BLACKIE AND SONS BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8156, 18 January 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

BLACKIE AND SONS BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

We have received from Messrs. J- H. Upton and Co., booksellers and stationers, Queenstreet, a parcel of elegantly bound volumes of Blackie and Son's books for the young. They are not only elegantly bound but admirably illustrated, and we may say from a perusal of the contents that, while eminently calculated to enlist the sympathies and excite tho interest of the young, they are equally well adapted for the perusal of persons of more advanced years. The authors are people of high celebrity, the printing is clear and elegant, the series as a whole is extremely creditable to the firm of Blackie and Sons, and the volumes are eminently suitable for and would prove an ornament to auy library. " With Lkb in Virginia," by G. A. Monty.— This is a story of the American civil war, and contains ten full-page illustrations by Gordon Browne. It is a charming volume, full of life and interest. The story is that of a young Virgiuian officer of the Confederate army, who served as a cavalry officer during the great civil war of tho United States, and dealing with all the great and historic battles and struggles of that terrible period, gives interesting details of all the great battlos from Bull's Run to the surrender of General Lee and his army before Richmond. The book abounds in exciting and heroic incidents, introducing all the great names of tho civil war. The story is told with a strong Confederate bias, but its historical events, which are still fresh in the memories of many, are admirably narrated. Mr. Honty, with a masterly hand, makes the best use of tho material at his disposal, and in this story of a young Virginian planter, who, after bravely exhibiting his sympathy with the slaves, serves with devoted and heroic courage and enthusiasm under Generals Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Johnson, and Lee through the whole campaign, at all events through the most exciting events of the great struggle. He has many hairbreadth escapes is twice taken prisoner, once sentenced to be shot as a spy, but his courage and readiness of resource bring him safely through all difficulties. There is an interesting romance interwoven in the tale which adds to its general interest, and " With Lee in Virginia " is a volume which we can confidently recommend to all classes of readers.

"Cretter the Outlaw," by S. Baring Gould.—This handsome volume of 354 pages, has ten full-page illustrations, by Mr. Zeno Diemer. This is a work of special interest, nob only because of tho high reputation of Mr. Baring Gould as a novelist, but because of his earlier reputation as an explorer of legends, and in the story of "Grot-tor" both these characteristics find full scope, 'the result being a narrative of a most romantic kind, at the same time giving a minute and detailed account of old Icelandic families, describing their mode of life, customs, and superstitions, as well as their intrepid bravery by land or sea. The story is told in simple language, comprehensible to all readers, and this legend of Iceland cannot fail to be read with great interest. "Highways and Hunt Seas,"byF. Frankfort Moore.—This admirably told narrative of the adventures of Cyril Harley on land and sea has eight full-page illustrations, by Alfred Pearse. Tho story belongs to a period of the days of postehaises and highwayman, post captains' frigates, privateers, and smugglers. The hero, a boy, tells his adventures with great vividness, interspersed with a rich vein of humour, and incidentally points out how little of real courage or romance existed amongst the highwaymen and privateers who are frequently held up to admiration, but how they may give rise to the need of the highest courage in others and lead to romantic adventures of an exciting kind. Many of the scenes described are of the most thrilling and exciting nature, some of them equal to Captain Marryatt's vivid descriptions of nautical fights, and the painting of character is done with the clever hand of an artist. It is a volume well worthy of a place in the series, and that is saying a great deal iu its favour.

"Afloat at Bast," by John C. Hutchensou.—"Afloat at Bast, or a Sailor Boy's Log of His Life at Sea," is handsomely illustrated with six full-page engravings by W. H. Overond. Mr. llutchenson has a high reputation for realistic treatment of lifo at sea, and it is fully sustained in '• Afloat at Bast," a boy's narrative of his experience on board ship during his first voyage. The routine description is given with an accuracy which could only bo acquired by a perfect knowledge of ships and sailor?, and the incidents range from the broad humour and tough yarns of the fo'castle to a fight with pirates in the China seas. All the characters, including the captain, mate, tiie Irish boatswain, the Portuguese steward, and the Chinese cook, are cleverly drawn, and there is a freshness and reality about the whole story which makes it doubly interesting. " Thornoykk Manor." By Mary C. Rowsell. —This is a tale of Jacobite times, and is full of the romantic interest attached to those times. It has six full-page illustrations. Tho story, which is told charmingly by the authoress, is in substance as follows :Thorndyke Manor is an old house near the mouth of the Thames, which is convenient on account of its situation, and its secret vaults as a base of operations in a Jacobite conspiracy. In consequence its owner, a kindly, quipt, hook-loving squire, who lives happily with his sister, bright .Mistress Amoril, finds himself suddenly involved by a treacherous steward in the closest meshes of the plot. Me is conveyed tc the tower, but all difficulties are finally overcome, and his innocence is triumphantly proved by his sister. "Tin-: Loss ok John- Humbli:," by G. Norway. — This interesting volume has eight full-page illustrations, and possesses peculiar interest from the singul.it' vividness with which it describes the sufferings of a shipwrecked crew in the Arctic regions. John Humble, a Swedish lad, wont on a voyage to England in his uncle's ship, and while at the Thames he was pounced upon by the press-gang and placed on board an English gun brig, whose brutal captain, because the lad could not understand or answer him, had him flogged. Ho escaped from tho gun brig by swimming to a Norwegian vessel, the Thor, whose captain book a great liking to and befriended the boy. The Thor was driven from her course when on a voyage to Hammerfest, and was wrecked on an icebound desolate coast. The survivors experienced the miseries of a long sojourn in the Arctic circle with very inadequate means of support. Their sufferings were enhanced by the solfishness and wickedness* of some of the crew, but the character of the Captain Erlingsen stands out nobly. Ultimately by the aid of some friendly but thievish Laplanders the survivors succeeded in making thoir way to a reindeer station and so southward to Tornea and homo again to Stockholm. The story throughout is vivid and truthful in its details, the individual characters arc fresh and well marked, and a pleasing vein of humour relieves the stress of the more tragic incidents in tho story. "Miriam's Ambition," by Evelyn Ever-ett-Green.— This is a book especially adapted for girls, and is exceedingly interesting. Miriam's ambition is to make some one happy, and her endeavour to carry it out in the case of an invalid boy, carries with it a pleasant train of romantic interest, solving a mystery which has thrown a shadow over several lives. A charming foil to her grave and earnest elder sister is to be found in Miss Babs, a small coquette of five, whose humourous child talk is one of the most attractive features of an excellent story, which will be read with great interest in all family circles, but which possesses special fascination for the young.