This guide is for anyone looking to conduct research on Swedish and Swedish American children’s literature using Swenson Center resources.

The Swenson Center is located at Augustana College and is a national and international research center for the study of Swedish-American history and relations. 

Children’s Literature in Sweden and Swedish America

Keywords / Search terms:

Here are some search terms to try in the library catalog or other search areas. Using the asterisk (*) is a wildcard option, that will return variations on a search term. For example,

• Children’s literature
• Swedish Americans AND fiction
• Juvenile fiction
• Children’s stories
• Youth
• Primer
• Storybook
• Reader
• Barn
• Ungdom

Possible research questions:

• How are stories of immigration and emigration framed in Swedish and Swedish American children’s literature?
• How is Sweden and Swedish ethnicity portrayed in Swedish American children’s literature?
• What are some of the recurring themes and lessons reflected in Swedish and Swedish American children’s literature?