FOR GOOD BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 17

FOR GOOD BOYS

"The New Zealand Boys' Diary." Christchurch: Whitcombe , and Tombs.

When a boy of inquiring turn of mind asks a harassed parent a question the beat thing to do is to refer him to an encyclopaedia, and the next best, thing to do is to give him the "New Zealand Boys' Diary" for 1926—a well-bound little book with pencil attached and "stuffed full" of information answering most of the questions likely to bo asked by ordinary boys—others require special treatment. ' In this diary will bo

found all particulars of secondary schools, their principals, colours, magazines, terms, and mottoes—the last are almost all in Latin, namely, 47, as against four in English and three in Maori; alao school sports, fixtures, athletic and sports records, table of English kings, famous artists (including dv Maurier, but omitting David Cox); tables of reformers and philanthropists, inventors, statesmen, composers, soldiers and sailors, and explorers (omitting Marco Polo). Electricity is dealt with; rules of debates are given; "howlers" find a place; so do figures of speech abbreviations, foreign words and phrases. Boys are shown how to address the King and all other titled persons; informed on the game season, and given a list of protected birds. A list of suitable authors is furnished and best books for a girls' library are suggested. Books borrowed have a table of their own, and a column headed books "returned." If the rules of health, personal hygiene, "code of honour," and many other suggestions made for. the bodily and mental welfare of the boy are observed New Zealand should produce a race of wholesome, capable, and likeable men.