| [Introductory Note] | [v] |
| I. | [The Problem] | [1] |
| II. | [ The Rise of Children’s Books] | [19] |
| I. | Horn-books; Chap-books; New England Primer | [20] |
| II. | La Fontaine and Perrault | [34] |
| III. | Mother Goose | [40] |
| IV. | John Newbery; Oliver Goldsmith; Isaiah Thomas | [46] |
| III. | [ The Old-fashioned Library] | [61] |
| I. | The Rousseau Impetus | [61] |
| II. | The Edgeworths; Thomas Day; Mrs. Barbauld and Dr. Aikin | [76] |
| III. | The Sunday-school: Raikes; Hannah More; Mrs. Trimmer | [101] |
| IV. | The Poets: Watts; Jane and Ann Taylor; William Blake | [119] |
| V. | Charles and Mary Lamb; the Godwins | [130] |
| IV. | [ Concerning Now and Then] | [143] |
| I. | The English Side | [143] |
| | English Table | |
| II. | The American Side | [150] |
| | American Table | |
| III. | The Present Situation | [162] |
| V. | [ The Library and the Book] | [166] |
| I. | Children’s Books: Their Classification; their Characteristics | [167] |
| II. | The Library, the School, the Home—a Plea for Culture | [180] |
| III. | Book-lists and Book-selecting | [189] |
| IV. | The Experimental Temptation | [195] |
| VI. | [Appendix] | [200] |
| I. | Book-lists Published by Libraries | [200] |
| II. | A List of Selected Books for Children | [208] |
| III. | Bibliographical Note | [269] |