The Portland daily press., 1897-06-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Story of Troy. By M. Clarke. Illus
trated. New York, Cincinnati and Chi
cago: American Book Company, Price
$50 cents.) This latest addition to the
Eclectic School Readings is in literary
and artistic execution one of the most at
tractive books in the series. 1t tells in
a most interesting way the story of Troy
and its famous siege and destruction; of
its brave defenders and heroes of 5000
years ago, whose wonderful exploits have
been celebrated in story and song by the
greatest poets and historians of ancient
times. The purpose of this book is to
treat these classic subjects in such way
as to bring them them within the reach
and comprehension of young readers at
mind with lofty ideals and taste for the
best kind of reading. A short account of
Homer, the father of poetry, and of the
gods and goddesses who played such an i'm
portant part in the great events to be
related, is first given as a suitable intro
duetion to the book. Then follow the
connected stories which form the chief
subjects of the book. These are inter-
spersed with numerous Poetical extracts,
chiefly from Pope's and Bryant's transla-
lions of the niad, which lend additional
force and interest to the narrative as well
as illustrate the style and beauty of the
great epic. The illustrations form a
special and attractive feature in this, as
in the other books of the series.
Bible Readings for Schools. Edited by
Nathan G. Schaeffer, PHI D., D. D., Su-
perintendent of Public Instruction of
Pennsylvania. New York, Cincinnati
and Chicago: American Book Company.
Price 30 cents.) Whatever opinions some
may entertain in regard to the origin and
inspiration of the Bible, it is certain that
as % means of imparting ethical instruc-
ton, nothing equal to it has ever been
found. Viewed merely as a human or
literary production, it is a marvellous
book. Without knowledge of its lead
ing ideas, its world renowned passages,
its heroic characters, the pupil cannot
properly understand and appreciate even
the literature of the English tongue
Bible readings, therefore, cannot be
omitted from the exercises of the school
without great loss. It is the mission of
the present book to select the most appro-
pirate and inspiring passages of the Old
and New Testaments, and to arrange
them conveniently for school use. The
type is large and clear, and the selections
are printed in paragraphs as other litera-
ture would be. A collection of forty eight
narrative readings gives the chief Bible
stories from the Creation to the shipwreck
of st. Paul. This is followed by some of
the great parallels, by sayings and dis
courses, selected psalms, passages from
the Proverbs, Prophets and portions of
Scripture relating more especially to a
moral precept. The book is thus admira-
bly, adapted either for the special use of
the teacher or as class reader.
Carpenters Geographical Reader. Asia.
By Frank G. Carpenter. With colored
Maps and numerous Half tone Illustra-
lions. (New York, Cincinnati and Chi
cage: American Book Company. Price
60 cents In the interest of its subject
matter as well as in it's literary and me-
chanical execution, this new Geographic
cal Reader is by far the most attractive