Part 9
As a whole, they make the most important series of juvenile books that have appeared, to our knowledge, since Miss Edgeworth. They are very unlike those, and yet they resemble them in some prominent features; especially in making it their chief object to be _pleasing_, and thus gently and imperceptibly opening a way for _instruction_ to the mind and morals, without obtruding or forcing it in the least. For this the books before us are remarkable. They are entertaining throughout. The interest never flags, and yet there is no seeming attempt to sustain it. There is little continuous story, and no plot or romance, or grown-up folly, such as fills half of the _young_ novels now made for children. Here is a little boy, who is first induced to learn to _talk_; and in order to do this, he is made to see objects for himself, and think about them, and ask questions. Next he is taught to _read_; to effect this, he is candidly told that learning to read is not play, but work, and at first dry and hard work. It soon becomes easy, however, because it is undertaken in earnest, and then it becomes pleasant; and parents may take a hint from this, when they are afraid to allow letters and learning to wear any form but that of playthings and pastime to their children. In the third volume, Rollo is at _work_; in the fourth, at _play_; and the morals of both play and work are as easily and pleasantly insinuated as we have often seen. There is constant occupation in both, and constant natural opportunities of learning the duty and the advantage of feeling and doing right, and thus seeing the evil of feeling and doing wrong; for Mr. Abbott fully carries out, in these books, the great principle which we rejoice to see advanced in the Preface to one of them, namely, "that it is generally better, in dealing with children, to allure them to what is right by agreeable pictures of it, than to attempt to drive them to it by repulsive delineations of what is wrong." The fifth volume presents Rollo at _School_, and the last his _vacation_. They keep up the interest, and advance in maturity of thought and illustration, as the boy advances.
_From the Mother's Magazine, edited by Mrs. Whittlesey._
Mr. Abbott possesses, in a very high degree, the faculty of awakening the interest of children. His writings have that absolute requisite for securing permanent popularity--_truth to nature_. His boys and girls talk and act _like_ boys and girls, not like miniature men and women.
There are a thousand minute touches in his descriptions, which are evidently drawn from the life, and which betoken a habit of close and accurate observation of the ways and manners of children. In reading his books, you hardly believe that it is not your own little Charles or Henry, whose doings and sayings he is reporting. It is this truth and freshness in minute touches that constitutes _picturesqueness_ in writing; a quality which renders Miss Edgeworth and Mr. Abbott attractive not only to _little_ readers, but to some older persons that we know. We have spoken of these books as _interesting_; we can also recommend them as adapted to be exceedingly _useful_--and for the very same reason. Instead of _general_ exhortations to certain things, and dehortations from others, children here find vivid pictures of the very faults they are to strive against, and are shown how to strive--of the good habits they are to acquire, and _how_ they may be acquired. Parents will find them a valuable aid in the instruction and amendment of their children.
_In Press_,
ROLLO'S EXPERIMENTS. ROLLO'S MUSEUM.
BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG,
PUBLISHED BY
WEEKS, JORDAN, & CO.
WEEKS, JORDAN, & CO. are engaged in publishing books for young persons, in the preparing of which particular attention will be given to furnishing reading which shall combine rational and innocent recreation with good moral influence. Those published are,
CHARLES HARTLAND, or THE VILLAGE MISSIONARY. By the author of "The House I live in." A work full of incident, illustrating Christian principles in the young by example.
UNCLE THOMAS'S STORIES OF SHIPWRECKS. By THOMAS BINGLEY, author of "Stories about Dogs," &c. With five engravings.
LITTLE DOVE, by KRUMMACHER, and LITTLE DOWNY, or THE FIELD MOUSE.
THE WARNING. By MRS. FOLLEN. New Edition.
HAPPY DAYS. By the author of "Happy Valley."
MARY HOWITT'S TALES IN PROSE.
---- IN VERSE.
---- NATURAL HISTORY.
PICTURES AND STORIES FOR CHILDREN. By a Lady.
VICTIMS OF GAMING, or PASSAGES FROM THE DIARY OF AN AMERICAN PHYSICIAN.
THREE WEEKS IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON.
STORIES AND RHYMES FOR CHILDREN. By a Lady.
ALNOMUC, or THE GOLDEN RULE; A Tale of the Sea. 18 engravings.
TEACHER'S PRESENT. With a copperplate.
OLD IRONSIDE. By the author of "Alnomuc." 24 engravings.
PETER PARLEY'S METHOD OF TELLING ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE BIBLE.
THE BOY AND THE BIRDS.
ROSE AND HER LAMB.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
1. Minor changes have been made to correct usage of punctuation; otherwise, every effort has been made to ensure that this etext is faithful to the original book.
2. The original Table of Contents incorrectly listed the first chapter as beginning on page 11; this has been corrected to reflect the first page as page 9.
3. The footnote in the first chapter refers the reader to the Frontispiece; in fact, the Frontispiece refers to an event in seventh chapter. The Transcriber believes that the footnote should read "See page 23."