The Hole in the Wall - First Edition Children's Books - Annie Keary, Mrs. Sherwood, Charlotte Yonge, Maria Edgeworth, Jean Inglelow

The Hole in the Wall, published in 1968 by Oxford University Press, is a collection of eight children's stories written between 1796 - 1886 and named for the first story, written by Annie Keary.

Edited by Gillian Avery. Illustrated by Doreen Roberts. First published in 1968 by Oxford University Press, London. (This is the original UK edition.)

Gillian Avery's introduction to the book, written in 1968, briefly describes the eight stories and their authors, all accomplished women authors who were writing in 18th and 19th C. Great Britain.

"I found a Puzzle for a Curious Girl in Charlotte Yonge's second Storehouse of Stories, published in 1872... It was a pity, she said, 'that the old children's classics of the last century or half century should be allowed entirely to die out; or only to exist in the dusty shelves of ancient bedrooms.'"

I agree.

CONTENTS

The Hole in the Wall by Annie Keary (1825 - 1879). A young girl who's longed to discover what magic and wonder lie beyond the gate to the backyard next door gets her chance when new neighbors, and friends, move in.

The Old Story of Mrs. Howard by Mary Martha "Mrs." Sherwood (1775 - 1851). From a collection of stories about The Fairchild Family that were very popular in Britain in the mid-1800s. A family friend, Mrs. Goodriche, tells this story to the Fairchild children.

The Stolen Child by Mary Martha "Mrs." Sherwood (1775 - 1851). Henry Fairchild tells his sisters about a little boy, "who, when running after the Echo, found his Papa".

A Puzzle for a Curious Girl by Anonymous, included in Charlotte Yonge's Storehouse of Stories, 1872. Yonge had been given this book as a child "to cure her of over-inquisitiveness into other people's affairs."

Waste Not, Want Not or Two Strings to Your Bow by Maria Edgeworth (1768 - 1849), published 1796. At the age of 28, Edgeworth wrote stories to help her father in the education of the youngest of her twenty brothers and sisters. He was a progressive thinker, prefering to let the children learn right from wrong from confronting the consequences of their actions. In this story, Hal loses an archery contest for failing to pack a spare bow string when his only string breaks.

The Grandmother's Shoe by Jean Ingelow (1820 - 1897) from Stories Told to a Child, 1865. A child learns a valuable lesson from the shame and guilt of having done something wrong.

The Little Rick-Burners by Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823 - 1901), published 1886. A story of bullying, remorse for doing wrong, and relief at being found out.

Snap-Dragons: A Tale of Christmas Eve by Juliana Horatia Ewing (1841 - 1885), published 1870. Children, set a bad example by their bickering parents, are reformed by fairies, who have them play a Victorian game called Snap Dragon.

Condition*: Near Fine/Near Fine. The dust jacket is slightly crimped at the head of the spine.

* Based on guidelines of the Independent Online Booksellers' Association.

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