The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-11-10
Children;s Book Week
BY Mrs. c. E. Hoppin.

by Mrs. l.
One of the encouraging signs of the
times is the general observance each
year of Children's Book Week, for
though W. are continually hearing of
the evil tendencies of the times in
which it is our lot to live, we will do
well to remember that occasionally a
bright star Of hope appears to cheer
us. An effort is being made every
where to educate the people in a bet
ter appreciation and understanding of
music, of the drama, and Of litera-
ture, and in no one of these fields can
we find as ready a response as in the
field Of literature.
Everybody reads, though too often
the reading is confined to newspapers,
magazines, bills, notes and bank
checks, signs and road directions,
menus in the restaurants, the printed
lines thrown on the screen at the mo-
ton picture shows, and other similar
works of literature.
"Yet all the time they possess in
the ability to read-if they only knew
what to read and had the inclination
for ia mean of emancipation from
the narrow round of sordid and petty
things, and of entrance into their spir-
itual heritage as members of the hu-
man race"
As mothers and teachers we have
the responsibility of teaching our
children to read and enjoy the good
and beautiful, and we can lay the
foundations from early infancy. The
child's education in reading begins
with his first lessons in oral language
and parents should talk much to their
baby, wen long before he can under
stand, and they should use good words,
rightly pronounced instead of baby
talk. The baby thus talked to is more
apt to talk early and to talk more
plainly than the baby whose parents
have visited with him in his era
die.
While the child is very little the
practice of storytelling should be he
gun, not made of yarns, but stories
and poems from the worlds rich
treasury of folk lore, myth and child
literature. Even very little folks will
learn such poems as "Winken, Blynk-
en- and Nod" Stevenson's poems in the
"Child's Garden of Verses" and even
parts from the Psalms, if they are
often repeated to them. Thus, un-
consciously, their sense of what is
beautiful is developed. Mother Goose
rhymes are always enjoyed by chill
dren and should form a part of their
early education, but not to the exclu-
sion Of other poetry.
Before long, story telling will lead
to the parents reading aloud to the
children and this practice of reading
should be kept up ever into the years
Of later childhood. The hour from
seven to eight after the evening meal
is the best time for this reading, and
much thought should be given to the
choice of books to be read from. l..
A. Weigle in his book on The Training
of Children, says: BLESSED is the
family group that never wholly loses
the happy habit of reading aloud, and
sharing together the good things of
literature"
Several years ago when looking
about for a set of books that would
contain all the best stories for chill
dren my attention was called to
Journeys Through Bookland," and
have neve regretted the purchase of
this set of ten volumes. The books |
are graded beginning with stories for
the littlest tot, and working on up to
high school age. In one volume for
example we find selections from cal
ice in Wonderland" as much of "Rob-
inson Crusoe" as most people care to
read, Ruskin's "King of the Golden
River" Kipling's "Wee Willie Winkie,"
200 pages Of "Swiss Family Robin
son" the "Story of Aladdin" and others
equally as good. So in this one set
we have parts or all of the best pieces
of literature for children from all
These books have solved
the problem in our family of where to
find stories to read aloud. As the
ACoiH W Icdu 1OT themselves |
they enjoy reading them, for children
always enjoy reading over again what
has already been read aloud to them.
Each child should have books of his
own and a shelf or bookcase of his
own on which to put them. No amount
OF borrowed books from libraries can
take the place of the child's own
books which he can read again and
again and make their language his
own. It is wise to subscribe to one
or two children's magazines, but let
them be only the best and not too
many. The temptation of US all is to
read too many magazines and not
enough books. The John Martins
Book is a magazine always dear to
the heart of the child fortunate enough
to have it. For the older child, the
Youths Companion, st. Nicholas and
The American Boy are good.
Some of the most priced books on
our children's book shelf are the fol-
lowing: Frances Hodgson B%urnett's
Little Lord Fauntleroy" and Little |
Saint Elizabeth" (both brought from
my own book shelf of years ago). and
a later book by the same author, "The
Secret Garden" a charming story for