A Selected Reading List 75 



many instances, often a cheaper edition may be 

 had. 



In order to proceed with greater certainty and 

 economy in purchasing books for the children, the 

 rural parent is advised to consult some one near at 

 hand who is thoroughly familiar with children's 

 literature. Perhaps the superintendent of schools 

 of the town near by, or some local minister, or some 

 well-informed leader of a mothers' club, may fur- 

 nish the desired assistance. It would also be helpful 

 to write for the general catalogues of a number of 

 the large publishing and distributing houses and 

 from their lists select a number of suitable titles. 

 Many of them publish the older classics in very 

 attractive form for ten to twenty-five cents, the origi- 

 nal unchanged and unabridged. 



In order to stimulate interest in forming the nu- 

 cleus of a home library the farmer should either 

 make or purchase a small set of book shelves. Im- 

 portant as it may seem to build a first-class house for 

 the thoroughbred hogs, this matter of the children's 

 reading is even more important and should be at- 

 tended to first, before it becomes too late to catch 

 the attentive ear of the boys and girls. 



A SELECTED LIST 



The following lists are taken chiefly from those selected by such well- 

 known critics as Mary Mapes Dodge, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Edward 

 Everett Hale, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and Hamilton W. Mabie. 



