Evening star., 1954-11-14

NdIOIyl haywood tMOrrOW,
$2.95). It's a tossup whether
her Eddie books are better
than those about Betsy, or vice
versa.
BoIIet Girl 4
BALLET for Mary" by Emma
Brock (Knopf; $3.50, is an
other lively modern story.
Mary had a way of upsetting
= everything by acting too sud-
denly, so it's no wonder her
parents Shuddered when Mary
Joined Nine. Samovar's ballet
class.
In a more serious vein, Lois
Lenski has brought us all a
little closer to the children Of
America through her regional
stories. strawberry Girl" was
awarded the Newberry Medal
in 1916. Since then, Boom
town Boy" and "Prairie
School" and several others
have grown out of her travels
about the country and the let
ters she receives from children.
In "Cornfarm Boy" (Lippin-
colt; $3) Lois Lenski tells the
story Of Dick, who is a COM
posite character. based on chill
dren she has visited in corn
farm regions Of Iowa and Ne
braska. While she rode a trac-
tor, to get the "feel" of farm
ing, the story gradually took
form in her mind.
Realism Included
Lois Lenski writes: 1T is
my firm belief that the hap
penings Of daily life form the
only sound basis for plotting
an honest story. Human life
in its basic essence needs no
glamorization and exaggera-
ton" And we must admit that
as an apostle Of realism Lois
Lenski's enthusiasm for truth
usually produces q moving
narrative.
It would not be fair to as
sumo that all authors and
children are content with q
solid diet Of realism. There is
too much evidence to show
that in children's reading there
is always a place for the story
which skillfully combines i'm
agination and realism.
Outstanding in this respect
are the freddy" books by
Walter Brooks. These satisfy
q wide age range and are ac-
cepted by a critical audience
of children and adults. Walter
Brooks latest is Freddy and
the Men From Mars" (Knopf;
$3).
Also Romance
When Freddy puts on his
great detective expression,
you can be sure that the mys-
terry will be solved and the
wrong-doers brought to their
senses. OF course, it isn't easy
for a pig to look like a de-
tective. but Freddy manages
to achieve something that is
q combination Of George
Washington and Winston
Churchill. It Is very impress
Sive.
Another author who believes
that realism is not enough is
Mrs. Carley Dawson, whose
"Sign of the Seven Seas"
(Houghton, Mifin; $3.50 is an
Arabian Nights type Of adven-
ture, set in the narrow streets
Of Georgetown. She says:
MY books are a kind of pro-
test against the too realistic
books that are often written
for children. I think that an
imaginative world Is the proper
heritage Of childhood" And
certainly there is plenty Of
magic and romantic adventure
In this story of pirates and
shipwreck.
With the celebration of Chill
dren's Book Week (November
l4-2D 1t is time to look to
our home libraries to make
sure that they include some
Of these modern favorites.
Book lists which may help are
"The Children's Bookshelf.
tChildren's Bureau, q. s. Gov
ernment Printing Ofiice; Is
cents: "Growing Up With
Books q basic home library
list (R. r. Bowker Co., SO
West Forty-flfth street, New
York. N. Y: 10 cents); ''Bib-
biography Of Books for Chill
dfen' association for Child
hood Education, Washington.
D. c.: $1.25).