Lessons for Children and
Hymns in Prose had, for children’s books, an unprecedented impact; not only did they influence the poetry of
William Blake and
William Wordsworth, they were also used to teach several generations of school children. Although both
Samuel Johnson and
Charles James Fox ridiculed Barbauld’s children’s books and believed that she was wasting her talents, Barbauld herself believed that such writing was noble and she encouraged others to follow in her footsteps. As Betsy Rodgers, her biographer explains, “she gave prestige to the writing of juvenile literature, and by not lowering her standard of writing for children, she inspired others to write on a similar high standard.” In fact, because of Barbauld,
Sarah Trimmer and
Hannah More were inspired to write for poor children as well as organize a large-scale Sunday School movement,
Ellenor Fenn wrote and designed a series of readers and games for middle-class children and
Richard Lovell Edgeworth began one of the first systematic studies of childhood development which would culminate in not only an educational treatise authored by
Maria Edgeworth and himself but also in a large body of children’s stories by Maria herself. ==See also==