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and articles in St. Nicholas have shown us, has within its enormous terrilory room for every sort of life and adventure. That big republic has been the subject of many charming books. To name but a few, there are: “The Naturalist on the River Amazon,” “A Thousand Miles’ Walk across South America” (what boy can resist that tale?), “Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator,” “Adventures in Patagonia.” A good book to begin with is Carpenter’s “South America.”

Ought we not to know more of this great neighbor of ours? Perhaps if we knew each other better we should be even better friends, and it would be well to strengthen other ties before we cut the isthmus.

Books that
are not yet
Familiar

Our friends are very kind to suggest lists of books for young people’s reading, but we cannot always print these lists with due credit to the senders, because many books named are better known than is realized by the list-makers. It is, therefore, better to give selections, From one letter we copy these:

“The Middle Five” (Indian life),	F. La Flesche.
“Teens” (girl life),	L. Mack.
“Three Girls, and Especially One,”	M. A. Taggart.
“The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,”	J. L. Fox.

The same correspondent mentions some dogs celebrated in literature.

She names Dr, Brown's famous “Rab,” Ouida’s “Mouffiou,” Flora Shaw’s “Royal” in “Castle Blair” (so warmly praised by Ruskin), “Argus,” the dog who died with joy at the return of Ulysses. But she does not mention one of our favorites, the noble “Bob, Son of Battle.”

English
History

We all study English history. How many of us know what a clear, living knowledge of the life of the people is to be gained by the reading, in proper order, of the historical stories that picture for us every political and social feature of England, from the times of King Arthur to those of Edward VII?

From a very brief list we may select a few suggestions. Beginning with Lainer’s “The Boy’s King Arthur” or Howard Pyle’s “King Arthur and his Knights,” we go on to Kingsley’s “Hereward,” Scott’s “Ivanhoe,” Bulwer’s “Harold,” Doyle's “White Company,” Stevenson’s “Black Arrow,” Bulwer’s “Last of the Barons,” and, after a few more, come to “ Kenilworth” and “Westward Ho!” and “Lorna Doone,” Doyle's “Micah Clark,” and Thackeray’s “Esmond,” which brings us to Queen Anne's days.

We should be very glad to have a more thorough and complete list, or information from some friend as to where such a list is to be found. And if the same friend or another can likewise make up a good list to accompany the study of American history, we are sure that our young students will appreciate the favor. School histories cannot spare space to give the little happenings that make history live, and the best pictures of natural life are to be found in good fiction.

But we do not wish lists of books meant especially for young readers. We prefer books that can be read by either young or old—such as Cooper's “Spy,” Mitchell’s “Hugh Wynne,” or Hall’s “Boys of Scrooby.”

“On the Fly.”

A young mother, who was asked what advice she thought would be of use to boys and girls about their reading, said that it seemed to her that there was too much reading by off-hand glances. A boy or girl will grab up (the words are expressive; forgive their inelegance!) any derelict volume that comes in the way, and, opening it at random, will sit down, bolt a paragraph or two, and then run toward the next book, or other object, that promises a moment’s interest. It is hardly necessary to say that such reading must do more harm than good, no matter what book happens to be chosen.

There is another habit that may be here spoken of, since it arises from the same uneasy curiosity and restlessness. This is the habit of always reading whenever one has nothing else to do; that is, of never sitting simply quiet. Reading is not thinking, and thinking is quite as valuable. If you never operate your mind except in grooves provided for it, you will weaken your powers of thinking. Sit quietly, and let your mind exercise its powers on material of its own choosing.

You may find that your own mind is not so bad a story-teller after all.