5 DECEMBER 1914, Page 9

CHRISTMAS ANNUALS.

UNDER this heading we shall mention not only Christmas annuals properly so-called, but some bound volumes of magazines that have been sent to us, and a few miscellaneous books that may conveniently be classed along with them. Beginning with the boys' books, we shall first name Chums (Cassell and Co., 8s.), which is perhaps the favourite of all boys' papers. Next comes The Scout (C. Arthur Pearson, 6s. 6d. net), which is the official organ of the Boy Scouts ; while another good boys' magazine is Young England (Pilgrim Press, 5s.). Some exciting stories, many of them by well- known writers, are collected in Herbert Strang's Annual (Henry Frowde and Hodder and Stoughton, 5s.), and in Herbert Strang's Book of Adventure Stories (same publishers and price); and other equally well produced volumes from the same editor and publishers, but at a lower price, are The Brown Book for Boys, The Bed Book of British Battles, and The Blue Book of British Naval Battles (2s. 6d. each). Lastly, we have a similar collection of stories of adventure in The British Boy's Annual (Cassell and Co., 5s.).-Turning now to girls' books, we may mention The British Girl's Annual (same publishers and price), which is a collection of short stories of different sorts; and, upon similar lines, Nelson's Girl's Annual, edited by Jean Lang (T. Nelson and Sons, 2a. 6d.), and The Violet Book for Girls, edited by Mrs. Herbert Strang (Henry Frowde and Hodder and Stoughton, 2s. 6d.).-Finally, there are a number of volumes of the same sort, but intended for younger children. Of these we may draw our readers' attention to Chatterbox (Wells Gardner, Darton, and Co., 5s. and 3s.), which has long been popular ; to Sunday and Every-day (same publishers and price) ; and to Our Empire (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2s. 6d.).