Everybody knows that children, especially boys, are apt to prefer a library where all sorts of books are within their reach. Such browsing unrestrained is apt to lead downward rather than up. But why not let the Sunday School library have the attraction without the danger? Why not afford the delight of inspiring, instructive, helpful literature in some of the books and religious teaching in others without the popular trash?
So two separate lists of books for the Sunday School library: one of modern (not “goody-goody” or stupid) Sunday School books, the other of secular books for the rising young.
These lists are arranged according to the relative acceptability of the books as shown in the main by the numbers called for. (1) religious Sunday School books; and (2) secular Sunday School books.
The books in both lists are arranged in the order of their acceptability. And so the lists are a help in choosing books. The majority vote may not be an infallible standard; but is there a better, especially when the voters are well-informed about what they are voting on?
The man who makes and sells a thing is the man who knows its quality; for the opinions of those who use it get around to him, and that very promptly. These lists are made with just that knowledge.
First and foremost of the decidedly religious books are the Pansy books. Pansy herself is a leader of children. She opens her mouth—they are eager to catch her lightest word. She raises her hand—instinctively up go theirs. The secret of such a power as that is sympathy, feeling together.
So in her books. She enters into their smallest experiences. The boys and girls of her books, the children of her brain, are just like her readers, natural flesh and blood; not life-like but real, just as real as you are yourself. They live in their world with the rest of us; have their ups and downs, perplexities, such as come to us all; and they win. So shall we who read!
That is inspiration. The reader becomes the actor, the hero, the heroine. Happy the writer who uses such power as that for helping, guiding, building up.
There are more than a hundred “Pansy books,” mostly by Pansy herself, a few by one or two helpers, a few by others altogether. They constitute, we may fairly say, the very highest class of traditional Sunday School books. They belong to the highest order of Sunday School work.
D. Lothrop Company, Boston, is just now getting out these lists of religious and secular Sunday School books, arranged with a view of marking their relative popularity. The Pansy books are at the top of the religious list, and Arthur Gilman’s History of the American People heads the secular list.