Highacres

Abbott, Jane, 1881-1968Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

2.7

Word count: 359K words
Chapters: 36

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Highacres by Jane Abbott. Author: Abbott, Jane, 1881-1968. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Aug 30, 2009

Editor's review

Highacres is a novel by the American author Jane Abbott, classified under American and Canadian literature and released free by Project Gutenberg. Abbott's works were mostly aimed at young readers, and this novel continues the tradition of coming-of-age and family themes, centering on a girl's life in a rural manor-like setting; the language is plain and the plot gentle, making it suitable as extensive reading in the original English. Its value lies not in complex narrative but in presenting the everyday texture and values of early twentieth-century American juvenile fiction, useful both to those studying such texts and to readers practicing English reading. One need not seek intensity of plot; attend instead to character relationships and the atmosphere of the era. If used for language learning, proceed chapter by chapter and organize new vocabulary.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Middle school and university students practicing reading English originals
Readers interested in early twentieth-century American juvenile fiction
Researchers collecting material on American popular literature and coming-of-age themes
Readers who enjoy gentle family narratives without strong conflict

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking suspense, strong plot, or a modern narrative pace
Readers hoping for deep social critique or complex psychological portrayal
Beginners with weak English who cannot yet read originals independently

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter, summarizing the plot in two or three sentences after each to consolidate understanding.
Sort new words by character, setting, and emotion to aid recall.
Note the girl protagonist's choices and family relationships, keeping brief character notes.
After finishing, compare with similar coming-of-age novels to examine differences in values across eras.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What English level is this book suitable for?

The original is in English, plain in style with sentences that are not overly complex, suitable for readers with intermediate reading ability, such as upper secondary or early university students. Beginners may start with a simplified or annotated edition before attempting the original. Keep a dictionary at hand and proceed chapter by chapter without checking every word.

Is it a series novel or a standalone work?

According to available information, the book is a standalone novel by Jane Abbott, classified under American and Canadian literature. The materials do not indicate that it belongs to a series or provide information on sequels. It can be read as a single work without concern for continuity; for more, consult bibliographic information on the author's other works.

Any advice for reading the ebook?

The book is released free by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook, suited to reading in sections on an e-reader or tablet. Choose a version with a table of contents to make chapter-by-chapter progress easier; when taking notes, cite chapters rather than page numbers to avoid confusion from layout differences between versions. When quoting, check the original text and observe the terms of use for public-domain books.

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About the author

Abbott, Jane, 1881-1968 Author

Jane Abbott (1881–1968) was an American author of children's literature. Public information about the details of her life is limited, and she is little known among Chinese readers. Five of her works are included in this collection: Red-Robin, Highacres, Laughing Last, Keineth, and Happy House, commonly categorized as inspirational coming-of-age fiction. These works generally feature young protagonists and center on the choices, responsibilities, and friendships of growing up. The narration is fresh and brisk, with attention to characterization and the details of daily life, and carries a gentle didactic tone. She was skilled at presenting young people's confusion and progress within ordinary family and school settings. Her stories are warm and natural, suitable for young readers, and are representative of coming-of-age reading of their time, offering useful texts for the study of early American children's literature.