Squib and His Friends

Everett-Green, Evelyn, 1856-1932Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 377K words
Chapters: 38

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.Squib and His Friends by Evelyn Everett-GreenAuthor: Everett-Green, Evelyn, 1856-1932,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jun 28, 2017

Editor's review

Squib and His Friends is a children's novel by Evelyn Everett-Green, a classic children's title in the public-domain ebook collection. The author was a prolific late 19th- to early 20th-century British novelist known for coming-of-age stories for young readers, and this book continues her warm, upright narrative style. The story follows the protagonist Squib and his friends; the plot unfolds at a gentle pace, the relationships are clear, and the language is plain, making it suitable as an entry point for reading English originals. For readers curious about children's literature of the late Victorian to Edwardian era, this book is a rare sample; for English learners, it is moderate in length and plain in vocabulary, so it won't be an overly heavy burden. Note that this is the English original and its storytelling bears clear marks of its time; its pacing and points of interest differ from contemporary children's fiction, so readers may enjoy it as a piece of literary history rather than seeking strong drama. It suits slow,分段 reading on quiet afternoons, with a dictionary to help with old-fashioned expressions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate English learners who want to practice reading English originals and prefer simple narratives
Researchers or literature enthusiasts interested in late 19th-century British children's literature
Parents and teachers looking for classic public-domain English books for children
Readers who enjoy gentle coming-of-age stories with clear relationships

Not a good fit for

Contemporary young readers expecting strong conflict and fast pacing
Those with weak English foundations who cannot yet read English original chapter books independently
Readers interested only in modern subjects or contemporary bestselling children's books

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and the opening two chapters to get familiar with the characters and narrative voice before continuing.
After each chapter, write one or two sentences summarizing the main events to help track the thread and reinforce English comprehension.
Mark old-fashioned expressions or unfamiliar words first and look them up after finishing the chapter, so as not to interrupt the reading rhythm.

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 a child who has never read an English original?

Not really. This is an English original chapter book; the language is plain but still has a certain vocabulary load and old-fashioned expressions. It is better if the child already has experience finishing simple English chapter books independently, or reads along with a parent who explains as they go.

Why does the language feel different from today's children's books?

The author lived in the late 19th to early 20th century, and the narrative habits, sentence patterns, and word choices carry the marks of that era, with a slower pace and more description. That difference is itself part of the pleasure of reading; the book can serve as a window into children's literature of that time.

What tools or materials should I use while reading this book?

An electronic dictionary or dictionary app is enough; mark unfamiliar words and look them up afterward. For background, a brief look at the life and writing period of Evelyn Everett-Green can help in understanding the family and friendship values presented in the book.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Everett-Green, Evelyn, 1856-1932 Author

Evelyn Everett-Green (1856-1932) was a writer of historical fiction for young readers active in late Victorian and early twentieth-century Britain. Public information about her life is limited. Eighteen of her works are held in the collection, most of them historical stories for young people set against major events and conflicts in English history. In Taunton Town, for example, takes the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 as its background; For the Faith follows young pioneers of the Reformation in Oxford; The Lost Treasure of Trevlyn unfolds during the Gunpowder Plot; and The Sign of the Red Cross portrays old London. Other works deal with the Wars of the Roses and Joan of Arc. She wove real historical events into the fortunes of fictional characters, using adventure narratives to convey historical knowledge and moral lessons to young readers, in keeping with the popular children's historical fiction of her time.