225 More Books ~ Yesterday's Classics, a review

I like books... do you like books??? 

I like old books... do you like old books??? 

Numerous times I have purchased old books from library sales, thrift shops, other homeschoolers, online, and from a local surplus store that sells items the public schools and other state organizations are getting rid of. This is good for me but it means those good old books are no longer available for others, especially homeschoolers, to use in their local libraries. Unfortunately libraries only have so much space and they keep and buy books that are the most popular and used. A lot of times those are not our favorites. Some books are just better old. Before the history was rewritten, when the language was richer, and when the story was written by someone so interested in their subject. I am not saying I don't like new books, because there are quite a few of those that I like too. But, I LOVE old books. These books were written from 1880-1920... good old quality books. Not a bit of twaddle. Safe for your kids to read. So... getting this product, or should I say these products, to review on the crew was soooo exciting. I will be using these for the next 4 years and suggest to everyone that they invest in them, including my children... for my future grandchildren.



I suppose you would like to know what exactly this product Yesterdays Classics is. It is 225 books, which come as a download, the books are downloaded in 13 compressed zipped folders. You download the files, unzip them and then use them on your iPad, itouch, Nook, Kindle and other ereaders, as well as computers. One thing I love about this is that the company does not limit the number of devices you can put these books on. Put them on as many as you have: every computer or laptop you have and every handheld device you or your children own and use. That is so nice. So, so nice.

The books vary in the number of pages but you can see all those details at the links below. 

What if you are like me and you don't own a handheld device, yet! Well you can download free readers for your computer for the Kindle or EPUB formats. Since I don't yet have a handheld device I ordered the files in both formats. If you have devices that use both of these you can download one format and then e-mail them and they will send you the other format. Aren't they nice!! Then you could put them on your Kindle device and your iPad for instance. I downloaded the free Kindle for PC that is recommended on Amazon.com and I downloaded Calibre, that used the EPUB format. In the "guide_to_ereader_devices_and_software" pdf that Yesterday's Classics sends you, with your downloads, Calibre is one of the suggested FREE computer software eReaders they suggested. I love the EPUB format. The books from Yesterdays Classics are already categorized and tagged so when I loaded them in Calibre I could click on the categories and put the books in order by title, by the tags (history, fables, and more) or by author. Cool. They did so much work on these.


Special Offer Only Until May 31 that's only $0.44 per book

There are 22 different genre's of books including: Faith, World History, Early Civilization, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Explorers, Britain, American History, Biography, Science, Nature, Children of the World, Legends, Literature, Readers, Shakespeare,  Poetry, Fables, Fairy Tales, Kindergarten, and Christmas Stories. There are also tags for Geography, Historical Fiction, and Juvenile Fiction.

$99. You might be thinking, "Can't I get some of these online for free??" Yes, you can. But not all of them. Some you can read online for free but not download. Some you can't get at all. None are of the same quality that you get with Yesterday's Classics. And hunting down all 225 books... that would be time consuming. Also, if you look at the price per book that price is cheaper than what I pay for the used hardbacks I get at the local surplus store.

Both the EPUB and the Kindle formats have wonderful colored illustrations and clickable Table of Contents. Very convenient. The EPUB versions, at least in Calibre, have lovely color covers (see some covers below). The Kindle versions, at least on the software program I have, have plain covers that look like a report and they are all the same. The books are very well scanned. Way better than a lot of other free pdf's that I have gotten on the Internet. Also, most free books I have downloaded do not have clickable table of contents, which is very handy. Some of the books have numerous topics and if you are looking for just the chapter, say, on George Washington, the clickable table of contents is wonderful. in Calibre, and I am sure other EPUB devices, I can toggle, by clicking one button, and turn on/off the table of contents in the sidebar of the book I am reading. Thus making it really easy to jump between chapters if necessary.

Yesterdays Classics allows you to view all the books you will get to download before you buy. All 225 books are listed on each of the pages in the links below, so I suggest picking one link to view the books with, at least to start. You can click on any of the books, on each of these pages, to see more and take a "Look Inside..."  These peeks into the books are wonderful. They let you see the table of contents and 40-60 pages of the book. Not just a page or two and a bunch of advertisements like I have seen in other sample e-books. WOW!! That will really show you the value of getting these books. The links are just above the pictures of each book.

• By subject 
• By author 
• By title

You can also get a whole free e-book to keep - The Dutch Twins - in both Kindle and EPub formats, to see for yourself how these will work with your apps or your device. Go here, and scroll about 1/4 of the way down.

Another feature from the website... you can view the books in Yesterday's Classics used in the following curricula:

• Ambleside Online 
• Living Books Curriculum 
• Pageant of History

You can print as many of the books as you want. Costly but you may want to do this so it is available and permissible.

Yesterdays Classics sends 4 pdf downloads along with your zip files.

• One is the  _book_descriptions_for_yc_titles this is what it says... a short description of each book. This may help you with picking what books to use and planning how to use all these great resources.
• _yc_ebooks - lists of the books sorted by Level, Genre, Author Title; then by Genre, Author, Title; then by Title only and lastly by Author, Title - also helpful for planning and organizing.
• guide_to_ereader_devices_and_software - which helps you know what to do with your files on smart phones and ereader devices, such as Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader, to tablets, netbooks, laptops,
  and desktops. One of the nicest features in this pdf is the list of FREE Ereader Software for Reading EPUB and Kindle Files on Desktops or Laptops. Not only does it list them it compares the features. Wow... thanks... Great!!!
• _guide_to_downloading_files_revised - gives you step by step help in downloading the files and transfer them to your handheld and/or computer devices. If you need more help then you get with the pdfs, they have wonderful, quick e-mail support. If you have trouble downloading the files, you have trouble transferring the files, or have other trouble or questions my crew mates have found them very helpful and prompt.

Here are some of the individual books that we used while reviewing Yesterdays Classics.

American History  from the Vikings to Woodrow Wilson. We are reading about the founding of the colonies in history also and we recently read about the founding of Connecticut, New Jersey, North and South Carolina, and Pennsylvania; Bacon's Rebellion, and Pirates. I am looking forward to continuing to use this book next year to study Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, the Boston Tea Party, the Revolutionary War and more.

A child's history of England from The Stories of Albion and Brutus to Queen Victoria. We recently read chapters LXXXI and LXXXII on "How Death Walked in the Streets of London" and "Charles II—The Story of How London was Burned". Not very cheery subjects but part of our History reading. This Friday we will be reading about James II and then William and Mary on our last day of school. This book is one of the main resources recommended in Truth Quest - Age of Revolution 1. So this was timely. We had been doing without this resource this year, and now we don't have to.

We read the first 2 chapters of this book this year but most of it will be covered next year. I actually own a paperback version of this book and we have used and enjoyed it each time we covered this time period in history. "I TIED MASTER BIDDLE'S QUEUE TO HIS CHAIR" The queue or cue is a hairstyle in which the hair is worn long and gathered up into a ponytail. Naughty, naughty. Tying your teacher's hair to the chair. These stories show real life in the colonies... things children love to read.

This book has a lot of stories about Great men and women in American history. 222 pages. This quote comes from the preface of the book: "The illustrations that accompany the text have been planned with special reference to the awakening of the child's attention. To keep the mind alert and at its best is more than half the battle in teaching. The publishers and the author of this little book believe that in laying the foundation of a child's education the best work is none too good." Wow... and that is only the preface. Makes you want to read more, doesn't it. Makes you want to check out the illustrations.

I am looking forward to reading this book next year. This book covers the Revolutionary War. From Causes of the Revolution, to the battles, from the flag to heroes popular and obscure... George Washington to Israel Putnam. Looks good.

The books below are books the boys chose and read. I wanted them to pick some books and read them. They read a lot and I wanted to see what they would choose to read. They had 225 books to choose from.

Christopher picked this book. We read it aloud for history when we were covering the vikings (we have a paperback copy). This is a really good book where Rolf grows in manliness, courage, and self-control. Good historical fiction like this teaches boys (and girls) character and encourages growth and even Godliness in them since these good character traits come from God.

Both boys chose this book. That surprised me but that is o.k. it is good to be surprised by your children once in a while. It's a retelling for children.

Nathan read both of these. Nathan wanted to read both the Illiad and the Odyssey for boys and girls. Interesting. And it seems Vikings are popular at out house. Adventure, fighting, sailing, and kings. What's not for a boy to like.

Here is a quote from my son Nathan about Yesterday's Classics,

"I enjoy reading reprints of classic books like this and the e-book format makes it easy to resume where you left off reading the previous day. I like the great variety of books. Everyone should find something they will like to read and you will find something of interest for all ages from little kids to teenagers like me and even older adults."

We love these books. We used them for history and for independent reading. I have not had time to check out the limited number of science books they offer. Old science books sometimes have out-of-date information but the story type books are still interesting and enjoyable. Most of the science books are nature books. I only wish I had more years of homeschooling ahead of me to utilize all these wonderful books.... um... no, I don't, really. But I do wish I had these books many years ago.

Previously you could order individual e-books, because of the big sale on the whole set individual e-book sales had been suspended but will be available again starting June 1st.

They are also working on launching a new membership site, it is set to launch at the end of summer. Any new/additional Ebook titles will be made available through that membership site.

Special Offer Only Until May 31
all 225 books for only $99.00 that's only $0.44 per book


Yesterday's Classics also sells the books individually, printed, as paperbacks. Prices vary. Click "Buy Now" from any of the following pages.

• By subject 
• By author 
• By title

Contact Information:
Yesterdays Classics Website
Lisa M. Ripperton
Yesterday's Classics
PO Box 3418
Chapel Hill, NC 27515

919-357-8824
9 AM to 5 PM EST Monday through Friday

Lisa@MainLesson.com

Out of five stars both boys and I give the Yesterdays Classics:

Before you buy you may want to check out what my friends at the TOS Homeschool Crew had to say about Yesterdays Classics. It is always good to get more than one opinion.

***Yesterdays Classics provided me with the 225 e-books and though I received this product for free I have given an honest review of it here in this post.


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