The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-06

truesI-lIiAt SOOpeT hIOIe fihs peeH
able to grasp the poetic quality Of the
aboriginal Indian In North America
and to understand the atmosphere of
spiritual aspiration in which he was
enveloped before the white man came
II am glad to learn that" Mass
Moore said quickly, for DIR. Eastman
speaks with authority. am also glad
to say that Indian Boyllood.' his own
story OF his own wonderful lie, is
called for constantly by the boys Of
New York.
Yes. the boy Of to-day instinc-
lively seems to choose the real in 1T
erature. and the sham. the false does
not satisfy him. Ny OWL belief IL that
the boy of to-day-maligned as he IL
II some educational clrcles-is as a
matter of fact much moro critical than
he IL given credi. for being. For cx-
ample, II We had our shelves filled with
Oliver optic I doubt whether the boys
Of to-day would call for him. He
wouldn't satisfy them.
Times change: boyhooJ and girl
hood change with them, 20 greater or
less degree. And We must permit the
boy Of to-day to ave his own authors
as well as older and standard authors
who survive generation after genera
ton"
WHO 4. the most popular OF all
American authors now writing books
for boys"
Mss Moore did not hesitate a mo-
ment.
~"Altsheler." she replied. Joseph
4 Altsheler Is The most popular ~ the
boy writer's. In some Of our libraries
the boys actually stand in limo for At
sheler's tales. II tho underlying rea-
son il plain. although II boys them
selves may not SEQ II. His books have
: much moro atmosphere II lead fur
| th"r than tho typical school stories.
wh.,h are machine made. think his
) earlier Juveniles, those of The Young
Trailer series. are called for more
than any others.
= 1T il Interesting 20 se~ tho slow
steady growth ~ popularity Of Juvenile
books that are really worth while. John
Maseiield IL an example, with his
stories OF the Cornish coast, such r.
? Martin HYDE. Messenger and lin
Davis which gradually hut surely ma,
been winning more and more popu-
larity during the last year. ] arm nov
receiving reports from var1ou.
BRANCHES that The boys are bexinnint
4 20 bunk Jim Davis"
Tho caller felt puzZled-and proba,
. bly, looked It, So Miss Moore hastene<
TO explain.
When II boy picks out his hook
from "a shelf" she said. land come
a across another volume he is eager I,
" draw, he hides Il "a Of the long TOY
Of volumes, hoping TO fnd It Their
h when he calls next time. This tho !.
Orarians term 'bunk!nr' a book. An,
AZ when l hear that a book Is te,n,
"a Fbunked' ] know that Il "a s>yeep,n,
j.. into popularity. We have had cop.e
of Jim Dayts' for nearly three years
but II II only nu1r showing sign, q
unusual and increasing vitality, so IA
~ circulation ~ concerned.
"1n many az instance we worker
with children have to get them In
terested In an author. ny story tellin
clubs, for example. before they wi
call for hia books NJ their own vol
ton. II Is Just about twenty year
< that Kipl!ng vas beginning Z
h~ known 10 children with his Jung
Rocks and Il was necessary 70 rea
aloud 10 the boys and Gtrls before the
were Interested In him.
"Hut no hard and fast rule may !
applied concerning the reading dor
by children. Here in New York n
impetus "a read certain authors seen
to he in tho air itself. ! recall or
child who IL almost uirshildlike In h
bookish tastes. He is a d.yptee {
Bret Harte and also or Dickens AT
Victor Hugo. passing VERY earl. INT
~, ..,J,-.. .l-t.
"Many boys and girls Of from
wears to IA and Of foreign birth
extraction are reading adult tooi
when children az American birth AT
%pafentage Of tho same G Are eager
reading books about boys M CIR
Just IKE the'nselves-of their own az
| mean. The difference is that the.
stories about tn" boys and girls as
ru,o are extremely commonplace.
may he said in general that foreis
children With any Inherited literal
taste ard reading habit call for All,
hooks far earlier tiaa American chi
drcu, In on" aspect It may not
wholly desirable Ia have these litt
people plunge into growuup books, b
~" cannot hold them back when III,
really wish surh reading, and W. {
10 meet them IN their own interests.
Yet "" are circulating mora al
more copies of Robin Hood and "T'
Prince and the Ptuprr.' TO mention b
two titles. Little Women holds
own, IA do practically all tho Alec
books, Stockton's '~TinC-a-ltng' la
are still read, but at present do u
have" thc popularity of hts Queer
Museum Mrs. Buruett's hooks a
always called fpr-L.ord FauntlerC
and The Secret Garden And
must not forget Hans Br,nker.' ,
Gently out in "A new edition, in 'clcbr
I'm t!os Of It's fiftieth anniversary"
"ttftieth anniversary" exclain
the visitor.
Yes" Miss Moore rojoincd, M
re- Dodge wrot" Hans Briuker' during I
lor last year Of the civil war, and not 10
IN ago | vas wondering what iinp-,led !
ith to write mis- particular story. SO
called . tn" present editor Of
has \iChOldS, VITO SAID THAI Motto
i'm Dutch Republic lai had great int,
'k cSt for Mr.. Dodg" ~ her Gtrlhpul, a
that wars aftcrward she nrst I,
In. 'IIapa lriokefJ m n SAViAa ~ 80.