Why not just read the original version?

A worthwhile abridged classic

Jon Dykstra | May 26 2017 | comment

Pollyannaby Eleanor H. Porter, Kathleen Olmstead, editor
written for ages 2-7 | recommended
published in 2007 | Sterling | 160 pages

I'm not one for abridged classics. Why not just read the original?

However, there is an exception to every rule. I recently realized that my little ones could benefit from learning about Pollyanna's "glad game" - her need to learn how to look for the positive side of things. They just weren't old enough to sit throught the original. Fortunately, Sterling Books' "Classic Starts" has a very good abridged version.

Half as long as the orignial, it is the perfect size for my girls' ages: three to seven.

Pollyanna is a poor but lively orphan girl who goes to live with her rich, straight-laced aunt. Hilarity ensues as this somber lady is gradually won over by her cheereul niece. There is one shocking and sad moment that could cause young listeners some distress. Pollyana gets hurt quite badly. I peaked ahead and made sure that the chapter with the accident was the first one I would read that night. Then I kept on reading the next couple chapters so we could finish on a happier note. That helped my audience through this tense section.

Jon Dykstra blogs on books at ReallyGoodReads.com.

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| MercatorNet | May 29, 2017 |

As Shannon Roberts points out in today's lead article, the 21st Century is more likely to see the rise of religion than the triumph of atheism. There is a very simple reason which appears to have nothing to do with the merits of the argument: people with religious convictions tend to have more children. "The future of the world is in the hands of our children; what will their beliefs be?" she writes.

Of course, it makes a big difference which religion rises fastest. At the moment, Islam is projected to become bigger than the sum of Christian denominations by the year 2060. (Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel may have the world's highest fertility rate, more than 6 children per woman, but they are starting from a low base.) However, what seems sure is that the proportion of unbelievers will decline. What this means is anyone's guess. But it will not be business as usual!