Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-22
MISS LYMAN's LECTURES.
First of Series on the Story Hour
Prove Most Interesting.

Miss Edna Lyman, Of Oak Park, ILL.,,
formerly children's librarian of the FED
Park public library, gave the first of
her series of lectures at the library
auditorium Monday afternoon. Miss
Lyman's audience was not large, but
every one present enjoyed to the ut
most the good thoughts advanced in
the interest of children's amusement in
the library. Miss Lymans general sub
ject is THE Purpose of the Story Tell
| ing Hour" and Monday afternoon she
| dealt with the selection Of material.
She said in part:
1.-THE child is plastic clay from which
we can make a really beautiful model,
| If we but fashion with thought and
care. The first consideration must be
the age Of the child. There are Ger
tain stages in the mental development
of the child corresponding to the stages
in the physical development, and the
story must be adapted to the child.
Put in other words, we must under
stand the child before selecting the
story for him. The child is Interested
in the man who acts long before his
interest is centered in the man who
thinks. At certain times some types
of stories are food to the child's mind.
If he does not receive this food at the
proper time, that particular develop
ment will be lost. There is a high tide
for each type of material. For instance,
there is time when the nonsense
rhymes appeal to the child and are
food for his mind.
The question was asked, Why do
In,
that the child may have them at an
early age? Is there not abundance of
material where conditions are familiar
to the child?
I'm the selection Of stories for little
children, the action should be the
striking element in the story. Story
telling should be continued thruout all
the grades, and definite aim should
be back of the. selection of each story
The stories selected to be those which
appeal to the child rather than to u.s.
Stories must appeal to the universal
mind in order to be great.
There are many undesirable stories,
Which, for various reasons must be
avoided. Avoid stories of interspec-
tion-those stories which cause the
child to examine self, his condition, his
action-those are not normal condi-
tons in the child. He should be hap
by and consider home and parents the
best in the world
"Avoid stories where too much de-
tail covers the line of thought; avoid
stories of too much sarcasm or satire;
stories that are too exciting; morbid
stories: folk lore stories which have
| nd
them: stories which lie out of tht.
child's plane of thought; stories where
any form of evil, that is not in the!
child's experience, is brought before.
him These two types of stories should
be especially avoided: One where the
morals are dragged in; and the other,
written about children from grown
persons standpoint"
1.-The stories to select advised Miss
Lyman, "are: A story where the con-
ditions are all familiar to him, stories
which cultivate shrewdness and clever
ness; these may train the child to see
opportunities which might be before
him; stories which cultivate the sense
Of humor. We are losing a true sense
of humor. In it's place we are culti-
waiting a love for the grotesque and
vulgar and overdrawn characters" In
this connection Miss Lyman referred to
the Sunday newspapers.
The nonsense book, in which Edward
Lear's nonsense book was cited; stor-
les of heroic action, which save rather
than DESTROY Miss Lyman cited F.
Hopkinson Smiths Captain Joe" and
stories which cultivate sympathy and
the tender side of the child, were adj
vised In closing Miss Lyman told two
stories to illustrate what should be
told.