Thursday, May 10, 2007

Thursday Thirteen--My Book House


The carpenters and painters have left, and we've got most of the dust corraled (always, always turn off your furnace fan if you are remodeling or painting, or you spread the dust throughout the house). This morning I was putting back the bookshelves and knick-knacks, and dusted off "My Book House," which just happens to have 13 volumes. Oh, you only have 12 volumes? Then you're missing "In your hands, a practical guide for parents," which links special projects and crafts and advice for using the 12 volume set.

My mother got a set of My Book House as a bonus buy when she bought a set of Book of Knowledge encyclopedias probably in the early 1940s. At least, I don't remember a time we didn't have both sets. Ours was probably the 1937 edition. Sometime in the mid-1970s, I walked into a little antique store in Lakeside, OH, and saw a set for $25, a 1953 printing. It was a lot of money for something my children had probably already outgrown, but one of my siblings (with the first grandchild) had been given the family set. Our very most favorite story to cuddle on the couch with was, 'Wee wee mannie and the big big coo," because we loved to hear Mom do the accent.
    1. In the nursery
    2. Story time
    3. Up one pair of stairs
    4. Through the gates
    5. Over the hills
    6. Through fairy halls
    7. The magic garden
    8. Flying sails
    9. The treasure chest
    10. From the tower window
    11. In shining armor
    12. Halls of fame
    13. [unnumbered] In your hands; a practical guide for parents, rev. ed., 8th printing, 1951.


The covers/binding of my set are like the above photo [taken from the internet, but that is from the 60s], and the set I grew up with was dark blue. The illustrations seem unchanged. Fabulous. A child can look for hours at one painting or drawing. The early sets from the 20s had only 6 volumes. Google Olive Beaupre Miller, the editor, for her very interesting story. Her papers are at Smith College. She lived in Illinois and some years back I read a very nice biography of her in an Illinois magazine, but I can't seem to lay my hands on it.

8 comments:

Cindy Swanson said...

Great TT, Norma! As you know, I love books, including old books. My TT is about my mom. Stop by when you get a moment...

The Rock Chick said...

wow-I love books! I've honestly never seen or heard of this set. I would love to check them out! Some of my favorite childhood memories are my mom reading and making all the different voices of everyone in the book. Fun!!!!

Happy TT! Jessica The Rock Chick

Chelle Y. said...

My dad was the one who read to us all the time. I loved it!

Rebecca said...

I've never heard of those books. I loved having my mom read me poems before bed. Happy TT13 - mines up at http://www.anyapples.blogspot.com/

Mercy's Maid said...

I've never heard of this collection of books. Thanks for sharing!

JAM said...

I love this. Reminds me of finding a Bible story book just like my parents had, that we read as kids, in a second hand store in Georgia. My older sister had laid claim to the original one that Mama has, and to find the exact same edition elsewhere was a real gift from above to me.

Joan said...

I am not familiar with this set, but it sounds great. I have always (still do) enjoyed reading aloud to children and looking at books with them.

Tink said...

Sounds like an interesting set of books! I don't know it, but I'd love to take a look inside. The illustrations must be beautiful.
Thanks for visiting my food TT!