686. A Promise Kept. (See [No. 572].)
IMPROVING BOOKS.
Under this head are classed those on different countries, on history, biography, natural history, popular science, and real adventure.
As has been said before, these are specially suited for prizes, as they will be read again in after life. For those intended for young people there will never be any great demand. In almost all lending libraries they stand still on their shelves with clean pages. We teach our children too much for them to be willing to learn for themselves. The appetite may come in after times, and sometimes may exist or be excited in some particular direction. In cases where young people are secluded from school by illness, it is desirable on all accounts that their mental fare should include something besides devotional books and fiction.
To begin with, the use of maps and the reading lessons at school make scenes in different countries interesting, and perhaps the surest books to be appreciated as rewards are those giving pictures of costumes, &c.
ON DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
687. All the Russias. By E. C. Phillips. (Cassell) 2s. 6d.