McGuffey's Readers · Second Reader · revised edition

McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition

71 reading lessons of stories, poems and letters, from "Evening at Home" to Tennyson's "Lullaby", for children about 7 and 8 who can read simple sentences. Every lesson has a guide you can follow step by step, with the right page of the book beside it.

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How to use it

  • A little, often. About 15 to 20 minutes a day. Many lessons here run three or four pages. It is fine to read half one day and finish the next.
  • Words first. Each lesson starts with a list of new words. Read them together before the story, and clap the parts of the long ones.
  • Talk and tell back. Ask a few questions, then let your child tell the story in their own words. This is where understanding grows.
  • Poems out loud. Many of the lessons are poems. Read them slowly, listen for the rhymes, and let your child learn a favorite verse by heart.
  • Script lessons. Several lessons are printed in handwriting (script). Read them together at first, then use them for copywork on a slate or paper.
  • Old words. The book is from 1879. Explain old words like thou, thee and boot-black simply, and move on.

Part 1 Home, play and pets

A winter evening, soap bubbles, a letter to Santa Claus, two dogs, a cat and her kittens, and a boy who works after play. Lessons 1–10.

  1. 1Evening at HomeLesson I✓
  2. 2BubblesLesson II✓
  3. 3Willie's LetterLesson III✓
  4. 4The Little StarLesson IV✓
  5. 5Two DogsLesson V✓
  6. 6Afraid in the DarkLesson VI✓
  7. 7Baby-ByeLesson VII✓
  8. 8Puss and her KittensLesson VIII✓
  9. 9Kittie and MousieLesson IX✓
  10. 10At WorkLesson X✓

Part 2 Sunbeams and kind hearts

Susie Sunbeam, Henry the boot-black, a kind brother, the brave kingbird, an evening hymn and a quarrel over a nut. Lessons 11–20.

  1. 11What a Bird TaughtLesson XI✓
  2. 12Susie SunbeamLesson XII✓
  3. 13If I were a SunbeamLesson XIII✓
  4. 14Henry, the Boot-blackLesson XIV✓
  5. 15Don't Wake the BabyLesson XV✓
  6. 16A Kind BrotherLesson XVI✓
  7. 17My Good-for-nothingLesson XVII✓
  8. 18The KingbirdLesson XVIII✓
  9. 19Evening HymnLesson XIX✓
  10. 20The QuarrelLesson XX✓

Part 3 Bees, sheep and squirrels

Nature lessons on bees and sheep-shearing, poems about clouds, a sparrow and a little rill, and two stories with a lesson inside. Lessons 21–30.

  1. 21The BeeLesson XXI✓
  2. 22The Song of the BeeLesson XXII✓
  3. 23The Torn DollLesson XXIII✓
  4. 24Sheep-shearingLesson XXIV✓
  5. 25The CloudsLesson XXV✓
  6. 26Patty and the SquirrelLesson XXVI✓
  7. 27The SparrowLesson XXVII✓
  8. 28Sam and HarryLesson XXVIII✓
  9. 29The Little RillLesson XXIX✓
  10. 30The Boat UpsetLesson XXX✓

Part 4 Letters, tigers and a faithful dog

Mary's letter in script, the tiger, a happy fireside, the two-part story of Willie and Bounce, and a tame bear in the attic. Lessons 31–40.

  1. 31Mary's LetterLesson XXXI✓
  2. 32The TigerLesson XXXII✓
  3. 33The FiresideLesson XXXIII✓
  4. 34Birdie's Morning SongLesson XXXIV✓
  5. 35Willie and BounceLesson XXXV✓
  6. 36Willie and Bounce (concluded)Lesson XXXVI✓
  7. 37The Kitchen ClockLesson XXXVII✓
  8. 38The New ScalesLesson XXXVIII✓
  9. 39The Bear and the ChildrenLesson XXXIX✓
  10. 40The Little HarebellLesson XL✓

Part 5 Leaves, hawks and wintry fun

The fish-hawk, a leaf in autumn, a Christmas joke, a day at the beach, sledding, a clever fox, and Peter Pindar's dog story. Lessons 41–51.

  1. 41The Fish-hawkLesson XLI✓
  2. 42What the Leaf saidLesson XLII✓
  3. 43The Wind and the LeavesLesson XLIII✓
  4. 44Mamma's PresentLesson XLIV✓
  5. 45Mary's StoryLesson XLV✓
  6. 46Ralph WickLesson XLVI✓
  7. 47Coasting down the HillLesson XLVII✓
  8. 48The Fox and the DucksLesson XLVIII✓
  9. 49Pretty is that Pretty doesLesson XLIX✓
  10. 50The Story-tellerLesson L✓
  11. 51The Story-teller (concluded)Lesson LI✓

Part 6 Owls, old men and honest boys

The two-part owl story, grandfather's strange fish, a good old man, the greedy girl, a place for everything, and the broken window. Lessons 52–61.

  1. 52The OwlLesson LII✓
  2. 53The Owl (concluded)Lesson LIII✓
  3. 54Grandfather's StoryLesson LIV✓
  4. 55God is Great and GoodLesson LV✓
  5. 56A Good Old ManLesson LVI✓
  6. 57The Greedy GirlLesson LVII✓
  7. 58A Place for EverythingLesson LVIII✓
  8. 59My MotherLesson LIX✓
  9. 60The Broken WindowLesson LX✓
  10. 61The Broken Window (concluded)Lesson LXI✓

Part 7 From the hour-glass to the lullaby

An hourglass, a horse named Fanny, poor Davy, Alice's supper, a snowstorm, Bessie's wild-flower garden, and a closing lullaby. Lessons 62–71.

  1. 62Frank and the Hour-glassLesson LXII✓
  2. 63MarchLesson LXIII✓
  3. 64Jenny's CallLesson LXIV✓
  4. 65Poor DavyLesson LXV✓
  5. 66Alice's SupperLesson LXVI✓
  6. 67A Snow StormLesson LXVII✓
  7. 68BessieLesson LXVIII✓
  8. 69Bessie (concluded)Lesson LXIX✓
  9. 70CheerfulnessLesson LXX✓
  10. 71LullabyLesson LXXI✓

The book itself

Lesson numbers match the book's Roman numerals: Lesson 3 is the book's Lesson III. The guides are written for this site; the book is in the public domain.

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