A Pair of Clogs

Amy WaltonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 249K words
Chapters: 25

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.A Pair of Clogs by Amy WaltonAuthor: Walton, Amy, 1848-1899,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Nov 15, 2007

Editor's review

A Pair of Clogs by Amy Walton is a warm family story for children, focusing on the everyday life, family affection, and growing pains of ordinary children. Compared with adventure-centered works of its time, it pays more attention to delicate psychological portrayal and details of daily life; the language is plain and friendly, and the pace is gentle, making it suitable for quiet chapter-by-chapter reading. As a public-domain e-book, it offers a convenient sample for understanding the everyday themes of late 19th-century British children's literature, and is also suitable for English learners as an original-language reader of moderate length and straightforward plot. Its observations on family relationships and children's circumstances still resonate today. It is best read slowly, savoring the subtle shifts in the characters' feelings rather than seeking strong dramatic conflict.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy warm family-themed children's stories
Readers who want to learn about 19th-century British children's daily life
Learners looking for original English readers of moderate length
Parents and teachers choosing classic public-domain books for children

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced adventure stories
Readers impatient with the expressive style of old-fashioned children's literature
Adult readers hoping for in-depth exploration of modern issues

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter in order, and briefly review the characters' relationships and emotional changes after each chapter.
Pay attention to details of daily life and the historical background in the book, and compare them with modern children's lives.
When using it as English reading material, read through a paragraph first and then look up key words, avoiding word-for-word translation.
When reading together parent and child, discuss the protagonist's choices to extend the reading experience.

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 age of child is this book suitable for?

This book is a family story for children with a plain plot and simple language, suitable for upper-elementary and middle-grade students with some English reading ability. For a Chinese translation or parent-child reading, the age can be somewhat lower. The specific choice should still be based on the child's reading interests and English level.

Does the story have strong conflict or adventure?

This book is not known for adventure and strong conflict; its focus is on family affection, growth, and psychological change in daily life. Readers expecting tension and excitement may find the pace slow, but readers who enjoy delicate narratives of everyday life will enjoy this plain reading experience more.

How should it be used as English learning material?

First read a chapter through to grasp the general meaning, then go back over unfamiliar words and old-fashioned expressions and organize them into notes. The book has many dialogues and daily-life scenes, making it suitable for practicing comprehension of everyday expressions. It is recommended to use it together with audio resources or read-aloud practice to improve language sense and reading fluency.

Comments

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About the author

Amy Walton Author · English · 1848–1899

Amy Walton (1848–1899) was a British writer of children's literature in the Victorian era. She produced a number of children's books, ten of which are held in this collection. Her representative works include Penelope and the Others: Story of Five Country Children, White Lilac or the Queen of the May, Thistle and Rose: A Story for Girls, Black, White and Gray: A Story of Three Homes, The Hawthorns, Susan, A Pair of Clogs, and Our Frank. Because public information is limited, the details of her life are little known; her works nonetheless show that she was skilled at portraying family life and rural childhood in a warm and delicate style. She focused on children's daily lives, family affection, and emotional worlds, and her stories often centre on girls and families. Her plain, natural language suits young readers, and she holds a place in the children's literature of her time.