ILL I NO I S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. BULLETIN OF THE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER Published by The University of Chicago Library - Center for Children's Books _ ___ ____ . 0-da . Aok wVOL. SIV July. 1951 NO. 8 ploo oftv, ~ -- _ · - BLLETIN of the Children's Book Center. Published New Titles for Children and Young People. by the University of Chicago Library - Center for hildren's Books. Mary K. Eakin, Librarian. Bass, Althea. The thankful people; illus. by Walter 1950. 155p. $5 Gr.4-6 (D59) Tbe book evaluations appearing in this Bulletin Richard West. Caxton, with her are made with the advice and assistance of members Emmaline is a small Seneca girl living north- of the faculty of the Graduate Library School, the parents and two younger brothers on a farm in year in her life Department of Education, and the University eastern Oklahoma. In this story of one Indian Laboratory School. the author has given a good picture of modern life with its blending of the old and the new. The high price will limit the book Published monthly except August. Subscription price story is slight and the or those that have a great need is $1.75 a year. Checks should be made payable to to large collections the University of Chicago Library. Correspondence for Indian materials. regarding the BULLETIN should be addressed to the railroad man; pictures Center for Children's Books, University of Chicago, Bethers, Ray. Perhaps I'll be a by Ray Bethers. Aladdin, 1951. 47p. 5855 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago 57, Illinois. and story $1.75 trade; $2.25 library. Gr.5-7. A brief but effective summary of all phases of railroading with the emphasis on its vocational aspects. * * * * * * »* * * * * * * * a t~e~* Beginning with a brief history of the development of O railroads in the United States the author then gives * details of railroad construction, operation, and mainte- nance. The style is easy enough for fifth and sixth * * NOTICE grade readers and interesting enough for older readers. * *n Clear detailed drawings add to the effectiveness of the * book. * Due to increased costs of material Brown, Margaret Wise. Two little gardeners; by Margaret the subscription price of the * Wise Brown and Edith Thacher Hurd; pictures by Gertrude BULLETIN will be increased to $1.75 Elliott. Simon and Schuster, 1951. 27p. (A little beginning September 1, 1951. *r golden book) $.25 *I Two children prepare, plant, and cultivate their *r garden through an entire season from spring through fall. An INDEX to the first four volumes The text makes pleasant reading although most gardeners of the BULLETIN will be available will question the statements that moles are helpful and in August, 1951. This index will be * lady bugs should be killed. There is not enough factual published as a separate issue and * information to make the book useful for young gardeners may be obtained for 250 a copy. The nor enough story to give it appeal for pleasure reading. current volume (IV) will end with * Illustrations are highly stylized and lacking in charm. the July, 1951 issue and Volume V * Not recommended. will begin with the September, 1951 issue. Thereafter the volumes will Brown, Vinson. Black treasure; drawings by Lester run September through July and an Peterson. Little, 1951. 214p. $2.50 annual index will be included with A melodramatic story of treasure hunting in the each July issue. In requesting the Panamanian jungles. Two young men go into a wild index to Volumes I-IV please enclose section that is supposed to be haunted and that is also payment (coins or stamps accepted) supposed to be the hiding place of an ancient treasure with orders of less than four copies. trove. One of the men loses his legs and the other almost loses his life as they battle wild beasts and insane men. The author has attempted to combine lessons * * in conservation with high adventure and has not been * entirely successful with either. Uneven writing that is * *C *t *e *n * *t * *t *t *t * * *e * *t * *t * *e *t * * *c * highly poetic in spots and quite labored in others. Not recommended. -54 - - 55 - ol1by, Carroll. "Gabbit" the magic rabbit; written and writing of a thirteen-year-old and has thereby been illustrated by Carroll Colby. Coward-McCann, 1951. relieved of all responsibility for grammar and style. 26p. $1.50 The result is only slightly above thirteen-year-old Slight but amusing story of the rabbit in the ma- quality of writing. Not recommended. gician's hat. "Gabbit" decided it was time someone surprised the magician for a change so he did it by Freer, Marlorie (Mueller). Showcase for Diane. sending up an old mitten, a cat, a teddy bear, before Messner, 1951. 176p. $2.50 all he popped out of the hat as he was supposed to. The A story of career plus marriage that employes Aew act was so popular the magician had to increase the cliches and stock characters of the typical career that reads like his tent to three times its original size. Unfortu- story plus some incredibly bad dialog nately the story bogs down at the end to an extent that a third-rate soap opera. Diane persuades her parents nullifies the appeal of the surprise element of the to let her forego college and proceed at once on her first part. Cartoon like drawings appropriate to the career of designing window displays. A husband slightly short time she story but lacking in quality and appeal. Board binding. complicates her plans but in a remarkably lot recommended. has both husband and job under control. There is no reality to either the characters or the incidents. Not Coombs, Charles I. Young readers mystery stories; recommended. illus. by Charles Geer. Lantern pr., 1951. 192p. $2.50 Gard, Robert E. Midnight, rodeo champion; illus. by Mediocre collection of mystery stories ranging from C. W. Anderson. Duell, 1951. 159p. $2.50 Gr.7-9 counterfeiting to the capture of a spy ring. The situ- A horse story with a slightly different angle. ations are within the realm of plausibility but solutions Instead of being stolen - as usually happens in horse are too dependent on coincidence to be realistic. Charac- stories - Midnight is sold to the rodeo when his owner, ters are poorly drawn and unconvincing. Not recommended. Sandy, realizes that he is the perfect rodeo horse - good at bucking but not mean. Midnight becomes the Cormack, Maribelle. The first book of trees; pictures champion bronco - the horse no one can ride. After by Helene Carter. Watts, 1951. 93 p. $1.75 Gr.5-5 many difficulties Sandy raises himself to the place A beginners guide to trees. Full page drawings of where he is the champion bronco rider. The two meet the leaves, flowers, and fruit of 57 of the more common again in Madison Square Garden in a ride that has a herican trees, with small maps showing where most of satisfactory ending for both the man and the horse. these are found. The simply written text explains the Superb illustrations by C. W. Anderson add greatly to how's and why's of trees' bark, buds, leaves, flowers, the book's value. seeds, and roots. Excellent drawings add to the value of the book. A useful book for groups or individuals Goudey, Alice E. The merry fiddlers; illus. by Bernard ho are interested in tree identification. Garbutt. Aladdin, 1951. 43p. $1.75 trade; $2.25 library. Gr.2-4 Driggs, Howard Roscoe. Pitch pine tales; illus. by As the little boy waited for the time when the L. F. Bjorklund. Aladdin, 1951. lOlp. $2 Gr.5-5 crickets would sing his mother told him about their Twelve stories of pioneer and frontier life de- life and habits. Written in simple rhythmic prose that signed for reading aloud. Many of the stories are of is excellent for reading aloud. This story of the life familiar incidents in American history: Squanto's cycle of the cricket will make good nature study ma- friendship with the Pilgrims, Sacajawea's aid to the terial for home, school, or camp. Nice illustrations. Lewis and Clark Expedition, incidents from the Indian wars. The stories are brief but they could be used for Grimes, Robert L. Grandpa Toggle's wonderful book; a reading aloud in classrooms or homes to stimulate an collection of stories; illus. by Beth Wilson. Caxton, interest in history. 1951. 141p. $2 A collection of stories told by Grandpa Toggle to Ivernden, Margery. The sword with the golden hilt; his grandson. The stories relate the doings - exciting, illus. by William Soles. Caxton, 1950. 152p. $5 unusual, and sometimes amusing - of Grandpa Toggle and Gr.6-8 B Good, the small Negro boy who lives with him. These A slight story of two cousins who lived in Norway stories are of a tall-tale character and the reader during the time of the Danish rule. The two boys prove gets the impression that B Good is as unreal as the their valor when they join the army that attempts to re- magic saw handles or the itinerant toy mender and that place Olaf on the Norwegian throne. A well-written he is introduced merely to provide amusement. This is story but rather slight for the price. Illustrations a kind of stereotyping that is as unacceptable as the are very poor and add nothing to the story. misuse of dialect or of supposedly "typical" charac- teristics and is more dangerous because it is more Ferguson, Ruby.