Evening star., 1933-11-12
10y SARAH Q. BOWERHEAN
National Observance of Children,s- Book
Ditmars Produces IzU0 Nezv
Volnmes = 'Pt1vate Life of
Sherlock Holiness
Sherlock Holmes. .

Young Fu' is not Juvenile Good Earth" but
1t Is story of good characterization and real
istic background.
THE BOYS LIFE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON.
By Helen Nicolay. Illustrated by w. M.
Berger. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.
A Ass NICOLAY has long since shown that
iVi she knows how to write history for boys
and girls. Biographies of great Americans are
her especial field. Her Boys Life of Abraham
Lincoln" seemed an unusually fitting piece Of
work for the daughter of Lincoln's secretary,
but her Washington, Hamilton jackson and
Grant biographies, and now this jefferson
biography, are interesting land full of
authentic material as the Lincoln. jefferson is
generally thought of as philosopher, versatile,
inventive thinking through his political opin-
IONS holding the agricultural theory Of the new
American State. But Miss Nicolay shows him
also as a man Of action, founder Of a party,
seizing power from those who followed the
Father of his Country. From the beginning
to the end of the book Jefferson is entirely
human-the man as well as the revolutionist,
the signer, the politician, the President His
life is followed story packed with incident
with the experiences which make life really
hvmg-juSt such story as youth loves. From
his unaristocratic childhood at Shadwell, in
Virginia, where he was taught never to ask
another to do what he could do for himself.
down to the last days, as the Sage of Month
cello, Jefferson was Independent in thought and
action, influenced by few, himself always the
leader. The reconciliation of jefferson and
John Adams some years before their deaths ON
the same day and the two visits of Lafayette to
Jefferson are dramatic episodes of the closing
cnapter. Miss Nicolay has the great merit of
not writing down" to young people, who like
1t as little as clubwomen like 1t when distin-
gulshed speakers talk down" to them. Her
DOCKS have many readers among adults as wen
as young people.
UNCLE SANS GOVERNMENT AT WASHING
TON. BY George L. Knapp. Illustrated.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.
4 AR. KNAPP knows how to write at the same
W. time pleasantly and instructiyely, and the
first Is as important as the second when young
people are the intended readers. In his Boys
Book OF West Point" Boys Book of Annapolis"
and Boys Book of Journalism" he has already
won popularity His story of our Government be-
gins with the time when the prize" went to
the Potomac, in spite of overtures from many
other localities. Some of the early offers are
amusing In view of the present size of our Gov
ernment organization. Kingston N Y offered
one square mile for national capital; Mary
land proposed to erect Is dwellings for dele
gates of the Is States. if Annapolis were chosen,
Though Mr.. Knapp attempts to write only a
history Of the Capital City and the Government
housed there, he naturally finds 1t inevitable
to introduce much of the history of the whole
country; for the elected representatives of the
whole country come to Washington, and from
washington 60 forth the laws which govern the
whole country. The story is brought almost to
the present moment, for there is a chapter ON
Marshall Holmes and Brandeis" comparing
the great creator of precedents with his twen-
tlafh NanfllYV Ona ir1fa uffx1ap
chapter Is about Uncle Sam as librarian and
another Is about Uncle Sans museums. Mt
Knapp remarks that Uncle Sam is an old gem
neman who works harder as he grows older
1T makes no difference whether we like or do
not like TO see the importance of Government
grow: the growth is going on Changes In the
party In power at the Capital do not check IT."
In his epilogue he quotes from Aristotle: ~The
state exists for the sake of the good life; not
for the sake of life only"
THE MODERN ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR chill
DREN. Edited by John R. Grassland and
y. NJ Parrish. New York: William Collins
Sons 6s Co.
IN HIS introduction to this reference book for
children, Cyril Norwood, headmaster of .Har-
row, says: when look at the world as it Il
today and think Of the world as 1t was when
was boy, I realize that it has been very largely
changed; and there is nothing more certain
than that when you are as old as I am the
world win have been changed all over again.
II You ask me how 1t has been done, can tell
you that it has been done by modern science
But If you ask me again, as you probably win,
When, and in what ways? ! shall tell you to
go to this book, and read about the march Of
science and electricity and the telephone and
radium and x-rays, and so on" Perhaps this
Is sufficient. recommendation for the book
Scientific subjects predominate in the topics
treated, Is they do in modern life, but they do
not crowd out art, literature geography mythol-
ogy, history, music, and many other headings
difficult to classify. The index shows articles
on such diverse subjects as British art and
broadcasting the earths atmosphere and egg
openers. the Galapagos Islands, the Gothic