davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Grownup Memories

If we look back on our own
childhood reading, we know
that certain family stories are
long remembered. Think Of
LITTLE WOMEN, THE BAS-
TABLE CHILDREN, perhaps
TOM SAWYER. Each year a
few new family stories deserve
to be added, because they have
caught the essence Of home
life, the give and take OF
brothers and sisters. the hon
est mixture Of light and
shadow"
The Cares children who lived
so years ago in a big red
house, complete with Irish
cook and ponies to ride. are
no more dated than Tom Saw
yer. A new author, E. c.
Spykman. writes warmly and
brilliantly Of their adventures
in A LEMON AND A STAR
(Harcourt, $2.75). The same
spirit of making the most Of
each day, from sunup to sun
down, characterizes the chill
dren in CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN
by Belle Norman Rugh
(Houghton, Mifflin. $2.75).
In contrast, THE GOLDEN
NAME DAY by Jennie Lind
quist CHarpers, $2.76 empha-
sizes the nostalgia memories
of a Swedish American child
hood. Yet there Is affection in
every backward glance which
other shy little girls may find
especially touching.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

swallows firecrackers and a
pickpocket provide the final
touch of excitement on the
day that Papa sets of his most
magnificent firework castle.
For bedtime reading. in the
last days before Christmas,
Roger Duvoisin has concocted
a merry tale about Santa Claus,
ONE THOUSAND CHRIST
MAS Boards (Knopf, $3.50.
It's always good to have one
fresh Christmas fantasy to add
to the old standbys. And you
can add Anne Thaxton Eaton's
collection of Christmas poems,
WELCOME CHRISTMAS (Vi-
king, $3.50. Like an "add-a-
pearl necklace. these poems
have been gathered from year
to year,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Only the Best

We are often reminded that
"only the best is good enough
for children" The difficulty is
to know the best when you see
it. to choose the right book for
the right child. The so or more
books mentioned in this article
should help. for they are a fair
sampling Of the best of the
current season. And If you
want to look back. THE H.
Illustrated TREASURY OF
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE,
by Margaret Martignoni, re-
viewed in detail last month. is
a valuable guide.
One Of the most comforting
comments have heard in a
long time was made by Annis
Duff's daughter just before she
went of to college. She said,
Sometimes you can take 1t
with you" And among her
choicest treasures she listed
"all the elegant books I've
grown up with"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Runner Golden Pens Another
Fable, This Time of London

AN EPISODE OF SPAR
ROWS. by Runner Golden
Viking; $500 is another of
this sensitive writer's novels
with a simple title (recalling
"A Breath Of Air" and THE
River") and q more complex
interplay Of drama and char
acter.
Like some of her other
novels, "An Episode of Spar
rows" Is q sort Of fable or al
legory, not this time Of India
or some other exotic place. but
Of the meaner streets Of Lon
don.
The story is about some
slum children and some Of
their elders and a few wealthy
persons who live on the fringe
of impoverished Catford
street. Primarily this is the
story Of Lovejoy. a little girl
mostly abandoned by a mother
who fancies she is an actress.
and of Tip Malone. a boy who
leads a gang and is consid-
cred tough but actually is as
soft-hearted as they come. It
is Lovejoy's passion for grow
ing things and her determi-
nation to have a garden on a
street where there is not even
good earth that impels her and
her reluctant admirer, Tip. to
steal dirt from the Garden
Club. Lovejoy on her own
steals more than that, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
TuIes of Wonder

Some artists also have a
light hand with stories. blend
ing words and pictures with
a magic that dazzles the eye.
ON BEYOND ZEBRA is the
latest bit of nonsense from
DR.. Seuss (Random House,
$2.50). full of his own special
kind of gobbledygook. Young
sters opening this book for the
first time cannot help exclaim-
ing, Nov, listen to this, and
this, and this: :"
The same kind Of exuberance
runs with a whoosh and q
sizzle and a bang! through a
Mexican picture story book,
THE FABULOUS FIREWORK
FAMILY, by James Flora
Harcourt. $2.75). A dog that
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Eusy-to-Reud

For young ranch riders,
HOME ON THE RANGE by
Berta and Elmer Hader Mac
milan, $2.50) will be the OBJ
vious companion piece to a
cowboy hat and an Indian
feather headdress. There's a
little more adventure and just
the same wishful thinking in
THE SECRET COWBOY by
Marjorie Rosevear (Messner.
$2.50). PLUG-HORSE DERBY
by Emma Brock (Knopf, $500
combines humor and horse
training. For boys who would
rather ski than ride q horse
TODD'S SNOW PATROL by
Marion RenicK (Scribners, so
can be recommended.
Altogether, the books which
bridge the gap between pic
ture books and full-length
story books are better than
ever this year. Gone is that
plodding pedestrian air which
kills the desire to read. 1t is
a temptation to linger over
them.
One Of the best is EVE
AND THE WONDERFUL
KANGAROO by Irmengarde
Eberle (Knopf. $3.50. You
wouldn't believe that a pet
kangaroo could be as smart as
Cookie, or as exasperating.
Another rollicking tale Is
PAPA DOLPHIN'S TABLE by
Dorothy Buffers (Knopf, so.
Why papa insisted on buying
a banquet table when they
didn't even have a house to
live in is one Of those mys-
teries on which many a good
story is founded.
A demon 4-year-old with
the misleading romantic name
of Ramona is the william in
BEEZUS AND RAMONA by
Beverly Cleary Morrow. $2.50).
The 9-year-old girl who reads
this will soon make 1t re-
quired reading among her
classmates. Even boys like 1t.
For the same age is Mabel
Leigh Hunts better-than-usual
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
A Fine Book
orChristmus

THE AMERICAN TREAS
URY, 1455-1955, selected and
commented on by Clifton
Fadiman, assisted by Charles
Van Doren (Harper; $500 Is
a thick volume Il assorted quo
tation poetry and prose -
relating to Americans, how we
have lived and what We have
thought about. Talking about
America is a battling business, /"
Mr.. Fadiman concluded, after
quoting for a thousand pages,
because nothing you can
think of saying is quite untrue.
q. We seem to be able to
manufacture everything ex-
cept a national character guar
anteed not to change its shape
under any conditions" This
book would make a fine Christ
mas gift for a friend.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Picture Books

If you are looking for a
book for a preschool child, it
helps to know the child. PLAY
WITH ME by Marie Hall Els
viking. $2.50), reflects the
inner world Of q 3-year-old
more at home with animals
than people. For the more
outgoing youngster, THE
STORY OF NOAH'S ARK by
Tony Palazzo Garden City,
$2.50). is a fresh retelling which
does not distort the Bible story
but makes it as vivid and un-
forgettable as Hurricane Diane.
Vigorous illustrations of
animals by talented artists
make immediate appeal to
children. Rojankovsky's frogs,
mice and meadow creatures
are as joyful as the ballad It
self in FROG WENT A
COURTING by John LangstaR
(Harcourt. $2.50l. The pranc-
ing horses in WORLD FULL
OF HORSES doubleday,
$3.50, are by Dahlov Ipcar.
Counting rhymes is the
pleasant excuse for page after
page Of dancing animals by
Fritz Eichenberg. He dedicates
this unusual picture book.
DANCING IN THE MOON
(Harcourt. $2.25) to Albert
Einstein, who liked children,
animals, and numbers" Two
other original books which
explore the joys of numbers
for little children are HOW
OLD ARE YOU? by Leonard
Kirkpatrick (Abelard. $3.50
and ONE STEP, TWO by
Charlotte Zolotow Oothrop.
H0l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Insurance Bosses
ITrembIe Before
This Burrister
LIFE AND LIMB. BY Robert

LIFE AND LIMB. BY Robert
Wallace. Doubleday: $500
Melvin NJ. Belli of San Fran
cisco and the world at large is
the trial lawyer genius who
has grayed whole regiments of
insurance bigwigs.
In front of juries he is q
serious scholar. although Ca
pable Of antics that stun the
judge and defense counsel.
Outside the courtrooms he is
about four times as gay as the
man on the flying trapeze.
The authors review of the
Belli story captures both sides
Of a fascinating figure.
Other damage suit special
lists revere him. Attorneys for
insurance companies blanch at
the mention of his name.
More than any other man,
Mr.. Belli has revoked the
field Of personal---very. law.
The book describes his most
outstanding accomplishments
in extracting large blocks of
insurance assets In behalf Of
his manned clients.
Mr.. Bells success at prov
ing damage is so impressive it
would be difficult to review his
biography in a derogatory
fashion. He might sock the
reviewer with about is pounds
Of writs. And Mr.. Belli doesn't
lose many cases.
RICHARD RODGERS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Special Interest

Another new development in
writing for children. and adults
too, is the book which drama
ties some subject of special
interest.
Marian King has done this
for portraits Of children in the
National Gallery, with her wise
and pungent analysis OF paint
ers in A GALLERY OF chill.
DREN (Lippincott), $250.
Herbert Tim. expert on mon
keys. mammals, minerals and
dozens of other scientific cate
gories, adds SEASHORES to
his shelf OF Golden Nature
Guides (Simon and Schuster.
$3.50.
Lancelot Hogben. author of
MATHEMATICS FOR THE
MILLIONS, tells how the
knowledge Of mathematics has
helped the advance of civili-
zation. THE WONDERFUL
WORLD OF MATHEMATICS
Garden City. $2.95) is def
nitely beamed for the younger
generation of brains"
Katherine Shipper. former
curator of Social Studies at the
Brooklyn Museum. dramatiZes
the lives of biologists in MEN,
MICROSCOPES, AND LIVING
THINGS viking. So.
Alan Patton. author of CRY,
THE BELOVED COUNTRY,
turns q novelist's insight and
q social workers objectivity to
q survey Of THE LAND AND
PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA
Uippincott. $2.76.
Raymond Holden, free-lance
writer and amateur explorer,
captures the essence Of explo-
ration in his story Of FAMOUS
SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITIONS
(Random House, $2.76.
Janice Holland, artist and
native Southerner. recreates
the colorful charm and dra-
matte history Of Charleston,
South Carolina, in PIRATES.
PLANTERS AND PATRIOTS
(Scribner's, $3.50.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Wonderful Animals

Cats and dogs are often the
first friends of children. and
stories about them remain
popular year after year. So it
is no wonder that children
have already welcomed WON
DER TALES OF CATS AND
DOGS, by Frances Carpenter
Doubleday. $500. Ten and
12-year-oids read it for them
selves, dipping into it as they
would sample a box Of candy.
choosing The Cat Bride" or
1.-THE Ghost Dog" to suit the
fancy of the moment. Story
tellers will find this a grab bag
into which they can safely dip
blindfolded.
Other wonderful animal sto-
ries of the year reflect the
modern trend in writing about
animals. They are neither
falsely sentimental, nor fool
ishly humanized. The authors
have the skill to see the world
as animals and children see 1t.
The best Of these stories in
clude two about dogs: YIPE.
by David Malcolmson uittle
Brown, $2.T5), and JUNKET,
by Anne H. White Viking,
$2.75). THE LITTLE cow
AND THE TURTLE, by Mem
dert De Jong tHarpers. $3.50.
tells about the 18th COW and
her trek across the land, max
ing friends with hoboes, boys
on bicycles. and finally a mud
turtle. This Is a most lovable
COW.
Another usual animal
story is BOOMER, by Denis
Clark viking. $2.50). This
life story Of a kangaroo Is also
a poignant and absorbing reve-
lation Of an Australian cattle
station. The background Of
Waiting Matilda" is Boom
er's background, too. the naive
native boys. the exotic kookoo-
burra birds. the dreams Of
rainbow gold:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Family Reading

For reading aloud. almost
any family needs some choice
collections of poems and folk
tales. TIRRA-LIRRA by Laura
E. Richards little, Brown, $50
has been out Of print for too
long. Now it is available
again, and the cheerful verses
sound even better than we re-
membered. whether it is the
comfortable jiggle-joggle OF
1.-THE Baby Goes to Boston"
or the absurd humor Of "Ele-
telephony"
MOUSE CHORUS by Eliza
beth Coatsworth pantheon
Books, $2) has humor, too.
and a sly wisdom, with mice
capering all over its pages.
And for a first" book Of poet
ry, after Mother Goose, THE
GOLDEN PICTURE BOOKS
OF POEMS (Simon & Shuster.
SD could hardly be better II 1t
cost twice as much.
Among the folk tale re-
prints. another bargain is
GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES re-
told by Rose DobbS (Random
House, 81. Miss Dobbs edited
the Wanda Gag collections Of
Grimm's tales, and her ear for
the right word is well trained.
For Uncle Remus addicts.
there is an enormous anthol-
ogy Of all the Uncle Remus
tales, brought together with
loving care by Richard Chase.
The original pictures. too, are
included In THE COMPLETE
TALES OF UNCLE REMUS
(HOuqtOn. So,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Mathew Brady
Camera Study

MATHEW BRADY, HIS.
TORIAN WITH A CAMERA
by James D. Koran Grown.
$3.50 is more than another
handsome book Of pictures and
text. Actually 1t contains
many rare and some never
before-published portraits by
the pioneer photographer Of
prominent figures Of the mid
die 1905. These include e.
rare deguerreotype of the
fourteenth President, Frank.
lin Pierce; another of Judah
p. Benjamin when he was a.
Senator from Louisiana, and
equally unknown pictures of
Edwin Booth, Adelina Patti
and Jenny Lind. The Civil
War pictorial anthology is5
quite complete. 1t is a re-
markable and valuable book. i
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Is Set
lin Beautiful
Greek Isle
THE SEA AND THE STONE

THE SEA AND THE STONE.
BY CHAIRMAN Cliff and
George Johnston. (Bobbs-
Merrill; $3.50
Kalymnos is a fiercely BEAU
tiful little Greek island in the
Aegean Sea. Chairman Cliff
and George Johnston. an Aus
tralian married couple, live
there now, completely under
the spell Of its loneliness and
cruelty, and this is a celebra-
ton of its ways and its men,
its festivals. superstitions and
sorrows.
AS q novel, 1.-THE Sea and
the Stone" may not be any
great shakes. The action is
rather diffuse, the characters
so numerous as to be confus-
ing, and the story too long.
But in its evocation Of an ex-
otto scene, of q civilization
5000 years old, Of q life that
has q raw grandeur and a
threadbare nobility 1t Is splen-
did. And the chapters on the
miserably ill-paid and perilous
craft of sponge-diving might
well serve as a documentary
on the subject.
What Kalymnos faces as the
story opens, is virtual extinc-
ton. The invention Of syn
thetic sponges has threatened
to make obsolete the arduous
summer expeditions of the
hardy little sponge feet, cap
tanned by the larger-thsn-
life Menoli. A scheme is pro-
posed whereby the divers
would be exported to Australia
where they would submerge
in search Of pearl shell. A
treacherous operator named
Homer Vraxos, back from
America in search of a young
wife takes over the project and
makes Of it an instrument
Of revenge against Manoli.
Within this theme many
threads are interviewer: Sew
eral criss-crossed romances
are played out. But individual
scenes are more memorable:
The blessing Of the sponge
boats; the death of q half
paralyzed old diver who lights
all the candles In the little
church before he plunges the
cliffs; the beef-boiling on the
beach before the departure of
the fleet
Loving all, the JohnstonS
have put in a little too much.
And not trusting sufficiently in
the appeal of the scene and
their wonderful observation OF
it, they have included toe
many Unexplained subplots.
But they deserve applause for
making their readers under
stand the grave beauty of a
way Of life that has gone on
for thousands of years and
will in spite Of everything,
continue.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04
Orphans Story
Has Christmas
Card Appeal
THE FIVE FATHERS OF

THE FIVE FATHERS OF
PEPI. BY Ira Avery. (Bobbs-
Merrill; So
1t is as difficult to criti-
CHE this story of an Italian
orphan with i've bachelor
fathers. as it would be to cri-
ticize a Christmas card. That
is because it is so full Of good
feeling and unexceptionable
sentiment. But at the same
time. it is as sentimental as
a Jackie Coogan movie. and
has a neat. pastel quality that
doesn't quite accord with the
Italian scene.
The story Is concerned with
the efforts of 5-year-old Pepi's
five guardians to supply him
with American parents, pre-
ferably rich. 1t unfolds in
gently comic fashion, with
everyone including the pros
pective parents, behaving ad-
mirably. The outcome is also
exactly what it should be.
MARY McGRORY.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

Steele's vivid frontier language
adds q new dimension to the
stories of "captivated' chill
dren, their spunk and resource
fulnesS.
Adventure Is where you find
it. and boys will be boys, in
whatever country or century.
especially runaway boys. So
there is kinship between KIM
OF KOREA told by Faith Nor
ris and Peter Lum (Messner,
$2.75) and PEPYS' BOY by
Rachel Marble Doubleday.
$2.75).
Time Is nothing when adj
venture beckons. Past, pres
ent and future seem to offer
equal opportunity for tests Of
courage devised by resource
full authors with the world. as
their stage. Until the final
verdict Of the young readers
themselves is heard. here are
a few good candidates:
GO TO INDIA by Keith
Robertson Viking, $3.50.
OUTLAW VOYAGE by Val
Gendron (World. $2.75O.
SANTIAGO by Ann Nolan
Clark viking, $2.75.
MISTLETOE AND SWORD
by Anya Seton Garden City,
$2.5O.
WILDERNESS WARDEN by
Edward c. James Uongmans.
$2.76.
TUNNEL IN THE SKY by
Robert Heinlein (Scribners,
$2.5O.
Primarily adventure stories
are for boys, but there's a touch
of romance here and there
which will satisfy girls. too.
AS for new teen -age novels.
none have the immediate
promise of SEVENTEENTH
SUMMER or CRESS DELE
HANTY. But girls will like
the battle Of town VS.. gown"
in ROSEMARY by Mary Stolz
CHarpers, $2.50). Patricia is
a likeable extrovert in TO-
MORROW FOR PATRICIA by
Crane Blossom Harrison little
Brown, $2.75). and SUSAN
CORNISH by Rebecca Caudill
Viking. $2.75) will appeal to
other girls who feel they have
q mission in life.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

gogical philosophy affirms
that teachers can do no more
than hint at the wealth Of
youths cultural inheritance
and If sly references provoke
no interest, it is the teachers
who must adjust their In
terests, revise their questions.
All that a teacher might
know about science, language
or literature must be squeezed
into the narrow confines Of y
an adolescent life. If 1t does
not At. the life Is not to be-
expanded, but the culture Is
to be contracted. II q high
school boy prefers the pool
hall to Plato, then the phi
losopher must hide behind the
cues" Or
1t is not that there are no.
good" students. intelligent,
and earnest ones who want to-
learn. But these are held back. /.
despite "honor" classes. by the =
average. Delinquents, little (
roughnecks, are not the whole
problem. The merely apa-
thetic children, who don't try.
who enter high school without
being able to read or spell or >
speak intelligibly, hold back all
the others.
The Problem Child
The whole school system lis
geared to the problem child.
He is petted. excused, and
studied out Of all proportion. {;
He is the man Of the hour,
and he knows it: he is con- {
scious of his nuisance value
and he uses it to the fullest. 7
He is the center Of the school
and the basic unit with whom
all must work" i
Reviewing the children in
&c" classes, where the worst
students are placed. many Of
whom graduate after learn
ing virtually nothing, Miss
Dunn comments: "One might
ask whether the children are
getting dumber or whether
school is getting to be too easy
to be taken seriously" :
Her book deserves to be-
widely read. Regardless Of
whether you agree with her
conclusions. I promise YOU
won't find her story dull.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

introduce to a favorite young
ster those books which are
newly minted. In story and
pictures, children's books to-
day are as full of promise as
the sleek. colorful cars of 1856.
In her new book on family
reading, LONGER FLIGHT
viking, So, Annis Duff COM
ments on the healthy variety
of children's reading tastes.
A 14-year-old may sand
wich q rereading Of FREDDY
THE DETECTIVE, third-grade
favorite, in between a biog-
raphy Of Nine. Curie. and
an adult novel. This pattern
Of reading, which includes the
familiar and the unfamiliar. is
repeated at almost every age.
The boy who spends most Of
his time tinkering with ma
chimes may laugh and chortle
over the nonsensical adven-
lures of STUART LITTLE.
The girl who reads nothing but
horse stories will one day wake
up to the delights Of poetry or
science. The small child who
seems contented enough with
dolls or trains may suddenly
discover the world of folk tales.
It is automatic that chill
dren's books reflect changing
educational trends. Today.
when educational experts
realize that children learn
faster when information is
short, interesting and we'll
illustrated, our nonf1ction for
children tends to meet these
new requirements.
The ban on folk tales which
blighted educational thinking
In the '20s has been lifted, so
that now we have some Of the
most delightful retellings Of
folk tales ever published.
Science and biography which
used to be limited to teen-age
readers are now available for
younger children, who display
good appetites for this kind Of
informative reading. Picture
books, too. reflect the richer
experiences Of nursery school
and kindergarten.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

which stirred up a monstrous
controversy. Comes now an
harassed teacher striking
back with a personal case his
tory:
RETREAT FROM LEARNING,
by Joan Dunn mckay;
So.
Miss Dunn, an adequately
educated and personable young
woman, taught English for
four years at a Brooklyn high
school. She intended to make
teaching her career.
But she retreated into jour-
nalism. Why?
Because, to sum UP her find
ings, she couldn't take what
is known as progressive educa-
ton.
The progressive system
and fixed moral values are mu-
tually exclusive"
Could Happen Here
While she writes specifically
Of New York's public schools,
the ideas on which their pres
ent methods are based are In
effect, more or less. through
out the country even. it
could be, in Washington.
Under these ideas, Miss
Dunn points out in her pro-
vocative. well-phrased, witty
book, high school boys and
girls receive a minimum of
discipline at a period when
they need it most. They are
encouraged to exchange their
own reflections. express them
selves, even II their only in
terests are sex, gunplay and
jazz. The courses must be
geared down to them, not they
lifted to the basic needs Of
education.
And the extremists of pro-
gressivism are currently in
the saddle" says Miss Dunn.
THE educator Of this school
has a closed mind. He refuses
to see anything worth while
in the ideas of others"
Spillane VS.. Shakespeare
And the author adds: AN
archism will always appeal to
the undisciplined mind more
than constitutionality and
Mickey Spillane more than
Shakespeare"
She contends: Current peda-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-04

inevitably she and Tip get into,
trouble.
While this novel has Miss
Godden's airy touch, 1t seems
to lack the drama of "A
Breath of Air" the parody on
THE Tempest" and of King
fishers Catch Fire" 1t hangs
on slender threads and does
not hold much excitement. It
has, nevertheless. appealing
characters. An Episode OF
Sparrows" is a Book-of-the
Month Club selection.