James Baldwin was published during the turn of the century was a teacher, writer, and was a man of Christian faith. He wrote over 50 books including readers, adapted stories for young children, history text, literary analysis, classic literature, and apologetics. Read more About James Baldwin.
The first set is the only complete set, which means the other books were not found or have a price tag. I will continue to search for them and add to the list. I have noted special characteristics of each set or book.
I have listed them in sets, in order of edition. This is somewhat misleading because many of the books were for 12-16 months use, so a book would be used for longer than our modern grade levels, in some cases. Most times the level’s name was simply indicative of coming after the one preceding it. Because of this I tried to find readers of the same publisher and author. Some series are not as complete as others, usually meaning that the missing book had a price tag on it. I will update as I find missing books from a series.
Find out where your child should begin reading by having them read, either silently or aloud, and asking some basic comprehension questions or asking your child to retell a story after reading a short piece. Use the reader that is appropriate, moving forward in the series.
Some readers will have phonics lessons for the little ones and oration lessons for older students. Others have spelling lists, language instruction, and exercises, or questions to check comprehension. I will make a note at the introduction to each set to indicate any special features.
The Baldwin Primer I just love this little book with color picture, beautiful cursive, music, and hands on activities. It’s a perfect beginning reader!
Baldwin School Reading by Grade: First Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grade: Second Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grades: Third Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grades: Fourth Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grade: Fifth Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grade: Sixth Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grades: Seventh Year
Baldwin School Reading by Grade Eighth Year
These have so much to offer. They include a variety of genres, along with exercises requiring response to the literature(expression), phonetic exercises(in the back of the book) and spelling exercises.
Baldwin and Bender’s Fourth Reader
Baldwin and Bender’s Fifth Reader
Baldwin and Bender’s Sixth Reader
Baldwin and Bender’s Eighth Reader
These also include a variety of genres, along with exercises requiring response to the literature(expression), phonetic exercises(in the back of the book) and spelling exercises. The teacher’s manual imparts better understanding to the exercises in the readers. I do wish to find the complete set.
Reading with expression: a teacher’s manual to accompany …
Reading With Expression Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Years
More Readers
Perhaps to use in place of the missing 2nd and 3rd readers to the sets above.
Fairy Stories and Fables: a Second Reader
Another Fairy Reader: Companion to Fairy Stories and Fables
Old Greek Stories: a Third Reader
The Golden Fleece: More Old Greek Stories: Companion to Old Greek Stories
Adapted Versions For Young Children
Stories of Don Quixote: Written Anew for Young People
Robinson Crusoe: Written Anew for Children
Gulliver’s Travels Into Some Remote Countries:Written Anew for Children
Fifty famous people, short stories
An American Book of Golden Deeds
The Good Goat Momma 
I love old readers, especially of folklore and classic tales! It is wonderful that access to these books is no longer out of the reach of the average person. I do enjoy digging around for hard copies of these old classics. Several weeks ago I found a copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, retold by Edward Fitzgerald and illustrated by Edmund Dulac. Copyright 1933, the covers and spine were not in great shape. However, the text and all the illustrations save one are in wonderful condition. The irony of this discovery is that I had just a week or two prior decided we would study this poem in conjunction with our unit on the Byzantine and Islamic Empires in World History. When I saw the Rubaiyat on the shelf at the flea market, I knew I’d made a very great find!
I love these books too. The wonderful vocabulary, the focus on character building, the simple style.