The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-11-01
OBSERVANCE OF BOOK
WEEK FOR CHILDREN
SET FOR NOV. 2O-25

Children's book week Is to be OBJ
served Nov. 20 to % in this city.
Mrs. Ada L. Bernhard, librarian at
Morrison-Reeves library, will coop
crate with the public schools in the
observation of this week. The move
ment has been started by the Amert-
can Library association, the American
Booksellers association. and the Boy
Scouts of America, and is endorsed by
schools, churches, clubs, libraries,
boy scours and publishers throughout
the country. 1t is the one time in the
year when all these organizations
unite in an effort to encourage the buy
ing of better books as well as more
books in the home, the school, and the
library.
The modern child should be sur
rounded with books which enlarge his
world, broaden his sympathies, stimu-
late his imagination, and extend his
knowledge. 1t is not essential that
child should read a great number OF
books but those that he does read
should be books of more than mere
casual interest. So many stories are
published today which are not as
viciously harmful as the old thrillers,
"Deadwood Dick" Sink or SWIM" or
Crimson STAIN" but which concern
themselves with mere trivial things
and petty commonplace.
Unfit for Children
The reading of such books does not
call for mental energy or imagination,
nor does it give the child a taste for
that which is really good in litera-
ture. AS one writer says, These
books of small souls. with trivial vices
and trivial virtues, narrow point of
view, characteristic of mediocrity, are
wholly unfit to make a deep. perma-
nent impression on the young reader.
They may for the moment be accep7-
ed as pleasant enough playmates, but
are lacking in the qualities found in
life friends. Such literary workman
ship misses fire for want of the inner
truth of the characters described and
because of their illogical development
in connection with the narrative
Instead OF giving the child such
commonplace books we can give then
stories from the old folk tales, stories
from Morse, Sagas. legends from King
Arthur, hero tales of Greece or Rome.
of the courageous pioneers, Daniel
Boone. Kit Carson or David Crockett,
and vivid accounts of the inspiring
lives of such men as Lincoln, Wash
ington or Roosevelt.
Examine All Books.
Granted recognition of the desire
to choose only the best books for chill
dren what are some of the means
through which the selection may be
made. Wherever possible books should
be examined in the local book stores.
The purchaser should not be deceived
by low price or attractive cover for
often the inferior story comes in such
editions Where there is no local book
store the purchase may be made
through the bookstores in the larger
cities of the states. When the books
can not be read or examined before
purchase the buyer will have to de-
pend upon printed comment. Lists OF
worth while books of children's litera-
ture may be obtained from the local
library.
Parents, it is said, should make 1t
their duty to interest themselves in
what their children are reading. Par
ents, especially in rural communities,
should buy Il few good books for their
chlluTen. Attention Oh nOtneTS 10 Sone
some of the recent articles published
on children's reading. The Good
Housekeeping, for October 1922. has
q very good article, Your Children
and Their Books" which tells mothers
to begin early in making books part
of the child's life. The autumn mum
Der of "Childrens Royal" contains a
splendid article on Youthful Adven
tures in Patriotism" which emphasizes
the importance of giving children his
tories that vitality recreat events and
men," This article includes list Of
books on American history.
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