Pagan Kids Books

For many years Pagan books, as in those on nature religions and more spiritual paths, have been published in abstract by the western publishing companies. Due to the dominate beliefs of the times, ideas needed to explained in obscure manners so that people would not be offended. In 1901 Llewellyn Publications began to print astrology books, then expanded to cover alternative healing, psychic development and earth based religions. With the emergence of the New Age paths in the 1960s & 1970s smaller private publishers appeared to offer more obscure or path specific titles. Most of these publishers were connected to the LGBTQ communities of the time and unfortunately did not last long. Most of the works published by then are still under copywrite laws and cannot be reprinted without massive research and permission.

Llewellyn still managed to be the main publisher for “New Age” titles during the 1980s & 1990s and was the main source for people discovering Wicca in the early 1990s. Since the 1970s Inner Traditions Bear and Company has been a close competitor, but has, on a whole, stayed away from the Wiccan faith, focusing on everything else. For a long period the only books on the New Age, Nature based religions that could be found were published by Llewellyn. Unfortunately the quality of the options dropped.

In recent years Pagan books have expanded from under the Llewellyn umbrella. There has been many new independent publishers of the Pagan Religions started, and even the traditional publishing giants have started to publish works on the topics.

This is a good thing, but the one main issue is that there has been a lack of kids books. Yes, there have been mythology collections and tales, but not a lot of traditional kids books.

Typically one or two established authors would come out with a book or a secular author would come out with some that could pass as pagan, but no one was writing them. It was up to the smaller presses to create the content that was desperately needed.

And they did. On shelves at New Age stores and at festivals appeared a small selection of board books. Limited printing and a lack of copies made these collectables, but self publishing was expensive and difficult and so many of these were forgotten.

Currently a lot of pagan kid’s books are being published, some by the major publishers. But outside of the internet these books are not being distributed widely. And in publishing, if the book doesn’t sell well then it won’t get reprinted. Depending on the publisher non-sold “out of print” titles might be stored for a few years, or be available to be bought in bulk by the second hand markets.

It is important to be aware that there are many books out there to be rediscovered.

The best way to fill the need is to create the product, but it is equally as important to discover what has always been there and been forgotten.