5. Information books and supplementary readers in history, geography, and natural science have been excluded, in the main, from our lists. The test of literary excellence has been applied to most of the books chosen. De Quincey's distinction between the literature of knowledge and that of power is our line of demarkation. It seems to us probable that the future will call for a still more stringent adherence to this principle of selection. Information readers are good and necessary in their place in geography, history, and natural science; but they are not good enough to take the place of classics in reading lessons. The only exceptions to the rule of classics are the prose renderings of the old classics, as the "Story of the Odyssey," and the biographical stories from history. Both these have so much of interest and stimulus for the young that they seem to harmonize with our plan. But criticism may yet expose their inadequacy.
It is our plan, in brief, to limit the reading work mainly to the choice masterpieces of the best authors, and to render these studies as fruitful as possible in spiritual power. If supplementary readings are used at all, let them be those which will strengthen the influence of the classics.
It has been our plan to collect in the Special Method Books devoted to geography, history, and natural science, a full list of the supplementary readers and information books in those subjects.
6. In our list, however, is included quite a number of classic renderings of science and nature topics. Such are "Wake Robin," "Birds and Bees," "A Hunting of the Deer," etc., "Sharp Eyes" etc., "Succession of Forest Trees," "Up and Down the Brooks," "Water Babies," "The Foot-path Way," "Madam How and Lady Why," "Wilderness Ways," "In Bird Land," and many others.
These books, however, belong to the literature of power. They look at nature through the eyes of poet and artist and enthusiast. They are not cold, matter-of-fact delineations. They unfold the æsthetic and human side of nature, the divinity of flower and tree. These books are the communings of the soul with nature, and are closely related in spirit to the poems of nature in Bryant, Wordsworth, Tennyson, and other poets. There has been a chasm between them and our text-books in science which needs bridging over. Now that science is beginning to be taught objectively, experimentally, and inductively, there will be much less of a hiatus at this stage, because there is so much that is powerfully stimulating in nature study.
7. Some books are named twice in the lists, first as books of reference, or in the teacher's lists, and in a later grade for the use of children in regular reading. We have been especially careful in selecting appropriate books in the first list for each grade adapted to the age of the children. These books for regular reading must be used by every child, so that they should be fitted to the average ability. The reference books for collateral reading in the second series of each grade may be more difficult in some cases, as they will be used, in part, only by the stronger pupils.
There are certain groups of kindred books, like the Greek myths, that are distributed through three or more grades. It is not expected that any child will use all of these books, as several of them may deal with the same story, like the "Iliad" or "Odyssey." It seemed best to include all the important renderings of these stories, and leave the teacher to choose among them for his class.
8. To give more specific aid to teachers, most of the books are briefly described, and some notion of their special worth and fitness indicated. It is hoped that these short descriptions will be of considerable help to young teachers in making selections for their classes.
9. Many of the best and most commonly used books are published by several companies. In such cases the names of the different publishers are indicated in connection with each book.
10. By an examination of these lists the teacher of any grade will discover that, in order to teach well, she must be acquainted with the books used in one or two grades, both above and below her own. All the chief groups of books in literature run through three or four grades, and the teacher in any grade needs to get a comprehensive view of the important groups of books used in her classes. In addition to this, the books recommended for teachers give a still more definite and comprehensive grasp of large classes of literary material. The books recommended for teachers could be indefinitely extended, but it is hoped that enough are mentioned to give definiteness to their wider studies, and to serve as an introduction to some of the larger fields of literature, science, and history.