Friday, February 27, 2009

The Child's World Fourth Grade Reader/ Google Books


The Child's World Fourth Reader
By Sarah Withers, Hetty Sibyl Browne, William Knox Tate
Published by B.F. Johnson, 1917

Begin reading here.
Main page

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Facts and Backgrounds of Literature: American and British/Google Books

All this and more:

344
Chivalry , joust , minstrels
347
middle ages , farmed in common , scat
349
craft guilds , merchant guild , main purpose
350
Inns of Court , Middle Temple , Twelfth Night
354
single houses , male heir , American readers
355
proscenium , actors , Elizabethan plays
363
bear-baiting , falconry , judicial combat
370
Boy Bishop , Whitsunday , Childermas
378
Roman Catholic church , established church , nonconformist
383
astrology , Ptolemaic astronomy , Alchemy


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The Facts and Backgrounds of Literature: English and American
By George Fullmer Reynolds, Garland Greever
Published by The Century Co., 1920
425 pages

Begin reading here

Sunday, February 22, 2009

My Country: A Textbook in Civics and Patriotism for Young Americans/Google Books


From the introduction: "Many of the pupils in whose hands this book is placed will never read or study another discussion of civics and patriotism. Is it more important that they get from this text a detailed knowledge of the machinery of town, city, county, state, and national government, or that they get deeply implanted in their minds and hearts the conviction that America is really a nation founded on liberty, that it is a nation which looks to them to-day and every day to help in its building, that patriotism means making the most of every opportunity that this land of opportunities offers. The author has felt that unless the boy and the girl leave the elementary or junior high school with a definite conception of what America stands for, what it expects them to do now as boys and girls and later as men and women, they will be futile, even if well-meaning, citizens.

This book therefore aims to create a background which will help the teacher develop a spirit of true patriotism (this is accomplished by the early chapters in the book), and, when this has been kindled, to take the pupil into the technical part of the subject (the chapters on laws, government, taxes, thrift, etc.). In these chapters, as in the earlier ones, the pupil is never allowed to lose touch with the American spirit which is the keynote of the whole text. And finally he is led to symbolize love of country in a consideration of the flag. The Appendix will assist those teachers who wish to emphasize the mechanics of the subject in a broad way. The minor details of local government vary in each state and cannot be included in a text of this kind."

Begin reading here.
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My Country: A Textbook in Civics and Patriotism for Young Americans
By Grace Alice Turkington, Newell Convers Wyeth
Illustrated by Newell Convers Wyeth
Published by Ginn and Company, 1918
394 pages

Friday, February 20, 2009

Business Mathematics/Google Books

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Main page
Business Mathematics: A Textbook for Schools
By Edward Ira Edgerton, Wallace Edgar Bartholomew
Published by The Ronald press company, 1921
305 pages

Vocational Mathematics for Girls/Google Books


Politically incorrect math for girls. ;) This book covers: household budgets, kitchen math, dress making, thrift and investment, farm math, and math in formally traditional female occupations outside the home.

Begin reading here.
Main page.
Vocational Mathematics for Girls
By William Henry Dooley
Published by D.C. Heath & co., 1917
369 pages

May or may not be useful for homeschool math, but it is interesting for cultural/history studies.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Warne's Victoria Picture Spelling Book(and more)


Warne's Victoria picture spelling book by Laura Valentine, Published by , 1866:

EASILY GRADUATED SPELLING LESSONS.
EASILY GRADUATED READING LESSONS.
EASY LESSONS IN GRAMMAR.
EASY LESSONS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
EASY LESSONS IN CHRONOLOGY.

USEFUL INFORMATION.

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION.

ARITHMETICAL TABLES.

POETRY.

WRITING LESSONS, ETC., ETC.

Begin reading here.
Main page

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Famous Stories Every Child Should Know /Google Books

Click here to begin reading.

Main page
Famous Stories Every Child Should Know: A Selection of the Best Stories of All Time for Young People
By Hamilton Wright Mabie, Kate Stephens
Published by Grosset & Dunlap, 1907
300 pages

Saturday, February 14, 2009

The children's picture-book of good and great men/Google Books


Easy reader for early elementary school.
Click here to start reading.
Main page
The children's picture-book of good and great men
Published by , 1860

Thursday, February 12, 2009

At the Back of the North Wind/Google Books


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At the Back of the North Wind
By George MacDonald, Jessie Willcox Smith
Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith
Published by D. McKay, 1919
342 pages

Review:

"The book tells the story of a young country boy named Diamond. He is a very sweet little boy who makes joy everywhere he goes. He fights despair and gloom and brings peace to his family. One night, as he is trying to sleep in the loft, Diamond plugs up several holes in the barn wall in order to stop the wind from blowing in. However, he soon finds out that this is stopping the North Wind from going on her routes. Diamonds befriends her, and North Wind lets him ride on her back, taking him on several adventures.

Though North Wind does goods deeds and helps people, she is also does terrible things. In one of her mischievous acts, she sinks a ship. Yet everything bad leads to something good. North Wind seems to be a representation of Pain and Death working according to God's will for something good.

On their adventures, North Wind brings Diamond to the country she lives in; a country without pain and death.Yet, he is brought only in a shadow of the real country at the back of the North Wind. The real country is open for him only after his death. At the end of the book, Diamond dies, finally able to see the country.

In this book, MacDonald touches many theological and philosophical questions, especially concerning theodicy[A vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil.]. Today, it is considered one of his masterpieces."

Appropriate for later elementary and up. A good read aloud for younger children.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Children's Picture-book of Quadrupeds and Other Mammalia/Google Books


Beginning zoology for early middle school.

Note: Chapter on "Man" is Biblical, and no Evolution Theory is mentioned. Many nice illustrations.

Click here to begin reading.
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The Children's Picture-book of Quadrupeds: And Other Mammalia
By John George Wood, William Harvey
Illustrated by William Harvey
Published by Harper, 1861
Original from Harvard University
Digitized Feb 13, 2008
276 pages

Monday, February 9, 2009

Scenes in Africa/Google Books


This is a fascinating children's book Published in 1824 about North Africa, Central Africa, and South Africa. Of course, times have changed, and if read, should be read with an understanding that it is a glimpse back into old Africa. The style of writing reminds me of historical fiction written for children, so it's comfortably read even if out of date in regards to people and places. There is nothing dry or boring about this book, yet a lot of information and pictures are packed into each chapter.

I skimmed the initial section on North Africa and did not see anything written in a disrespectful manner. The author, a Christian minister writes as many Quaker authors would in that time period, without negative regard to race or religion. The book is mislabeled by Google as a book about America instead of Africa. The slave trade, abolished in Rev. Taylor's native England is described in detail and condemned.


Scenes in Africa: For the Amusement and Instruction of Little Tarry-at-home Travellers
By Rev. Isaac Taylor
Published by John Harris, 1824(England)
120 pages

Main page
Begin Reading here.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Age of Fable and The Age Chivalry /Google Books


Description at Dover Publications, "Bulfinch's Mythology is a classic retelling of the great myths and legends, from ancient Greece and Rome to the time of Charlemagne. The second volume, reprinted here, focuses on Arthurian legends, and covers such notables as Sir Gawin, Launcelot, Richard the Lion-Hearted, Tristan and Isolde, Robin Hood, and much more." ages 14 and Up. Note: Bulfinch comes at these fables from a Christian viewpoint.

Main page
The Age of Chivalry
By Thomas Bulfinch
Published by Crosby, Nichols, 1859
414 pages

Click here to begin reading.

The Age of Fable
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Main page
The Age of Fable
By Thomas Bulfinch
Published by George Routledge & sons, limited, 1905
394 pages

Friday, February 6, 2009

The Orange Seed(Christian)/Google Books

A gentle Christian girl's tale roughly for ages 9-12.

This is a nicely written, pleasant storyline for children, teaching them the morality of living through your soul rather than through the flesh. The story is free of any obvious denominational theology.

Click here.

Main page
The Orange Seed
By Sarah Schoonmaker Baker
Published by A.D.F. Randolph, 1863
103 pages

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Tom, the Boater, A Tale of English Canal Life (Christian)/Google Books

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Main page
Tom, the Boater: A Tale of English Canal Life
By Emma Leslie, Religious Tract Society (Great Britain
Published by Religious Tract Society, 1882
160 pages

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

An Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls/Google Books

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Main page.
An Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls, by H. E. Marshall, with Pictures by A. S. Forrest
By Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
Published by Frederick A. Stokes company, 1920
557 pages

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Life of Don Bosco(Saint John Bosco)/Google Books


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Main page
Life of Don Bosco: Founder of the Salesian Society
By Jacques-Melchior Villefranche, Martin, Lady Martin
Translated by Martin, Lady Martin
Published by Burns & Oates, 1898
342 pages