Att känna sig som en läsare

Läsa-själv-böcker och lättläst i Barnbiblioteket Saga under 1940-talet

Abstract

^{Theme: The Children’s Library Saga and the Swedish Teachers’ Magazine’s Publishing House. Logo: The Swedish Institute for Children's Books}

Feeling Like a Reader: Independent Readers and Easy Readers in Barnbiblioteket Saga during the 1940s

In 1935, Signe Wranér succeeded Amanda Hammarlund as editor of the book series Barnbiblioteket Saga at Svensk läraretidnings förlag, initiating a shift in the publication profile. Following Annette Wannamaker and Jennifer Miskec, this article explores the development of “Independent Readers” and “Easy Readers” in the series during the 1940s. Our conclusions are that the publishing house focused on two key approaches: linguistic adaptation, exemplified by Ingrid Wallerström, and psychological alignment, as seen in works by Kaj Juel Nielsen and Bodil Farup. These books featured simplified language, larger text, and thematic affiliation with contemporary views on child psychology and pedagogy – empowering the reader on a formal as well as a thematic level. The study also shows that this part of the book series was aimed at both the youngest schoolchildren and pupils in special education, blurring the lines between Independent Readers and Easy Readers. By analyzing books, correspondence, and manuscripts, the study contextualizes these publications within historical debates on education and children's literature, offering new insights into the history of Swedish children’s literature.