The Wide Awake Third Reader

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 175K words
Chapters: 18

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.The Wide Awake Third Reader by Clara MurrayAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PE: Language and Literatures: English, Release Date: May 11, 2016

Editor's review

This book is the third volume of Clara Murray's graded English readers, a classic reading resource for children beginning to learn English. Its value lies not in complex plots but in building a ladder from word recognition to independent reading through clear language of moderate repetition. The selections are mostly short stories and verse, with controlled sentence structures and high vocabulary recurrence, making it stable material for language input. As a public-domain eBook, it preserves the plain appearance of early readers, without fancy illustrations or exercise designs, which instead leaves more room for teachers and parents to guide. Reading scenarios can include family shared reading, classroom supplementary reading, or extensive reading for English learners. One caveat: the language bears the marks of its era, and some expressions differ from contemporary everyday English; it is advisable to focus on understanding the stories and developing language sense rather than imitating every sentence. Overall, this is a practical, lightweight introductory reader, suitable for guided reading rather than completely unsupervised self-study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lower-primary students building English reading habits
English teachers needing graded readers as classroom supplementary materials
Parents with basic English who wish to read with their children
Beginner English readers who prefer short stories and verse

Not a good fit for

Intermediate to advanced English learners seeking contemporary spoken expression materials
Readers who prefer long continuous narratives and lack patience for short collections
Self-learners needing accompanying illustrations, workbooks, or audio resources

Reading tips

Read one piece a day: first read through to grasp the story, then pick two or three new words to look up and note in a small notebook.
When reading together, parents can take turns reading aloud by section, then retell the main idea in Chinese to check comprehension.
Teachers can select the verse sections for choral repetition and rhythm practice, without requiring full memorization.
When encountering strongly period-specific expressions, mark them but do not dwell on them; prioritize reading fluency.

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

Is this book suitable for complete beginners in English?

Not entirely. It is the third reader, assuming readers already have some word recognition and basic sentence patterns. Complete beginners may easily feel frustrated using it directly; it is advisable to start with the first two volumes or simpler graded readers, and read this book after acquiring basic phonics and common word recognition.

The language in the book is outdated; is it still worth reading?

Yes, but its positioning should be clear. Its main value is training reading fluency and language sense, not learning contemporary spoken English. Some expressions differ from modern English, which can serve as discussion material. If the goal is daily communication, pair it with contemporary materials; if the goal is building a reading foundation, it remains useful.

Without illustrations, will children be unable to keep reading?

Possibly. This book preserves the original appearance of early readers and lacks visual aids. It is advisable for parents or teachers to lead the beginning, spark curiosity with questions, or let children draw a story scene after reading. Turning the lack of illustrations into an output activity can actually enhance engagement.

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