Evening star., 1953-09-15
New Magazine for Children From 3 to 7
Features Story q Day for Family Reading
By Betty Miles

"A ASOSA AAA1C0 AoOuGLlcIn SSIlGle~
man and an imaginative New
England lady have pooled their
ideas and ideals to create a new
magazine for children.
"Story-A-Day," for children
from 8 to z years. will bow here
Thursday, September "a, with its
appearance in neighborhood food
chain stores. A weekly maga-
zine, it will feature Z stories
one for each day-in each issue,
along with verse, reviews of new
children's books, reviews Of books
for parents and a family council
corner. 1t is being distributed
through member stores of the
National Association of Food
Chains.
The magazine is designed with
family reading in mind, encour-
aging parents to share a precious
hour at the end of the day with
their children.
Miss Lucille Gulliver of Bos-
ton. who founded the children's
book department at Little,
Brown 81 Co., is the editor. So
high are Sprightly Miss Gulli-
ver'S editorial standards that
Charles Manchester of Charlotte,
N. c.. president of Story-A-Day
and originator of the idea, hasn't
had a story accepted yet.
Mr.. Manchester, of radio. first
thought of the magazine while
developing a series of radio
transcriptions for children. Lis
tening to them being played back.
1t occurred to him that an i'm
portant ingredient was missing
parents should read the stories
to the children instead of rely
ing on the radio.
He looked into the poSsibili-
ties for such a publication. First,
he planned to write all of the
stories himself. Talks with ex-
perts at the American Library
Association revealed their con-
viction that children should not
have a steady diet of stories by
one author.
So he decided to write some Of
them-one week. perhaps.
Talks with experts at the Asso-
citation for Childhood Education
revealed that they did not be-
lieve an author could write more
than four good stories a year.
Then he went to talk to Miss
Gulliver, long experienced in this
field, and offered her the edi-
torship. She accepted. with one
Stipulation-she would have the
last word on what went into the
magazine.
"She looks on me as a hack
writer" he said mournfully. THE
chap who started out to write
all the stories has been tossed in
the waste basket"
Miss Gulliver, who has edited
two other children'S magazines.
lectures on children's writing at
the University Extension Divi-
sion of the Massachusetts, State
Department of Education.
She has written stories for
children herself, but believes time
will prevent her from writing
for "Story-A-Day."
She is not interested in a mag
azine with a formula" II be-
lieve in standards. not patterns,
for my magazine" she said.
I'm addition to their enter
tainment and mental activity
value. all stories are being Sc
lected to contribute an idea or
fact or attitude intended to en-
large the child's knowledge or in
crease his spiritual STATURE" she
added.
This does not mean the old
fashioned type of story. drag
ging a moral along in its wake.
It does mean a simple, lively lit
tie experience told in story form.
No moralizing ending is needed.
Any experience, we adults know,
points up its own result"
The stories in the first issue
range widely in mood, with gay,
attractive illustrations in color.
Miss Gulliver plans to use the
work of outstanding authors and
illustrators, including Munro
Leaf.