The sun., 1908-06-14
CHILDREN The BEST CRITICS
KNOW WHAT hooks THEY LIKE
2 AND WHY THEY LIKE THEM.
Their Judgment Good Too. Says the Board
2 Of Education's Library superintendent
The Decline Of the Elsie DoOks--Ex.
y tracts From Some Juvenile Reviews.

u Tho Decline Of the Elsie DOOks-Ex.
Z. tracts From some Juvenile Reviews.
Are the boys and girls who draw books
from our school libraries and from our
public libraries devouring the good and
bad when they can get it capable OF sane
criticism? Kate Douglas Wiggin, who
created "Rebeooa," says OF children's
opinions ucon books: We'll nigh infallible,
a public not to be bribed, not to be en-
treated, not to be overawed."
G. G. Leland, superintendent Of libraries
under the New York City Board Of Eduoa-
ton, asked that the children send in to
their teachers their opinions concerning
their favorite books and their reasons for
liking them. As reenlt Mr. Leland says
Take them all in all believe the boys and
girls nre the sanest critics and the most
reliable"
One Of the librarians in the public IL
braries who has had observation Of children's .
literature says that she Is determined to
read over some OF the books that certain
olaes Of children seem to admire In order
% find out why these books are popular.
Now, for instance" said she, @take the
elsie books. I am inclined to think that
many children are not responsible critics
imply because they like that sort OF thing.
Unnatural and exaggerated sentimentality
;fving false ideas of life and especially
.alse notions Of the chid's relation to
.dults!"
A teacher in public school OF the olden
ime, in speaking OF the effect Of reading
pon children, tells this story of the infiu
nee upon one OF the girls of the elsie books
This child, as far as l could see, was very
ood in school. never had to correct
',er, but at the end Of the day she always
reported herself Chat was the abominable
.Yle In those days. as having communicated
a number Of times. Her reports when sent
'iome worried her mother very much in
Iced. Finally she questioned the child
bout her conduct in school, and what
o you suppose she found out? This
90 conscientious young miss, for fear
I forgetting one or two mods OF the head
r an answer given ofhand to her seat neigh
or, would add two or three marks to those
he could account for. The extreme good
!ess OF Elsie Diiisinore had permeated her
'ntire hfe."
In the New York city public school
ibraries and in the children's rooms Of
he public libraries the Elsie Dinsmore
looks and the works Of Alger, Castleman
nd Oliver Optic are being gradually
Eliminated. When the copies which were
part Of the former system are worn out
hey are not replaced.
The following criticisms made by boys
md girls who have read some Of this
literature will show just why theAe books
tre being replaced:
Elsie Dinsmore was very religious and
aer father was not" says one. Then this
young reader goes on to tell OF the refusal
Of Elsie to play the piano on Sunday. even
though her father made her sit on the
piano stool until she fell OF As a climax
10 the thrilling tales Of the cruelty OF the
;ather toward Elsie the reviewer says:
All the books written about Elsie show
now dearly her father loved her."
Elsie is a very good child and has very
few faults. There are twenty-seven books
in this series, but / have read only three Of
them" writes another girl.
The alluring get rich schemes" in some
Of these books appeal especially to the
East Side boys. From Tramp to Million
aire,' says one Of them, tells about poor
boy who became millionaire. He worked
and only earned S. a week when he was
70 years old, But he found a purse flied
with money and jewelry. When he fe-
turned it to the owner she told him to keep
lG because he was honest" One breads to
4. hink Of the worn out stocking knees and
the aching backs of the small boys, their
eyes peeled for lost purses. should this
Oook be allowed to circulate generally.
only an Irish Boy" impressed another
youthful reader immensely. He relates
The. story OF this son Of the Emerald Isle
and finishes by saying: And when he
oecame too old to work he found out he
was millionaire"
: Here is a penny thriller" admirer and
this synopsis Of the story is given in his
own words, punctuation and spelling.
The title is "The Murder Of Chunder SEM
Chunder Sen was a Samese and was a
prince. He thought of the diamonds his
father had SO he got them and smuggled
them into Chicago. He fell into the hands
OF q gambler. his name was Philip Pauls.
Nick Carter the detective was sitting In his
ofiice when a telegram came in. This tele-
gram came from Siam saying that the prince
has escaped from Siam with a box OF dla-
monds and described him. saying that he had
an ebony hand. The detective began to
hunt up this man but could not get him.
One day a man was found dead. he man
who was found dead was taken to his friend,
Mr.. Pauls. MIR. Pauls paid all funeral ex-
penses In the meantime Nick Carter the
Great Detective had been looking up for
Chunder Sen. Nick Carter had his assistants
looking to- Nick went to the grave where
he was buried. He looked for the hand and
1t was missing. swedish man took the
hand and Nick went after him. After a
good chase into an Opium joint Nick fol-
lowed he entered and hit the pipe. To his
surprise he was watching a chnaman leaning
over the Swede. He was dead. The sup
posed to be chnaman had robbed the hand
and killed both Chunder Sen and the Swede
by needle with poison latly invented in
France.
What chance have tine mysteries of al
zebra, the dates in history, spelling and
other unimportant details when they have
to divide the honors with Nick Carter?
Here's the story Of "The Messenger Tele-
gram Boy:
There was once telegram boy who earned
only enough to support his mother. One
day he had to go to New York with a tele-
gram. On his way he fell into an a accdent.
He was just crossing a bridge when 1t was
broken down. At the same time carriage
wac crossing The horses got frightened
and jumped over with lady and girl in the
carriage. The lady was crying that some one
should save her child. Harry jumped over
and saved the child About a year later
Harry and the girl met The girl said that
her father said she should marry him for his
lyAr kN.,N Ia