, 1888-01-12
WHAT YOUNG AMERICA READS.

Tho Public Libraries Doing Immense
Good for Future Generations.
To ascertain what the great army OF
New York's young folks read, n reporter
visited the lending III aries of the metrop-
oils and converscd with tho librarians
and readers. 1t Is u mistake to suppose
that the children are not critical, and viii
read everything put before them; on the
contrary, they are the most critical and
eXacting Of all readers.
a what age do children ask you for
booksrh was asked Of n librarian who has
made n study OF chlldren's literature.
"Wcll," answered the Indy, smiling,
"our rules do not permit the giving Of
books to children under 12 years of age,
but 30 anxious nre the little things to
read that many OF them come here on the
day before their 18th birthday 30 as to
make sure Of the reading privilege.
Many OF the books taken out ARE actually
read by younger brothers and sisters not
IL years old"
At the Apprentices library tho writer
was informed that n number of childr n
only 10 years old were readers Of books.
The boys seem TO be the greatest de
vourers of books. Some regularly read
one book n day, and woul read more II
allowed. Tn boys are especially fond Of
history, fiction, tales Of travellers II sea
stories. One little tot recently asked for
II book "wherc they fight on water"
The girls are also very fond OF fiction
and fairy tales. 1t Ii found that the boys
not only rend much faster than the girls,
but read more Of the solid class Of lltera-
ture. The majority OF girls read ro-
mances, especially sensational ones. Some
Of them like poetry, for which boys ns a
rule do not care. A small percentage Of
the boys read books Of popular science,
and works which may be useful in trade
and business. This class Of reading Is al
most entirely neglected by the girls. Boys
read n good deal Of the standard lltera-
ture. Dickens Is very popular among
them, but where the taste for higher lit
craturc Is at all developed American au-
thOrs like Irving and Cooper come in for
n good share Of popularity.
Books and magazines containing plct-
ures are in very much demand by both
sexes. Children do not care for 30 called
religious or Sunday school books. Books
which attempt to convey moral lessons Of
the goodey goodey kind are given the
cold shoulder. One Of the librarians as
sured the writer that such books
would never be read IL the youth
full readers were not sometimes mis-.
led by the authors. There does not seem
to be any special difference OF taste
caused by the varying n~ationnlities OF tho
children's parents. Children of German
parentage form n large proportion OF the
readers, and 1t is noticeable that no mat
ter what the parentage Of the children Is,
the latter all prefer books in the English
language. Colored children are also num
bered among the readers. Children of
Jewish parentagc seem to be especially
fond of reading books in which things
that may lie useful to them in trade or
business are combined with amusement
or set forth in an attractive, popular
form. There Is Il considerable love Of art
among children, not Of course Of art Us
art, but the pictures and ~wOodcuts.
Some boys arc careless and soil bOoks.
but rs n rule they arc fairly clean with
them; but girls nrc far cleaner and ncatcr
than the boys in this respect. OF cCur4
boys, II permitted, would read the highly
sensational "blC1l and thunder tale
and girls would rend the highly seasoned
sensational rOmauces, but all such book
are carefully kept out of the public libra
ries. When the tHste for good literature
Is once awakened the boy and girl find %
difficulty in satisfying it.-Sew York
Press.