American children’s periodicals by special subject, 1789-1872
This bibliography—with a detailed introduction—is available as an ebook from Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Scribd, 24symbols, and amazon.com.
Anti-slavery
• The Juvenile Magazine (May-June 1811, July-Aug 1813)
• Slave’s Friend (April 1835-before April 1839)
• The Juvenile Reformer and Sabbath School Instructor (27 May 1835-13 May 1836)
• Youth’s Cabinet; New-York Teacher’s Lyceum; Woodworth’s Youth’s Cabinet; Woodworth’s Youth’s Cabinet and Uncle Frank’s Dollar Magazine (28 April 1837-March 1857)
• The Youth’s Emancipator (May 1842, Aug 1842-Mar 1843)
• Juvenile Instructor (1844-1867)
• Friend of Youth (Nov 1849-Oct 1852)
Taken from the U. S. mails and destroyed
• Slave’s Friend (April 1835-before April 1839) [copies burned in Charleston, South Carolina, 1835; copies destroyed outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1835]
• Youth’s Cabinet; New-York Teacher’s Lyceum; Woodworth’s Youth’s Cabinet; Woodworth’s Youth’s Cabinet and Uncle Frank’s Dollar Magazine (28 April 1837-March 1857) [copies burned in Richmond, Virginia, 1838]
Published in the Confederate States of America
• The Sunday School Paper for the South (May 1861-April 1862?)
• The Portfolio (June-Sept 1861)
• The Deaf Mute Casket (1860-after 1870)
• The Children’s Friend (Richmond, Virginia; Aug 1862-1 Feb 1865, 1866-June 1915)
• The Child’s Index; Child’s Delight (Sept 1862-1869)
• The Child’s Casket (also, Children’s Casket) (March-Sept? 1863)
• Children’s Guide (July 1863-Aug 1865)
• Child’s Banner; The Children’s Banner (15 Feb 1865-1865)
Affected by the Chicago Fire (8-11 Oct 1871)
• The Little Corporal (Nov issue destroyed; put together an 8-page issue to substitute)
• Little Bouquet; Little Bouquets; Lyceum Banner; Little Bouquet (recovered)
• The Bright Side; Bright Side and Family Circle (recovered)
• The Little Corporal’s School Festival; School Festival; National School Festival (recovered)
• Young Folks’ Rural; Young Folks’ Monthly; Young Folks’ Rural (also, Young Folks’ Rural Monthly) (recovered)
• The Young Pilot; Young Pilot and Little Men (ended publication)
For young children
• The Nursery (Jan 1867-Oct 1880)
• The Little Folks (1869-1877)
• The Infants’ Delight; Infants’ Delight (1870-after Dec 1872)
• Morning Light (Jan 1871-after Jan 1877)
• Our Little People; Our Little People Quarterly (Jan 1871-1934)
Literary
• Juvenile Port-folio and Literary Miscellany (17 Oct 1812-7 Dec 1816)
• The Juvenile Miscellany (Sept 1826-Feb 1836, April 1836)
• Rose Bud, or Youth’s Gazette; Southern Rose Bud; Southern Rose (11 Aug 1832-17 Aug 1839)
• Robert Merry’s Museum (Feb 1841-Nov 1872)
• Every Youth’s Gazette; Youth’s Gazette; Peter Parley’s Youth’s Gazette (22 Jan-31 Dec 1842)
• The Boys’ and Girls’ Magazine, and Fireside; Forrester’s Boys’ and Girls’ Magazine, and Fireside (Jan 1848-Dec 1857)
• The Little-Pig Monthly (also, The Little Pig Monthly) (May, July 1859)
• Our Young Folks (Jan 1865-Dec 1873)
• Riverside Magazine for Young People (Jan 1867-Dec 1870)
Not in English
German
• Jugend-Zeitung (1843-1845)
• Der Jugend-Freund aller Christlichen Benennungen • Christen-Bote und Jugend-Freund • Jugend-Freund und Christen-Bote • Der Jugend-Freund • Der Jugend-Freund und Illustrierte JugendBlätter (16 June 1847-after 1917)
• Der Schul- und Hausfreund (1853-)
• Schul- und Jugend-Zeitung (about 1855)
• Die Glocke (The bell) • Sonntagschul Glocke (Sunday-school bell) (about 1856-1900?)
• Der Christliche Kinderzeitung • Christliche Kinderfreund (Cleveland, Ohio; 1856-1876?)
• Der Lämmer-Hirte • Der Lämmerhirt • Der Lämmer Hirte • Der Lammerhirte • Lammerherte (1857-1940)
• Die Taube (1859-1862)
• Kinderzeitung (15 April 1859-15 March 1862)
• Die Christliche Kinderzeitung (St. Louis, Missouri; 1867-1885?)
• Der Jugend-Pilger (1870-1914?)
• Der Kinder-Bote (1871-?)
• Lutherisches Kinder- und Jugendblatt (Jan 1871-Dec 1938)
• Der Kinderfreund (1872-1874?)
• Der Schutzengel (1872-1875?)
Hawai‘ian
• Ke Kumu Kamalii (Jan-Dec 1837)
• Ke Alaula (April 1866-March 1873)
English & Spanish
• The Youth’s Friend (El amigo de la juventud) (May 1825)
Religious
Nonsectarian or unidentified
• Youth’s Repository of Christian Knowledge (March, Sept 1813)
• Youth’s Magazine: or, Evangelical Miscellany (Jan 1818-)
• The Sunday Visitant; or, Weekly Repository of Christian Knowledge (3 Jan 1818-25 Dec 1819)
• The Guardian, or Youth’s Religious Instructor (Jan 1819-Dec 1824)
• The Sunday Scholars’ Magazine; or, Monthly Reward Book (Jan 1821-)
• Teacher’s Offering; or Sabbath’s Scholar’s Magazine • Teacher’s Offering; or Sunday Scholar’s Magazine • Youth’s Friend, and Scholar’s Magazine (Nov 1823-1843?)
• The Sabbath School Repository and Teacher’s Assistant (Jan-Dec 1823)
• Sabbath School Visitant (June 1824-1828)
• The Sabbath School Messenger, and Children’s Friend (Oct 1828-Sept 1829?)
• The Sabbath School Visitant and Juvenile Magazine • Western Sabbath School Visitant, and Juvenile Magazine (10 Jan-31 Dec 1829)
• The Infants’ Magazine (Jan 1829-Dec 1842)
• The Youth’s Miscellany (Utica, New York; Jan 1830-1839?)
• Juvenile Gazette (2 July 1831)
• Sabbath School Magazine (1832)
• The Sabbath School Messenger, and Children’s Friend (1 May 1831-1832?)
• Western Sabbath School Repository, and Friend of Youth (1833)
• Juvenile Watchman (8 March, 26 April 1833-1835)
• The Sabbath School Visiter (1833-Dec 1843)
• Western Sabbath School Repository, and Friend of Youth (1833)
• The Missionary News (1837-)
• Ke Kumu Kamalii (Jan-Dec 1837)
• Sunday School Children’s Magazine (1838)
• The Friend of Youth (March 1839-1839)
• The Missionary (1839)
• The Sabbath School Friend (1840?-)
• The Sabbath School Monitor • Sunday School Monitor • Light Ship and Sabbath School Monitor (1840-1846 or 1847)
• Youth’s Sunday Casket (1842)
• The Dayspring • Youth’s Dayspring (Jan 1842-Dec 1855)
• Jugend-Zeitung (1843-1845)
• Youth’s Penny Gazette • The Youth’s Sunday-School Gazette (also The Youth’s Sunday School Gazette) (11 Jan 1843-1861)
• Little Truth-Teller: A New-Church Magazine for Children (Nov 1845-1852)
• The Child’s and Youth’s Friend (also The Child’s and Truth’s Friend) (Jan 1845-after 1870)
• Young Churchman’s Miscellany (Jan 1846-Dec 1848)
• The Child’s Gospel Guide (1847-1849)
• Sunday School Gazette • The Dayspring (4 Aug 1849-after Dec 1879)
• Union Sunday School Visitor (1850-1853?)
• Youth’s Monthly Magazine (July 1850-June 1851?)
• Christian Sunday School Journal • The Christian Sunday-School Journal (May 1851-after May 1852)
• The Child’s Paper (Jan 1852-1897?)
• The Children’s Friend • Friend for Boys and Girls (Dayton, Ohio; 1854-1917)
• Sunday-School Banner (Jan 1859-Dec 1861)
• Our Paper (1861)
• The Sunday School Paper for the South (May 1861-April 1862?)
• Child’s World • Youth’s World (1862-after 1884)
• Sabbath School Star (Feb 1863-after 1870)
• The Young Pilgrim (Sept 1863-after 1925)
• Sunday School Herald (1865-after 1926)
• The Young Evangelist • The Junior World (1865-1949?)
• Missionary Visitor • Children’s Visitor (1865-1901)
• The Little Sower (Jan 1865-1886)
• Child’s Banner • The Children’s Banner (15 Feb 1865-1865)
• Ke Alaula (April 1866-March 1873)
• Children’s Banner • The Life Boat (Raleigh, North Carolina; April-after July 1867)
• The Children’s Friend (Louisville, Kentucky; May 1867-after July 1870)
• The Little Gleaner (Aug 1867-1871?)
• The Children’s Friend (Lexington, Kentucky; 1868-after 1878)
• Youth’s Manual • The Weekly Manual • The Youth’s Manual • The Temperance Star • The Youth’s Guide (Jan-26 June, Aug-Dec 1868, Jan-Feb, July-Oct, Dec 1869-Jan, April-12 May 1870)
• The Sunday School Scholar • Scholar (Jan 1869-1876)
• The Little Watchman (1870-1876)
• Loving Words for Children (1871-after 1872)
• Little Christian (1871-1904?)
• Morning Light (Jan 1871-after Jan 1877)
• The Child’s Friend (1872-after 1873)
• Good Words for the Children (1872-after 1878)
• The Laurel Wreath (1872?-after 1874)
Jewish
• Young Israel • Libanon (Jan 1871-1875?)
• Hebrew Sabbath School (1872)
Baptist
• The Baptist Tract and Youth’s Magazine • Baptist Tract Magazine (July 1827-Dec 1835)
• Youth’s Family Instructor and Sunday School Visitor • Youth’s Family Instructor (7 Jan 1841-after May 1842)
• The Sabbath School Repository (1841)
• Youth’s (Columbus, Georgia; 1843)
• The Young Reaper • Young Reaper (Jan 1844-1908?)
• Sabbath School Visiter (May 1846-)
• The Children’s Book of Choice and Entertaining Reading for the Little Folks at Home (also, The Children’s Monthly Book) (Jan 1855-April 1860)
• Children’s Friend (Nashville, Tennessee; June 1859-after Oct 1861)
• The Child’s Index • Child’s Delight (Sept 1862-1869)
• Kind Words for the Sunday School Children • Kind Words, the Child’s Delight (Jan 1866-29 Sept 1929)
• Children of the West (1868-1869)
Seventh-Day Baptist
• The Sabbath School Gem (1863-1864, 1869-1873)
Catholic
• The Youth’s Friend (El amigo de la juventud) (1825)
• Expostulator, or Young Catholic’s Guide (31 March 1830-23 March 1831)
• The Children’s Catholic Magazine (March 1838-Feb 1840)
• The Young Catholics’ Friend (also, Young Catholic’s Friend) (6 May 1840-after 26 Dec 1840)
• Young Catholic’s Magazine (Dec 1841-1842?)
• Boys’ and Girls’ Weekly Catholic Magazine • Boys’ and Girls’ Catholic Magazine • Catholic Weekly Instructor
• Weekly Catholic Instructor (6 June 1846-1851)
• The Catholic Youth’s Magazine (Sept 1857-Aug 1861)
• Young Catholic’s Friend (1865-1880?)
• Spare Hours (Jan-Dec 1866)
• Guardian Angel (1867-after 1884)
• The Young Catholic’s Guide (May 1867-after July 1870)
• The Sunday School Messenger (Chicago, Illinois; 1868-after June 1875)
• Sunday School (Jan 1869-1904)
• The Young Crusader • Young Crusader (Jan 1869-Oct 1875?)
• The Young Catholic (Oct 1870-after July 1876)
• The Little Schoolmate (Dec 1870-Jan 1876; May 1876)
• Der Schutzengel (1872-1875?)
Church of God
• Sunday School Gem (Jan 1867-after 1946)
Church of the Brethren
• The Pious Youth (Jan 1870-Dec 1871)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• The Juvenile Instructor • Instructor • New Era (1 Jan 1866-present)
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• Zion’s Hope (1 July 1869-1972)
Congregational
• The Well-spring • The Wellspring for Young People • The Well-spring and Missionary Echoes • The Wellspring (5 Jan 1844-1928)
General Church of the New Jerusalem; Swedenborgian
• New Church Magazine for American Children • The Children’s New-Church Magazine (Jan 1843-1891?)
• Die Taube (1859-1862)
• Kinderzeitung (15 April 1859-15 March 1862)
• Monthly Voice (Jan 1862-Aug 1863, Dec 1863-Jan 1864, April 1864)
• Little Messenger (July 1868-1 Aug 1873)
• Der Kinder-Bote (1871-?)
Evangelical
• Der Christliche Kinderzeitung • Christliche Kinderfreund (Cleveland, Ohio; June 1856-after 1879)
• Sunday School Messenger (Cleveland, Ohio; June 1864-29 June 1947)
German Evangelical Synod of North America
• Die Christliche Kinderzeitung (St. Louis, Missouri; 1867-1885?)
German Reformed Church
• Der Lämmer-Hirte • Der Lämmerhirt • Der Lämmer Hirte • Der Lammerhirte • Lammerherte (1857-1940)
• The Pastor’s Helper • The Child’s Treasury (Jan 1859-after 1903)
Lutheran
• Der Jugend-Freund aller Christlichen Benennungen • Christen-Bote und Jugend-Freund • Jugend-Freund und Christen-Bote • Der Jugend-Freund • Der Jugend-Freund und Illustrierte JugendBlätter (16 June 1847-after 1917)
• The Lutheran Sunday-School Herald (Jan 1860-Dec 1910)
• The Busy Bee (Nov 1866-after Feb 1874)
• Lutherisches Kinder- und Jugendblatt (Jan 1871-Dec 1938)
Methodist
• Sabbath School Messenger (June 1837-16 April 1846)
• Youth’s Magazine: A Monthly Miscellany (New York, New York; May 1838-April 1841)
• Sunday School Advocate • Sabbath School Advocate (5 Oct 1841-31 Dec 1921)
• The Encourager (Dec 1844-1847?)
• Youth’s Monitor (1851-after 1854)
• Children’s Banner (Syracuse, New York; 1857-after 1885)
• Children’s Guide (July 1863-Aug 1865)
• The Children’s Friend (Richmond, Virginia; Aug 1862-1 Feb 1865, 1866-June 1915)
• The Child’s Casket (also, Children’s Casket) (March-Sept? 1863)
• Picture Lesson Paper • The Picture Story Paper (Jan 1870-1941)
• Our Little People • Our Little People Quarterly (Jan 1871-1934)
• Der Kinderfreund (1872-1874?)
German Methodist Church
• Die Glocke (The bell) • Sonntagschul Glocke (Sunday-school bell) (about 1856-1900?)
Wesleyan Methodist
• The Juvenile Wesleyan (1843-1852?)
• Juvenile Instructor (1844-1867)
Methodist Episcopal
• The Child’s Magazine (July 1827-1844)
• Sunday School Magazine (June 1835-1851)
• Young Churchman’s Miscellany (Jan 1846-Dec 1848)
• The Sunday-Scholar’s Mirror (1847-1850)
• Sunday School Visitor • The Children’s Visitor • The Visitor (Nov 1850-Dec 1854, May 1855-March 1862, 1866-after 1921)
• Golden Hours (Jan 1869-1880)
• The Sunday-School Magazine • Church School Magazine (Jan 1871-Dec 1931)
Protestant Episcopal
• The Standard-Bearer (1851-after 1867)
• The Carrier Dove (Sept 1853-Dec 1877)
• The Young Christian Soldier • The Young Christian Soldier and Children’s Guest • The Young Christian Soldier (Dec 1867-Dec 1911)
Moravian
• The Little Missionary (Dec 1870-1920)
Presbyterian
• The Juvenile Missionary Intelligencer (March 1835-Feb 1838)
• Sabbath School Visitor • Presbyterian Sabbath School Visitor (1 Jan 1851-26 Sept 1909)
• Youth’s Evangelist • The Youth’s Evangelist (Jan 1859-1930?)
• The Children’s Friend (Richmond, Virginia; Aug 1862-1 Feb 1865, 1866-June 1915)
• The Sabbath School Gem (Nashville, Tennessee; June 1867-after 1891)
Seventh-Day Adventist
• Children’s Advent Herald • Youth’s Guide (May 1846-1860?)
• Children’s Friend • The Child’s Friend (April 1851-after Nov 1853)
• Youth’s Instructor • Insight (Rochester, New York; Battle Creek, Michigan; Aug 1852-present?)
Society of Friends (Quaker)
• The Young Spectator (15 Third month [March]-24 Fifth month [May] 1856)
• Youth’s Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 10 Twelfth month ]Dec] 1859-17 Third month [March] 1860, 8 Twelfth month [Dec] 1860-23 Third month [March] 1861)
• The Children’s Friend (West Chester, Pennsylvania; Fifth month [May] 1866-Twelfth month [Dec] 1887)
• Scattered Seeds (Fifth month [May] 1869-1935)
Spiritualist
• The Home Gem (Jan 1859-after Feb 1860)
• Little Bouquet • Little Bouquets • Lyceum Banner • Little Bouquet (15 May 1866-after Dec 1876)
United Brethren in Christ
• Der Jugend-Pilger (1870-1914?)
• The Children’s Paper (Jan 1871-after 1873)
Universalist
• The Child’s Universalist Gazette, and Monthly Visiter (also, The Child’s Universalist Gazette, and Monthly Visitor) • The Child’s Gazette (12 July 1834, Jan 1835)
• Sabbath School Contributor • Light of Zion, and Sabbath School Contributor (6 June 1839-22 June 1843)
• The Eastern Rose-Bud • Eastern Rose-Bud and Sabbath School (6 March 1841-22 April 1843)
• Youth’s Guide and Star (Jan-July 1843)
• Uncle Ezekiel’s Youth’s Cabinet (May 1844-15 March 1846?)
• The Youth’s Friend • Youth’s Monthly Friend (also Monthly Youth’s Friend) (Cincinnati, Ohio; 6 March 1846-1860)
• The Child’s Gospel Guide (1847-1849)
• Youth’s Monthly Magazine (July 1850-June 1851?)
• The Young Christian (Jan 1851-1859)
• The Myrtle (Boston, Massachusetts; 2 Aug 1851-1918)
• The Guiding Star: A Sunday Paper for Boys and Girls (4 July 1868-1873)
Temperance
• The Youth’s Temperance Lecturer (July 1832-1833?)
• The Juvenile Reformer and Sabbath School Instructor (27 May 1835-13 May 1836)
• Youth’s Temperance Advocate • Youth’s Temperance Advocate and Band of Hope Recorder (Nov 1839-after May 1865)
• Cold Water Army and Youth’s Picnic • Cold Water Army (Aug 1841-1843)
• The Cold Water Boy (1842-1843)
• The Cold Water Girl (1842-1843)
• Youth’s Temperance Enterprise (1842-1847)
• The Mountain Rill (April 1845-after May 1845)
• The Youth’s Temperance Banner (Aug 1846-1846)
• The Cadet’s (1851)
• The Youth’s Temperance Monitor (1 Aug 1851)
• The Cadet of Temperance (1852)
• The Ohio Cadet (1852)
• Forest Garland (1853-1854)
• The Juvenile Temperance Watchman • Juvenile Watchman (2 Jan 1854-)
• The Sparkling Fount (1858-)
• Band of Hope Visitor (1859)
• The Fountain (after June 1860)
• The Youth’s Temperance Visitor (Feb 1860-April 1861, Sept 1862-April 1872)
• Young People’s Helper; Young People’s Helper and Temperance Visitor (1862-April 1872)
• The Youth’s Temperance Banner (Jan 1866-1917)
• The Youth’s Monitor (Dec 1866-1867)
• The Sparkling Gem (1867-after 1868)
• Youth’s Manual • The Weekly Manual • The Youth’s Manual • The Temperance Star • The Youth’s Guide (Jan-26 June, Aug-Dec 1868, Jan-Feb, July-Oct, Dec 1869-Jan, April-12 May 1870)
• The Young Cadet (Aug-Oct 1872, Dec 1872-1873?) (presumably)
Founded as a result of a business feud
• The Little Traveler (Cincinnati, Ohio; Nov 1854-after Dec 1854); split from Little Forester (Jan 1854-Oct 1855)
• Youth’s Gazette (1871); split from The Pacific Youth (1870-1872)
Proposed and possibly never published; or known only by specimen issues
• Youth’s Repository of Christian Knowledge (March, Sept 1813)
• The Sunday Scholars’ Magazine; or, Monthly Reward Book (Jan 1821-)
• The Juvenile Magazine (April 1823)
• The Youth’s Friend (El amigo de la juventud) (May 1825)
• Juvenile Museum (1829)
• Juvenile Gazette (Dec 1833)
• The Child’s Universalist Gazette, and Monthly Visiter • The Child’s Gazette (12 July 1834, Jan 1835)
• The Family School (Sept, Nov 1836)
• Sunday School Children’s Magazine (1838)
• The Missionary (1839)
• “Child’s Gazette” (1843)
• The Youth’s Pictorial Magazine (May 1848)
• The Cadet’s (1851)
• Band of Hope Visitor (1859)
• The Little-Pig Monthly (also, The Little Pig Monthly) (May, July 1859)
• The Youth’s Friend (Jan 1866)
• Every Boy’s Magazine (1871)
• Youth’s Gazette (1871)
To “Nineteenth-Century American Children & What They Read”
Some of the children | Some of their books | Some of their magazines
Some works for adults, 1800-1872