The lists of books in the present work have been drawn up in different gradations, a great number of them having been actually proved by reading aloud. There are many very fairly suitable for _lending_, not equally good for reading aloud, as lengthiness, description, and over-moralising, hang on hand with a mixed class; and, in other cases, the reader seems to be inculcating with authority all that is uttered, and thus gives a sense of preaching instead of amusing. The tales that have any dissenting bias, or which appear to involve false doctrine, are of course omitted, though all those here mentioned do not belong to the same school of thought within the Church. The classified list then includes books for:— _Little Ones._—Fit to be read or given to children from four to eight. _Junior Classes._—Children from seven or eight to ten or eleven. _Senior Classes._—From ten upwards. _Boys._—The books may be read by girls also, but most boys will not read girls’ books, therefore their literature is put separately. _Drawing Room Stories._—The best are mentioned here, but all, though excellent, are, on experience, out of the ken of the school child. _On the Catechism._ _On Confirmation._ _On the Prayer Book._ _On the Bible._ _Allegories._ Stories on Church History. ” English History. ” General History. _Mythological Tales._ _Novelettes._ _Fairy Tales._ _Mothers’ Meetings._ _Mission Working Parties._ _Descriptions of Countries._ _Adventures._ _Biography._ _History._ _Church History._ _Natural History and Popular Science._ _Religious Books._ _Magazines._ _Penny Readings._ It should be clearly understood that nobody is urged to have anything like all the books here mentioned, but that the object is to answer the oft-recurring question—Where shall I find a book suited for such and such a purpose? I have added a few suggestions of extracts for penny readings, but it is not easy to collect enough that do not verge on buffoonery, or that have no element of vulgarity; and indeed there is so much variation of tastes according to the tone and training of the audience, that it is hardly possible to tell what will be suited for hearers of each degree of culture. Some delight in pathos or adventure, and others will do nothing but laugh, and become noisy at anything that is not highly comic. Such books for the purpose as I have seen, between difficulty about copyright and desire of novelty and drollery, do not avoid vulgarity. N.B.—It is advisable to inspect thoroughly everything offered by volunteers for reading, recitation, or singing.