The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-07-14
CHOOSING CHILDREN'S BoOAS. I

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CHOOSING CHILDREN'S BoOhS.
The class of literary output is now
so plentiful that the question is no
longer what shall the children read?
but what shall they leave unread? re-
marks Vogue. Children, like grown
folk, lose a good deal if their reading
fails to keep them in sympathy with
the age in which they live. On the
other hand, they miss that communion
with the best that they are able to
understand if they neglect the books
that have come down to us certified
as masterpieces by earlier genera
lions. Lucky the child that enjoys in
proper sequence all the old master
pieces from the arabian Nights and
Robinson Crusoe," to "Alice in Won
derland," and the water Babies"
Children will miss much however. II
they come to know only such books
as they can be trusted to read, entire
and for themselves. The mother, or
that special blessing Of some house
holds, the maiden aunt, must find
time to read aloud to the children.
This is often severe drudgery when
the books read are purely infantiie,
for they must be gone over time and
time again, and the young tyrants
will suffer no skipping.
One of the best books to entertain
children from five to eight years OF
age is "Gulilver's Travels" if the adult
reader will take the trouble to tell
the story in part and read the simplest
and most dramatic passages. Bun
vans Pilgrims Progress" is an ex-
cellent book to treat in like fashion
How exciting is the fight with Apol-
yon! How dramatic is the moment
when Christian discovers the loss Of
his roll after his slumber in the
arbor!
One does not think of Lambs "Es-
says" as specially addressed to chill
dren, but the grown person who for
the first time tries "The Child Angel
or "Mackery End in Herfordshire"
upon a fairly advanced boy or girl OF
10 or II will be surprised at the re-
Spouse. Bits from Whites "Selborne'
may be picked out for the delectation
Of children, and are likely to prove
vastly more wholesome reading than a
good deal Of current natural writing.
Halliburton's "Sam Slick the Clock
maker" is another old book contain
ing much to interest and amuse and
nothing to hurt child of IL or IA.
The humor has not yet lost its flavor
and is none the worse for young Am
erica that it hits sharply at foibles of
the great Yankee nation.
The difficult question of poetry for
children is always presenting itself
to those who would lay early the foun-
dalton of a sound culture. In verse
as in prose the young like what is
dramatic. Patriotism has led US in
America to give our children good
deal Of Longfellow cult, for lovely
as some of his poetry is he is not a
great poet, and scarcely single one
of his poems, long or short, stands
very high in its class. Whittier's
Snow Bound" is, perhaps, the most
truly representative long New England
poem, and most of 1t is admirably
suited to children. Stevenson's
Christmas at Sea-" always stirs chill
dren, and it is an excellent intro
duction to poetry in general, for the
sentiment is elemental in its appeal to
old and young alike. Some of South
ey's ballads are good reading for the
young. Browning's ride from Client
to AK" is not beyond children Of 10.
A few of Barry CORVALLIS lyrics deal
ing with nature are sound verse for
the young. So, too, are some of Bry-
ants such as "The Address to the
Waterfowl" and Robert of Lincoln"
Willis Saturday Afternoon" is de-
lightful poem for young or old. Some
of these poems are to be found in the
Household Book of Poetry by Chas.
A. Dana.