本书从19世纪中期至20世纪中叶，一直被广泛用作美国学校的语文教材，据称有10000多所美国学校拿它当作教材。到了21世纪，西方一些私立学校（PrivateSchool)和家庭学校（Homeschool）仍用它作为教材，足见这套书的价值与影响力。据估计，这套书从问世至1960年，至少发行了1.22亿册；1961年后，在西方每年销量仍达30000册以上。应该说，没有哪一套个人主编的教材能超过此发行量了！
　　此套读本的英文原版共分七级，包括启蒙读本和第1-6级。考虑到启蒙读本与第一级篇幅都较少，难易程度也很接近，于是我们将之合并为第1册，其余2-6级与英文原版相同。这样国内出版的这套读本共包括6册。第1册从字母表开始，主要侧重于字母的发音与书写、简单的单词与句型，同时强调英文书写，课文后面附有不少书法练习，让孩子们不仅将英语说得像外国人，而且写得也跟外文书法一样，这是国内英语教学所缺少的一个环节。从第2册开始，均是比较正式的课文，每一课包括词汇和课文，对一些生词有英文解释，让学生学会通过简单英文理解生词，养成用英语理解和思维的习惯。第5册和第6册的课文前增加了作者简介与相关背景知识，内容丰富而有一定深度。
　　此套书为在原版本基础上重新修订精装版，后两册字号较之前有所放大，并且修正了原有的错误之处，以方便学生阅读。

本书影响美国学生近一个世纪的教科书，一套塑造美国精神与文明的语文读本！这套由美国著名教育家、俄亥俄大学校长威廉?H?麦加菲花费20多年时间倾心主编，至1920年累计销量便高达1.22亿册，是美国最畅销的语文课本，被《时代周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”。

这套书不仅影响了美国的教育事业，也影响了美国的伦理道德。诚如历史学家孔玛格所言：“它们为美国儿童提供了当今明显缺乏的东西，即普遍的引喻知识、普遍的经验和自制意识。”
　　―― 选自《大美百科全书》

LESSON 2 JOHNNY’S FIRST SNOWSTORM
　　乔尼初次见雪
　　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.”
　　【中文阅读】
　　1. 乔尼 ?瑞德是个小男孩，直到六岁，他才看到暴风雪。此前，他一直生活在地球的暖热带地区。在那里，阳光撒满大片美丽的橘树林，田野里到处都是芬芳扑鼻的鲜花。
　　2. 但是，现在他要去看望奶奶，那里的冬天常会下雪。每当雪花纷飞的时候，乔尼就会站在窗前定睛观望。
　　3. 他高兴地大喊：“妈妈，快过来，瞧，这些白色的小鸟从天堂飞下来了。”
　　4. 妈妈笑着对他说：“乔尼，那不是小鸟。”
　　5.“那么，可能是小天使掉落的羽毛吧！哦，快告诉我，那是什么，是糖吗？我想尝一下。”乔尼说。但是，就在品尝雪花时，他不禁惊跳起来——太凉了。
　　6. 妈妈说：“那不过是雪而已，乔尼。”
　　7.“ 妈妈，雪是什么？”
　　8.“乔尼，雪就是从云彩上掉落的小水滴。但是，水滴从天上掉下来时，寒冷的空气将它们凝结住了，所以变成了从天而降的雪花。”
　　9.她一边说着，一边从壁橱里取出一顶黑色的旧帽子。“看，乔尼！我用帽子接住了一片雪花。透过这块玻璃，你就知道雪花有多么美了。”
　　10. 乔尼透过玻璃看着雪花，那片纯净轻柔的雪花就像一颗可爱的小星星。
　　11.“ 哇，小星星还一闪一闪的呢！妈妈，再让我多看点雪花吧！”乔尼欢 呼起来。
　　12. 于是，妈妈又抓住了一些雪花，都是那么漂亮！
　　13. 第二天，乔尼在雪地里开心地玩耍，从外面回家后，他说：“我太喜欢雪了，雪球可比橘子好玩多了。”
　　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.
　　【中文阅读】
　　1. 罗斯：瞧，又下雨了！唉，天哪，天哪，天哪！多么无聊呀！难道我一整天都要待在家里？
　　2. 爸爸：罗斯，今天的早餐多么丰盛呀，有面包和奶油。你为什么不高兴呢？
　　3. 罗斯：为什么，爸爸，您怎么这样问呀！如果我没事可干，的确不高兴呀。
　　4. 爸爸：亲爱的女儿，当你看到花园里盛开的鲜花和茂密的树木时，也会不高兴吗？
　　5. 罗斯：不高兴？应该不会吧。刚才，我只是希望能出去看看它们——它们实在太美了。
　　6. 爸爸：好吧，当你看到小牛、小羊、小马在溪边饮水解渴时，也会不高兴吗？
　　7.罗斯：为什么，爸爸，您一定认为我是一个冷酷无情的小女孩，总希望那些可怜的小马不知疲惫地工作，希望那些漂亮的小牛只会产奶，希望那些可爱的小羊总会口渴。
　　8. 爸爸：它们若没有水喝就会死掉，难道你不这样认为吗？
　　9. 罗斯：是的，现在，我也是这么想的。一想到这些事，多么可怕呀！
　　10. 爸爸：我以为小罗斯因为下雨而不高兴了。如果没有水滴落到它们身上，树木花草还会长大吗？这些你想过没有？
　　11. 罗斯：它们不会长大了，爸爸。它们会被太阳烤干的。那么，我们也就看不到美丽的鲜花，不能给妈妈编织花环了。
　　12. 爸爸：我以为你会因为下雨而伤心呢。罗斯，我们吃的面包是由什么做成的？
　　13. 罗斯：是由面粉做的，面粉是由麦子通过磨而制成的。
　　14. 爸爸：是的，罗斯，正是雨水促使小麦成熟，也正是水使磨盘碾碎了麦子。我还以为小罗斯不喜欢下雨呢。
　　15. 罗斯：爸爸，我没有想过这么多事情。我真的很高兴看到下雨了。
　　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.
　　【中文阅读】
　　1.赫伯特正在建造的城堡突然倒塌了，他带着愤怒和沮丧叫喊道：“哇，可恶的小猫！”调皮的小猫咪恰巧从他的模型城堡边窜过去。
　　2.赫伯特拿起一块积木，拼命地扔向那只小猫。积木从它身边擦肩而过，但并没有伤到他。他又去拿另一块积木，这时，小妹妹海蒂跑过来，抱起了小猫咪。
　　3.“ 不，不要，别这样！”她说，“你不能伤害小猫咪！它不是有意的！”
　　4. 赫伯特顿时怒火中烧，坐在地板上，双手捂住小脸哭了起来。
　　5. 正坐在沙发上看书的哥哥乔开腔了：“真是个小孩子！哭也没用呀，再建一次就行了。”
　　6. 赫伯特一边哭着，一边说：“我才不干呢。”
　　7. 爸爸开门走进来，问道：“这里发生什么事了？”
　　8.海蒂抢先回答：“小猫咪从赫伯特建造的城堡边经过，把它弄跨了。但是，它也不是有意的。它根本不知道城堡会倒掉，是吗，爸爸？”
　　9.“ 当然不知道了！这就是你们的麻烦？”
　　10. 爸爸一边伸出双手，一边说：“赫伯特，过来。”小男孩从地板上起来，慢慢走过去，眼里噙着泪水，站在爸爸身边。
　　11.爸爸说：“我的孩子，还有一个好办法解决这个问题，如果你能照做的话，心里就会好受些。我应该听到你为积木歌唱，而不是为它哭泣。让我来教你吗？”
　　12. 赫伯特点了点头，爸爸坐在积木旁边的地板上，小儿子依偎在他身边，开始为一座新城堡奠基。
　　LESSON 5 CASTLE-BUILDING(CONCLUDED)
　　建造城堡（结束篇）
　　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.”
　　【中文阅读】
　　1. 很快，赫伯特就对新建的城堡产生了更浓厚的兴趣，而且开始为自己的工作欢呼了。他所有的问题都解决了。
　　2.“ 这样可比无谓的哭泣好多了，难道不是吗？”爸爸说。
　　3.“ 为什么要哭呀？”赫伯特问道，他已经忘记了刚才的伤痛。
　　4.“ 因为小猫碰倒了你的城堡呀。”
　　5.“ 噢！”一丝阴影掠过他的面庞，但很快就消失了，他继续建筑自己的城堡。
　　6.“ 我告诉过他，别为已经出现的失败而沮丧。”乔一边说着，一边坐在沙发上向这边观望。 7.赫伯特反驳道：“我想知道，如果你的风筝线断了，你是否真的不哭。”
　　8.“风筝丢了就是另一回事了，”乔回答道，情绪有点激动。“风筝若没了，就永远也找不回来了。但是你的积木却完好如初，只需重新搭一座新的城堡就好了。”
　　9.爸爸说：“依我看，无论你，还是赫伯特，在这种情况下都不应该哭，一味地哭泣并没有用。棍棒和纸也很容易找到，你只要重新做一个风筝就好了。”乔低头看了看自己的书，不再出声了。这时，一座新的城堡已经建好了。
　　10. 海蒂说：“它甚至比刚才那座被猫咪撞倒的城堡还好看。”赫伯特也这样认为，因为无论从哪一方面，他都为此感到骄傲。
　　11.“ 要是小猫再把它撞倒了，我就……”
　　12.“ 重新再搭一座。”爸爸赶紧接过了他的话茬。
　　13.“ 可是，爸爸，猫咪千万不能再把我的城堡撞倒了，我可受不了。”赫伯特皱着眉头，大喊道。
　　14.“那么，你自己要守护好它。无论小孩子，还是长大以后，都要做好自己的守护工作。如果你在大街上行走，一定要留心马车，不能被它撞倒，而且你还要留心别挡住其他人的路。”
　　15.“即使在房子里，如果你走路不小心，也会撞倒什么东西。我就曾经亲眼见过，在仆人举着一叠托盘离开时，一个粗心大意的小孩子猛然冲进屋里。不可避免地，盘子碎了一地。”16.“ 这不正是我吗？”海蒂不好意思地说。
　　17.“ 是的，我也这么认为，希望以后再也不要发生同样的事情。”
　　18.“就像乔说得那样，我也不希望再听到为失败而哭泣的声音了。如果你的城堡倒掉了，再建一次就好了。”爸爸一边说着，一边离开了房间。
　　……