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Books For Young Readers A Reminder of Young Canada’s Book Week, Nov. 15 to 22 By Joyce Boniwell HEN POOH BEAR found himself doomed to spend a week wedged in Rabblt’s front door while he waited to grow thin enough to extract himself, he appealed to his friend Christopher Robin, “Would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would help and comfort 3 Wedged Bear in Great Tight- ness?” All families need a few Sustaimng Books, tried favourites to which they can turn whenever they likeâ€"books with the peren-. nial appeal of Peter Rabbit and Alice in Wonderland, stories of ancient gods and heroes, and poetry. . > Reading at home can give an immense amount of pleasure and satisfaction to all par- ticipants, adults and children, readers and listeners. Adults sometimes exclaim in aston- ishment, after reading a book to a child, “You know, I enjoyed that book as much as he did.” There is really no reason why they should be surprised, or suspect themselves of childishness. A book for children should be judged by the same literary standards as a book for adults. C. S. Lewis, the author, says, “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty.” And if you are inclined to think this remark a little farâ€"fetched, re-read the story of Alice’s adventures underground. and see if you don’t find more fun and wisdom in it than you re- member finding before. An honest writer for children says what he has to say in the best language at his command, and trusts the child to understand. More than likely the child will not understand everything at the first reading, but the charm of a truly good book lies in the fact that it will stand any number of readings. On the other hand, the wellâ€"intentioned but misguided writer who condescends to the child’s “mutual level” by overâ€"simplifying any ideas the book contains, and by using anaemic “tested” vocabulary, invariably produces a listless, soulless piece of writing. There are a great many mediocre books of this kind, an array which may well overwhelm any parent, unless he remembers that such books give themselves away as soon as anyone takes the trouble to begin reading them. One educational authority, writing on the trends of modern education, comments that the tendency seems to be to imagine that we can learn by passively allowing knowledge to “drip on us like rain from heaven." In mat- ters of education, we are inclined to lavish upon our children almost too much atention and care, for, by making things easy, and, 26 as we hope, happy for them. We are often encouraging them to take the course . . W least resistance. We curb thelr natural CLlllOSitv and wonder, and forget that, in order [.7, mm}, in spirit, children must strengthen the” minds by continual exercise. This is why rwmg is important, for a child who reads .\ ,dely grows towards maturity realising that 3 act comes slowly through one’s own exeim, 1 3”“? experience. Naturally some children n i take to reading much more readily than when, but with encouragement almost all ‘ lick-8n; will receive pleasure and imaginathu 1mm. lation from books. “To learn to love books and needle, -. (me of the very best things that can h:-. m m anybody,” remarks Walter de la Mdlw Poet. ry in particular wears Well. The lo.. c you care for it in itself the better it t- _ _ And so with old rhymes and all the . [.1135 and poems one cares for most. Lil .nem once, you love them always.” For the very young Child the fam. nur» sery rhymes and lullabies are a go rum. duction to stories and poetry. T1181‘ "th1 and quaint nonsense are invigoratir , the senses and pleasing to the ear. An 9llenl comprehensive collection of Motht Goose rhymes, song and jingles is Lavend Blue by Kathleen Lines. Kenneth Gralr ;. the author of The Wind in the Willows. com- piled an anthology called The ('2 abridge Book of Poetry for Children, Whicl‘. ' calls a “Wicket-Gate" to English poetry. impse through which, he hopes, will make react ers want to experience “the joy. i and fresh air in that delectable country.‘ Few children are not stirred by t1 and romance of the ballad which “0 young Lochinvar is come out o; . Through all the wide Border his :l was the best . . ." nor fail to respond to the spring - till‘ 1" A, A. Milne‘s poem, “Where am I going? I don‘t quih wow. Down to the stream where the ‘ S‘CUPS grow. Up on the hill where the pine-tr: clove Anywhere, anywhere. I don’t knw' One sure way for a family to en; poetry together is to laugh with it. EdWh L93” ridiculous nonsense verses and 11m 1"“ good laughter material, The Moon - :a‘hmmg Bright As Day. H ,_ “Love them once, love them u > 3131* 1" certainly true, too, of the old tallu- such.” The Three Bears, Hansel and (In-etcE 2nd 013' derella, which have given pleasure gene” HOME AND courm‘!