The Wrangell sentinel., 1929-10-31
DR. DIVEN'S NEW BOOK
 OFF PRESS

Copies of "Tim Towser-The Story of a Little Dog and His Friends" by Robert Joseph Diven, D. D., of Wrangell, have been re- eeived during the past week at local bookstores. The book, which is published by the Century Co.,, Is winning enthusiastic approval from wide range of readers.
 While pr. Diven had juvenile readers in mind when the book was under way, the story appeals to other ages as well. Everyone who has ever had a dog or ever wanted dog, will enjoy the story of ''Tim Towser," the character study of a little white fox terrier, who greatly resembles, so friends believe, the little terrier belonging to the DiVen family when Dr. Diven was in charge of the Presbyterian church work at Sitka.
 Throughout the book there breathes the real Alaskan atmos- phere, the charm and beauty of the rivers and lakes, the mountains and valleys of the coast country of southeastern Alaska and the read CT thrills to this beauty and to the fascination of the wilderness and the wild life dwellers therein. Be- cause of its familiarity, We who live here accept this life, too often, as commonplace and fail to appreciate the maryels at our door.
 Dr. Diven has succeeded in weav- ing against this background of southeastern Alaska, the vivid story of Tim Towser, the care fully trained little terrier, keen of wit and loyal of heart; his play mate, Johnny, the thoroughly do- mesticated little grizzly bear cub, who was "a jungle gentleman and as full of fun and mischief as any boy, and sundry boys and dogs in their contacts with the dwellers of the forests and waterways-the chipmunks, pine squirrels, the bear and deer, wild geese and ducks, the ravens and beach-crows, even whale which came into the bay from the outside waters, and host of other wild creatures, including a pair of eagles that measured eight feet between tips.
 As the story flows back and forth from the town to the boys camp at the head of the bay, near Gla- cier Basin and into the Basin it. self, the reader glimpses the mys- tery of the forest and the keen de- light to be experienced in the out door life of hunting and fishing in this coast region.
 The story of "Tim Towser" is clean and wholesome and never dull or tiresome. It will exhilar- ate and quicken the interest of Ju- venile readers and incidentally, the boy or girl, without realizing 1t, is gaining a wealth of animal lore which in Dr. DiVen's hands Is translated into terms of living.
 The literary style of the book is A model of simplicity and clarity or thought, attractively expressed. It is written in the vocabulary and reading ability of grade school children, yet college men and wom- en read it with much enjoyment and find entertainment and 1nspl- ration from its pages.
 It is safe to predict that Ilm Towser" will be hailed with oe- light by teachers as book pecul- iarly adapted to school room use' Ii is true to life and to nature which is much more than the poor teacher can say about many Of the so-ealled animal and nature storles placed in her hands. rim Io"- ser" is not only a delighttuily in- teresting book but the author nas most successfully embodied in i'S nages his philosophy of life. Never does he preach but the child reau- ing the story and living in imagl- nation the wholesome, clean expe- rienees of the little terrier ana the hear cub, is unconsciously absorb inp a standard of conduct, view point of life. sane and practical as we'll as the authors keen sense of bumor which is as much part of the book as of himself.