T One Dollar or Less Inexpensive Books for School Libraries "HE NUMBER and variety of worth-while books selling for one dollar or less-some as low as 10 or 15 cents-offer unusual opportunities for schools in which budgets for library books are low. Reputable series of books, as well as books not in series, are available at low prices, thus bringing standard literature within the reach not only of school libraries, but also of many individuals. Discounts are often available, particularly for books retailing for 25 cents or more, when purchased in quantity. Before ordering, it is suggested that prospective purchasers consult publishers regarding the matter. Standards for rating books.—In rating inexpensive books both as to content and format, standards similar to those used in judging higherpriced books should be applied. Because a book is inexpensive it is not necessarily inferior. The techniques of modern book manufacture make it possible, in the case of standard and classic titles, to produce books of good quality at low cost and to sell them cheaply, particularly when the demand is great and steady. An important question in considering the content of a book is: "Does it have the approval of librarians and teachers?" This fact can be settled by determining whether the title is included in standard book lists generally used by librarians. Judgment on the format of a book involves such factors as binding, paper, print, margins, and illustrations. Books that are cloth-bound and machine-sewed are usually considered most satisfactory for school libraries, but these binding requirements need not be rigidly adhered to in the case of the very low-priced books. According to Drury, the paper should have good wearing qualities, should not be too thin, and should be of a light cream tint with dull or antique finish rather than white.1 In judging the legibility of a printed page, consideration should be given to the clearness of the print, the spacing between the words, and the size of the type. Ten-, eleven-, or twelve-point type leaded is usually considered satisfactory. For children with defective vision, larger sizes are necessary. 1 Drury, Francis K. W. Book selection. Chicago, American Library Association, 1930. p. 204. The width of the margins should also be considered because this affects the appearance of the page. Margins become an important question, if for any reason the problem of rebinding arises. However, in the case of books selling for one dollar or less, rebinding is usually inadvisable. Since illustrations assist in the interpretation of the text, they should be placed as near as possible to the text which they illustrate and should harmonize with the print, paper, and other physical aspects of the book. Acknowledgment.-The Office is indebted to the publishers for furnishing samples of books selling for one dollar or less and for other instances of their cooperation in the preparation of this circular. Inexpensive Series By taking advantage of inexpensive series, it is possible to build up a library of the best literature with a relatively small expenditure of money. Since not every title in a series will be equally useful for school libraries, those responsible for the selection of titles should first determine which of them are included in book lists that are rated "standard" by librarians and teachers. As a rule, it is best to purchase only unabridged texts. The following publications which describe and evaluate inexpensive publishers' series will be found helpful: Inexpensive Books for Boys and Girls. Compiled by a Joint Committee of the National Education Association, the American Library Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Chicago, Ill., American Library Association, 1938. 40 cents. Lists about 900 titles in editions costing one dollar or less. Titles are grouped under headings of Picture books and easy reading and Junior books of general interest. The title, author, publisher, price, and series (if the book belongs to a series) are given for each book listed. The 38 series represented are compared and evaluated in tabular form. Inexpensive Series for Junior and Senior High School Libraries. Compiled for the California School Library Association, Northern Section, by Dora Smith and Helen M. Price. San Jose, Calif., San Jose State College. [1936] Describes briefly 66 series, most of which sell for one dollar or less. The description for each includes format, content, publisher, and price. Under "content" the number of books in the series, the types of literature, and a few representative titles are given. Representative examples.-Following are brief descriptions of representative examples of publishers' series which contain titles suitable for elementary and junior high school libraries. Each series includes books which may differ as to content, but which usually have similar characteristics as to format. Books intended primarily as supplementary readers are not included. Since the writer did not have access to all of the titles in each series, the description of the format is based upon observation of the samples furnished by publishers and upon information contained in their catalogs. The Children's Favorites Series. Content: A series containing more than 100 books from such authors as Format: Size 51⁄2 by 84 inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; Grade level: All elementary and junior high school grades. The Children's Heroes Series. Content: Nineteen life stories of some of the world's outstanding heroes, such as Joan of Arc, Captain Cook, Abraham Lincoln, David Livingstone, Florence Nightingale, and Sir Walter Raleigh. Format: Size 4% by 6 inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; narrow margins; print small but clear; illustrated in color. Grade level: Upper elementary. Publisher and price: E. P. Dutton & Co.; 65 cents each. De Luxe Juvenile Classics. Content: A series of 33 classics containing such titles as: Bob: Son of Content: Approximately 30 titles of contemporary literature, some Format: Size 4 by 7%1⁄2 inches; cloth binding, medium weight paper; Grade level: Junior high school. Publisher and price: Harper & Brothers; price range, 60 cents to $1.08. Harper's Young People's Series. Content: About 20 titles of popular books for boys and girls, such as: The Adventures of Buffalo Bill, Flamingo Feather, Mr. Stubbs' Brother, Toby Tyler, Two Arrows, and others. Format: Size 5% by 7%1⁄2 inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; wide margins; print clear; illustrated. 162578°-40-2 Grade level: Upper elementary and junior high school. Content: A series of approximately 85 well-known titles of fiction Format: Size 51⁄2 by 81⁄2 inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; inner margin narrow; print clear; illustrated. Grade level: Upper elementary and junior high school. Publisher and price: Grosset & Dunlap; $1 each. The Little Library. Content: A series of approximately 50 small books for little children, Format: Size 41⁄2 by 6%1⁄2 inches; cloth binding; heavy weight paper; inner margin narrow; print clear, size of type varies; illustrated. Grade level: Kindergarten and grades 1 to 6. Publisher and price: The Macmillan Co.; $1 each. Lippincott's Children's Classics. Content: Twenty-one children's favorites; long stories simplified. Some of the titles are: Dog of Flanders, The King of the Golden River, Moni-the Goat Boy, and The Nürnberg Stove. Format: Size 5% by 7% inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; print clear; narrow inner margins; full color illustrations. Grade level: Upper elementary. Publisher and price: J. B. Lippincott; 60 cents each. Lippincott's Juniors. Content: A series of 20 titles, including adventure, factual, and fairy Format: Size 51⁄2 by 8 inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; Publisher and price: J. B. Lippincott Co.; $1 each. The Macmillan Children's Classics. Content: This series of approximately 50 titles is composed of well-known children's favorites. Among the titles are: The Arabian Nights, A Christmas Carol (Dickens), Games for Every Day, Household Tales and Stories (Brothers Grimm), The Little Duke, The Listening Child, Rip Van Winkle, Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb), and Two Years Before the Mast. Among the illustrators are Francis Bedford, Walter Crane, Warwick Goble, Eric Pape, and Arthur Rackham. Format: Size 5 by 71⁄2 inches; cloth binding; medium weight paper; outer margins wide, inner rather narrow; print clear; illustrated with black and white drawings and colored frontispiece. Grade level: Elementary and junior high school. Publisher and price: The Macmillan Co.; $1 each. Newbery Classics. Content: Nine volumes, among which are: Children's Stories from Dickens, The Heroes of Greek Fairy Tales, and Tales of the Alhambra. Some of the illustrators are Edna Cooke, Frank Godwin, and Gertrude Alice Kay. Format: Size 51⁄2 by 81⁄2 inches; cloth binding; rather heavy paper; wide margins; print varies; each volume is illustrated with 4-colored plates. Grade level: All elementary grades. Publisher and price: David McKay Co.; 60 cents each. Picture Scripts. Content: Written by teachers and specialists in the field of children's literature. The vocabulary is built chiefly upon words and phrases used by children and the books have been tested in classrooms. Among the 25 volumes now published are: Airplanes, Boats, Children-Come and Sing, Keo-the Otter, Owney—the Postal Dog, A Story of Milk, Two Little Navajos Dip Their Sheep, and The World is Round. Format: The volumes already published are in three sizes-6 by 61⁄4, 54 by 7, and 7 by 8 inches; heavy paper; saddle-wired binding; (available also in a special reinforced library buckram binding); print large and clear; illustrated with photographs and line and wash drawings. Grade level: All elementary grades. Publisher and price: E. M. Hale & Co.; paper binding 20 cents each, buckram 44 cents each. Picture Story Books. Content: Blue Mittens, The Curly Haired Hen, The Night Before Christmas, The Princess and the Apple Tree, The Singing Farmer, and Wigwam and Warpath are some of the titles in this series of approximately 60 titles. Kurt Weise, Justin Lichtie, and Helen Sewell are some of the illustrators. Format: Size varies; cloth binding; heavy weight paper; wide margins; print clear, size of type varies; profusely illustrated. Grade level: Mostly elementary; some for junior high school. Publisher and price: Grosset & Dunlap; some 50 cents each, others $1. Social Studies. Content: Published in two editions (1) Picture stories. This edition includes 30 books in such fields as transportation, communication, food, clothing, shelter, nature study, and fine arts. Some of the titles are: The Tale of a Trailer, Letter to Lucy, Milk, The Clothes We Wear, Homes of Today, Butterflies and Moths, and Stories of American Music. (2) Unified social studies. This edition includes 12 titles, some of which are: How Wonderful Is Our World, Our Inheritance from |