GIFT-BOOKS.
SOME MORE CHILDREN'S BOOKS.* THE idea of publishing the story of The Voyages of Captain Scott' in a form suitable for boys was a most excellent one. Mr. Charles Turley has made a most successful compilation from the two books, The Voyage of the Discovery' and Scott's Last Expedition, leaving the words of the original journals so far as possible, and filling up the gaps between the quotations with a straightforward narrative admirably written. The story of Scott's earlier life is briefly told in Sir James Barrie's sympathetic introductory chapter to the volume, while the large number of illustrations include some of the wonderful photographs taken in the course of the two expeditions, as well as reproductions of a few of Dr. Wilson's water-colours. The excellent map will be of great help to young readers in tracing the journeys across the Antarctic Continent. Altogether, we can think of no better gift for a boy than this story, which on the one hand is exciting and adventurous, and on the other teaches a deep lesson of courage and self-sacrifice for the sake of an ideal.
The war is naturally not calculated to inspire the writers of children's Christmas books, but in Told in Gallant Deeds' Mrs. Bello° Lowndes has made a very successful attempt to bring it within a child's comprehension. Though scarcely, as it is dcEcribed on the title-page, " a child's history of the war," it gives some idea of what it is that we are fighting for and of who our allies are. Chiefly, however, it is made up of a number of stories of gallantry and devotion in the field, many cf them collected from the soldiers' letters which have hitherto been perhaps the test literary products of the war. These stories are retold in simple language, and form as it were a pictorial accompaniment to Mrs. Bence Lowndes's plain narrative of the campaign as far as it has gone.—The activity of story-writers has already produced two boys' stories of the war. The first of these, With French at the Franks opens at the British Embassy in Berlin on the fourth of August. The hero and heroine make their way home through Germany in disguise and with many hairbreadth escapee. Thereafter the whole campaign is followed, from the early days in Belgium to the very gates of Paris, and thence to the Aisne. The Battle of the Bight is thrown in as an interlude, while German spies and aeroplane fights provide many other thrilling episodes.—Our second war story, A Hero of Liege,' is of a similar character, though it does not carry events further than the first few weeks of the campaign, being chiefly concerned, as its title suggests, with the splendid defence of Liege, of which it gives a most vivid account.
The Dreadnought of the Air,5 though not occupied with the present war, touches upon many subjects that are naturally of particular interest to boys to-day. The story is of a marvellous new airship secretly built in the depths of the New Forest, with powers infinitely surpassing any that Count Zeppelin can ever have dreamed of, and of the various quixotic enterprises upon which it engages. These include the rescue of a Polar expedition which has got into difficulties, and the overpowering of a recalcitrant South American Republic.—Mr. Warren Bell's numerous admirers will not need to be assured of the excellence of his new book, "Dormitory Eight."6 It is enough to tell them that this latest tale of Greyhouse is up to the level of its forerunners.
We may conclude this list of Christmas books by mention- ing a new edition of Alice in Wonderland? This is finely printed in the Riccardi Press fount, and contains all of Tenniel's original illustrations. It would make a very hand- some gift even for the most pampered of modern children.
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