Copyright, 1918,
By MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY,
Springfield, Mass.
The reward of the story-teller who has successfully met the child'sstory interest is the plea embodied in the title of this book: "Tellme another story." The book meets this child longing on a psychologicbasis. It consists of groups of stories arranged so that their tellingwill result in definite mental growth for children, as well assatisfied story hunger.
There has been a tendency in the past to group stories in a haphazardway; there has been no organized plan of selecting stories to precedeand follow one another for the purpose of definite functioning of mindprocesses. The effect of one story of distinctly differentiated themefrom one which has just been told is to break continuity of thought.On the other hand, stories of similar theme, but contrasting form toldin the story-hour have a mental effect of concentration and willtraining. This mental growth through stories is the aim of the book.
The instinctive and universal interests of all[iv] children form thethemes of the story programs; and these interests are presented intheir natural order for a year, beginning with home life, taking thechild out into the world, and carrying him through his school,industrial, seasonable, and holiday activities. Three stories havebeen grouped in each program as the number upon which children canmost easily fix their attention.
The plan of grouping the stories in each program is very definite andpsychologic. The first story in a group is an apperceptive one; itsecures the child's spontaneous attention because, through its plot,it touches his own life in some way. It brings him into close andintimate touch with the interest theme of the program because itspeaks of things that he knows, and other things that he can do. Thesecond story in each group makes an appeal to the child's reasoningpowers; having secured his attention through the apperceptive story,the story-teller now takes the child a-field, mentally, and secureshis voluntary attention. It calls for constructive thought; itpresents the theme of the program in a broader way, with widerapplication. It is, usually, the longest story of the program. Thethird story is, invariably, the dessert of this story meal. Throughits brevity, humor, tenderness, or sharply contrasting treatment ofthe program theme, it[v] supplies the necessary relaxation, the fittingclimax for the program.
An analysis of the Trade Life program will illustrate the psychologicappeal upon which the book is built. The story, The Holiday, opens theprogram with its apperceptive appeal, showing the dependence of thehome upon the industrial life of the community and the possibility ofa child's coöperation in it. The second story in the trade program,Selma Lagerloöf's Nils and the Bear, gives this wonderful Swedishwriter's presentation of the iron industry as a factor in our growthfrom savagery to civilization. The third story, The Giant Energy andFairy Skill, by Maud Lindsay, gives the program its climax in fantasyand contrast.
A similar analysis may be made of each program i