60 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 3 :2 -feb., i 9 o7 



Familiar Wild Animals. By S. A. Lottridge. New York: Holt. 

 1906. 60 cents. 



A series of sketches and pictures chosen from "Animal Snapshots," which 

 was reviewed in this journal Vol. 2, page 73. The animals selected are 

 woodchuck, opossum, fox, mouse, squirrel, flying squirrel, bluebird, robin, 

 swift, bobolink, screech owl, sparrow, hawk. The book is intended "to 

 help stimulate school children in the direct observation of outdoor life. It is 

 certainly interesting reading. 



The Renewal of Life. By Margaret W. Morlev. Chicago: McClurg. 

 1906. $1.25. 



This is a book intended to suggest to parents and teachers ways of dealing 

 with the problem of teaching children the important facts concerning the 

 origin of new individuals among plants and especially animals. Recognizing 

 that the great majority of her readers have not had the instruction which 

 might prepare them for teaching others, the author has in great detail gone 

 over the facts to be taught and the best ways of presenting the facts. 



A few extracts will give an insight into the point of view of the book: 

 "The child's best teachers of these intimate truths are undoubtedly his 

 parents." < 'Where biology is taught the pupil comes to a clear understand- 

 ing of the main facts." "The most beautiful and ideal way of presenting 

 the renewal of life is through nature-study." "The problem for the 

 instructor to solve is how fully to acquaint the child with the phenomena of 

 the reproductive life without making the subject unduly prominent." 



The leading part of the story of the origin of life is made to center around 

 the development of flowers, fishes, amphibians and birds, which so well 

 pave the way for understanding the life of a mammal. The problems of 

 training children for the moral life are clearly suggested in Chapter XII, and 

 especially in the last chapter dealing with the transformation of the adolescent 

 period. The appendix contains a good list of helpful books. 



The book, with rare exceptions, is agreeably free from sickly sentimentality, 

 and usually direct to the point in plain and yet delicate language. There are 

 places where it ought to be plainer, for there are many otherwise intelligent 

 parents and teachers whose own profound ignorance concerning these vital 

 problems will make it impossible for them to guess the important meaning 

 involved in some guardedly worded paragraphs, especially in the last chapters. 

 However, taken all in all it should be read by all parents and educators who 

 have not already formulated their own ideas on the problems involved. It 

 is safe and sound. 



Among Country Schools. By O.J. Kern. Boston: Ginn. 1906. $1.25. 



This attractive new book by Superintendent Kern, of Winnebago Co., 

 111., is not a hook on agriculture (for this Mr. Kern prefers practical study); 



