Children's Care of Books by Caroline Stetson Allen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 7, 1915

Children's Care of Books

By Caroline Stetson Allen

How can children best be taught to take good care of their books; that is, not to tear them, mark them unnecessarily, or in other ways maltreat them?

Surely one thing essential in teaching children to take proper care of books is to let them see, while they are still very little, that we love books well enough to treat them gently. The lesson isn't so thoroughly learned later.

Don't pick up the tossed-aside picture book at the end of the afternoon. Even if the bowl of bread and milk stands temptingly waiting, be sure to have Hilda herself smooth the ruffled leaves and put the book—not just anywhere, but in its own appointed niche.

I knew a little girl who was very careless about her own books until she became interested in making a small catalogue of them. She printed the names neatly (and alphabetically) in a pretty blank book with a fascinating Scotch plaid cover.

After the titles of the books were duly arranged, it was a glad task to get out one's crayons, or, if these weren't forthcoming, to beseech big sister for a few dabs at her paints. Then the names grew beautiful indeed! It followed quite as a matter of course that, having a catalogue as good as papa's (or probably better), the chubby volumes received the same care as his.—Caroline Stetson Allen, in Home Progress.