CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7194, 7 March 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

Young people of tho present day siro kept well supplied with new books, Too well almost, for there is a tendency among them to read without properly digesting tha matter. We bsliovo that their parents, to whom a now book wns a rare thing, .understood far better what t\oy did read. Be it as it may, there can ba no doubt that n> claßß of literature has ira-

proved mora of late years than children a books, and the chief difficulty now is to select out of the many thousands of really cxc illent works. We have reeaivod for review from Mo3srs Blaokio and Son, of Edinburgh, a groat variety of books for the young, of more than o cdinary merit, tho boy's books being especially g°"Tho Wreck of the Nancy Bell," by J. 0. Hutchison, contains tha usual harrowing details thr.t boys no much delight in. This New Zsaland-bound ship seems to meet with ovary ill that ship is heir to. After encountering a heavy storm in th 3 Bay of Biscay there- is a tropical calm, which is enlivened by a fire in the hold of tho vesaol. Then they encounter icoberga, and finally a cyclone wrecks tho lllfatad Nancy Bell. A mutiny follows, and the disagreoable members of tha crew gooff by themselves, leaving our heroes and heroines to get ashore as best they may. There they live in true Robinson Crusoe styio till picked up by a passing ship. The book is written in a vigorous, manly stylo, and should be very popular among boys. In the same stylo is. " Tho Pirate Island," by Harry Collingwood, which in even more interesting. The hero, Bob Logorton, is saved from a shipwreck and adopted by an old fisherman. Bob"endears himself to a Captain Staunton by rescuing his daughter, and is taken to Bea by the captain as apprentice. Cn tho voyage Home from Australia they are shipwrecked, and after being tossed about in au open boat, are picked up by a passing ship, which turns nut to bo a pirato. They are conveyed to Pirato Island, and there kept as prisoners. Thoy manage at last to escape, after many vicisaitude3, which culminato in » pitched battle between them and tho pirate. Thero is a strong religious undercurrent running through these pages, and the tone is manly and chivalrous. "True to the Old Flag" 13 by G. A, Hoaty, that moat popular of all boys' authors. Mr Henty not only interests boys, but he teaches them something of history at the same time, the historical part being so carefully interwoven that the young reader does not know that he is being instructed as well as amused. This book is a tala of the American War of Independence from the English point of view. There are not many books written on this subject—perhaps becauseEuglishmen do not care to make heroes out of those who were worsted in the fifht, so they have left it chiefly to American authors to tell the story, and they naturally do so from the American side. " St. George for England : a Tale of Oressy and Poictiers," by the same author, is another historical story of the same style. "In Freedom's Cause: a story of Wallace, and Bruce," is also by Mr Henty. Better boys' books than these three it would be difficult to find. Mr G. Mandeville Fanu is another favourite boys' author, Wo have received two books written by him—" Menhardoc" and " Buayip Land." Tha last U a most amusing story, relating the adventures of a boy— Jcg CarstairE—who, in company with a doctor and anothor boy, penetrate tha interior of Now Guinea in search of Joe's father, who has been taken prisoner by savageß. When Joe first tells his old nurso that ho is going, her indignation i 3 well depicted: "She took off her glasses with her left hand in the stocking, and shaking her head she exclaimed: ' Oh, you bad boy, wasn't it enough for your father to go mad after his botaniky, and want t-p.go collecting furren buttercups and daisies, to break your mother's heart, that you must ketch his complaint and want to go too?'— 'My father isn't mad,' I said ' Your father w«s mad,' retorted Nurso Brown, ' and I was surprised at him. What did ho ever get by going wandering about collecting his dry orchardeses and rubbish and sending of 'em to England?'—'Fame,'l cried 'and honour.'— 'Fame and honour nsver bought potatoes,' said Nurse." In spite of her remonstrance, Joe's mother permits him to go, Besides his white companion, an Australian black, Jimmy, accompanies the party. Jimmy imagines that everything strange that he sees is a "bunyip" or demon, Hence tho title of the book, They all meet with many adventures, and Jimmy proves himself invaluable. Thoy succeed at last in rescuing the unfortunate professor, who, we should imagine; takes the advice of Nufsa Brown, and does not go on any more botanical explorations. " Warner'3 Chase, or tha Gentle Heart," by Annie S. Swan, is tho story of a family left in destitute circumstances on the death of the father. A harsh old uncle sends them to London, where they- have a struggle for oxistauce. The uncle takes one of the girls, Ruby, to live with him, but she showß a want of consideration for him, and quarrels with his housekoeper, so is returned to her mother, and the elder sister, Milly, is taken instead. She, by gentleness and kindness, won the old man's heart, and when he dies finds herself the mistress of Warner's Chase, her old home. In "Winnie's Secret: a Story of Faith and Patience," by Kate Wood, no one can fail to be struck with the spirit of sslf-sacrifice that actuates tho little heroine. It is a really good story, and the interest never fails. "Down and Up Again," by Gregson Gow, is the story of a family who are in greatly reduced circumstances. In making their livelihood as working people they meet with some queer characters—notably an Irish boy who talks in rhyme, and an old lady who advertises for a girl "to read Foxe's 'Book of Martyrs' without yawning," and adds, "No one need apply with a turn-up nose." Wo have not space to notice all tho books sent to review, but will merely mention their names for the benefit of our readers, "Mwh Fenwick's Failures," by Esino Stuart; "Magna Charta Stories," by Arthur Gilman ; " Brothers in Arms," by Bayford Harrison, a story of the Crusadas; "Traitor or Patriot," a tala of the Rye ; " House Plot," by Mary C. Rowsell; also au excellent edition of " Robinson Crusoe."