LITERARY NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3436, 18 May 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

LITERARY NOTES.

fe BOOKS FOR YSURG FOLKS.

A correspondent (“j.S.", Haweraj asks mo to give him a short list of books for children’s rending. The difficulty is that children are of different ages and of tastes, in reading as in other things, most diverse, but I will try, nevertheless, to give him a useful list. First, as to what I call the “ Glassies." The children's shelves should certainly include the following amongst their cOn'- • tents-

Robinson CVUtob.” (C'/urielf’s illustrated edition is 't-W* hvsf, but you can get Croso"'lt. si) ;irif;-'s ) v ‘ the Arabian Nights." (Scores of editions also, but Eoutledge's at about is fid is the Moat suitable for family perusal.) * GultiVet's Travels,” An expurgated edition, bien entmdu. Kingsley’s “ Westward Ho.” (Her boys of 13 and over.) , Scott’s “Ivanhoev’ Fenimore Cooper’s ” The Ueerslayer, Marryatt’s “ Mas* Herman Ready.” Lamb’s “ Tales from Shakespere." Hughes’ ‘‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays.” (Macmillan and Co. publish a beautifully illustrated edition at Os. But you can get a sixpenny edition.) Cook’s Life and Voyages, (Every New Zealand boy should know his Cook.) Banyan’s " Pilgrim’s Progress.” (On this, if you remember the criticism of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, that most delightful of young scamps, was that it was “interesting but tough, '’ but a boy should certainly make an attempt to tackle Banyan. In ihy youhg days it was a great favoUrito, Hawthornes “ Wonder, Book ” and , "Tanglewood Tales.” Grrimm’s “ Household Stories,” and above all Hans Anderson’s Hairy Stories: Turning to ’rhote modern literature, of fairy books there is nowadays quite a host. , FOr quite young children there is an admirable collection, “ A Bqok of Fairy Tales," retold by the Rev. Baring Gould (Methuen’s'Colonial Library, 2s fid. Then, for older children, there are Andrew Lang’s series of “Hed,” “Blue,” and “ Pinfe ” Fairy Books published by Longttlaps and Co. These are rather expensive (ss), but are well illustrated and attractively got up. In history a boy may,read \vith advantage Dean Ghureh.'fiM'ories from Roman | and Qrgek history. “ England," in Mr ! Fished' L nwin's “ Children’s Library "is an excellent little book, G. A, Henty’s books, besides telling what boys would call a “rattling good yarn," convey incidentally much useful information- For example, “ The Tigor of Mysore,” dealing will: the Indian Mutinyj “At Agiheourt”; “By Pike alid Dylce" (the story of Dutch Struggle fpt independence); and. “When London Burned." Mr J, S. Fletcher’s *■ When ChaneS First was King” is AlsO very well written. lit talcs of adventure Rider Haggard’s “ King Solomon’s Mines ” and Stevenson’s “ Treasure Island ” should not be omitted. In Andrew Lang's “True Story Book”] (Longmans) much new ground is broken. Charles Dana’s “ Two Years Before the | Mast" is the best sea story ever written

Kipling’s “ Jungle Book” and “ Second Jungle Book ” are capital, but can be best appreciated by lads and lassos who are well into their teens.

I must not forget the late Lewis Carroll’s inimitable books, “ Alice in Wonder Land " and “ Through the Looking Glass." Girls ought to like Mrs Molesworth's stories-, of which there are several. The best ate “ Carrotts" and “ The Adventures of Herr Baby." Then there are Miss Aloott’s Little Women," and Miss Ethel Turner’s “ Seven Littje Australians.”

In biography there is a wide choice but eVery boy ought to know something of Bruce and Wallace; of Nelson and Wellington. Clarke Bussell’s “ Pictures froni the Life of Nelson," recently published, is a splendid book for boys.

: In travel there is the same bewilderi ment as to selection. Now that Africa is s'O much under notice Stanley’s “ How I found Livingstone,” and the same author’s “ Darkest Africa " might be read by the elder children, the statistics and “ dry" details being judiciously skipped. A “ boiled down ” Nansen for youthful reading is a decided want. For the very young children it is impossible to make a list, so great is the choice offered nowadays. But in the midst of many new books I would include Mrs Ewing's delightful stories, especially “ Jackanapes " and “ Lob-lie-by-the-fire." In magazines, Ghumsand The Boy’s Own Paper are the best for boys, and the Girl's Own Paper for their sisterS. St. Nicholas and Harper’s Young Folks are deservedly great favourites, and for the very wee kiddies, Little Folks. Looking over the above list, I am afraid it is somewhat of a “ higgledypiggledy ” character. Most of the books are more specially suitable for bays but I notice that girls as a rule don’t care for “ girls books " —so called. In books for quite young children, I am not learned. The subject of books for youthful reading is one of great interest and I shall be glad if some of my readers will assist me with suggestions for additions to or omissions from my list. C.W,