The article offers a survey of the Italian studies on schoolbooks publishing in the last three decades and their development as a consequence of multiple influences, especially from abroad. In particular, researches in the field of education and didactics history have benefited from an interdisciplinary approach. Moreover, the evolution of book and publishing history has caused an increasing interest towards wide circulation publications and their contribution to cultural and social history. Having defined the research field by paying attention to the relationship between textbook and children’s literature, the review of the contributions (repertories, research monographs, catalogues) by scholars from different backgrounds allows the author to formulate some method remarks and to put forward new research tracks, aiming at making the most of the research conducted up to now.
Keywords: Schoolbooks; book history; children’s literature; educational journals; Italy; historiographical survey.