Every School should have a Quarto Dictionary for reference, and every pupil should have a smaller one for private use. Where it can be afforded, I would also recommend Worcester's large Dictionary as a book of reference. Reading Books. Webb's Primary Lessons-a set of cards to be hung up and used in teaching beginners. Webb's Normal Reader, No. 1. Webb's Normal Reader, No. 2. These are most excellent primary readers, and are the only ones, I have seen, really adapted to the Word method of teaching. Sanders' New First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Readers, and Young Ladies' Reader. 'Sanders' Readers are generally used in the State, and are excellent books. They should follow the Normal Readers. Sargent's Standard Fifth Reader. Where another Reader is desired for the highest classes, this will be found one of the most excellent in use. Elocution. Sanders' Elocutionary Chart. Northend's Little Speaker. Sargent's Standard Speaker. Fowle's 100 Dialogues. Grammars. Welch's Analysis of the English Sentence. These works, which were written by Teachers in the State Normal School, are used in that School, and as a consequence are coming generally into use in the State. They differ widely from the old Grammars, but are certainly more philosophical, and hence more useful. Green's Elements of English Grammar. I add this book because there are many Teachers and School-officers who are not familiar with the works of Profs. Welch and Sill, and who will prefer other works. Rhetoric and Composition. Brookfield's First Book in Composition. Quackenbos' First Lessons in Composition. Quackenbos' Advanced Composition and Rhetoric. Trench's Study of Words. Kame's Elements of Criticism. Willson's Treatise on Punctuation. Mathematics. Stoddard's Juvenile Mental Arithmetic. Stoddard's Intellectual Arithmetic. These books are warmly approved by our best Teachers, and are generally used in the Schools. Davies' New School Arithmetic. Davies' University Arithmetic. These are good books, and are too generally in use in the State to warrant the expense of a change. Dana P. Colburn's Arithmetic, and its Applications. In use in the State Normal School, and a valuable book for Teachers and advanced classes. Davies' Algebras. Davies' Surveying and higher Mathematics. Although several other excellent Text Books in Algebra and Geometry are now before the public, these works are still in general use in this State, and I see no sufficient reason to wish for a change. Taken as a series, they are not surpassed. Robinson's Mathematical works will be found valuable for ref erence. Geographies. Mitchell's Outline Maps. Pelton's Outline Maps. Every Primary School should have a set of Outline Maps. For Common Schools, Mitchell's will be found sufficient. For Graded Schools, Pelton's, which are much larger and more expensive, will be found desirable. Cornell's Geographies. Monteith's and McNally's Geographies. These series, as far as can be learned, are both extensively used in the State, and nearly divide our Schools between them. Each series has its excellencies and defects. Warren's Physical Geography. Histories. Willson's History of the United States. Goodrich's History of England. Goodrich's History of France. Goodrich's History of Greece. Goodrich's History of Rome. Willson's Outlines of Universal History. Weber's Outlines of History. Willard's Universal History. These last two for reference. Bem's Historical Chart, published in this country by Miss E. Peabody, is a valuable aid in the study of Chronography. Penmanship and Book-Keeping. Payson, Dunton and Scribner's Penmanship, embracing ten copy books. Payson and Hanaford's Book-Keeping, Double and Single Entry. This is the best book for Common Schools that has come to my notice. Sets of accounts are beautifully engraved, giving a better idea of the appearance of a well kept account book, and affording valuable copies for writing. Small blank books, accompany this work. Natural Science, &c. First Book of Science, Norton & Porter. Wells' Natural Philosophy. Lardners's Natural Philosophy, for Teachers and advanced pupils. Porter's Chemistry. Hitchcock's Geology. Goold & Agassiz's Zoology. Gray's Botanies. Loomis' Physiology. Wells' Familiar Science. Wells' Things not Generally Known. These two works will be found of much use to Teachers in conversational lessons on common things. Mattison's Astronomy. Bouvier's Familiar Astronomy. Robinson's Astronomies. Goadby's Animal and Vegetable Physiology. Moral Lessons. Moral and Mental Science. Morals for the Young. Wayland's Moral Science. Wayland's Intellectual Philosophy. Whateley's Logic. Tappan's Logic. French. Fasquell's Juvenile French Course. Fasquell's French Course. Fasquell's Series of French Books. Books for Teachers. The School and Schoolmaster. Page's Theory and Practice of Teaching. Northend's Parent and Teacher. Root's School Amusements. National Education in Europe. Home Encyclopedias. These books, published by Barnes & Burr, New York, will be found valuable books for reference. Apparatus, &c., for Primary Schools. Black Boards. A Terestrial Globe, 8 or 10 inches. Holbrook's Noiseless Drawing Slates. School Register, to keep daily attendance, scholarship, &c. The Universal School Register is well devised and cheap. A set of Schuster's Drawing Cards will be found of value. A set of Mathematical Solids. BOOKS FOR TOWNSHIP AND DISTRICT LIBRARIES. The new Library law makes it the duty of the State Board of Education to select a list of books, and contract with the lowest bidder to furnish the same in such quan tities as may be wanted. In accordance with this provis ion, the Board of Education will make such selection and send a copy to each District Director and Township Clerk before the first day of January. As it is expected that these books will be secured both in better binding and at lower rates than is usual, Townships or Districts having money to expend for books, will do well to wait for this list. The duty of the Superintendent to publish a list of Li brary books would seem to have been superseded by this requirement upon the Board of Education. It has, how ever, been deemed desirable that a list of Library books should be published in the present volume. The selection of reading for the people, and especially for the young, for whom the Libraries are mainly designed, is a task of so much importance, and requiring so much time and care, that every possible aid should be rendered to those on whom this task is devolved. Two principal errors have been committed in the choice of books for the School Libraries: 1st. The choice of amusing but worthless books, tales of adventure, &c.; and 2d. The selection of books of standard character, but of so high a range as to be uninteresting to the young. The chief value of these Public Libraries is the taste for read |