Junior Dictionary

Confront a 12-year-old schoolchild with this definition of a candle: A cylinder of combustible substance inclosing a wick to furnish light.

No one knows better than Professor Edward Lee Thorndike that the schoolchild will close his dictionary in puzzlement, forget he ever wanted to know about candles. A quarter century ago Columbia's famed educational psychologist decided that something must be done for the millions & millions of youngsters between 10 and 15 who have to struggle with such monstrous definitions. That decision bore fruit last week when the Thorndike-Century Junior Dictionary came off Chicago presses.

Many a publisher gets out a school dictionary by the cheap and simple process of cutting down his big edition, condensing definitions, dropping illustrative sentences. The Thorndike-Century Dictionary is based on the reverse principle that children need simpler and fuller definitions than adults. From some 10,000,000 words which he read over a period of 17 years. Dr. Thorndike called out the 25,000 most common. Five years ago he began work on the definitions. Some he built around pictures, of which there are 1,800. Others he made up largely or wholly of illustrative sentences. When all were done he had them printed in 900 pages of big, readable type. Wrote he:

"We have not been satisfied to abbreviate and adapt definitions made originally for adults and for adults of much ability and knowledge. What has a clear and correct meaning to a well-informed adult may confuse and mislead a child. We, therefore, frame our definitions directly to meet the needs of children."

No child will be puzzled by Dr. Thorndike's definition of a candle: A stick of tallow or wax with a wick in it, burned to give light. Long ago, before there was gas or electric light, people burned candles to see by.

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