The Parents' Review

A Monthly Magazine of Home-Training and Culture

Books

"En hoexkens ende boexkens."

List of books on the lines recommended in the article "Child Culture":--

Miss Kinloch's "History of Scotland." Two vols. (Grant, Edinburgh). "The Story of Our Little Farm" (1s., R.T.S.). Hughes' "New Standard Story Books," "The Century Readers," especially the geographical ones (Blackie, Edinburgh). Miss Yonge's "Cameos from History," and her "Westminster Historical Readers" (National Society). Pope's "Obeject-lesson Readers," particularly interesting (Smith and Elder). Nelson's (Edinburgh) "World at Home Series," and "Royal Star Readers," among which is the "Swiss Family Robinson" and Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe." "The Geography Reading Books" (National Society). "Graded Readers" (Blackie). All these are full of information, delightfully arranged, well illustrated, and very inexpensive. The children can read the simpler ones, whilst the more difficult can be used by the mother or governess to throw light on the different subjects of interest which occur.

Cassell's "History Scrap Book." Routledge's "Pictures Book of Fishes," for the sake of the pictures. A series of "Natural History Readers," by the Rev. J.G. Wood (Isbister). Miss Wright's three volumes of "Nature Readers, Seaside and Wayside" (Educational Depot, Holborn). Vincent Murche's "Animal Physiology" (Blackie), a most important subject if wisely handled. "Easy Lessons in Botany" (7d., T. Fisher Unwin). Miss Kerby's "World at Home," and "Things in the Forest" (Nelson). "Aesop's Fables for Little Readers," by Mrs. A. Brookfield (T. Fisher Unwin). "The Gordon Reader" (Gotch and Gomme) is good on account of simply written histories of such heroes as Gordon of Khartoum, Sister Dora, Father Damien, Alice Ayres, &c.

"Buzz; or, the Adventures of a Honey Bee," "Le Monde en papier" (Seande, Paris), capital for its lessons in cutting toys out of paper.

More in the "story book" line may be commended "Bimbi, and other Stories" (Chatto and Windus), as quite charming; also "Life on an Ostrich Farm in South Africa." "Faithful but not Famous" (R.T.S), and "Wenzel's Inheritance" (Nelson), both historical tales about the Reformation in France and Bohemia. "Ben-Hur," a story of the days of the Messiah, a wonderfully clever book. As more religious books we would note "The Story of Jesus for the Children" (S.W. Partridge), well written and printed in clear type. "The Little Christian's Pilgrimage" (Wells Gardner), and Mrs. Talbot Baker's "Lays for the Little Ones." And as lovely picture books, nothing can surpass "The Pilgrim's Progress" and a Life of our Lord (published by Ernst Nister at 1s. each), and "The Childhood of Jesus" (Nelson, 1s.). The "Story of the Childhood of Christ," by R.E.H. exquisitely illustrated from the old masters, and published by the National Society, who have also a series of coloured cards in half-crown packets of pictures from Fra Angelico, Lippi, Bartolommeo, &c., entitled "The Childhood of Christ," "The Ministry of Our Lord," "The Great Forty Days," and the "Passion of our Lord." "Blessed be Drudgery" costs a shilling, is published by David Bryce, Glasgow, and has a preface by the Countess of Aberdeen. A helpful book for boys is "Alpine Climbers," by the Rev. C.H. Chase (S.P.C.K.), and a capital French book has been very highly recommended to me for its purity of tone and general interest, "Sans famille," published by Hatchard. The price is high, 7s. 6d., but I am told on good authority tht it is "well worth it." There is also a really excellent "Beginner's Book in French," by Sophie Doriot, published by Ginn and Co., Boston.

Specially charming books are "Madam How and Lady Why" (by Charles Kingsley, 3s. 6d., Macmillan), and "Stories of the Trees" (by Mrs. Dyson, 3s. 6d., Nelson).

Beautiful globes, with the continents and mountains in relief, well coloured, and showing the ocean currents, thus giving a peculiar interest not found in other globes, are published by a Berline firm, and can be ordered through the agents, Schotte, Guilford Street, W.C.

VERA.

"Mumsie, please do let us hear something more about 'Mother Carey's Chickens'!" Such is the request frequently made to me by some little folks at present living in Lakeland. Luncheon over, mother and chicks adjourn to the night nursery, and whilst the chicks lie down in all sorts of restful positions possible and impossible, mother reads what they call "Mother Carey's Chickens."

What do I mean by Mother Carey's Chicks? Well, I will tell you. Many, indeed most, mothers will know them--some few may not. I mean Mrs. Carey Brock's charming and instructive stories, "Sunday Echoes in Weekday Hours: Stories Illustrative of the Church Catechism," "The Journeyings of the Israelites," "The Parables," "The Miracles," "The Epistles and Gospels," "The Collects," "Scripture Characters," &c., &c., Very pretty stories they are, too, very probable, nothing far-fetched about them, a little sad, perhaps; but then sad things will happen both in home and school life, and as the chicks say, they generally come right in the end.

By the way, there is a curious fascination to a child in stories that have bright and happy endings. They are wee, tender-hearted folk who don't like to say goodbye to their book friends and leave them in sorrow and trouble; and the book that ends happily is generally the greated favourite with the little ones.

The teaching in these books is good, distinctly that of a good Churchwoman in the old sense, and I would say if mothers want to make Scripture lessons interesting to their children let them read to them "Sunday Echoes in Weekday Hours."

V.M.H.

"The Golden Woof," by Mrs. Isla Sitwell (Nelson and Sons), should be a charming Christmas-box for any girl in her "teens." Mrs. Sitwell has a delicacy of touch in characterisation that reminds one of Miss Austen; and the moral--for there is a moral--is rather after our heart; old-fashioned virtues come out, smelling of lavender.

ED.

Typed July 2013