The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-03
YOUR CHILDREN
RI Olira Roberts esEton

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 Interest fin books for children is having it's annual revivai TOT Christmas.
 Stories" "Black Beauty. feni s', and Virginia" '.The Deserted Vil- lage," ''Will Carlton Irish stor- ies," .Muhlback's historical nov els, a dash of Shakespeare, Tnack- cry, Dickens and Hawthorne com prised the juvenile library of the eighties and even ntneties. TneIe were few books for very little cnii- dren on this side of the water. Ex- cept for "Mother Goose" what a few other good ones existed con- sisted largely of importations rom aboard.
 Then we passed into the E. P: Roe period, also the "Elst Books. and the Alger Series" blossomed. Did you ever cry your eyes out over poor Elsie?
 Literature for little children just wasn't and literature for older children was a heterogeneous con- glomeration that went over their heads mostly. Not that "Pilgrim's Progress isn't as good to-day as it ever was, or in fact all or the classics mentioned. But they were read by children or to children far too young to underStand.
 When I was ten I'had read most of Dickens, under orders, as well as Carlton and Muhlback.s was no exception. My friends did not read what books their meager adult libraries offered and they were on the same order.
 Alice in Wonderland" appeared on the scene then and people .be- gan to wake up. It may go over the heads of very young children but every child should have it. Lewis Carroll did something. He caught the spirit of the child mind (plus an adult point of view which makes it a bit difficult for little people just at first) and put fun into his book. Fun and nonsense. So did Kipling in his Jungle Book" and Just So Stories"
 For sheer nonsense take Ed ward Lear to-day. Children love and seem to need a certain amount of it.
 There is no room to tell all we have learned about children's reading. It is plenty. Adventure, romance of type. the cleverly woven moral tale, history, de- scription, plant and animal life, poetry, make believe, fun = they need it all, and get it in the grand books of to-day written flor" them.
 I cannot quote all the good books on the market. Carnegie Library puts out lists (which will help you in your shopping) and all I can do is to mention @ very few for the pre-school child.
 "Pelle's New Suit" '"The Tale of Wee Little Old Woman" ITO Market! To Market!"; Paddle wings" "A Roundabout Turn" Little Wooden Farmer" "Ameri- can Animal Life," 'In the Mouse's House." Angus and the Ducks" Fairies and Friends" "Snippy and and Snappy,' 1.-TWO Mice and a King" Ring Around ;" Mother Goose" Out of the Every where," "New Happy Hour Books" "rin- ka, Minka and Linka," Playing Airplane,". christopher. Robin Story Book" "The City Mrs Win- kle Built" "The Tale of Little Pig Robinson" Social Science Read ers," "The Story of a Little White Teddy Bear," Peggy and Peter" s'Karoo. the. Kangaroo. Baby Bear.'
 The books for children after six would take up 8 page. But your library will give you help and ad- vice. Book stores carry marvellous stocks. feel these days that you can't go far wrong, no matter what you buy for your boy or girl, if it 1t real boys or girls book.