From a literary standpoint these books are as a rule mediocre, but they are valuable as substitutes for the more lurid effusions. In this connection may be mentioned the productions of Stratemeyer, Henty, Otis, Strang, Monroe, Stoddard, and Brereton, etc., which may be given without question to the boy of from ten to sixteen years. At the age of twelve to sixteen most boys develop a desire for school, college, and outing stories, and numerous authors cater to this taste. Among the better known of these are Barbour, Home, Finnemore, Malone, Beach, Hare, Earl, Tomlinson, and Paine; and all their books for boys may be relied upon. While the output of books for boys is greater than that for girls, there is plenty of good wholesome literature, suitable to all ages of girlhood, from which to draw. Up to the age of nine or ten years the line of reading for the girl may be substantially the same as that for her brother, unless it be that the liking for the fairy tale is more pronounced in her case. In the matter of a desire for really good literature it may be said that the girl is usually more advanced than the boy. From eleven to fifteen years of age is the best time for historical tales, such as those by A. M. Barnes, Lucy F. Madison, and A. T. Curtis; and from twelve to sixteen those by Amy Blanchard and Charlotte M. Yonge. The series of Young Folks’ Histories by the last named author may be read by children from ten years up with pleasure and profit. The justly popular “Little Women” series by Louisa M. Alcott should be read by girls of from twelve to sixteen; they will not be properly appreciated at an age younger than twelve. For those of a more tender age, ranging from seven to eleven, this author’s other series “The Scrap Bag,” and “Lulu’s Library,” make good, wholesome reading. The girl of ten to thirteen years will be much interested in Marguerite Bouvet’s “Little Marjorie’s Love Story,” “Sweet William,” and “A Child of Tuscany”; while her older sister of sixteen to eighteen will be delighted with “My Lady” and “Tales of an Old Chateau,” by the same author. Of course, there is such temperamental difference in children that it is absolutely impossible to draw any hard and fast line in the matter of reading according to age, but in the cases of nine out of ten children it is safe to avoid the theoretical and to accept the practical. There are children of twelve taking a high school course, and there are also children of fifteen in the lower grades; but these are exceptions and not the rule.