Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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I LLINOJ S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. BULLETIN THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LIBRARY * CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER Volume IX July, 1956 Number 11 EXPLANATION OF CODE SYMBOLS USED WITH ANNOTATIONS R Recommended M Marginal book that is so slight in content or has so many weaknesses in style or format that it barely misses an NR rating. The book should be given careful consideration before purchase. NR Not recommended. Ad For collections that need additional material on the subject. SpC Subject matter or treatment will tend to limit the book to specialized collections. SpR A book that will have appeal for the unusual reader only. Recommended for the special few who will read it. step in the process. At the end there is a simple experiment that children could do at home. A useful book for units on foods or industries. A" W andan ?1ouz "Eofsh R Adler, Irving. Fire in Your Life; illus. R Annixter, Jane and Paul. The Runner; 6-9 by Ruth Adler. Day, 1955. 128p. 7-9 drawings by Paul Laune. Holiday House, $2.75 1956. 220p. $2.75. In much the same style as his Time in Your Clem Mayfield (Shadow), an orphan living with Life and Tools in Your Life, the author traces his aunt and uncle on their Wyoming ranch, is the history of man's use of fire from primitive recovering from a bout with polio that left him to modern times. Beginning with some of the with a limp but still able to ride. Shadow likes mythology that grew out of man's early attempts the ranch and his work of helping to train polo to understand and explain fire, he traces man's ponies, but feels ill at ease with his uncle and use and control of fire for protection and for does not always know how to interpret his actions. improved living; what fire has meant in the de- Then comes the day when the boy rescues and velopment of civilization, and what its potential brings to the ranch a wild stallion colt, and in future uses are. A disproportionate amount of the process not only gains a valuable horse but space has been given to the development of also comes to a real appreciation of his uncle, the steel industry, only one of the many modern who had been more understanding of the boy uses of fire, but this is a minor weakness of an than Shadow had realized. The plot is not a new otherwise excellent book. one, but the authors' understanding of people and especially the portrayal of the boy and his R Allee, Veva Elwell. From Sugar Beets to uncle, give the book a quality above the average 3-4 Beet Sugar; photographs by Robert horse story. Fogata. Melmont, 1956. 24p. $1.50. A brief, fairly simple discussion of how sugar NR Archibald, Joseph. Fullback Fury. Macrae, beets are grown, harvested, and processed to 7-9 1955. 192p. $2.75. make beet sugar. Each page of text has an ac- Gil Farran had chosen to attend a small college companying full page photograph showing one instead of Ohio State University, where his BULLETIN of the Children's Book Center. Published by the University of Chicago Press for the University of Chicago Library, Children's Book Center. Mary K. Eakin, Librarian. The book evaluations appearing in this BULLETIN are made with the advice and assistance of members of the faculty of the Graduate Library School, the Department of Education, and the University Laboratory School. Published monthly except August. Subscription price is $2.50 a year. Checks should be made payable to the University of Chicago Press. Correspondence regarding the BULLETIN should be addressed to the University of Chicago Press, 5750 Ellis Avenue, Chicago 37, Illinois. -- ~~~~~, · .__. J. 122 father had wanted him to go, and although he had as nature hikes and collections, and games, a successful four years scholastically and on most of them variations on well-known parlor the football field, he could not help but wonder games, are included for each group. There is whether he would have done equally well at the not enough on any one subject to satisfy the larger school. In order to prove himself worthy child with a specialized interest, and the chief of inheriting his father's business, he decided value of the book will be as an activity book for to try out for pro-football following graduation. scout groups, day camps, or hobby groups. After one overwhelmingly successful season, he resigned from pro-football and returned to his NR Cooper, Page. Silver Spurs to Monterey; father's business, convinced he would also suc- 7-9 illus. by Herman D. Giesen. World, ceed there. The author's point seems to be that 1956. 217p. $2.75. the only sure way to success in business is California during the period immediately pre- through success as a member of one of the Big ceding its annexation by the United States forms Ten teams. A weak and unconvincing motivation, the background for a story of a boy' s great love an overly sentimental tone, and not enough about for a horse. Tom Larkin, first American born the actual games to redeem the book simply as in California, had confidence in his own ability a sports story. to control the buckskin, General, and to teach the horse to restrain its fiery temper. No one SpC Aulnoy, Marie Catherine (Jumelle de else, including Tom's father, had equal confidence 3-5 Berneville) comtesse d'. Columbine, in the boy, and only the outbreak of hostilities the White Cat; an adaptation by Patricia between the Mexicans and the Americans saved Jones; pictures by Jan B. Balet. Rand the horse. Tom and General were with Fremont McNally, 1956. 31p. (A Concora Book) during the march from Gavilan Peak to New $1.50. Helvetia. On the way the General was killed dur- A re-telling of a favorite French folk tale about ing a skirmish with some Indians, but his death a cat who helps the young prince successfully saved the life of Fremont. The account is too perform his tasks and is in turn rewarded by highly fictionalized to have much value for its being transformed back to her rightful shape as historical background and there is little other- a princess. Illustrated with colorful, highly wise in the setting or characterizations to make stylized pictures. A Slottie-toy in the back the book more than a very average horse story. presses out to make the figures of the prince The author's frequent derogatory references to and princess. The toy nature of the book makes Indian men as "bucks" further weaken the book. it more suited to home than to general library use. Ad Corbett, Scott. Susie Sneakers; illus. by 6-8 Leonard Shortall. Crowell, 1956. 216p. NR Beim, Jerrold. The Boy on Lincoln's Lap; $2.75. 2-3 illus. by Tracy Sugarman. Morrow, Susie Winthrop was not happy at the prospect of 1955. 46p. $2. spending her summer with her cousins on Cape An exceedingly didactic, purposive story of Cod. She had never been away from her home in four young boys who live near a park containing Omaha, Nebraska, and everything on the Cape a statue of Abraham Lincoln. The boys are in seemed new and potentially dangerous to her. It the habit of playing around and on the statue did not help to have a friend of her cousins label without giving much thought to what it represents. her "Susie Sneakers" because she was afraid to Just before Lincoln's Birthday they learn that go on the beach or in the water without any shoes the mayor is coming to place a wreath on the on. As the summer progressed, however, she statue. Three of the boys undertake to clean it became absorbed in her cousin Blake's efforts up. The fourth boy spoils their work but is to obtain enough money to buy a boat and she lost forced to help them. In the end all four are many of her fears. The money is obtained, al- praised by the mayor for their work and the though in the unrealistic manner of finding a box uncooperative boy is reformed. There is little full of twenty-dollar gold pieces. Not only is this story appeal; the lesson is made painfully ob- improbable, but the action of the adults in allow- vious, and the primer size type will further ing the children to use the money without first lessen interest in the book. Written at a begin- reporting its finding or making any attempt to ning third grade reading level. locate its owner is highly uncommendable. Other- wise the story makes pleasant reading. Ad Cassell, Sylvia. Nature Games and Activi- 3-6 ties; pictures by Peter Burchard. Ad Dana, Dorathea. Good Bye, Bunny Bangs. Harper, 1956. 91p. $2.50. 3-5 Abelard-Schuman, 1956. 58p. $2.50. Brief, miscellaneous information about various Delia and Dean Davis, the twins of The Unruly aspects of nature: birds, trees, animals, plants, Robin, are once more involved with a baby ani- fish, stars, insects, etc. Related activities, such mal. This time it is a baby rabbit that they find 123 injured in the woods and take home. The rabbit NR Emery, Anne. Hickory Hill; A 4-H Romance. gets its name from the "Terrible Tempered 7-9 Macrae, 19 5 5 . 206p. $ 2.75. Mr. Bangs" because it kicks every time any- In this sequel to County Fair, the Ellison' s one comes near.