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The Guardian of Education was the first successful periodical dedicated to reviewing children’s literature in Britain. It was edited by eighteenth-century educationalist, children’s author, and Sunday school advocate Sarah Trimmer and was published from June 1802 until September 1806 by J. Hatchard and F. C. and J. Rivington. The journal offered child-rearing advice and assessments of contemporary educational theories, and Trimmer even proffered her own educational theory after evaluating the major works of the day.

Fearing the influence of French Revolutionary ideals, particularly those of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Trimmer emphasized orthodox Anglicanism and encouraged the perpetuation of the contemporary social and political order. Despite her conservatism, however, she agreed with Rousseau and other progressive educational reformers on many issues, such as the damaging effects of rote learning and the irrationalism of fairy tales.

The Guardian of Education was the first periodical to review children’s books seriously and with a distinctive set of criteria. Trimmer’s reviews were carefully thought out; they influenced publishers and authors to alter the content of their books, helped to define the new genre of children’s literature, and greatly affected the sales of children’s books. The Guardian also offered the first history of children’s literature, establishing a list of landmark books that scholars still use today.

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