The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26
By FLORA MrLNEn HARRISON

reach the final grammar grades with cut an appreciation of reading are as badly handicapped in comparison with the others as if their physical sight or hearing were impaired.
 Happy, indeed, is the boy or girl who is really enjoying through these long summer days, such books as Little Mon.' Little Women" and the other Alcott books. "Heidi" is an attractive story of little girl of Switzerland, and of course every Alabama girl or boy should know .Diddie. Dumps and Totr It is more especially girls book. and the "Hoosier School Boy" is for boys. A dog is the chief character | in Beautiful Joe as the horse Is in Black Beauty" There are so many Of these, as well as newer ones that there | is no need for any school girl or boy l to be lonely if only he cares for read | ing. Mall order houses and parcel post make 1t easy for children who are not | within reach of a public library to secure books. In this way they soon have a little library of their own and that is even better. It would be prof itable summer if some of the really good books for children were read and the best of them were bought by the children themselves as the nucleus of l their own library.
 ! As a grown-up. you could not do a kinder thing than to gather some of the | children you know, and read to them, working out the details of the idea in accordance with local circumstances Usually small group at a time is prefer able for a reading circle. The children 1 may enjoy your reading to them or they may prefer a story hour. Six or seven | children from the first to the fourth grade, who live near each other in a small town, have their own little library | league. It is entirely without forma1ity The children simply gather on each others steps or wherever it suits them, | tell tales, and share each others story books. They seem to be delightfully."- con ! genial and conduct their organization | in perfect harmony.
 l You may find that a group of boys will enjoy an investigation into the mat | ter of flags The unabridged distion- aries give all the flags and some of them in color. Boys with a liking for some | thing out of the usual amusements will | enjoy making the flags of the weather | bureau and changing them on flag post l as the weather changes. Investigation that carries with It some l definite idea of getting information would properly be considered self-improvement while play would not have this end 1T l view.
 Falling between the two are other sug. gestions for occupation. Amusement fol tiic hAdltSttlil Nlllid lo SplntthlitS ileliA
 to find. If his hands are strong enough
 he may enjoy molding with clay. Some one else can get the clay on the road side, or it can be bought from as schoo supply house. If he is not skillful enougl
 to mold more difficult things he can al least make toy furniture, dishes and gar. den tools. A younger child will like tt
 blow soap bubbles.
 A magnifying glass, microscopes a pal
 of field or opera glasses will help hin
 spend many moment. It takes only z | drinking glass or a mirror placed il
 the sunlight to catch the prismatic lights
 and child will enjoy watching these.
 Play
 As for play, the children have their fav
 orite games and are seldom are at a los
 for a way to spend this time. Certain
 1t is that they will enjoy their play nor
 if recreation from work or mental ex
 ertion instead of being their only occupa tion for the entire day
 Do you remember the story told las
 winter of the Birmingham girl who wa
 so very anxious to teach and who final,
 did teach in school in Jefferson county
 She kept it up through the entire term braving more early hours, cold lunches
 and exposure than her friends though
 possible. The amount of work she man ! aged to do was marvellous. Her pupil were well advanced. well trained an, thoroughly drilled in the routine worl
 that has to be done. and she found tim
 for broader things, too. The children
 written test papers at the close of tn term showed that the work had bee comprehendsd; and a different manne
 among the children spoke for the success of the lessons they Lad learned con sciously and unconsciousIy, in ethics As the last days passed by, she though : of their summer and of how they coul | Tf.Axw t.r-1