Appleton's Common School Library

Published by D. Appleton and Company

The 25 volume "Common School Library" was first noted as ready in August of 1842. The list changed when the books were designated as the "First Series" in 1844. In 1842 the books were bound in morocco and were not designated as a series. Many of the titles of the 1842 Common School Library are the same as the First Series' books and a number were also in the Common School Library - 2nd Series.

In addition some of the titles are also in "The Library for My Young Countrymen Library"

1. Adventures of Henry Hudson
2. Adventures of Captain John Smith
3. Dining Out
4. Twin Sisters
5. Heathen Mythology
6. Masterman Ready - 2 volumes
7. Dawnings of Genius
8. First Impressions
9. Boys' Manual
10. Girls' Manual
11. Poplar Grove
12. Which is Wiser
13. Peasant and Prince
14. Early Friendships
15. Sowing and Reaping
16. Looking Glass for the Mind
17. Hope On, Hope Ever
18. Two Defaulters
19. Strive and Thrive
20. Who Shall be the Greatest
21. Somerville Hall
22. Norway and the Norwegians
23. Crofton Boys
24. Little Coin, Much Care

Here are the titles when the Common School Library started to have series. The First Series was first noted in 1844.

First Series:

1. Life and Adventures of Henry Hudson by author of Uncle Philip
(Francis Lister Hawks)
2. Adventures of Hernan Cortes by author of Uncle Philip
(Francis Lister Hawks)
3. Life of Capt. John Smith by author of Uncle Philip
(Francis Lister Hawks)
4. Dawnings of Genius by Anne Pratt
5. Mythology of Greece and Italy
6. Poplar Grove; or, Little Harry and His Uncle Benjamin by Mrs. Copley
7. Early Friendships by Mrs. Copley
8. Peasant and Prince by Harriet Martineau
9. Masterman Ready; or, the Wreck of the Pacific 3 Vol by Captain Marryat
10. Looking-Glass for the Mind; or, Intellectual Mirror
11. First Impressions; or, Hints to Those who Would make Home Happy by Mrs. Ellis
12. Dangers of Dining Out; or, Hints to Those who Would Make Home Happy by Mrs. Ellis
13. Somerville Hall; or, Hints to Those who Would Make Home Happy by Mrs. Ellis
14. Twin Sisters by Mrs. Sandham
15. Little Coin, Much Care; or, How Poor People Live by Mary Howitt
16. Work and Wages; or How Poor People Care by Mary Howitt
17. Hope On, Hope Ever: or the Boyhood of Felix Law by Mary Howitt
18. Strive and Thrive by Mary Howitt
19. Sowing and Reaping; or, What Will Come of it? by Mary Howitt
20. Alice Franklin; A Sequel to Sowing and Reaping by Mary Howitt
21. Who Shall be Greatest by Mary Howitt
22. Which is Wiser? Or, People Abroad by Mary Howitt
23. Tired of Housekeeping by T. S. Arthur


25 books: Note that Masterman Ready was published in three volumes

Leather-bound. One steel plate. 30 cents each

The first fifteen books of the second series were released in October, 1844.

Second Series

1. My Own Story by Mary Howitt
2. Two Apprentices by Mary Howitt
3. Love and Money by Mary Howitt
4. No Sense Like Common Sense by Mary Howitt
5. My Uncle the Clockmaker by Mary Howitt
6. Farmer's Daughter by Mrs. Cameron
7. Young Student (3 Vol) by Madame Guizot
8. Domestic Tales by Hannah More
9. Rural Tales by Hannah More
10. Woman's Worth; or, Hints to Raise the Female Character
11. Young Man at Home by J. A. James
12. Settlers's in Canada (2 Vol) by Captain Marryat
13. Crofton Boys by Harriet Martineau
14. Adventures of Daniel Boone by author of Uncle Philip (Francis Lister Hawks)
15. Philip Randolph by Mary Gertrude
16. Rowan's History of the French Revolution (2 vol)
17. Southey's Life of Oliver Cromwell by Robert Southey
18. Boys' Manual
19. Girls' Manual
20. Minister's Family by Mrs. Ellis
21. Liebig's Familiar Letters on Chemistry


Third Series

1. Book of the United States Army by Prof. Frost
2. Book of the United States Navy by Prof. Frost
3. Book of the United States Indians by Prof. Frost
4. Farmer's and Emigrants Hand-Book
5. Stewart's Stable Economy by edited by A. B. Allen
6. Zschokke's Incidents of Social Life
7. Daughters of England by Mrs. Ellis
8. Wives of England by Mrs. Ellis
9. Women of England by Mrs. Ellis
10. Mother's of England by Mrs. Ellis
11. Guizot's History of Civilization
12. Farmer's Treasure

The Third Series was first noted in 1844.

Only one volume from these series has been seen. It is likely that none of these books were published as first editions but it is not a certainty. These libraries were published as late as 1851.