others—to be used in this cruel manner by youngsters who have not been taught to discriminate. In buying books for young children, therefore, care should be taken to select only those which have high artistic value, or which give accurate delineations of natural and familiar objects, rather than those cheap and nasty productions which in colour and design are second cousins to the mock valentines of our youth. It may be noted that, when a baby's interest in pictorial literature begins to abate, or to assume a destructive form, an old newspaper makes a most effective substitute for a picture-book. A baby brought up on artistic pictures is being insensibly endowed with a valuable perceptive faculty, which will have influential results in every process of future training. One who is reared on literary and pictorial trash will almost inevitably degenerate into a worshipper of the horse-hair and mahogany standard in life, culture and morals.
The pet fad of most American (and not a few English) librarians is the compilation of model selections of books suitable for children of all ages and temperaments. In many cases this special cult has resulted in the production of some extraordinary lists, in which books are graded or arranged in a series of classes to suit the supposed degree of intelligence possessed by boys and girls of five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and twelve years of age. What is entertaining matter for the lad of twelve must needs, according to this scheme, be poison for his brother of eight, while girl-books
