I’m researching colonial America, and just spent the morning reading a book written in 1660, by one Thomas White. The full title doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue, but here it is: A Manual for Parents: Wherein is Set Down Very Particular Directions in Reference to the Baptising, Correcting, Instructing, and Chusing a Calling for Their Children : to which is Added A Little Book for Little Children : Wherein Besides Several Instructions, and Encouragements, Several Examples.

The book was later republished in Boston, in 1702, with the much more succinct title A Little Book for Little Children (you can see it online here).

Puritan parents and preachers tended to select the most frightening verses of the Bible to scare the living daylights out of children, in order to get them to behave. But even for kids who were used to hearing that stuff, this book is tough going. There’s a section of horrific stories of martyrs and what happened to them (burned, flayed, tongues pulled out, thrown to beasts, “fryed” in a frying pan).  I actually felt physically ill after reading that part.

White is full of helpful advice for the child reader. In Chapter 9, entitled What Books Children Are to Read, White warns kids to: “read no Ballads and foolish Books, but the Bible,” although further reading might include “the Practice of Piety; Mr. Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted; [and] the Histories of the Martyrs that dyed.”

He admonishes his reader to “speak to thy play-fellows to pray oftner” and “to reprove them for any sin,” and also to remind Play-mates “of Heaven, and Hell, and the Day of Judgment.” Imagine having that kid sitting behind you in class. Here’s an excerpt where White uses sensory details to help kids understand how painful it would be to be consigned for eternity to the flames of Hell–and bear in mind, he’s talking about what will happen to the “Play-mates” of our reader–those who don’t honor their parents and/or who swear:Yeah, kids books have come a long way.