This dissertation focuses on the works of the Italian writer Ida Baccini, specifically on her important pedagogical contribution towards the formation of a new Italian nation after 1861. It also explores the educational and ideological agenda that the writer sought to inculcate in Italian adolescents and children of the 19th century. The study of Ida Baccini is divided into three chapters. The first chapter looks at the ideological and stylistic innovations that the writer produces in her novels for children. The second chapter explores the evolution of the writer's ideas regarding the image and the role of young women in Italian society. The third chapter analyzes Ida Baccini's scholastic literary production and her model of a primary school teacher. Having thoroughly considered Ida Baccini's criticism towards traditional family, school organization, and children's literature, the conclusion demonstrates how Ida Baccini proved to be a decisive figure in Italian pedagogy, beginning a new chapter in children's literature that shifted its focus onto the child's perspective and his or her needs.