Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-11
HOLIDAY 9OES. FOR YOUNGSTERS
A Talk to Parents About Read
ing for Children.
Publications Issued Especially for
the Boys and Girls.
Baron Crump by Ingersoll Lockwood.
Tho All Over the World Series.
A Varied List to Sc
lect From.

This weeks book review will be pre-
faced with talk for the little ones, the
bows and girls, to their parents. Tney
will be told of all the newest things IN
the wonderful fairy land of the world OF
books, for the parents cannot 'be too
careful of the children's authors ana
books. If the mothers and fathers
would open their hearts and arms ~ioe
for their daughters and keep them wide
open, an intimacy would grow with the
years that would fit them Tor all the
battles of life that are so hard to con-
uuer. And if the boys were your chums,
ail.fellow-well-met, a comrade, how
much better he would enjoy life. Get
down to the level of his boyhood and
bring him up gradually to the level OF
your manhood. Don't look at him from
the second story window OF your father
ly superiority and example. 10 into
the front yard and play ball with MIN,
or read his books and papers and be
boy yourself. When he gets into
ecrapes, don't thrash him as your faaher
did YOU Put your arm around MS
neck and say you know 1t Is
pretty bad, but he can count on
YOU to help him out, and that you
will, every single time, and mat II ne
had let you know earlier, 1T would nave
been all the easier. And above all give
them FIRST good advice and good ex,
amples, and follow them up with good
reading from good books and papers;
Find books which awaken strong ana
healthy desires, which enlarge the
horizon of their understanding ana In
spire generous actions. The moment
you realize clearly that the BOOKS read
in childhood and youth make pro-
fonnd inn preston that can never be re-
peated later (save in some rare crisis OF
heart and soul, where printed page
marks an epoch in ones mental or
spiritual life), then you become rein
forced in YOUR opinion that it makes q
great deal of difference what children
read and how they read it. There has
never been time when the difficulty OF
making a good use of books was 80 great
as it is today, or a time when it required
40 much decision to make q wise choice,
simply because there is 30 much literary
matter precipitated upon us tnat we
cannot .'see The wood for the trees"
Whatever children read let us see that
it 1s good Of it's kind and that 1T
gives variety, 80 that no lnteg-
raj want of young, budding
human nature shall be neglected.
A book is such fact to children, its
people are 60 alive and go heartily loved
and hated, its scenes go absolutely real.
Prone on the hearthrug before the nre,
or curled in the window seat, they for
get everything but the story. The
shadowa deepen until they can read no
longer; but they 90 not much care, tor
the window looks into An enchanted re-
gion peopled with brilliant fancies. The
old garden is sometimes the forest OF
Arden, sometimes the land of Lilliput,
sometimes the Border, or the trees on
the estate of the earl OF Fauntleroy
fame. The gray rock on the rlvar
bank is now the cave of Monte Cristo
and now castle defended by scores OF
armed knights who peep one by one
from the alder bushes, while fair Ellen
and the lovely Undiue float together on
the cuiet stream. There has never been
such conscientious, intelligent and pur-
poseful work done for children as in the
last ten years; and if an overwhelming
food of trash has been poured into our
laps along with the better things, we
must accept the inevitable. The
legends, myths and fables Of the world,
as well as its history and romance, are
being brought within reach OF young
readers by writers of wide knowledge and
trained skill. 1t is the book we read before
middle life that do most to mould our
character and influence our lives; and
this not only because our natures are
then plaetic and our opinions flexible,
but also because, to produce lasting inn
pressions, it ia necessary to give great
author time and meditation. 1t lie then
we get new love of goodness, a new
throb OF generosity, a new sense OF hu-
maDity. The books that are with US in
the leieure of youth, that we love Tor q
time not only with the enthusiasm but
with something of the eXclusiveness OF
a first love, are those that enter as fac-
tors forever in our mental life. And
now let US start on tour around the
world among the new books of facts.
fancy and fiction from all climes and all
nations. In fancy we start our trip with
a new book from Lee & Shepard Of Bos-
ton. Our hero is Baron Trump, who
makes marvellous underground jour.
ney. Fhis journey is written or con-
Quoted by the well-known author, Iuger-
soil Lockwood, and illustrated by
Charles Howard Johnson. Mr.. Lock.
woods astonishing versatility, un.
limited power of invention, and
untailing humor were never displayed
to better advantage than in this
new wonder book, The Little Baron, af-
ter reading Don Funi's book, A World
Within World, Immediately starts on
voyage OF discovery aud investigation.
The story OF his adventures in enter
tanning Polyphemus Funnel, the en-
trance to this wonderful world and
among the Mikkamenkies, Soodopsies,
Koltikwerps and other strange people
who live inside our earth ie wonderful
chronicle of the marvellous, running over
with bright ideas, quaint conceits and
wholesome fun. Although intended
primarily for youth, the story will be
enjoyed by older people who have
perception OF satire, as many of the pc
culiarites of the outside world are
touched up in very humorous manner.
The story is even better than its prede-
cessors, the Giant Boab or Little Baron
Trump and His Wonderful Dog Bulger,
which the New York Tribune speaks of
the first as taking higher rank than
any other book of the season intended
for young people," The illustrations
are most attractive and add much to the
interest of the work. Heather mythol-
ogy, The Arabian Nights and the mod
ern fairy tales are brought to mind by