3 OCTOBER 1952, Page 22

Books for a Boy

SIR,—Can any of your readers suggest books suitable for a reasonably intelligent boy of nine-and-a-half ? There is very little choice of boys' books here and I have exhausted all my knowledge of titles which I could order by post, My son is a voracious reader, and has read, over and over again, a good many of the children's classics—Black Beauty, Treasure Island, Coral Island, simplified Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver, Gorilla Hunters, van Loon's books, besides such annuals, compendiums and stories that come his way.

The modern children's stories of about 180 pages of large print, costing up to 10s. a volume, are too expensive a way of occupying one afternoon.

It would be the greatest kindness if you could spare the space to ask your readers whether they can tell me of well-written and substantial adventure stories, whether fiction, historical or true; books Of travel and exploration, of simple science and natural history and introductions to knowledge, of interest to a boy of from nine to ten