t of the home where boys and girls are
growing into manhood and womanhood as any other part of the furnishings.
Parents have no more right to starve a child's mind than they have his
body. If a child is to take his place among the men and women of his
time he needs to know the past out of which the present grew, and he
needs to know what is going on in the world in which he lives. He needs
tools for his brain as much as for his hands. All these things are
found, and found only, in books.

The child is helpless to provide himself with these necessaries for
life. The majority of parents are eager that their children shall start
early and right on that road which leads to honorable success. But it is
impossible for any parent, by no matter how liberal an expenditure, to
collect books that shall adequately cover all a child's needs and
interests. This is the task of experts.

INSTRUCTIVE PLAY

Recent studies of childhood have emphasized the conviction that a child
develops his talents even more in his playtime than in his school; his
spontaneous activities build up his fourfold--physical, mental, social,
and moral--nature. Probably no collection of books has been more
strongly affected by this modern discovery than the BOYS AND GIRLS
BOOKSHELF. The whole effort has been to utilize the child's
play-interests so that they shall express themselves in joyous ways that
lead into the world of invention and industry, of imagination and
achievement, of science and art and music, of character and worth-while
deeds.

Children's collections have had various literary styles. The
encyclopedia is comprehensive, but stately and often dull; it will
answer the question of the child, but it does not lead the child toward
more knowledge. The scrapbook is interesting, but it has no plan or
order. The "inspirational" book is full of fine sentiments, but without
facts or much information.

THE PURPOSE OF _THE BOOKSHELF_

The BOOKSHELF is so built that it creates a desire for knowledge, and
then satisfies that desire. At the same time the BOOKSHELF does not
pretend to tell all that is known on any one subject. The Editors have
selected the subjects concerning which no one should be ignorant, and
have seen to it that the information is given in an attractive form with
plenty of illustrative material, and that when the reader is finished
he will have a working knowledge of the subject. To awaken minds and to
make them alert and receptiv