General Information Books
Recommended Books from Young Years Library: Mother's Guide to Children's Reading by Rachele Thomas, Parents' Magazine's Press, 1963. {LOC 63-15865}
Young Years Library was a five or 10-volume anthology of reading material for children. The product evolved over the years, but generally it was sold direct to parents who wanted to provide an educational or literary advantage to their children. Many of the great children's librarians of the day were involved, including the pioneering Augusta Braxton Baxter. My copy, published in 1963, includes a 72-page list of recommended books for various ages and stages. To my eye, many of these books have long since been forgotten, not least because of the revolution in children's literature that took place following the publication that year of Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. I'll be transcribing the sections of the Mother's Guide to Children's Reading reading list, one by one, in hopes of providing a starting point for modern mamas looking to explore more unusual, likely out-of-print book suggestions, beyond those usually included in generally available contemporary reading prescriptions. Copyright, of course, remains with Home Library Press.
An excellent explanation of the facts
of birth.
An explanation of flight reveals that
birds and airplanes are kept in the air by exactly the same
principles.
How the fascinating concept of numbers
developed, and its role in modern life.
The true story of how four boys and
their dog discovered an Ice Age cave.
Good historical account of how men have
communicated with each other through the ages.
The problems and scientific
principles—simply stated—underlying some of the world's most
spectacular engineering feats, such as the construction of the
Pyramids and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
A vivid first-hand story of the voyage
of the atomic-powered submarine.
A good how-to book of tricks and
slight-of-hand fun.
A sympathetic account of the
humanitarian work of the great world organization. Companion volumes
are:
A must for children interested in
American Indians. Demonstrates in text and pictures the positions and
movements of hands to form over 500 words, including tribal names.
A good introduction to the history of
music.
A fascinating look at the complex
network of electric cables, water, gas, and sewer pipes that lie
beneath the city streets.
Beautiful picture-book panorama of a
great city. Others in this series are:
This book—endorsed by Catholic,
Protestant, and Jewish organizations—describes our country's three
great religions. Other titles on religious subjects by the same
author:
The story of words, where they came
from, and how they are used.
An interesting history of the
calendar—why it was made, how it is used and other facts.
Exciting episodes in man's struggle to
combat disease and to prolong life.
A book of myths for the
scientific-minded child, showing how many modern scientific words
originated from classic mythology.
