Evening star., 1949-11-13
THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. c.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10. l94s
Reading and Writing
Local Authors Usher in Childrens'
Book Week With Many Stories
BY Mary McGrory

boys. since boys evidently don't
enjoy other boys being heroes"
Mrs. Bestermann thinks she will
wait awhile before starting an
other Longfoot book.
Also between things is Cornelia
Spencer (Mrs. j. B. Yaukey). q
sister of Pearl Buck and author
of number of biographies for
young people. She told one Of the
success stories of the century in
Straight Furrow." the life Of
Harry S. Truman, which appeared
in September. Last week, "Un-
derstanding the japanese" came
out. and Miss Spencer under
standably decided to give herself
a few days of.
A newcomer to the juvenile
book field and one with begin
ner's luck is Val Hart. wife Of
Scott Hart, author Of Eight
April Days." whose first at
tempt, American Roads," has
been chosen as a Junior Literary
Guild selection. Mrs. Hart had
no intention OF writing book.
but some one sent her young
daughter a set Of pictures OF
roads and Mrs. Hart found her
self writing out explanations that
quite naturally overhowed into a
book.
And one children's book just
leads to another, if you ask Della
Goetz, author Of "The Hidden
Burro." She wasn't half way
through that one. she reports.
when one Of the other animal
characters had made such an i'm
preston on her that she Is now
devoting whole manuscript to
him.
Glenn Blough, q co-worker OF
Miss Goetz at the Department Of
Education and the author Of
"Beano, the Riverburg Mayor" Is
currently doing research at the
Zoo for his newest venture. Every
free moment finds him with face
pressed against the bars Of the
cage of Jenny. DR.. Mann's much
admired new baby elephant. Mr.
Blough is also holding long con-
situations with Jenny's keeper for
pointers as background for his
story, "The Elephant Who
Couldn't Remember"
The inspiration for Elizabeth
Hamilton's latest literally came
out. OF the blue. It was chimney
swift which fell down into her
living room fireplace. Mrs. Ham
ilton, incidentally. reports mutiny
in the family ranks. Her four
youngsters hitherto the most
willing and able Of editors, have
absolutely refused to read any
more works in progress. They
will, from here on in, criticize
only finished manuscripts, great
loss, she says.
In keeping with the new re-
ligious revival in books, Ida East
wick, author Of Fairies and Such
like" secretary at the British
Embassy, is writing a little collec-
tion of religious poetry for chill
dren. It will be entitled THE
Friendly Child" and will tell Of
Christ's childhood.
Helen G. Nicolay, Marian King.
Alberta Powell Graham, Eloise
Lownsbery, Dorothy Leavitt and
Jean Karr are other writer's in the
area who see to it that there Is
plenty Of reading material around
for the young folks.
Frances Carpenter Huntington.
author of the famed Grand
mother" tales. has a travel book
called Caribbean Lands" coming
in January, and is devoting this
winter to the production of a
home geography for third-grad-
|ers. Mrs. Huntington Is the
president of the Children's Book
Guild, a congenial band of some
80 children's authors. illustrators.
librarians and educators who
meet frequently to talk over the
problems Of writing books for
children and getting children to
| read them.