
When I moved to a new school in 1976, I was introduced to the Houghton Mifflin Readers Series. These were a series of books that featured poems, stories, excerpts of famous books, and more. It was the book series that we used throughout elementary (and maybe Jr. High).
Each grade had its own book for that grade level. In some cases, there might be a group of students whose reading skills were a higher (or lower) level than the class. Those students would meet together separately. I only remember this (and this book series) because I remember being at the back of the room with another kid and we read from the Rewards book while the rest of the class had a different one. I hope that was because I read at the higher level!
I wish I could find the picture I saw on a Facebook group that prompted this blog, but I was unsuccessful. However, there is a site that talks about this set of reading books and I was thrilled to see photos of the other covers. Just looking at them took me back to elementary school.

Serendipity was the highest level, if memory serves me correctly.

I don’t recall reading Rainbows or signposts, but my brother brought Rainbows home when he was in 1st grade (I think).

Seeing that horse with a hat on took me right back to second grade. I remember when Dan and I were at that back table reading to our teacher. It’s funny how you remember those things.

While it is neat to see the covers of these books, I would love to actually hold one in my hand and flip through them again.
Any Carlson Knights remember these? Do you remember certain text books from when you were in elementary school?
I remember having readers in elementary school and I loved them
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When you first mentioned elementary reading books “rainbows” was the first that came to my mind. Then I scrolled down and saw it in the picture. A blast from the past! :)
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I’m glad someone else remembered these!!
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nope, I don’t remember those but I think a lot of our texts were from Houghton Mifflin too, but none that looked flashy like that. Did you guys have the Scholastic Book thing too – about once a month we’d all get little catalogs of books , I guess titles picked for the appropriate grade level, and we could order them. Then a week or so later, the big box would arrive and the teacher would divvy up all the books that had been ordered? I always looked forward to that.
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Yes! The Scholastic book sales still go on. A coworker brings the catalog in and I have ordered some for my kids from her. I used to love going to the book sale during conferences, too!
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What ever happened to Dick and Jane in those texts?
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I didn’t have these…I wish I could remember the ones I had. The things I remember is my pencil box…and some paperback book they would give us with a “magic pen” that you would rub it over something and a picture or an answer would appear…I thought…and still think that is so cool.
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We used to get those invisible ink books up north. I loved those things!
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Maybe that is what I’m thinking of…it was in first grade I think.
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they had an orange cap on the marker? I used to get the hangman ones
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Wow…I think so…were the tips yellow at the end? Kind alike a highlighter?
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Yes – just texted you pics
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In NZ we had Janet and John, famously one dimensional.
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