This is Nora. Cauth and I are showing off a set of the (in)famous Dick and Jane readers from the 1950s. The Dick-and-Jane books that everyone is familiar with are actually the primers and first grade readers of the 12 book New Basic Reader set. Here, we have the whole 12 books. The original basic readers were published in the mid-1940s and then revised in the early 1950s.(There's actually a 13th book, a 'transitional reader' between the 3rd and 4th grade readers, but that wasn't published until 1963, so we don't have it yet.)
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| Book spines, all color coordinated |
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| 1st and 2nd grade readers |
The beginning readers are really of the 'See Dick Run' variety, though the stories get slightly more complex in the second grade books. Peter and Ellen are introduced as 'Our New Neighbors', and the whole world is very...traditional. Where women were stay-at-home mothers and father knows best. Suffice to say, not our favorite books in the world, though we understand that these are very nostalgic for some people.
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| 3rd and 4th grade readers |
Still traditional family stories in the 3rd and 4th grade readers, with introductions of Levittown developments and girl scouts. Maryellen would have used these in school, almost certainly.
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| 5th and 6th grade readers |
The later readers start covering more history, geography, and science, seeing how we've moved from the 'learn to read' books to the 'read to learn' books. There are stories of children in different parts of the world and the lives of famous people (mostly white men, though a rare woman or black person is covered).
All in all, these are an interesting part of history.
And for fun, here's the infamous 'Fun with Dick and Jane' for your dolls to enjoy, if one can enjoy such an inane book. If you would like the full 12 books, please contact the human at jinjia.mixed.goods at gmail.com
