by May Hill Arbuthnot ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 1968
Like Larrick and Frank, this is a guide for parents and other adults who want to encourage and direct children's reading; unsurprisingly perhaps, it closely resembles standard advice for librarians. Thus supervision includes luring a child out of a rut by offering a related book; child-centered and ""literary"" criteria are listed and described; reading aloud is boosted and telling is extolled, with tips on preparation and technique. The bulk of the book (and it will be considerable) is devoted to discussion of categories and specific titles, with fiction synopsized in some detail. One man's list is another's target, but some omissions and commissions are worth nothing: there are very few picture books, and none by Margaret Wise Brown, for one; the bait for reluctant 8's and 9's omits Cleary (mentioned later) and Christopher; sports books and mysteries are absent altogether; of the informational books specifically for under 9's, none was published after 1961; the section on folk tales includes only the most familiar north European material, and nothing from Africa or Asia; among the nine books for 9's-11's ""on other lands"" ostensibly today are Heidi, The Secret Garden, The Good Master; the only 20th century biographee for 12's-14's is Paderewski; mention of the paucity of books on Jewish holidays and celebrations ignores the flood from Jewish publishing houses. The book is generally weak on non-fiction (except poetry and religion), strongest in including several recent and controversial novels for the mid-years, Harriet to Babylon. On the American Negro for 12+ it proffers only Amos Fortune, Mary Jane and Call Me Charley, plus the peripheral Jazz Country; as bridge books it suggests mostly old chestnuts. This might be a start for the traditionally oriented family; beyond sixth grade and in specific areas it has serious deficiencies.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 1968
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Review Posted Online: N/A
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1968
Categories: NONFICTION
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