Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-15
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
Some of the Latest Holiday Works for
Rows and Girls of the Country.


lin boards.
MD IN THE BLocK-HoUsE. By Edmund S. Ellis.
Philadelphia: Porter & Coates. San Francisco
A. L. Bancroft & Co. VOL, Syo muslin.
THR ST. NICHOLAS MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PsoPLs,
for the year 1888. Part l. vols; muslin boards
illuminated. The Century Publishing Company,
New York.
The YoUSs CIRCUS RIDER, OR THE MYSTERY OF
RosEkT RUDD By Horatio Alger, Jr. Philadel-
phia Porter & Cotes. San Francisco: A. L.
Bancroft Co. l vol, Syo muslin.
The KSock-ABoUr CLUE IN THE TROPICS. BY c. A.
Stephens Boston Estes Il LauriAt. San Fran
cisco ; A. L. Bancroft & Co.. l VOL, quarto; il
Illuminated boards. Illustrated. 81 so.
THREE VAssAR GIRLS IN ENGLAND. By Lizzie W.
Champney. Boston: Estes & Lauriat. Quartz
Illuminated boards. Illustrated. 81 so.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN THE BAcKwooDs Boy. BY Ho-
ratio Alger Jr. New York J. A Anderson and
II. S. Allen. Sacramento W A. Il c. S. Hough-
ton. 81 25. vol, Svo muslin. Illustrated.
THE QUEENS or ENGLAND. By Rosalie kaufman
Boston: Estes Il Lauriat. vols tvol. }, Svo
muslin. Illustrated. For the three volumes
81 so.
How singularly fortunate are the children
of this generation. How richly has the
literary genius Of the age blessed them. The
best there is in scholarship, the highest forms
of pictorial art, the loftiest attsinments of the
topographic art, the best that is known to
the bookbinder of the period, the rarest skill
of the publisher, the utmost possibilities of
the colorist, the research of the historian and
the fancy of the writer of fiction the ex.
perience Of the traveller and explorer, and the
wisdom of the scientist, all contribute of
their richest and best store, for the delecta-
ton, information and betterment of the chill
dren of this year. Take the books we have
entitled above, and note how rich feast is
spread at this advent of the holiday season,
60. Aha of =.
variety for all tsstes-sometbing to amuse,
instruct, inform and elevate. Something for
the curious, the imaginative and the staid.
Rich illustrations for the picture lover, beau
tiful type to rest the eye, rare skill in adj
dressing the forming mind, the highest art in
awakening the interest of the American boy
and girl in historic research, and inquiry into
the ways and manners of strange people,
noble examples of well-spent lives, models of
propriety, and 30 on to the end of never
ending chapter of good things. And these
are not tenth part of the fine books of the
season for our little people.
Harper's delightful weekly for boys and
girls, when bound for the year, makes up
huge volume that will grace any library for
Juveniles. 1t is as handsome volume as any
one may wish to see. The purity of the
pages is proverbial. There is no faint in all
these understanding but the best thought,
the richest treasures of advice, and the most
compact and attractive information. 1t is,
in short, weekly mentor and friend. play
fellow and companion, which has had prob
ably broader welcome among the children
of the land than any weekly yet devoted to
their interests. AS holiday book 1t presents
a variety which is only known to the weekly
press and which is not possible in q single
volume prepared at one time for special
purpose.
est. Nicholas is too well known to need
much reference. 1t stands deservedly in the
front rank of Juvenile publications. 1t ad-
dresses itself perhaps to little older class
than the work just mentioned. Its two vol
umes, or parts, represent years work by
some of the best literary skill of the age.
For, it must be admitted, to write success
fully for youth there is demanded quite as
high degree of scholarship and literary &C.
complishment as for the elders of the world.
The Century Company command for st.
Nicholas corps of writers whose names
stand very prominently among the people of
letters and who are not surpassed in the rare
gift of interesting and guiding Alright the
youthful reader. In the way of illustration
we can scarcely comprehend how the pub
fishers of the journal can bestow so much
care as they do, and make the work remuuer-
alive. 1t is no longer deemed safe to present
to the boys and girls of the land ordinary
wood cuts. Their tastes have been lifted out
of the commonplace. They have been by
such publications cultured in art matters
and only the best skill of the designer and
the finest touches of the grsver will answer
in the marvellous competition America has
opened up for juvenile patrons. There is no
adult however highly cultivated his art
tastes, who may not be proftably employed
for a season in critically examining the
wealth of art work which such as "St.
Nicholas present to the young judges of
the day.
Mr.. Ellis, in "Ned in the Block House"
has lost nothing Of his skill as a writer of
fiction of pure character for youth. He is
original pure in tone, chaste in expression,
and his diction forms good model for boys
and girls. His characters have the virtue of
being natural sketches, which the young
reader will recognize in his own scqusint-
ship, while his fancy is never found to exceed
the bounds of probability. Such fiction can
not improperly stimulate. We would not
advise that for the young boy the stories of
Indian and frontier life should be too freely
selected; but fair degree of reading of our
border annals will, when well chosen, sup
plant and exclude the miserable, cheap,
harmful, trashy and worthless stories of the
dime novel Glass, against which let us beseech
heaven and the law to defend the youth of
the day.
"The Three Vasssr Girls in England is
another of well-known and justly popular
SERIES concerning which there is no occasion
for extended mention. The travels of the
girls in historic regions in England will be
found not to fall below any Of the preceding
volumes in interest.
Much the same we are prepared to say of
the new volume of the Knockabout Club
series, by the author of the Young Moose
Hunters"
In the Life of Lincoln we come to a
book of very different character, and one
that will be benefit to whomsoever shall
take it up. Horatio Alger, Jr., appears at
his best in works of this character. The
volume belongs to the Boyhood and Manhood
Series, which the writer has made speciality.
There have been very many lives of Lincoln
written for boys, and among them the pres
ent volume will occupy prominent place.
The historical statements in the book are
fortified by references to Rsymond's history
of the Lincoln Administration, Carpenters
"Six Months in the White House, Bartlett's
Life of Lincoln" and similar works.
MIR. Alger also contributes to the holiday
season a story concerning young circus
rider. 1t goes far toward satisfying the
youthful curiosity concerning the wandering
Snowman of the sawdust ring. 1t does more,
it strips off much of the snowy gsrb of the
circus, and tends to dlsabuse the youthful !
mind of the allurements of tented and be- !
spangled life. 1t is an inside view, and as
such has some considerable value in re-
pressing susceptible imaginatiOns, that else |
might be led to suppose the ring, with its
false smiles and momentary splendor, to be |
real and desirable.
The Young Folks History" by Resale |
kaufman. is the first of three volumes on the
"Queens of England" We have given the |
work more than usual attention, and can
speak of it with commentator. The author,
up to the time of Q.eeR Anne, has based her |
work upon Agnes Strickland's ''Queens of
England" From that date forward how
ever, she has consulted many other suthori- |
ties, and we think will satisfy the student of
history that she has so closely adhered to the
best standards that the book may be commit |
ted to the youthful reader with the assurance |
that the mind will not be led into wrong |