The Library classes are held in the afternoon. On Saturday from three to four Mr. Cronan and I tell stories in the Central Library. On Monday I go to Brighton; Tuesday to Jamaica Plain; Wednesday to South Boston; Thursday the West End; Friday Shawmut Ave. Branch. All these are Branches of the Central Library. The ages of the children are from ten to fourteen. The attendance from one to two hundred.

The first part of the hour is devoted to telling the story of some book which the children have not read and which would be a valuable book for them to know. As the boys greatly outnumber the girls, the book is chosen which is likely to appeal to them. I have told in “continued story” form each book lasting from four to six periods of story telling the following:

The last twenty minutes of the hour is usually devoted to some story of fun or fancy—a fairy tale—or Brer’ Rabbit’s pranks. In the evening similar work is done in Social Settlements with groups of boys from twelve to fourteen years of age. At Denison House we have ninety-six boys of Syrian and Irish nationality. There are groups in the Ruggles Street Neighborhood House—the “South End Industrial School,” Jamaica Plain Neighborhood House, South End House and Lincoln House.

In the summer story telling groups are held on the roof gardens of the Settlement House or in the yard where we sit on the grass and tell stories in the twilight—often to groups of one hundred and fifty children.

The accompanying newspaper clippings about my work may be of interest:

Introduces the Child to the Best Literature

“I do not tell stories to amuse children, but to instruct them. The purpose is to introduce the child to the best literature and not to entertain him, although he is at the same time entertained.

“Story telling bridges the gap between the child and the library and brings him into literature. It develops the child in every way and teaches him what is really worth his while to read.