"The habit of good reading once acquired will be of inestimable value to a child all his life. Great care should be exercised at first that a taste for good literature be not spoiled by an earlier perusal of the more trashy stories so easily obtained.
See that the children have at hand the right kind of books. If they get their books at a public library it is well to exercise a little oversight over what is chosen.
Most librarians are always glad to talk with mothers and give a list of the best books for children according to their ages. More personal attention is likely to be given your children, too, if a talk has been had with the librarian. Children sometimes draw out books presumably for their parents which are not exactly suited to their own needs. Also having a list of children's books yourself, you can always have a book ready to suggest. It is wise not to say much about the books of which you disapprove lest you implant the desire for the forbidden and mysterious. It is better to suggest good books than to censor bad ones.
Reading aloud with the children from the best class of books is a splendid way to cultivate a desire for them. It is often enjoyable to read together what to read alone might seem a little heavy.
Some children will need no urging to read, but on the other hand will be so fond of reading as to interfere with proper exercise and outdoor play. Books on nature subjects will be good for these children for if they become interested and learn to love the things of outdoors this in itself will act as an antidote for over-bookishness.
Best and most important of all is to teach them a love and appreciation of the Bible. It is our greatest literature, our truest guide to all that is good in life. In it is a never-ending source of pleasure and inspiration."
~ The above paragraphs are from a 1914 children's publication.
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