The Children's Crusade: American Children Writing War

What did children write about their experiences in the First World War? I examine children's stories, poems and letters in St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folk, tracing shifts in adult editorial policies and how children's attitudes impacted those policies throughout the war years. Children show themselves as expert readers who do emulate their adult counterparts, but who maintain the pre-war traditions of individual heroism and personal participation, avoiding the negative rhetoric and group discipline extolled by adult writers. Children depict themselves as knowledgeable, active war participants who learn, make difficult decisions and contribute to the ultimate victory.