本書從19世紀中期至20世紀中葉，一直被廣泛用作美國學校的語文教材，據稱有10000多所美國學校拿它當作教材。到了21世紀，西方一些私立學校（PrivateSchool)和家庭學校（Homeschool）仍用它作為教材，足見這套書的價值與影響力。據估計，這套書從問世至1960年，至少發行了1.22億冊；1961年后，在西方每年銷量仍達30000冊以上。應該說，沒有哪一套個人主編的教材能超過此發行量了！
　　此套讀本的英文原版共分七級，包括啟蒙讀本和第1-6級?？紤]到啟蒙讀本與第一級篇幅都較少，難易程度也很接近，于是我們將之合并為第1冊，其余2-6級與英文原版相同。這樣國內出版的這套讀本共包括6冊。第1冊從字母表開始，主要側重于字母的發音與書寫、簡單的單詞與句型，同時強調英文書寫，課文后面附有不少書法練習，讓孩子們不僅將英語說得像外國人，而且寫得也跟外文書法一樣，這是國內英語教學所缺少的一個環節。從第2冊開始，均是比較正式的課文，每一課包括詞匯和課文，對一些生詞有英文解釋，讓學生學會通過簡單英文理解生詞，養成用英語理解和思維的習慣。第5冊和第6冊的課文前增加了作者簡介與相關背景知識，內容豐富而有一定深度。
　　此套書為在原版本基礎上重新修訂精裝版，后兩冊字號較之前有所放大，并且修正了原有的錯誤之處，以方便學生閱讀。

本書影響美國學生近一個世紀的教科書，一套塑造美國精神與文明的語文讀本！這套由美國著名教育家、俄亥俄大學校長威廉?H?麥加菲花費20多年時間傾心主編，至1920年累計銷量便高達1.22億冊，是美國最暢銷的語文課本，被《時代周刊》評為“人類出版史上第三大暢銷書”。

這套書不僅影響了美國的教育事業，也影響了美國的倫理道德。誠如歷史學家孔瑪格所言：“它們為美國兒童提供了當今明顯缺乏的東西，即普遍的引喻知識、普遍的經驗和自制意識?！?br>　　―― 選自《大美百科全書》

LESSON 2 JOHNNY’S FIRST SNOWSTORM
　　喬尼初次見雪
　　1. Johnny Reed was a little boy who never had seen a snowstormtill he was six years old. Before this, he had lived in a warmcountry, where the sun shines down on beautiful orange groves, andfields always sweet with flowers.
　　2. But now he had come to visit his grandmother, who lived wherethe snow falls in winter. Johnny was standing at the window whenthe snow came down.
　　3. “O mamma!” he cried, joyfully, “do come quick, and see theselittle white birds flying down from heaven.”
　　4. “They are not birds, Johnny,” said mamma, smiling.
　　5. “Then maybe the little angels are losing their feathers! Oh!do tell me what it is; is it sugar? Let me taste it,” said Johnny.But when he tasted it, he gave a little jump—it was so cold.
　　6. “That is only snow, Johnny,” said his mother.
　　7. “What is snow, mother?”
　　8. “The snowflakes, Johnny, are little drops of water that fallfrom the clouds. But the air through which they pass is so cold itfreezes them, and they come down turned into snow.”
　　9. As she said this, she brought out an old black hat from thecloset. “See, Johnny! I have caught a snowflake on this hat. Lookquick through this glass, and you will see how beautiful itis.”
　　10. Johnny looked through the glass. There lay the pure, featherysnowflake like a lovely little star. 11. “Twinkle, twinkle, littlestar!” he cried in delight. “Oh! please show me more snow-fl akes,mother.”
　　12. So his mother caught several more, and they were allbeautiful.
　　13. The next day Johnny had a fi ne play in the snow, and when hecame in, he said, “I love snow; and I think snowballs are a greatdeal prettier than oranges.”
　　【中文閱讀】
　　1. 喬尼 ?瑞德是個小男孩，直到六歲，他才看到暴風雪。此前，他一直生活在地球的暖熱帶地區。在那里，陽光撒滿大片美麗的橘樹林，田野里到處都是芬芳撲鼻的鮮花。
　　2. 但是，現在他要去看望奶奶，那里的冬天常會下雪。每當雪花紛飛的時候，喬尼就會站在窗前定睛觀望。
　　3. 他高興地大喊：“媽媽，快過來，瞧，這些白色的小鳥從天堂飛下來了。”
　　4. 媽媽笑著對他說：“喬尼，那不是小鳥。”
　　5.“那么，可能是小天使掉落的羽毛吧！哦，快告訴我，那是什么，是糖嗎？我想嘗一下?！眴棠嵴f。但是，就在品嘗雪花時，他不禁驚跳起來——太涼了。
　　6. 媽媽說：“那不過是雪而已，喬尼?！?br>　　7.“ 媽媽，雪是什么？”
　　8.“喬尼，雪就是從云彩上掉落的小水滴。但是，水滴從天上掉下來時，寒冷的空氣將它們凝結住了，所以變成了從天而降的雪花?！?br>　　9.她一邊說著，一邊從壁櫥里取出一頂黑色的舊帽子?！翱矗瑔棠?！我用帽子接住了一片雪花。透過這塊玻璃，你就知道雪花有多么美了?！?br>　　10. 喬尼透過玻璃看著雪花，那片純凈輕柔的雪花就像一顆可愛的小星星。
　　11.“ 哇，小星星還一閃一閃的呢！媽媽，再讓我多看點雪花吧！”喬尼歡 呼起來。
　　12. 于是，媽媽又抓住了一些雪花，都是那么漂亮！
　　13. 第二天，喬尼在雪地里開心地玩耍，從外面回家后，他說：“我太喜歡雪了，雪球可比橘子好玩多了?！?br>　　LESSON 3 LET IT RAIN
　　下雨吧
　　1. Rose. See how it rains! Oh dear, dear, dear! how dull it is!Must I stay in doors all day?
　　2. Father. Why, Rose, are you sorry that you had any bread andbutter for breakfast, this morning? 3. Rose. Why, father, what aquestion! I should be sorry, indeed, if I could not get any.
　　4. Father. Are you sorry, my daughter, when you see the fl owersand the trees growing in the garden?
　　5. Rose. Sorry? No, indeed. Just now, I wished very much to goout and see them,—they look so pretty.
　　6. Father. Well, are you sorry when you see the horses, cows, orsheep drinking at the brook to quench their thirst?
　　7. Rose. Why, father, you must think I am a cruel girl, to wishthat the poor horses that work so hard, the beautiful cows thatgive so much nice milk, and the pretty lambs should always bethirsty.
　　8. Father. Do you not think they would die, if they had no waterto drink?
　　9. Rose. Yes, sir, I am sure they would. How shocking to think ofsuch a thing!
　　10. Father. I thought little Rose was sorry it rained. Do youthink the trees and flowers would grow, if they never had any wateron them?
　　11. Rose. No, indeed, father, they would be dried up by the sun.Then we should not have any pretty flowers to look at, and to makewreaths of for mother.
　　12. Father. I thought you were sorry it rained. Rose, what is ourbread made of?
　　13. Rose. It is made of fl our, and the fl our is made fromwheat, which is ground in the mill.
　　14. Father. Yes, Rose, and it was rain that helped to make thewheat grow, and it was water that turned the mill to grind thewheat. I thought little Rose was sorry it rained.
　　15. Rose. I did not think of all these things, father. I am trulyvery glad to see the rain falling.
　　【中文閱讀】
　　1. 羅斯：瞧，又下雨了！唉，天哪，天哪，天哪！多么無聊呀！難道我一整天都要待在家里？
　　2. 爸爸：羅斯，今天的早餐多么豐盛呀，有面包和奶油。你為什么不高興呢？
　　3. 羅斯：為什么，爸爸，您怎么這樣問呀！如果我沒事可干，的確不高興呀。
　　4. 爸爸：親愛的女兒，當你看到花園里盛開的鮮花和茂密的樹木時，也會不高興嗎？
　　5. 羅斯：不高興？應該不會吧。剛才，我只是希望能出去看看它們——它們實在太美了。
　　6. 爸爸：好吧，當你看到小牛、小羊、小馬在溪邊飲水解渴時，也會不高興嗎？
　　7.羅斯：為什么，爸爸，您一定認為我是一個冷酷無情的小女孩，總希望那些可憐的小馬不知疲憊地工作，希望那些漂亮的小牛只會產奶，希望那些可愛的小羊總會口渴。
　　8. 爸爸：它們若沒有水喝就會死掉，難道你不這樣認為嗎？
　　9. 羅斯：是的，現在，我也是這么想的。一想到這些事，多么可怕呀！
　　10. 爸爸：我以為小羅斯因為下雨而不高興了。如果沒有水滴落到它們身上，樹木花草還會長大嗎？這些你想過沒有？
　　11. 羅斯：它們不會長大了，爸爸。它們會被太陽烤干的。那么，我們也就看不到美麗的鮮花，不能給媽媽編織花環了。
　　12. 爸爸：我以為你會因為下雨而傷心呢。羅斯，我們吃的面包是由什么做成的？
　　13. 羅斯：是由面粉做的，面粉是由麥子通過磨而制成的。
　　14. 爸爸：是的，羅斯，正是雨水促使小麥成熟，也正是水使磨盤碾碎了麥子。我還以為小羅斯不喜歡下雨呢。
　　15. 羅斯：爸爸，我沒有想過這么多事情。我真的很高興看到下雨了。
　　LESSON 4 CASTLE-BUILDING
　　建造城堡
　　1. “O pussy!” cried Herbert, in a voice of anger and dismay, asthe blockhouse he was building fell in sudden ruin. The playful cathad rubbed against his mimic castle, and tower and wall wentrattling down upon the floor.
　　2. Herbert took up one of the blocks and threw it fiercely atpussy. Happily, it passed over her and did no harm. His hand wasreaching for another block, when his little sister Hetty sprangtoward the cat, and caught her up.
　　3. “No, no, no!” said she, “you sha’n’t hurt pussy! She didn’tmean to do it!”
　　4. Herbert’s passion was over quickly, and, sitting down upon thefloor, he covered his face with his hands, and began to cry.
　　5. “What a baby!” said Joe, his elder brother, who was reading onthe sofa. “Crying over spilled milk does no good. Build it upagain.”
　　6. “No, I won’t,” said Herbert, and he went on crying.
　　7. “What’s all the trouble here?” exclaimed papa, as he openedthe door and came in.
　　8. “Pussy just rubbed against Herbert’s castle, and it felldown,” answered Hetty. “But she didn’t mean to do it; she didn’tknow it would fall, did she, papa?”
　　9. “Why, no! And is that all the trouble?”
　　10. “Herbert!” his papa called, and held out his hands. “Come.”The little boy got up from the fl oor, and came slowly, his eyesfull of tears, and stood by his father.
　　11. “There is a better way than this, my boy,” said papa. “If youhad taken that way, your heart would have been light already. Ishould have heard you singing over your blocks instead of crying.Shall I show you that way?”
　　12. Herbert nodded his head, and papa sat down on the floor bythe pile of blocks, with his little son by his side, and began tolay the foundation for a new castle.
　　【中文閱讀】
　　1.赫伯特正在建造的城堡突然倒塌了，他帶著憤怒和沮喪叫喊道：“哇，可惡的小貓！”調皮的小貓咪恰巧從他的模型城堡邊竄過去。
　　2.赫伯特拿起一塊積木，拼命地扔向那只小貓。積木從它身邊擦肩而過，但并沒有傷到他。他又去拿另一塊積木，這時，小妹妹海蒂跑過來，抱起了小貓咪。
　　3.“ 不，不要，別這樣！”她說，“你不能傷害小貓咪！它不是有意的！”
　　4. 赫伯特頓時怒火中燒，坐在地板上，雙手捂住小臉哭了起來。
　　5. 正坐在沙發上看書的哥哥喬開腔了：“真是個小孩子！哭也沒用呀，再建一次就行了?！?br>　　6. 赫伯特一邊哭著，一邊說：“我才不干呢?！?br>　　7. 爸爸開門走進來，問道：“這里發生什么事了？”
　　8.海蒂搶先回答：“小貓咪從赫伯特建造的城堡邊經過，把它弄跨了。但是，它也不是有意的。它根本不知道城堡會倒掉，是嗎，爸爸？”
　　9.“ 當然不知道了！這就是你們的麻煩？”
　　10. 爸爸一邊伸出雙手，一邊說：“赫伯特，過來?！毙∧泻牡匕迳掀饋?，慢慢走過去，眼里噙著淚水，站在爸爸身邊。
　　11.爸爸說：“我的孩子，還有一個好辦法解決這個問題，如果你能照做的話，心里就會好受些。我應該聽到你為積木歌唱，而不是為它哭泣。讓我來教你嗎？”
　　12. 赫伯特點了點頭，爸爸坐在積木旁邊的地板上，小兒子依偎在他身邊，開始為一座新城堡奠基。
　　LESSON 5 CASTLE-BUILDING(CONCLUDED)
　　建造城堡（結束篇）
　　1. Soon, Herbert was as much interested in castle-building as hehad been a little while before. He began to sing over his work. Allhis trouble was gone.
　　2. “This is a great deal better than crying, isn’t it?” saidpapa.
　　3. “Crying for what?” asked Herbert, forgetting his grief of afew minutes before.
　　4. “Because pussy knocked your castle over.”
　　5. “Oh!” A shadow flitted across his face, but was gone in amoment, and he went on building as eagerly as ever.
　　6. “I told him not to cry over spilled milk,” said Joe, lookingdown from his place on the sofa.
　　7. “I wonder if you didn’t cry when your kite string broke,”retorted Herbert.
　　8. “Losing a kite is quite another thing,” answered Joe, a littledashed. “The kite was gone forever; but your blocks were as good asbefore, and you had only to build again.”
　　9. “I don’t see,” said papa, “that crying was of any more use inyour case then in Herbert’s. Sticks and paper are easily found, andyou had only to go to work and make another kite.” Joe looked downat his book, and went on reading. By this time the castle wasfinished.
　　10. “It is ever so much nicer than the one pussy knocked down,”said Hetty. And so thought Herbert, as he looked at it proudly fromall sides.
　　11. “If pussy knocks that down, I’ll—”
　　12. “Build it up again,” said papa, finishing the sentence forhis little boy.
　　13. “But, papa, pussy must not knock my castles down. I can’thave it,” spoke out Herbert, knitting his forehead.
　　14. “You must watch her, then. Little boys, as well as grown uppeople, have to be often on their guard. If you go into the street,you have to look out for the carriages, so as not to be run over,and you have to keep out of people’s way.
　　15. “In the house, if you go about heedlessly, you will be veryapt to run against some one. I have seen a careless child dashsuddenly into a room just as a servant was leaving it with a trayof dishes in her hands. A crash followed.”
　　16. “It was I, wasn’t it?” said Hetty.
　　17. “Yes, I believe it was, and I hope it will never happenagain.”
　　18. Papa now left the room, saying, “I don’t want any more ofthis crying over spilled milk, as Joe says. If your castles getknocked down, build them up again.”
　　【中文閱讀】
　　1. 很快，赫伯特就對新建的城堡產生了更濃厚的興趣，而且開始為自己的工作歡呼了。他所有的問題都解決了。
　　2.“ 這樣可比無謂的哭泣好多了，難道不是嗎？”爸爸說。
　　3.“ 為什么要哭呀？”赫伯特問道，他已經忘記了剛才的傷痛。
　　4.“ 因為小貓碰倒了你的城堡呀?！?br>　　5.“ 噢！”一絲陰影掠過他的面龐，但很快就消失了，他繼續建筑自己的城堡。
　　6.“ 我告訴過他，別為已經出現的失敗而沮喪。”喬一邊說著，一邊坐在沙發上向這邊觀望。 7.赫伯特反駁道：“我想知道，如果你的風箏線斷了，你是否真的不哭?！?br>　　8.“風箏丟了就是另一回事了，”喬回答道，情緒有點激動?！帮L箏若沒了，就永遠也找不回來了。但是你的積木卻完好如初，只需重新搭一座新的城堡就好了?！?br>　　9.爸爸說：“依我看，無論你，還是赫伯特，在這種情況下都不應該哭，一味地哭泣并沒有用。棍棒和紙也很容易找到，你只要重新做一個風箏就好了?！眴痰皖^看了看自己的書，不再出聲了。這時，一座新的城堡已經建好了。
　　10. 海蒂說：“它甚至比剛才那座被貓咪撞倒的城堡還好看?！焙詹匾策@樣認為，因為無論從哪一方面，他都為此感到驕傲。
　　11.“ 要是小貓再把它撞倒了，我就……”
　　12.“ 重新再搭一座。”爸爸趕緊接過了他的話茬。
　　13.“ 可是，爸爸，貓咪千萬不能再把我的城堡撞倒了，我可受不了。”赫伯特皺著眉頭，大喊道。
　　14.“那么，你自己要守護好它。無論小孩子，還是長大以后，都要做好自己的守護工作。如果你在大街上行走，一定要留心馬車，不能被它撞倒，而且你還要留心別擋住其他人的路?！?br>　　15.“即使在房子里，如果你走路不小心，也會撞倒什么東西。我就曾經親眼見過，在仆人舉著一疊托盤離開時，一個粗心大意的小孩子猛然沖進屋里。不可避免地，盤子碎了一地?！?6.“ 這不正是我嗎？”海蒂不好意思地說。
　　17.“ 是的，我也這么認為，希望以后再也不要發生同樣的事情?！?br>　　18.“就像喬說得那樣，我也不希望再聽到為失敗而哭泣的聲音了。如果你的城堡倒掉了，再建一次就好了?！卑职忠贿呎f著，一邊離開了房間。
　　……