The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-10-06
CHOOSING BOOKS FOR
BOYS AND GIRLS

When asked what we regard al
bad story books for boys and girls we
answer promptly, Dime novels, Of
course" yet few of us realize that the
"dime novel; is often printed or
good paper, illustrated with fair illus
trations, bound in cloth covers and
sold for rs and so cents. In many
cases these same stories have pre-
viously appeared in paper covers tC
be sold for a nickel or dime.
i Edward w. Mumford, of the Penn
Publishing company recently sent out
a little booklet in which he tells
many interesting facts about this I'M
wholesome type of Juvenile" litera.
ture. ~
"These books" writes Mr.. Num-
ford, in part, ARE usually in series
(several pages in the body of each
story advertises the other books OF
the set.) The lnfallible hero and his
friends are invariably opposed by a
despicable villain and an assistant
who, altho little worse than the vii
lain, is often reformed. The william
seldom reforms, as he is needed for
the plot Of the next book. The forces
of vice and virtue invariably clash
in the first chapter, and thereafter
the villain stops at nothing that will
injure the hero If they are rival
candidates for the position of pitcher
on the school nine the hero may
expect to be assaulted by thugs at
night. If it is girls book the hero
inc (blond) has a dangerous enemy
(brunette) in the person Of a rich
schoolmate. The youthful villain, by
the way, is almost invariably rich.
"Our hero of one series builds
and runs an ,airship with sleeping
berths and automatic control, has
miraculous escapes from earthquake,
hurricane and shipwreck, thwarts
gangs of desperate men, captures
bank robbers, rescues beauty in dis
tress and presents his sweetheart with
diamonds worth thousands of dollars.
In another series boy aviators reach
the south pole. In another our hero
on a motorcycle jumps 15-foot gap
in broken bridge, while in another
two poor girls of IA and 16 attend
balls and yacht parties given by the
exclusive set Of Newport.
"These characteristics sound I'M
believable ridiculous, but they are
found in scores of such books. 1t Is
amazing how often the same old plots
and themes, revamped with few al
lusions to modern boats, airships and
other inventions, pass muster as new
stories. They are, of course, cheaply
and, therefore, hastily written. One
writer recently produced in one year,
Is new books of this kind. Another
we'll known author easily surpasses
this annual output by frank use of
the factory method, outlining the
plots, incidents and characters to a
corps of assistants, who submit their
work for his final revision.
Judge Lindsay, whose work
among boys has made him national
figure, says in recent letter: I re-
call a gang of boys in my court. In
the trunk of one, in an attic, were
found hundreds of cheap juveniles,
and think they had much to do with
the misdirected energy and spirit of
adventure in those boys, which, in
stead of taking the wholesome chan
nels. took really to serious crime.
The coarse, cheap appeal of some of
this literature is certainly dangerous
IF every buyer of children's
stories will read what he or she buys
before putting it into the hands of
children, or into libraries for their
use, such stories will soon be driven
out of the market, as their present
extensive sale is their only reason
for existence. There should be, and
is beginning to be, hearty co-opera-
ton between booksellers, parents,
teachers, librarians, members OF
women's clubs, and all other enlight-
ened influences in the community, to
stem the tide Of the poor juvenile
stories now on the market and enlist
public opinion on the side of litera-
ture that enriches and ennobles the
child's mind.
But the individual book buyer can
accomplish much by knowing some
thing besides the price of the child
ren's stories that he buys. No parent
or lover of children will knowingly
stand in the position Of saying, 1T
may be poison, but the boy likes 1t,
and it's cheap Exchange.