AUSTRALIAN WONDERLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 46, 15 November 1900, Page 19

AUSTRALIAN WONDERLAND.

From time to time we have drawn attention to the ne-esity of greater care being exercised in the purchasing of books for Hchool prizes, for we have reason to believe th.«t had ihe donors been aware of the contents of many of their gifts they would have readily recognistd how unsuitable euoh book* were for children. Many prize books are purchased on the strength of a pretty cover and a taking title, and it is needless to observe that selections made in this haphazard fashion are not alwayn the best to be placed in the hands of boys and girls. If school authorities and others have not time to read through the volume intended to be presented at breaking-up functions they should at least select only those by reputable authors. We have been led to make these remarks in corißPquenceof receipt of a volume entitled Australian Wonderland published by Messrs. Ward, Lock and Co., Loudon and Melbourne

ana written by a religious of St. Mary's Convent, Wellington No more mitab.e book could be given as a school prize, and although written ostensibly for boy*, it will, we believe, be quit, as acceptable to girls, and even grown-up people will fiud something to am f th , em la its bnghrly-writt-u pages. The authoress wields a ready and graceful pen, displays considerable power of originality in the idea and treatment of her subject, and sue eeds in the most delightful manner in connecting a chain of extraordinary events in which a schoolboy has been compelled, much against his will, to take the leading part as a punishment for his want of application at £idy. The whnl« of the events are dovetailed into one another in the most skilful manner so that the interest of the reader T P / " P r ° m Ptarfc to fini ' sh > «"« » Pw*t many TL *>% readm? the book will no doabt re g r et that they has °°. ha j f the . I^^ °J taking part in the adventures that fell to the lot of Charlie Brendon. It is in reality a fairy tale with an excellent moral, bat this is so cleverly introduced that the reader is unaware of the purpose of the authoress until he has practically finished the book. Over and above this there is a good deal o* natural history m Australian Wonderland dealing principally with the country from which it takes its name, and no boy or girl can read it without being highly amused, and at the same time receiving a considerable amount of information regarding the birds and animals of the island continent. The authoress has certainly siren to the reading public a work which would do credit to the best known writers of that class of literature. Australian Wonderland is handsome y bojnd and profusely illustrated, the pictures being in keeping with the letter-prass. It can be purchased from Messrs Whitaker Bros., of Wellington and Greymouth, and no pme-list at the forthcoming breaking-uD functions should be considered complete without this delightful little volume being included in it.