Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-02
Books and Authors.

twenty or Whereabouts standing Delort
the display, raging with munger, I'M
able to purchase even one pehiy"ortf
| Of food" Mr.. Seccombe shows how
! CissingS, in his apprentice days. put
his slender frame into the pondcrous
collar of the author of The Mill on the
/ Floss" and nearly collapsed In wind
and limb i'm the heartbreaking attempt
to adjust himself to such an heroic
| type of harness."
| In Il recent issue of his T. P.'s Week.
~, T. p. O'Conncr writes appreciatively
ana enthusiastically of Mrs. Deland' S
| work: Il had seen the name of Mar
| Earet Dcland for many years in Ameri-
| can magazines" be says, Though L had
never read q single line she had writ
! ten, but when once l had read one of
her stories she became a very big real
ity, and making inquiries 1 discovered
how large a part she plays in the liter
allure of America. TO her belongs the
credit of having written with such con-
vincing and touching reality that she
| has made Il town, which is the creation
of her own imagination, more real to
| millions of people than any town that
| is on the broad map; that several OF
| the dWclers in this town of her imaGi-
| nation are also as real acquaintance
as those of the flesh; and finally that
| she has carried her power of vivid
creation SO far that not only the per-
| s"nases and the streets, but even some
| of the houses in this town are familiar
| to her readers"
The IDEAL book for the child must
make a distinct thrcefold appeal; first,
| to the emotions; second, to the intel
leCt; third, to that particular combi-
nation of intellect and emotion wh,t
| for distinction, shall be called imagin-
J alton.
If it appeal to any one of these with
such exaggerated force as to make
false impressions, it is worse than 4
examples are stories of wild adventure.
horrible stories, sad" stories, as well
as all stories Of improbable persons and
achievements that are neither fables
nor allegOriea.
A great objection to many childrenS
books is that they foster the emotions Of
fear and anger. They should make
| their leading appeal to the affections.
and should arouse love and sympathy
for all things.
This is best done by picturing in at
| traCtive forms the common things with
which the child is familiar, as in The
stories and fables of animals and
| flowers, and in some of the best stories
of everyday child life.
Second. the book must be an intelli-
| gible answer to the eternal why" of
childhood. 1t must be explicit; above
| all. it must he truthful.
f, Third. it must furnish the magma
| ton with high ideals. as it does the in
| tcllect with right ideas. Lastly, it
must be literature. Here the same
rules are universal. Good literature is
not all lit for children only, for the
reason that it prcsupposes development
| in thought and feelings. Many of tho
best childrcn's books are selections or
| adaptions from the best standard
| works. -... $685.. e.. .,.--.. .
Some excellent children's books are
Fairy Tales Grimm; Arabian
Nights" Alice in Wonderland" Car
| roll: Robinson Crusoe," Defoc; Might
With Uncle Remus," Harris; Little
Women" Alcott; wonder Book"
fldWtIiOTIle, Mig Oh tne IOlucn XIV
err" Ruskin: Fifty Famous Stories Re-
tOld,' Baldwin; Swiss Family Robin
son." WySs.
In a general sense some of the most
| important to be placed on the blacklist
are: All that answer to the fascinating
of the horrible. whether the form be
| ghosts, crimes. tOrtures. puniShments.
| bOOd-curdling scenes or hai"-breadth
escapes; all that invite gloomy thoughts
on introspection; all that deal with sub
tlcties. cunning. love. jealousy, despair,
| religion. enthusiasm-all extremes
whatever, SensatiOnalism, cant: all
books that deal with subjects. which
have no proper place in child life, how
ever commendablc otherwise.