Part 1

ONE THOUSAND BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

COMPILED BY

PENRHYN W. COUSSENS

Editor and Compiler of “Poems Children Love,” and “A Child’s Book of Stories”

[Illustration: [Logo]]

CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1911

COPYRIGHT A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1911

Published November, 1911.

Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London, England

PRESS OF THE VAIL COMPANY COSHOCTON, U. S. A.

PREFACE

The object of this book is to provide not only a practical list of suggestions that may be of service to those desirous of securing good and wholesome literature for their children, but also one that may be used by the children themselves.

This compilation is divided into nineteen groups, in which the books are graded according to ages, so that selection may be readily made, and each book title is followed by a short descriptive note.

It is impossible to draw any absolute line as to the particular age a boy or girl must be in order to read and assimilate the contents of a certain book, such is the difference in mental development. However, long experience has shown the compiler what is best adapted to the average, and the grading has been done accordingly.

Much care has been used in selecting books which have some value in assisting the gradual evolution of the mind or in shaping character, and which, at the same time, will make their appeal to the boy or girl.

P. W. C.

_Contents_

PAGE INTRODUCTION ix FOR GIRLS EIGHT TO TEN 1 FOR GIRLS TEN TO TWELVE 6 FOR GIRLS TWELVE TO FOURTEEN 13 FOR GIRLS FOURTEEN TO SIXTEEN 23 FOR BOYS EIGHT TO TEN 32 FOR BOYS TEN TO TWELVE 35 FOR BOYS TWELVE TO FOURTEEN 41 FOR BOYS FOURTEEN TO SIXTEEN 57 FOR BOYS SIXTEEN TO EIGHTEEN 78 FOR BOYS AND GIRLS THREE TO EIGHT 84 FOR BOYS AND GIRLS SIX TO TEN 98 FOR BOYS AND GIRLS TEN TO EIGHTEEN 112 MYTHS, FAIRY TALES, LEGENDS, AND FOLK LORE 130 NATURE STUDY 146 SCIENCE, HANDICRAFT, AND REFERENCE 155 BIBLE STORIES 165 POETRY 171 SUPPLEMENTARY READING 175 INDEX TO TITLES 185 INDEX TO AUTHORS 212

INTRODUCTION

It is said that the child is father of the man, and in the matter of reading this is especially applicable. Material delightful to the hearing, but perhaps in a lesser degree to the understanding, of a child of from nine to twelve years of age, yields pleasure also to the adult; while to children of twelve to sixteen or seventeen the same material would be dry and uninteresting; its beauty is not intuitively perceived by them as by their younger brothers. For example, let me cite “Emmy Lou,” by G. M. Martin; “Little Citizens,” by Myra Kelly, and “Uncle Remus,” by Joel Chandler Harris. In these stories there is a bond of sympathy established in the case of the younger child which does not apply to his older brother. To the adult—who has been through the various phases of life incident to the reaching of adolescence and maturity—such stories appeal keenly from a psychological standpoint, so strong is the bond between adult and child.

In the matter of reading, it must be remembered that the child of seven is as truly a critic as the man of seventy; and while it is the aim of the parent or teacher to put into the hands of the child such literature as will be conducive to his welfare, it is neither wise nor just to force upon him material against which he instinctively rebels. And here is where theory and practice conflict. I recall that on my eighth birthday a much interested relative presented me with a copy of Wm. Matthew’s “Getting on in the World.” His intentions in making this gift were admirable; he had my future in view, and he did what he believed to be a very correct thing. I might either have read the book myself or have had it read to me. The latter I believe was done, my seniors entertaining the hope that I would thereby be imbued with ideas which might become the foundation of future success. Alas! my well-intentioned relative made the mistake of acting upon false theory instead of trusting to his practical common sense. Had the proviso been made that I should read the book at, say, the age of fifteen or earlier, should development allow, the purpose of the donor might have been met; but as the book was not suited to my age and understanding, the result was disappointment to both giver and receiver. This is mentioned as an instance of misguided zeal, the giver failing to see that the child was unable to digest and assimilate the proffered mental pabulum. It is only natural that parents should wish their children to be well informed, and with this end in view many a fond mother proceeds to fill the head of her poor defenceless child with science, instead of regaling it with nursery rhymes, folk lore, and fairy tales. Not infrequently a child will grow up without having been allowed to read or listen to a fairy tale. Mythology, travel, history, earth, sky, etc., but nothing that will not add in some way to scholarly attainment. Poor child! he is defrauded by his own parents. The desire for the beautiful fairy, the wicked witch, and the ugly giant is natural to a child. Every human being is endowed with an imagination which is active and insistent, and its craving is really the thirst for knowledge.

It may seem strange, perhaps, that the nursery rhyme and the fairy tale should be rungs of the ladder of knowledge. Take the case of a man at the head of a profession. He didn’t reach his present height at a jump, but, beginning with the most elementary subjects, he acquired his learning by degrees, until in due course he won prominence. And so it is with the child: step by step come the nursery jingle and rhyme, the fairy tale, simple poetry, etc., all paving the way for that which requires more strenuous effort.

It will be noted that there have been mentioned the fairy, the witch, and the giant. The first represents beauty and goodness, the second wickedness, and the third brute strength. In the average fairy tale these three concomitants are so blended that the dominating character is the fairy, who eventually prevails over the machinations of the wicked witch and the brutal giant. As the fairy represents love and kindness, a most important lesson is impressed upon the mind of the child. There is also a good reason for the witch and the giant. The child is not born already civilized, but with natural and savage instincts. Civilization, which is only a veneer, is an acquired thing, and it needs only a scratch to bring the savage instinct to the surface. The witch and the giant, then, do their part in appeasing the desire for violence; and the fact that these disturbing elements are finally overcome by the good fairy is a great factor in the early education of the child.

The best collection of tales for very young children is that known as “Mother Goose Nursery Tales,” gathered together by Charles Perrault. The origin of most of these tales is lost in the shades of antiquity.

Every parent should have in mind the great importance to the child of the literature he reads. Much good or much harm may be the result of the early impressions gained. The safest way is to procure books from one who specializes, and who knows the general trend of the contents of a book. There are authors and publishers who may be relied upon for the wholesomeness of their productions, and with these the book-buyer will soon become familiar; but the general output is so large, the authors and publishers so many, and the tastes so varied, that the wise book-buyer will rely to a great extent upon the bookseller in the matter of selection.

There is a period in the life of almost every boy when the desire for the sensational is paramount. Then must the parent be most watchful, because somehow the boy will secure reading material which may possibly be decidedly harmful. How often do we read of a boy in possession of a cheap revolver or a bloodthirsty-looking knife being apprehended while on his way to slay Indians, or to become a bandit or a pirate. His actions are almost always directly traceable to the dime novel or the penny dreadful so easily procured. Happily there are plenty of books on the market which will satisfy the boy’s craving for the wild and adventurous, and which will at the same time be of some benefit to him in leading him to become interested in certain periods of history or in implanting a desire for information regarding the geography of this and other countries.

From a literary standpoint these books are as a rule mediocre, but they are valuable as substitutes for the more lurid effusions. In this connection may be mentioned the productions of Stratemeyer, Henty, Otis, Strang, Monroe, Stoddard, and Brereton, etc., which may be given without question to the boy of from ten to sixteen years. At the age of twelve to sixteen most boys develop a desire for school, college, and outing stories, and numerous authors cater to this taste. Among the better known of these are Barbour, Home, Finnemore, Malone, Beach, Hare, Earl, Tomlinson, and Paine; and all their books for boys may be relied upon.

While the output of books for boys is greater than that for girls, there is plenty of good wholesome literature, suitable to all ages of girlhood, from which to draw. Up to the age of nine or ten years the line of reading for the girl may be substantially the same as that for her brother, unless it be that the liking for the fairy tale is more pronounced in her case. In the matter of a desire for really good literature it may be said that the girl is usually more advanced than the boy. From eleven to fifteen years of age is the best time for historical tales, such as those by A. M. Barnes, Lucy F. Madison, and A. T. Curtis; and from twelve to sixteen those by Amy Blanchard and Charlotte M. Yonge. The series of Young Folks’ Histories by the last named author may be read by children from ten years up with pleasure and profit. The justly popular “Little Women” series by Louisa M. Alcott should be read by girls of from twelve to sixteen; they will not be properly appreciated at an age younger than twelve. For those of a more tender age, ranging from seven to eleven, this author’s other series “The Scrap Bag,” and “Lulu’s Library,” make good, wholesome reading. The girl of ten to thirteen years will be much interested in Marguerite Bouvet’s “Little Marjorie’s Love Story,” “Sweet William,” and “A Child of Tuscany”; while her older sister of sixteen to eighteen will be delighted with “My Lady” and “Tales of an Old Chateau,” by the same author.

Of course, there is such temperamental difference in children that it is absolutely impossible to draw any hard and fast line in the matter of reading according to age, but in the cases of nine out of ten children it is safe to avoid the theoretical and to accept the practical. There are children of twelve taking a high school course, and there are also children of fifteen in the lower grades; but these are exceptions and not the rule.

A very important item in the education of the child is the supplementary reader, and the idea of training the child’s literary instinct by this means is fostered by all educators. There have been much time, thought, and experience devoted to this subject, and there are now in use many splendid series, arranged for the various grades, the high school, and the college. The field is wide and a great wealth of real literature has been selected, annotated, and arranged, and additions are continually being made to the already long list.

For the grades, perhaps the best collection is that by Dr. Charles Eliot Norton called “The Heart of Oak Books,” in the first two volumes of which will be found a splendid selection of fairy tales, fables, wonder stories, and rhymes. The whole series is of general excellence. The supplementary reading should begin with rhymes, fairy tales, and fables, followed by simple mythology, legends, and folk lore; then nature stories, biography, history, stories of travel, science in story form, art, and the classics of literature. Four series in which most of these subjects are contained are Ginn & Co.’s “Classics for Children” and the “Eclectic Readings” published by the American Book Company, “The Riverside Literature Series,” published by Houghton Mifflin Co., and Appleton’s “Home Reading Books.” For the high school student may be recommended the “Riverside Literature Series,” Longman’s “English Classics,” “The Lake English Classics,” and the “Macmillan School Readings.”

There is no question that the supplementary reader in the school has done much to improve the literary taste of the pupil, and it is probable that the regular reader will to a great extent be superseded by the supplementary reader.

And now as to illustrations and artists. For children of one, two, and three years the rag toy book is very satisfactory. The colors are bright and attractive, and when soiled the book may be washed and ironed the same as a handkerchief. Then there are the linen books and those mounted on linen. Of these there are few standards, but titles such as “The Three Bears,” “Three Little Kittens,” “A. was an Archer,” “Farmyard Friends,” “Domestic Animals,” and “Wild Animals” can almost always be secured. There are four houses in the United States which pay special attention to the very young children,—E. P. Dutton & Co., Raphael Tuck, Sons & Co., F. Warne & Co., and McLaughlin & Co., and of these firms only the last does any actual manufacturing in this country. Perhaps four-fifths of this class of color work for the world is done in Germany. Some of the best examples are the productions of Kate Greenaway, Leslie Brooke, Randolph Caldecott, and Walter Crane. These four artists have given us the best examples of real art for children, and their picture and toy books should be a great deal more widely known than they are. The manufacturing of the books of these four artists is all done in England; and for real art, combined with mechanical excellence, they are absolutely the finest picture books ever put before the public. Among English artists Milicent Sowerby is well worthy of recognition; among her delightful books are “Childhood” and “Yesterday’s Children,” published in America by Duffield & Co. Among the artists of this country whose masterpieces depict childhood, Jessie Willcox Smith stands preëminent. Her illustrations in “Real Rhymes of Real Children,” “The Book of the Child,” etc., have made her the most popular among American artists whose work is devoted to the delineation of child life. Books which she has illustrated and which contain good examples of her art, besides the two already mentioned, are “The Child’s Garden of Verses,” “A Child’s Book of Old Verses,” “Seven Ages of Childhood,” “The Child’s Book of Stories,” and “Dream Blocks.”

Of a very different type are the clever and humorous illustrations by Grace G. Wiederseim, which may be seen to good advantage in “Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose,” “Kiddie Land,” “Bobby Blake,” and “Dolly Drake.” Peter Newell has also done excellent humorous work, such as “The Hole Book,” “The Slant Book,” “Pictures and Rhymes,” “Alice in Wonderland,” etc. B. Cory Kilvert, John Rae, Bessie Pease Gutman, Hope Dunlap, Ethel Franklin Betts, and Wilhelmina Seegmiller have all done most attractive work which appeals to the younger children. The artist who is capable of producing illustrations attractive alike to both child and adult, and which are understood by both, is what may be termed a sympathetic genius; he also represents a distinctive branch of art. All whose names have been mentioned in this connection possess this great gift.

A splendid series of illustrations is contained in Boutet de Monvel’s “Joan of Arc.” This book is for the more mature child, and is in a class by itself. Maxfield Parrish has illustrated Eugene Field’s “Poems of Childhood,” “The Arabian Nights,” Hawthorne’s “The Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales,” and “Mother Goose in Prose” by Frank Baum, and each illustration is a very worthy contribution to American art.

Two very attractive books are “When Little Boys Sing” and “Improving Songs for Anxious Children,” songs for children written and illustrated by John and Rue Carpenter. From the standpoint of art these illustrations are not entitled to any very high place, but they show originality and humor of expression.

Among the later artists who have made a name for themselves as illustrators of children’s books is Lucy Fitch Perkins; fine examples of her work are shown in “The Goose Girl” and in Mrs. C. H. Harrison’s books, “The Moon Prince,” “The Flaming Sword,” and “Prince Silver Wings”; also in a series called the “Dandelion Classics,” which include “Robin Hood,” “Twenty Best Fairy Tales,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “A Wonder Book,” and “Æsop’s Fables.”

During the last few years several artists have achieved fame through their genius in illustrating books for the young. Among the more prominent of these are Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and Warwick Goble. Among the books illustrated by Arthur Rackham are “Peter Pan,” “The Rainbow Book,” “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” and Grimm’s “Fairy Tales.” To Edmund Dulac may be credited among others, “The Arabian Nights,” and “The Sleeping Beauty.”

ONE THOUSAND BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

_For Girls Eight to Ten_

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. By C. L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll).

The fairy story of a little girl who ran through a rabbit hole into a very queer country, and of her adventures there. The humor of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass” will also appeal to grown-ups.

CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY. By William Dean Howells.

The story of a little girl who wishes that every day were Christmas Day.

DOLLY’S DOUBLE. By Ethel Wood.

Two girls, Dolly and Isabel, are so much alike that they can hardly be told apart. They are not supposed to be related, but they live together, and later, by the clearing up of a mystery, it appears that they are really sisters.

GRANDPA’S LITTLE GIRLS. By Alice T. Curtis.

Two little girls are sent to Grandfather Newman at Pine Tree Farm while their parents are absent in California. The story tells very amusingly how the old people and the young people plotted to remain together.

GRANDPA’S LITTLE GIRLS AND THEIR FRIENDS. By Alice T. Curtis.

The third book about the Newmans. They find that the best way to lead at school is to be of service to others.

GRANDPA’S LITTLE GIRLS AT SCHOOL. By Alice T. Curtis.

The second book about the little Newman girls. Tells how they ran away to escape going to school, how they finally went and wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

GRANDPA’S LITTLE GIRLS’ HOUSEBOAT PARTY. By Alice T. Curtis.

The Newmans and their friends have a very jolly kind of a party on the house-boat. They camp out, go fishing and swimming, and have many pleasant adventures.

LITTLE GIRL OF LONG AGO, A. By Eliza Orne White.

Tells about a little Boston girl in the early part of the nineteenth century.

LITTLE GIRL NEXT DOOR, THE. By Nina Rhoades.

The story of a genuine friendship between an impulsive little girl in a fine New York home and a little blind girl in an apartment next door.

LITTLE MISS ROSAMOND. By Nina Rhoades.

Rosamond goes to the seaside cottage of an uncle whose home is in New York. Here she finds herself a neighbor to Gladys and Joy, who appear in a previous book, “The Little Girl Next Door.”

LITTLE QUEEN OF HEARTS, A. By Ruth Ogden (Mrs. C. W. Ide).

The account of a little American girl who went on a visit to England, where she met the Queen and had numerous interesting adventures.

LITTLE ROSEBUD. By Beatrice Harraden.

See “Things Will Take a Turn.”

MEG AND OTHERS. By Harriet T. Comstock.

A little girl of the “long ago” and her doings.

NEW-YEAR’S BARGAIN, A. By Sarah C. Woolsey (Susan Coolidge).

Contains fairy stories, a bear story, and stories about little girls.

ONLY CHILD, AN. By Eliza Orne White.

A pretty story about a lonely little girl.

OTHER SYLVIA, THE. By Nina Rhoades.

Sylvia learns that girls who are “King’s Daughters” pledge themselves to do kind acts and to help others. One little girl named Mary tries to assist all the “Marys” of her acquaintance, and Sylvia endeavors to find another of her own name that she may help, and the search brings her happiness.

POLLY COLOGNE. By Mrs. A. M. Diaz.

Tells how a much-loved rag doll was lost and found.

PRINCESS IDLEWAYS. By Helen Hays.

The fairy Industry looks after this little princess, whose chief fault is idleness, and teaches her sympathy, helpfulness, and other pleasant things.

STORY OF LITTLE JANE AND ME. By Mary E. Blatchford.

The story of two little girls who lived in New York City.

THINGS WILL TAKE A TURN. By Beatrice Harraden.

Tells how Little Rosebud helped her father in the old book shop. The same story is also published under the title of “Little Rosebud.”

THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS. By C. L. Dodgson (Lewis M. Carroll).

A companion to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

WEE WINKLES AND SNOWBALL. By Gabrielle E. Jackson.

A companion story to “Wee Winkles and Wideawake.” Snowball is a pet pony. Kindness to animals is the keynote of the story.

WEE WINKLES AND WIDEAWAKE. By Gabrielle E. Jackson.

A story of a little boy and girl living in a suburban town, who have various merry, comical, and serious experiences such as naturally happen to all lively children.

_For Girls Ten to Twelve_

ANNE NELSON, A LITTLE MAID OF PROVINCE TOWN. By Alice Turner Curtis.

The story of a quaint, lovable little, motherless girl in Revolutionary days, whose father is supposed to have deserted and turned spy for the English.

BORROWED SISTER, A. By Eliza Orne White.

A companion to “An Only Child.” The borrowed sister is a little girl who was left for a year in charge of “an only child’s” mother.

CAPTAIN JANUARY. By Laura E. Richards.

A tale with humor and pathos. The chief characters are an old lighthouse keeper and a little girl whose life he has saved.

CARROTS. By Mary L. Molesworth.

Tells of the care and love of a little girl for her small brother.

DEAR DAUGHTER DOROTHY, AND DOROTHY AND ANTON. By A. G. Plympton.

The story of a winsome little maid who attracts through her loyalty and love.

EDITHA’S BURGLAR. By Frances Hodgson Burnett.

The adventures of a little girl with a burglar.

EYEBRIGHT. By Sarah C. Woolsey (Susan Coolidge).

The story of a little girl’s school days in Maine.

FELICIA. By Elizabeth Lincoln Gould.

The story of a warm-hearted little girl of thirteen, who, in her efforts to keep house for her father, has many interesting experiences.

FELICIA’S FRIENDS. By Elizabeth Lincoln Gould.

A continuation of “Felicia.” A happy story of the school life of a good-hearted little girl.

FELICIA VISITS. By Elizabeth Lincoln Gould.

Felicia, disappointed at her father’s refusal to allow her to visit Boston, consoles herself by making short visits in her home village, and busying herself with plans for a public library.

JANET AND HER DEAR PHEBE. By Clarissa Dixon.

Janet and Phebe are two natural, healthy little girls who love each other with an intense affection.

LITTLE COLONIAL DAME, A. By Agnes C. Sage.

A story of old Manhattan Island.

LITTLE DAUGHTER OF THE REVOLUTION, A. By Agnes C. Sage.