Special Method in the Reading of Complete English Classics Part 13

8. To give more specific aid to teachers, most of the books are briefly described, and some notion of their special worth and fitness indicated.

It is hoped that these short descriptions will be of considerable help to young teachers in making selections for their cla.s.ses.

9. Many of the best and most commonly used books are published by several companies. In such cases the names of the different publishers are indicated in connection with each book.

10. By an examination of these lists the teacher of any grade will discover that, in order to teach well, she must be acquainted with the books used in one or two grades, both above and below her own. All the chief groups of books in literature run through three or four grades, and the teacher in any grade needs to get a comprehensive view of the important groups of books used in her cla.s.ses. In addition to this, the books recommended for teachers give a still more definite and comprehensive grasp of large cla.s.ses of literary material. The books recommended for teachers could be indefinitely extended, but it is hoped that enough are mentioned to give definiteness to their wider studies, and to serve as an introduction to some of the larger fields of literature, science, and history.

11. There are certain peculiar difficulties connected with the reading of longer cla.s.sics which are much less frequently met with in the usual school readers. These difficulties are of such a real and serious kind that many teachers are apt to be discouraged before success is attained.

Complete cla.s.sics like Webster's speeches, "Julius Caesar," "Snow-Bound,"

"Marmion," and "Evangeline" have been regarded as too long and difficult for school purposes. We have found, however, that the greater length, if rightly utilized, only intensifies the effect of a masterpiece. The chief objection is the greater language difficulty (hard and unusual words, proper names, etc.) of the longer cla.s.sics. This is a real obstacle and must be fairly met. It is impossible to grade down the language and thought of a great writer. It is necessary to bring the cla.s.s up to his level rather than bring him down to theirs. This requires time and skill and perseverance on the teacher's part, and labor and thought in the children. It may require a week or a month to get a cla.s.s well under way in "Lady of the Lake," "King of the Golden River," or the "Sketch-Book." But when well done it is a conquest of no mean importance. The language, style, and characteristics of the author are strange and difficult. The scales must drop from children's eyes before they will appreciate Ruskin or Tennyson or Emerson. The wings of fancy, the aesthetic sense, do not unfold in a single day. But if these initial difficulties can be overcome, we shall emerge soon into the sunlight of interest and success. It takes a degree of faith in good things and patience under difficulties to attain success in cla.s.sic readings. Even when the teacher thinks he is doing fairly well, the parents sometimes say the work is too hard and the verbal difficulties too great. Generally, however, parents are satisfied when children work hard and are interested.

Again, children whose reading in the lower grades has been of the information order lack the imaginative power that is essential to the grasp and enjoyment of any masterpiece. The sleeping or dulled fancy must be awakened. The power to image things, so natural to the poet, must be aroused and exercised. The lack of training in vivid and poetic thought in early years is sure to make itself felt in deficient and languid thought and feeling in the higher grades. But we cannot afford to give up the struggle. We may be forced to begin lower down in the series of books, but anything less than a cla.s.sic is not fit for the children.

12. The leading publishing houses are now competing vigorously in bringing out the best complete cla.s.sics in cheap, durable, well-printed form for school use. In our list the names of the publishers are given.

Most of the companies can be addressed in Boston, Chicago, New York, or San Francisco. Most of the books bound in boards or cloth range in price from twenty-five to fifty cents. The pamphlet editions are from ten to fifteen cents. The larger books of miscellaneous collections and some of the science cla.s.sics range from seventy-five cents to a dollar and a quarter. A few of the books are priced as high as two dollars.

13. Before final publication, the following lists of books have been submitted to the criticism of a number of able superintendents and to the leading publishing houses. In consequence considerable changes and additions have been made. The chief criticism offered was that the books, in a number of cases, are too difficult for the grades indicated.

To meet this objection a few changes were made, while in several cases books are described as suitable for two or three grades.

For the sake of quick and easy reference in finding any book, an alphabetical list of the t.i.tles of all the books is given at the close, and the page indicated where each book may be found in the descriptive list.

FOURTH GRADE

1. BOOKS FOR REGULAR READING LESSONS

Hawthorne's Wonder Book. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.; Educational Publishing Co.

Has been very extensively used in fourth and fifth grades, and even in sixth. A book of standard excellence.

Kingsley's Greek Heroes. Ginn & Co.; The Macmillan Co.

Much used. Excellent. Covers much the same ground as the Wonder Book and is preferred by some to it.

Stories from the Arabian Nights. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Excellent. It contains some of the most familiar stories, as Aladdin, in simple form.

Whittier's Child Life in Poetry and Prose. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

An excellent selection of poems and stories of child life by Whittier. It has many simple poems and stories, as Barefoot Boy, John Gilpin, etc. Also for fifth grade.

Fanciful Tales (Stockton). Scribner's Sons.

Very pleasing and well-told stories for children. It has not been extensively used for reading as yet.

Book of Tales. American Book Co.

A good collection of old fairy tales, stories, and poems. It has been extensively used.

Old Testament Stories in Scripture Language. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and others.

The patriarchal stories in familiar Bible language. It may be a little difficult for the first part of the year.

Round the Year in Myth and Song (Holbrook). American Book Co.

A fine collection of nature poems for occasional use throughout the year.

Bird-World (Stickney-Hoffman). Ginn & Co.

An interesting collection of bird stories and descriptions.

Simple. A good book to encourage observation of birds.

Nature in Verse (Lovejoy). Silver, Burdett, & Co.

An excellent collection of nature poems arranged by the seasons.

Book of Legends (Scudder). Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Andersen's Fairy Tales. First and Second Series. Ginn & Co.

Grimm's Household Tales. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Four Great Americans (Baldwin). Werner School Book Co.

Hans Andersen Tales. The Macmillan Co.

Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers (Burroughs). Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Very entertaining, but somewhat difficult in language. Use toward the end of the year, and in fifth grade.

Peabody's Old Greek Folk Stories. Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.

Simple and well written. It supplements the Wonder Book.

King Arthur and his Court (Greene). Ginn & Co.

A recent book. Simple in style and pleasing to children.

The Howells Story Book. Scribner's Sons.

2. SUPPLEMENTARY AND REFERENCE BOOKS

Stories of Our Country (Johonnot). American Book Co.

Good American stories for children to read at home or school.

Tales from the "Faerie Queene." The Macmillan Co.