Maria Nikolajeva (born 16 May 1952) is a Swedish literary critic and academic, specialising in children's literature. Since 2008, she has been Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge and a Professorial Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge. She has also been Director of Cambridge's Centre for Children's Literature since 2010. She previously taught at Stockholm University and Åbo Akademi University.^[1][2][3][4]

• Nikolajeva, Maria; Scott, Carole (2000). "The Dynamics of Picturebook Communication". Children's Literature in Education. 31 (4): 225–239. doi:10.1023/A:1026426902123.
• Nikolajeva, Maria (2000). Bilderbokens pusselbitar (in Swedish). Lund: Studentlitteratur. ISBN 978-9144013626.
• Nikolajeva, Maria (2004). Barnbokens byggklossar (in Swedish). Lund: Studentlitteratur. ISBN 978-9144035376.
• Nikolajeva, Maria (2006). How picturebooks work. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415979689.
• Nikolajeva, Maria (2009). Power, voice and subjectivity in literature for young readers. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415802154.
• Nikolajeva, Maria (1996). Children's Literature Comes of Age: Toward a New Aesthetic. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-1138946354.