Although Horace E. Scudder wrote numerous books for children, he had a more profound impact on American children's literature as an editor and critic than he did as an author. Through his editorial work on the Riverside Magazine for Young People and the Riverside Literature Series for Young People, he attempted to provide children with high quality literature. He believed that children's literature should be the subject of serious literary criticism. This attitude is reflected not only in his magazine articles and reviews of children's books but also in his pioneering treatise, Childhood in Literature and Art.

Horace Elisha Scudder was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Being the last of seven children, he seldom lacked company during his early years. His parents, Charles Scudder, a successful merchant, and Sarah Lathrop Coit Scudder, were both native New Englanders. Charles Scudder, who served as a deacon in the Union Church, exerted...