Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-15


Librarian Franklin Matthews, has
made parents, teachers, Librarians
and social workers aware Of the i'm
portance of providing the right kind
Of books for boys and girls. Now
the child who does not have an
opportunity to read worthwhile
books-not only at Christmas, but
all the year rounds just plain
unlucky.
Another Children's Book Week
the 23d-begins today. 1t is an i'm
portant period, and every girl and
boy should adopt its slogan, For
ward With Books"
If you have not formed the habit
Of reading good books, begin to do
so now-this week. Begin to build
up a library of your own. Invest
some Of your spending money in
books that are worth keeping. Swap
books with your friends. Join the
Public Library. Read at least one
worthwhile book every week.
Perhaps this statement by Archi-
bald MacLeish, librarian Of Con-
gress, will help you to realize the
Importance of reading:
If the coarse and brutal high
school boys who made the Nazi book
bonfire could understand the power
of a free mans books we'll enough to
burn them, we in this country can
understand the power of these books
well enough to honor them and treat
them as the things they are-the
strongest and most enduring weap-
ons in our fight to make the world
world in which the free can live
in freedom"
Books for boys and girls have
changed greatly through the years.
Time was when the reading matter
provided for children had to be pious
and 'preachy" to be considered
worthwhile. Now the accent is on
action and achievement-which, in
my opinion, is all to the good.
The contrast was brought home
to me by two books that reached my
desk recently. One was 1.-THE Royal
Alphabet, or Child's Best Instruc-
tor, to Which Is Added the History
of Little Boy Found Under a Hay
cock" and the other, America IN
Action"
The book with the long title came
from the ]. B. Lippincott Co., Phila-
delphia publishers. They issued 1t
in celebration of their 150th ami
versary. It is typical of the books
available to children in 1892, the
year of the company's founding.
THE Royal Alphabet" etc, con-
sists Of 30 pages, each somewhat
smaller than postcard. It's frontis-
piece is a drawing in which one boy
pulls a coach while another rides in
q similar vehicle pulled by six horses.
Under the illustration are these
words:
He Uho In learning taketh pride
In coach and sic may chance to
ride,
While every ounces life must be
A scene OF seruile drudgery.
The remainder of the book is
equally preachy. 1t is interesting as
a souvenir of the times it represents,
but I doubt that any modern girl or
boy would enjoy reading it for its
own sake.
America in Action" on the other
hand, is in tune with the times.
From its pages, young people can
start stamp collection, learn the
Morse code, build model airplanes,
begin collection of War savings
stamps, learn the flags of the United
Nations, memorize the various in
sigma of the Army and the Navy
I could write lot more about 1t,
but I think this standardization
should suffice: Every boy and girl
should have copy, and it will make
an ideal Christmas gift this year.
And to help to make the most OF
this Children's Book Week, here are
some other titles that I am glad
to recommend:
Fiction.
"Bolek," by Antoni Gronowicz
(Nelson-A little Polish boy finds
peace and contentment in America
"Her Star in Sight" by Mildred
Foulke Meese (Bobbs -MerrilD-
Mary Carstens goes to medical
school. .....
1.-THE Falcon of Eric the Red" by
Catherine Cate Coblentz Gong-
mans)-A Greenland boys adven-
lures in the days when America
was known (to the few people who
knew of it at alb as "Vineland."
Jungle Haven" by Albert Leeds
Stillman Observation-Disclosures of
three castaways in the wilds Of the
upper Amazon. A sort OF modern
Robinson Crusoe.
1.-THE Boy Scouts Year Book
edited by Franklin Matthews (Ap-
pleton- Century, - Stories of boy
heroes.
"A Green Field for Courage" by
Carroll Trowbridge Cooney. jr.
(Howell, Soskin)-A little boy learns
about life.
"The Case of the Calico Crab" by
Augusta Huiell Seaman appleton
Century)-Murder mystery.
Boys Camp" by Max Siegel
penn in camp.
Younger Brother" by Charlie
May Simon Dutton)-A Cherokee
Indian tale.
"All-American," by John r.
Tunis (Harcourt, Brace)-Football
story.
Trailer Trio" by Emma Atkins
Jacobs Observation-Disclosures on a
trailer trip from South Dakota to
Idaho.
Spike of Swift River" by Jack
O'Brien (Winston)-A dog and bis
master.
Violet" by Whitfield Cook Cow
ard-McCann)-A girl who, as the
author comedies, would be Poison
Ivy by any other name," Very
funny.
Wings for Niklas." by Josephine
Biackstock (Putnam's)-How a little
Greek boy helped his country In the
war against the Nasties.
When the Typhoon Blows" by
Elizabeth Foreman Lewis tWinston)
"A Chinese boys adventures in the
war with Japan.
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