§ 9 Oxford Books for Boys and Girls
The more recent activities of the Press include a notable enterprise, started by Mr. Henry Frowde jointly with Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, but now carried on by Mr. Milford alone. This was the foundation in 1907 of a new department for the issue of educational works for elementary schools, and of ‘gift-books’, useful and recreative literature, for young people of all ages. The Oxford Reading Books, which headed the list, set a new literary standard for books of the class; and the series established itself not only in this country but in parts of the Empire so remote and so diverse as Australia and Burma. It was followed by further series of reading books, and of books on history, geography, arithmetic, nature study, and other subjects of the elementary curriculum. The part taken by the Press in the educational system of the English-speaking world may now be said to comprehend the whole scholastic field from the infant school upwards.
Concurrently with the school publications, the J. Department, as it is known for convenience, has issued from Falcon Square a great variety of books for the leisure hours of boys and girls. These include finely illustrated editions of classics, such as Robinson Crusoe, Grimm’s Tales, Kingsley’s Water Babies, Alice in Wonderland; books on nature, science, industry, imperial history; miscellanies both instructive and entertaining; stories for boys, girls, and young children; and for the very youngest, picture books of all kinds.
All these publications are edited with care, and both on the literary and on the artistic side a high level of excellence is aimed at. Some two million copies of the books are distributed during the year.