Friday, June 6, 2014

McGuffey's Revised Readers Hardcover Set Review (and How to Break in a Book Tutorial)

I posted a while back about the Revised McGuffey's Readers reprints that I found on Christianbook.com. I bought my set and I am very, very impressed with them!

First of all, they LOOK and FEEL like "real" books! The embossed covers are just like what you would expect of an antique book, and they fit snugly in their slipcover. 


The content is mostly the same as the Mott Media Christian School versions that I grew up with, including the beautiful engravings. 

Amy dawdled 'til dinnertime, and all the other children picked the berries before she got there. 

One of the stories I did not recognize from our Mott Media paperbacks, which was a letter to Santa, but that is the only difference I have found so far. 

I hope these books last many generations and can be passed down! I would love to buy a set for all my family.


The books fit snugly in their slipcovers, and can be hard to get out at first. Remember to grasp them the right way to pull them out-- never from the top edge!

 How To "Break In" A New Book

I was taught that you do not just crack open a new book to read it. Here is how I open a new book, to "break it in" without breaking the binding:
 Start with the covers. Hold the pages up in the middle, and run the edge of your hand up and down in the corner between the cover and the pages.
Then do the other side.

Now take about 1/8 inch of pages or so, fold down to one side, and smooth with the edge of your hand, gently with very slight pressure. Switch to the other side and do the same. Alternate sides this way, until you have folded down all the pages to the middle. 

Give the middle a gentle smooth, not to heavy handed! You don't want to smash it.

Ta Da! Now you book lays flat and the pages turn nicely, without having to turn it almost inside-out  to make it do so (which just makes your pages fall out eventually!). The binding and signatures will be happier and serve you well if you use this method!


I am an affiliate with CBD and also have written a review on their site similar to this one. I was not sent this product to review. It is worth buying!