Wanna Be a Steader!

The Comfort of Old Books

Something that I dearly enjoy is the reading old books.  My collection started off w/my dear Bigmom's (maternal gr-ma) copy of her McGuffey's Second Reader.

I can still hear her reciting some of her favorites...

Once there was a little kitty,

White as the snow;

In a barn he used to frolic,

Long time ago.

In the barn a little mousie

Ran to and fro;

For she heard the little kitty,

Long time ago...

She passed away in 1977, at 90, and could still recite so many of the stories until shortly before she died. 

So, as the years progressed I added more to my humble colletion.  Then, as I started homeschooling my daughters, I began collecting antique school books and we have actually used many as a part of our schoolwork.  The McGuffey Readers and Ray's Arithmetic, especially.  I even wrote about these as the subject of one of my TOS columns "The Lesson Planner" last year.

Most of the antique books I keep displayed on an antique school desk that my Daddy refinished for me. 

It's a little crowded right now, but until Ty builds (or buys) me the bookshelf he's been promising me for the last several years (eh-hem), it will remian in this little corner of the living room w/my hammered dulcimer music books and other books stacked around it.  It's so nice to just pick up the 1894 leather-bound volume of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and even though I have an entire set of reproduction McGuffey's I still like to look through Bigmom's or even the Fourth Reader I have that someone wrote "Feb. 20th, 1896" inside the cover.  When we want an older view of Ohio history we can turn to our 1933 volume of "History & Geography of Ohio."

I have often thought what my Bigmom and my Grandpa C. would have thought of our homeschooling.  I remember having conversations w/both of them about how odd it seemed to me that they had to BUY all of their schoolbooks!  It was so foreign to me!  Wouldn't they laugh if they knew that NOW WE have to BUY all of our schoolbooks?  lol 

There's nothing like an old book - even if it's a reproduction.  Holding a bit of history in your hands, especially when it had belonged to someone you loved, makes learning more enjoyable and even more interesting.  Not only to me, but it did to my daughters, too.  How cool I would have thought it to be to actually be learning out of the same book MY gr-grandmother used in HER schooling?!  I'm glad my daughters had that privilege.  Wow.  

How special.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><   

<em>Untitled Comment</em>

01:51, 2009-Jan-14 .. Posted by stitchnchick

Well, we certainly are kindred spirits. I have an addiction to old books and not enough shelves. I also have a desk that is identical to yours sitting next to me right now, with stacks of old readers and books, as well as a little chalkboard with Abc's and 123 's on it. Cute! One of my favorite McGuffey's belonged to "Susie Groff" from Painter Creek, Darke County, Oh. September the 27, 1897 Neat, huh? We found it at an old sale and just couldn't pass it up since it was local.

I have several of my grandparents (and great grandparents') school books and things. You are right, it is such a blessing to own and use such a treasure. I think I have shared some of them in some old "Show and Tell" posts, but maybe I'll do it again sometime. :-)
Are you enjoying the snow? My husband was off today so we declared it a snow day and he took the boys out to the BIG hill for some snow fun. Stay warm!

Amy

Edited by stitchnchick on 2009-Jan-14 at 12:54

Oh, my dream collecion of books *smile*

03:14, 2009-Jan-14 .. Posted by TwoLittleBlessings

I am hoping to use McGuffy readers with our two little ones. I am not sure when to start my purchasing but I do hope to use them while homeschooling our two little blessings. *smile* What a treat to have some origonals! *smile* Thank you for sharing.
Winter blessings.-me-(Mommy of two little blessings)

Untitled Comment

08:39, 2009-Jan-26 .. Posted by Karen @ Homespun Simplicity

Oh, I love McGuffey Readers! My grandma just gave me her McGuffey Readers at Christmastime. I wouldn't trade them for anything!

You mentioned you had your grandma's red handled rolling pin...I saw some of those when we were in the antique store. They also had some with green handles. Both were very pretty. Next time I see one with red handles, I want to get one--if I can. :-)
I enjoyed seeing your pictures!!

Karen