Literary Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13490, 11 January 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

Literary Notes.

A JUVENILE REVIEWER. The following lemarks on Christmas story books she had read was published by the London " Daily Chronicle" as the work of- a little girl aged 10 : I consider " Gamble Gold" a success, because it is so pretty and yet so amusing, [ and Grannie is a dear old lady; very useful too because the notices she puts up about everything really do help people, i Gamble Gold himself is a nice boy, but I like his granny best. There are a lot of pictures. " Captain June " is a very different kind of book, but very, very interesting, because although, of course, it is awfully nice to read about fairies, and eincliantings, and things that are not real, it is far nicer to read about things that- do happen and travellings in other lands. I should love to go to Japan, which seems really a sort of fairy place, and have a nuiee like -Seki-San, and do all the beautiful things that June did. He is a very nice little boy, and was only naughtay once when he lan away, but then he only ran away because he wanted to help the old French soldier. All the pictures are delightful, but I like the one bast which shows the big fish flying for a. festival.

" The Adventures of a Dodo " is a book all made up of magic, and I suppose it is very clever. I think, however, the Dodo is a lot too -conceited, and it served him right when he was made a prisoner. The drawings in this book are really splendid': I wish I had done them'

I am sorry to say I do not like " The Little Guest" as much as some of the otheje I have read by Mrs. Mole.;worth (like "'The Cuckoo Clock," which I have re.vd I don't know how many, tinuis, and I Khali' read again). Dulcie is a nice child, and the boys are nice too, but Tora. is far too naughty and Elinor just the opposite. No little girl could be so very wonderfully good, and- ib is absurd to make a child' of six run away all by herself. It is so funny that grown-up people will make children do in books. But I have read all this to my little sister and she likes it, so pe-ihaps I am wrong. It is quite a new thing to find a story about Egypt, and I do like " Isis and Gsiris," but I shall like it better when I understand everything in it. The pictures are really too beautiful for words, especially . the one called " The Immortal Fire"; but it is a little difficult for me t-o know what the stoiy all means. I don't find anything hard in " Dick's Angel," but, I am disappointed to bs obliged to say 1 much preferred Peter, a Christmas Story," which was writ-ten bv the same lady laist year. I am sure I don't know why Angela is called an angel because she is always in a bad temper, .but" when the book is getting clo&d up she improves. Dick is, as usua!, much too go;>«, and it. always is like that when thjre is a naughty other person.

My little i-.isr.cr adores the " Story of a Weathercock." f?he 'e always taking it round bothering people to read it- to her, and 1 am not,a- biu su;prised, bocause though it. is intended for tiny children, it i.s really very nice for us, and the baby in it Ls a perfectly too lovely duck! The illustrations aivs simply sweit-. It is all nice !

I am awfully fond of E. Nesbifc's books, eo I .have kfi " The Enchanted Castle" to the v-sry last because it is a'mc.st my favourite.*. I n;sa.n that though I 4o like it I don't quits love it as I loved " The Railway Children," • which sounded such a trus story. But i.he invisible part in "The Euehantsd Gastie" is really most exciting, and you must keep reading on and on till you get to -']••& end. And then K. JJVpbit does r.ot. make mistakes about what children do. She seems to know evt'ii their thinking parts just as if she was a little girl herself, and that is what makes her books so awfully nice.