What are McGuffey's Readers?
McGuffey's Textbooks started in the 1830s by William Holmes McGuffey and became the English standard in American schools well into the 1900s. A lot of homeschoolers, private schools, and some public schools still use them today.
What makes them stand out from other simple readers is that they also taught moral values that we still practice today. The higher level readers also teach a wide variety of other subjects while helping with reading and grammar.
I find them on occasion at thrift stores or antique shops. Most of the time, they have been well loved and are often falling apart. But they are still out there!
Full set - Brand new looking
This set that I found looks brand new. The spines aren't cracked and the binding is still very tight. They were published in 1920/21 and the pages are still white like the day they were new! I have never come across the full box set - still in the box, let alone one in this phenomenal condition!
The Primer and First readers are smaller. They have less pages and larger text as you can see here. They show some cursive text for learning penmanship and they have the alphabet and other important parts of English and Grammar that the students referred back to as needed.
The higher up you go, the fatter the books get. The sixth reader has very few images and smaller text but it is jammed pack with educational stories and the solid English foundation that all students need in their success as adults.
Using them in junk journals
The good thing about the grungy, worn books is that the grunge is already built in. They are usually marked up and torn, some taped back together. There are stains and blemishes all over.
However, these clean ones are a clean slate. If you aren't going for grungy but you'd like some vintage/antique style text, these are the books for that. The paper is a matte finish, so you can dye, stamp, stencil, color - do whatever you want to these pages!
All of the illustrations are black & white and very detailed. They would be amazing in collage or as ephemera for junk journals. Back them on some cardstock and you've got a great card. Cut them into tags and add a nice ribbon through them. The images alone are worth it for junk journaling!
Perfect decor
The box is still in good shape. With exception of some wear on the corners/edges, it still looks new. The unique coloring and design makes this box set perfect for shelf decor. It is a conversation piece and if you decide to flip through these books at all, you will be able to offer some interesting information from them!
If you're interested, I have the set available HERE
So, what do you think of these? What's the coolest books/book set you've found?
~M