justice and civil rights led to calls for children's literature that represents the diversity in our society. Over the course of the next thirty years, mainstream publishers began to pay more attention to multicultural literature and many awards for books by and about people of color were established. Multicultural literature is an umbrella term that includes world literature, cross-cultural literature, and literature from parallel cultures. The term "literature of diversity" encompasses literature that represents the diversity in our society, including the experiences of women, the elderly, people with disabilities, gay men, and lesbians. The internationalism of children's literature during the 1950's further expanded the availability of books representing diverse cultures. Today, children from many cultures can see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read.