AMBORLIAD COPYRIGHT 1910 BY SCOTT, FORESMAN & CO. Gift EDUCATION DEPT. ROBERT O LAW COMPANY, INTRODUCTION This book is designed to furnish a rich and varied supply of reading matter suited to the interests and needs of children in the early part of the grammar school work. The selections have been made with great care from among the masterpieces of British and American literature. Many familiar old pieces that have stood the test of time are included in the list. They are the songs that will always be sung and the stories that will always be told. The grouping into separate parts will aid both teachers and pupils in classifying the material, indicating at a glance the range and variety of literature offered. Part One includes both poetry and prose. The stirring notes of patriotism with which the book opens find fitting supplement in the charming stories which follow, "The Barefoot Boy" being typical of the entire group. The series of nature poems, the group relating to character and that relating to the music of the bells, complete a collection of literary creations notable for their charm of expression and conspicuous for their beauty of thought and imagery. Part Two contains some of the heroic tales of Greece and Rome. These fine old legends of adventure and heroism, handed down from the dawn of history, have delighted old and young for countless generations. They typify the noblest and best ideals of heroic conduct in ancient times and offer exceptional material for character-building at this impressionable period in the child's life. These stories are adapted from the stories. from Homer and Virgil by Prof. Alfred J. Church. Part Three presents a few of the great American authors, and no apology is needed for the names included in the list offered. They represent the makers of American literature and the 9 |