Fiction

Many have already named many of my favorites, so I'll mention one that hasn't been named: My Book House Books. It was a series originally published, I'm guessing, in the 1920's. The edition we had when I was a child was published in the late 1930's. It was probably given to us by grandparents around the time my oldest brother was born in 1943. I think they came in different colors, and we had the blue version. The set I currently own, which seems identical to the ones from my childhood, was published in 1937. There were 12 volumes, plus a parent's guide. They are pretty easy to find in second hand stores, or at Half Price Books. Typically, volume 1 is well used, because it's nursery rhymes, which means young parents read that volume over and over to their young child. The later volumes (if you own an older set) show less and less wear, and volumes 10, 11, and 12 are often pristine. Speaking from personal experience, kids will more or less enthusiastically read the earlier volumes on their own, and then lose momentum for the later ones. It's also important to recognize that this series was published when most families owned few or no books, and inexpensive paperback books were non existent.

The set I currently own, given to me by my mother, is typical.

Here's what I best recall: Mom would read to me from volumes 1 and 2 when I was little, and one particular story I recall quite well. I loved it. I made her read it to me as often as possible. And here's the best part. I recall quite distinctly that when she read it to me before I could read myself, I only ever saw the pictures. There were no words on the pages. Then, when I could read, and picked up that book, I was genuinely astonished to see there were words on those pages.

If that isn't the magic of pre and post literacy, I don't know what is.