Sarah Fielding

The Governess Sarah Fielding

Published in 1749, the story of Mrs. Teachum and the nine pupils who make up her "little female academy" is widely recognized as the first full-length novel for children, and the first to be aimed specifically at girls. The daily experiences of Mrs. Teachum's charges are interwoven with fables and fairy tales illustrating the book's underlying principles, which draw on contemporary theories of education and virtue.