Using Children’s and Young Adult Literature in Outreach and in Teaching at the K-12 through College Levels

Growing Up with the Classics: A Database of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture as Part of the Our Mythical Childhood Programme

By Katarzyna Marciniak (University of Warsaw)

The paper offers insight into the stages and activities undertaken within the international and multidisciplinary programme Our Mythical Childhood, with a special focus on the Our Mythical Childhood Survey – a database of works inspired by ancient culture and intended for children and young adults.

Exploring the Our Mythical Childhood Survey: A Database of Classical Antiquity in Modern Young People’s Culture

By Sonya Nevin (Cambridge U. Faculty of Education and University of Warsaw)

The Our Mythical Childhood Survey database contains over 1500 double-peer-reviewed entries on instances of classical antiquity in modern young people’s culture. It covers animation, television and film; toys and computer games; music and other audio; and – predominantly – young people’s literature. There are entries on work from forty-five different countries. Hundreds of authors, musicians, and other creators are represented.

Introducing Calliope’s Library: Books for Young Readers: A Public-Facing Collection of Recommended Reading for Children of All Ages

By Krishni Schaefgen Burns (University of Illinois, Chicago)

This paper will introduce Calliope’s Library: Books for Young Readers, a curated collection of classically inspired book recommendations for young adults and children of all ages based in North America. Calliope’s Library was founded in 2021 and its prototype website was funded through an Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities grant (April 2021). The paper will explain the impetus behind the project, introduce Calliope’s website interface, and suggest some ways to use the collection as a pedagogical and outreach resource.