School books you remember

Molly007 · 20-08-2013 7:24pm #1

Just wondering if any of ye have nostalgic memories of your schoolbooks? Apologies if there has been a thread on this topic already but I've been thinking a lot lately about the poems we had for Inter cert in 1966. Unfortunately- in a moment of stupidity/ insanity- myself and pals burned our text books when the exams were over. My mother was horrified - she said I would regret it one day and how right she was:(. What wouldn't I give now to hold that little book again - it was published by Fallons and contained only the poetry on the course for that year, - unlike later years when the poems were in a much bigger book, out of which you picked out and studied the ones on the course. Likewise with the prose book that year, - I remember there was an essay about the Pass of Thermopylae among others. My books had so many little notes and dates and fellas' names with hearts drawn around them - all gone up in flames.

cml387 · 20-08-2013 10:01pm

It was a stroke of genius to re release the Exploring English series. I realise this is after your time OP.

I would love to have the old geography book from primary school, with the principal towns of Ireland and their industries.
I remember that the Westmeath entry had "distilling" down as an industry for Kilbeggan, although by that time (the late sixties) the distillery was long gone.

My primary English book had an article about the overhead railway in Wuppertal, I was interested to see it's still in existence.

Rubecula · 22-08-2013 12:58am

Hmm my post vanished???

Anyway I was saying I remembered a book I borrowed from the school library about 1960 called Kemlo and the Space Lanes Not seen it since, a sci fi novel and the first I ever read.

I still have a book called Kemlo and the Gravity Rays (about the same age)

OldGoat · 22-08-2013 9:11am

Rubecula wrote: »

Hmm my post vanished???

Nothing in the Moderation log about it so it's not my fault.
Yay! :cool:

22-08-2013 10:00am

Rubecula wrote: »

Hmm my post vanished???

:)Vanished in the mists of time Rubecula!

Rubecula · 22-08-2013 11:49am

OldGoat wrote: »

Nothing in the Moderation log about it so it's not my fault.
Yay! :cool:

You snaffled it didn't you. come on admit it you are using my posts to line the bottom of the Goat cage.

(Welcome home OG hope you had a great time)

muffler · 22-08-2013 7:34pm

I recall more about a certain incident surrounding the first book I read at secondary school than the actual book itself. The book was a collection of short stories as part of the English literature class and the teacher would walk up and down the classroom reading aloud a story from the book.

Now the idea was that we were all to read silently along with him and when he finished it would be a quick round of Q & A's to make sure everyone was paying attention. Like any class of 13 year olds (or any age group for that matter) there was quite a variety of characters and we had one real dopey lad who just seemed to understand nothing and spent most of his time daydreaming. In contrast we had the class joker who was a laugh a minute.

This particular day the teacher was reading a story about a young lad going fishing at the river and how he got his rod, hooks, dug worms and put them in a tin, put on his wellies and got his rod etc etc etc and ended with him catching a trout. When the teacher finished reading he shouted "what did the young lad use as bait to catch the trout" and looking around the class he shouted "Mr Dopey" (Im just referring to him as that so as not to post his real name)

Mr Dopey upon hearing his name being called out managed to awake from his daydream but hadnt a clue as to what question was asked. Unfortunately he was sitting at a desk directly in front of the class joker who stretched out a leg under the desk, kicked him in the ankles, leaned forward and whispered to him..."a cow, that's the answer, a cow"

So Mr Dopey puts his hand in the air and says "please sir, it was a cow"

Needless to say the place erupted

jos28 · 11-09-2013 2:37pm

This is one I remember and still use today(great classic recipes). For those who remember Dometic Science classes it includes chapters on repairing and altering clothing, how to clean absolutely everything in your home, first aid, personal hygiene and cooking for invalids. It was printed in 1964, long before political correctness.

BrensBenz · 11-09-2013 3:17pm

"Latin for Today". Yes, I know, dead language, etc., but between those stern, matt black covers were all of the answers that our male teacher-in-a-long-black-maxi-dress could throw at us. Shortly after I discovered that he built every Latin class around Latin for Today, I became best in Latin class because I could find the answers before he became violent.

I still admire Latin for its "Lego-like" simplicity, all but lost by "modern" European languages. However, I've never figured out how those ingenious / barbaric Romans managed to calculate how many tiles they would need to cover a floor measuring, say, XXIV sandals by XIII sandals.

CUCINA · 13-09-2013 8:57pm

I still have a book from my secondary school days, "Exploring English Prose". I re-discovered it last year and so decided to browse through it for a few minutes. An hour and a half later (!) and so many memories...
We had a teacher, Mr. Henfy, for whom we had more respect than any of the other teachers. I remember he used to say to us, "I'll Frazierise ya" if we didn't do our homework or whatever (this was around the time of the Frazier/Ali fight).
Anyway, getting back to the book, one of my favourite pieces was "Down With Pigeons" by Robert Benchley, very amusing. Another was "The Gettysburg Address" by some obscure person by the name of Abraham Lincoln.
Then there was "A Dissertation on Roast Pig" by Charles Lamb, and Stephen Leacock's talking about "a certain piece of work" by those industrious blokes, A, B, and C.
Anyone else remember this book?

DeBurca · 15-09-2013 12:38am

The only book that springs to mind was "New Vista in English" which was used in my first year after doing the primary
It seemed that the stories in it were so much more grown up at the time a vast change from the simpler stuff that we used to before then and when MISS read them it seemed sooooo much better as she strolled up and down between the lines of us youngfellas who were just beginning to appreciate the female form

cml387 · 15-09-2013 7:43pm

BrensBenz wrote: »

"Latin for Today".

Oh god. Latin For Today.

This classic
What is this that roareth thus?
Can it be a Motor Bus?
Yes, the smell and hideous hum
Indicat Motorem Bum!
Implet in the Corn and High
Terror me Motoris Bi:
Bo Motori clamitabo
Ne Motore caedar a Bo---
Dative be or Ablative
So thou only let us live:---
Whither shall thy victims flee?
Spare us, spare us, Motor Be!
Thus I sang; and still anigh
Came in hordes Motores Bi,
Et complebat omne forum
Copia Motorum Borum.
How shall wretches live like us
Cincti Bis Motoribus?
Domine, defende nos
Contra hos Motores Bos!

grey_so_what · 15-09-2013 11:29pm

CUCINA wrote: »

I still have a book from my secondary school days, "Exploring English Prose". I re-discovered it last year and so decided to browse through it for a few minutes. An hour and a half later (!) and so many memories...
We had a teacher, Mr. Henfy, for whom we had more respect than any of the other teachers. I remember he used to say to us, "I'll Frazierise ya" if we didn't do our homework or whatever (this was around the time of the Frazier/Ali fight).
Anyway, getting back to the book, one of my favourite pieces was "Down With Pigeons" by Robert Benchley, very amusing. Another was "The Gettysburg Address" by some obscure person by the name of Abraham Lincoln.
Then there was "A Dissertation on Roast Pig" by Charles Lamb, and Stephen Leacock's talking about "a certain piece of work" by those industrious blokes, A, B, and C.
Anyone else remember this book?

I remember those books well, they were and still are a great read. Exploring English 1, 2 and 3......Poetry, Short Stories and Prose. (possibly not in that order)

My mother threw them out when I finished school but I found them in a car boot sale (25 odd years later!). It was lovely to see one of them reprinted.

I still remember the "Dissertation" by Lamb........and The Lady of Shallot....

I loved my English teacher, God Rest her......She read them as they were meant to be read - with wonderful aplomb and character.......:)

Molly007 · 16-09-2013 6:50pm

Yea I remember the "dissertation" too- I think that was on the course for several years. It was a classic! And a poem which started "A naked house, a naked moor, A shivering pool before the door" and also "Morte d'Arthur". Lovely memories. But it was the books themselves with all the little diagrams and dates and initials and hearts that I wish I had now

!

cml387 · 16-09-2013 10:04pm

Molly007 wrote: »

Yea I remember the "dissertation" too- I think that was on the course for several years. It was a classic! And a poem which started "A naked house, a naked moor, A shivering pool before the door" and also "Morte d'Arthur". Lovely memories. But it was the books themselves with all the little diagrams and dates and initials and hearts that I wish I had now !

The House Beautiful, by Robert Louis Stephenson.

Most people (well,me) seem to remember the next bit better:

Yet shall your ragged moors receive
The incomparable pomp of eve

On the subject of schoolbooks there was a strange thing happened in our school on entering secondary.

Since French was a first year subject, we were told we had to buy a big red (expensive)hardback called "Ecouter et Parler". There was another French book to get as well.

Thing is,Ecouter et Parler was in French and Irish, the other book was French and English.

Significantly, the school had recently changed over from teaching through Irish to teaching in English.

We never,ever,used the Ecouter et Parler book.

CUCINA · 17-09-2013 8:45am

Spurred on by this thread, I checked out a couple of names on wikipedia and discovered that "Down with Pigeons" author Robert Benchley went on to become the grandfather of Peter Benchley, author of "Jaws" whilst Robert and Stephen Leacock used to be in regular correspondence...just thought I'd throw in that bit of useless info...
On the subject of poems, I'll always remember with fondness "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth (what an appropriate name!)

who the fug · 17-09-2013 8:51am

That book of english prose for the inter, one story about the man who invented a way of making diamonds and Robert L. Stevens on why humans don't value life

Only burnt one school book, it was therapeutic

cml387 · 17-09-2013 10:28am

who the fug wrote: »

Only burnt one school book, it was therapeutic

And that book was..?

dm1979 · 20-09-2013 9:22pm

Anyone else remember "Ann and Barry"

jos28 · 21-09-2013 12:18am

dm1979 wrote: »

Anyone else remember "Ann and Barry"

Ann likes jam
Barry likes jam

I remember that from doing homework with my children - that shows my age

Redhenrun · 23-09-2013 11:30pm

"Soundings" was my poetry book for LC English. A very long time ago. I can still recall snippets of it though Emily Dickinson`s "Because I could not stop for death/Death kindly stopped for me" Keats(?) "Xanadu" and TS Eliot`s "Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock" come to mind.

Like the Exploring English series, Soundings has been reprinted too. I can`t bring myself to buy it though, for fear I may not enjoy it now, as much as I did back then.

Dare I mention "Péig"? Or "Dialann Deoraí"?

grey_so_what · 24-09-2013 8:03pm

Redhenrun wrote: »

"Soundings" was my poetry book for LC English. A very long time ago. I can still recall snippets of it though Emily Dickinson`s "Because I could not stop for death/Death kindly stopped for me" Keats(?) "Xanadu" and TS Eliot`s "Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock" come to mind.

Like the Exploring English series, Soundings has been reprinted too. I can`t bring myself to buy it though, for fear I may not enjoy it now, as much as I did back then.

Dare I mention "Péig"? Or "Dialann Deoraí"?

Peig had quite the bad memories for me... She came back to haunt me some years back when it was one of the chosen biography's for the LC.......It made me think about the attitude of how the teaching of the Irish language had changed from my day....The teacher laughed at my abhorrence of Peig "coming home" to me again during the PT meeting.......In time, I learnt more from my child laughs studying it than I did from the wrath of our old Irish teacher!!.......:rolleyes::)

Layinghen · 24-09-2013 10:32pm

PEIG oh no I'm not going to get much sleep tonight. I am pschologically scarred by that blasted woman. Funnily enough I was at a party in a friends house on Saturday and somehow Peig came up in conversation. In a group of about 10 mature adults all of us shuddered at the thought of that book.

It is amazing how one book due probably to bad teaching of its contents has had such a negative effect on so many people.

Jellybaby1 · 24-09-2013 11:30pm

CUCINA wrote: »

On the subject of poems, I'll always remember with fondness "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth (what an appropriate name!)

I had always believed that I had learned 'Daffodils' in school, but I was wrong. Wordsworth's poem a.k.a. 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' was different to the one I learned which was 'To Daffodils' by Robert Herrick. I have never been a lover of poetry, never saw any point to it myself. I always preferred a good story. Strangely enough, I memorised Herrick's 'To Daffodils' by rote over and over so many times that today I still know it off by heart.

Layinghen · 24-09-2013 11:35pm

That's amazing Jellybaby I too memorized 'To Daffodils' and it is the only poem that I know by heart.

"Fair daffodils we weep to see you haste away so soon............"

Something about it struck a chord with me as well as poetry was never 'my thing'.

Jellybaby1 · 24-09-2013 11:39pm

You too Layinghen?

I learned it in primary school. I remember the teacher making us hesitate at the commas,..............for effect!

Molly007 · 26-09-2013 10:48pm

who the fug wrote: »

That book of english prose for the inter, one story about the man who invented a way of making diamonds and Robert L. Stevens on why humans don't value life

Only burnt one school book, it was therapeutic

That essay by Stevenson - was it "Aes Triplex"? - it's all coming back to me now!!

TOMP · 03-10-2013 9:11pm

Picture attached of SOUNDINGS poetry book from 1969. It was on the Leaving Cert syllabus.

Redhenrun · 06-10-2013 10:47pm

That Soundings book looks like its in mint condition. Was it really on the curriculum since 1969? I recall it from the late `70s.

And is that actually a first edition of the book?

Aineoil · 06-10-2013 10:51pm

Hides behind a wall of dry stone buildings

I actually enjoyed Peig

Scrag · 06-10-2013 10:54pm

M'asal beag dubh by Paidin Mhearach and Sceal Sheanagh?

TOMP · 08-10-2013 8:20pm

Redhenrun wrote: »

That Soundings book looks like its in mint condition. Was it really on the curriculum since 1969? I recall it from the late `70s.

And is that actually a first edition of the book?

Yes, First edition in as new condition

Aglomerado · 17-10-2013 12:46pm

80s and 90s books here.

Listen, Sing and Play (primary School music).
Treasury of English (primary school, picture of pirate on the front)
Figure it Out (rotten maths book)

And a geography book by a man called Tim McGillicuddy who taught in Scarriff, and there was a whole chapter on the local chipboard factory in it!

Scothscéalta by Padraig O'Conaire for Irish in secondary school.

Deirdre Madden's All About Home Economics (It's recently been reissued but I have the original one I used amongst my cookbooks!)

We also used Exploring English up to JC and Soundings for the LC. Still have them.

Thankfully I avoided Peig because I was doing Ordinary Level Irish post-1993 when it was only inflicted on Honours students.

C.K Dexter Haven · 24-10-2013 8:57pm

The first confession, Frank O'Connor from Exploring English- ah, the memories:D

byhookorbycrook · 27-10-2013 11:33pm

All in The Cooking
Soundings
Jímín

mariaalice · 29-10-2013 11:35pm

Ireland since the famine F S Lyons a history book I really liked and which made me interested in history this would have been the late 1970s.

looksee · 31-10-2013 10:59am

Brensbenz I have moved most of your post to a new thread (English as she is spoke) as I think it will make a discussion all of its own :-)
In reply to this thread you posted:

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

The first confession, Frank O'Connor from Exploring English- ah, the memories:D

Yes, a classic! IHS = I Have Suffered.

blackbird98 · 31-10-2013 11:11am

BrensBenz wrote: »

I've never figured out how those ingenious / barbaric Romans managed to calculate how many tiles they would need to cover a floor measuring, say, XXIV sandals by XIII sandals.

312???

loved Latin as well!!

BrensBenz · 31-10-2013 12:06pm

blackbird98 wrote: »

312???

loved Latin as well!!

Let me pull on my black maxi dress and send you to the back of the class.
The floor may be CCCXII (312) square sandals but, since we weren't given the dimensions of the tiles, we can't proceed. Best take the carrus to B et Q and see what size tegulas are available. Bring your toga maxima because it's a little chilly today.

C.K Dexter Haven · 31-10-2013 10:00pm

blackbird98 wrote: »

312???

loved Latin as well!!

:P
mensa mensae
mensa mensae
mensam mensas
mensae mensarum
mensae mensis
mensa mensis

cala · 16-11-2013 10:04pm

sambo and the barn door.

GarH · 25-11-2013 1:11pm

mensa mensae
mensa mensae
mensam mensas
mensae mensarum
mensae mensis
mensa mensis

Reminded me of this:

Centurion: What is this then? Romanes eunt domus, "People called Romanes they go the house"?
Brian: It..it says, "Romans, go home"!
Centurion: No, it doesn't! What's Latin for "Roman"? [grabs Brian's ear] Come on, come on!
Brian: Romanus!
Centurion: Goes like?
Brian: Annus!
Centurion: Vocative plural of annus is...?
Brian: Anni?
Centurion: [writes] Romani. And eunt? What is eunt?
Brian: "Go"! Let-
Centurion: Conjugate the verb "to go".
Brian: Ire; eo, is, it, imus, itis, eunt!
Centurion: So eunt is...?
Brian: Third person plural, present indicative. "They go!"
Centurion: But "Romans, go home" is an order, so you must use the...?
Brian: The... imperative!
Centurion: Which is...?
Brian: I!
Centurion: [twisting Brian's ear] How many Romans?
Brian: [yelling] I.. Plural, plural! Ite, ite!
Centurion: [writing] Ite. Domus? Nominative? But "go home", it is motion towards, isn't it, boy?
Brian: Dative, sir!
[The centurion promptly draws his swords and presses it against Brian's throat. Brian yells:]
No, not dative! Not the dative, sir! No! The... accusative, accusative! Domum, sir, ad domum!
Centurion: Except that domus takes the...?
Brian: The locative, sir!
Centurion: Which is?
Brian: Domum!
Centurion: [writing] Domum... -um [sheathing his sword] Understand? Now, write it out a hundred times!
Brian: Yes, sir, thank you, sir! Hail Caesar!
Centurion: Hail Caesar. If it's not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off!
Brian: Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar and everything, sir!

Sorry. Couldn't resist.
I hated Peig. Would have much preferred to do Latin instead.
And Soundings. I can't believe it was from 1969. Does it still have Paradise Lost in it?

bonzodog2 · 02-12-2013 2:34am

I went to school in the UK, in the 60s-70s, and remember exercise books ("copies") that had on the back cover all sorts of info about how many feet were in a mile, stuff about acres, rods,poles,perches,furlongs, chains, and other things kids today won't have heard of.

looksee · 02-12-2013 11:54am

Do you remember the Irish exercise books / copies that were used in the 70's and 80's that had the wildly inaccurate map of Europe on the back!

Jellybaby1 · 02-12-2013 3:24pm

bonzodog2, I remember 'exercise' books. On my way home from school my pals from another school would ask me to play but I would say, 'I can't, I have to go home and do my ekker!'. Aaaah, English as it was taught!

Looksee, what made the map inaccurate? My schooldays were in the 50's and 60's and I can't remember that.

looksee · 02-12-2013 3:36pm

Jellybaby, these were on my children's copies (yes, I am the same vintage as you! :-)) There was a map of europe, very scruffily drawn. One day we tried to work out where all the countries were and as far as I can remember they had lost Austria, and various other countries were deformed. It was on copies for years, all the time my children were in primary!

Jellybaby1 · 02-12-2013 3:41pm

looksee wrote: »

Jellybaby, these were on my children's copies (yes, I am the same vintage as you! :-)) There was a map of europe, very scruffily drawn. One day we tried to work out where all the countries were and as far as I can remember they had lost Austria, and various other countries were deformed. It was on copies for years, all the time my children were in primary!

Aw Looksee, I love being a 'vintage', like cars and wine. Much nicer than being just 'old'.

I doubt I would have looked that closely at the map anyway - clever you for finding the error.

Jellybaby1 · 02-12-2013 8:53pm

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

All in The Cooking
Soundings
Jímín

For the love of heaven, I must have everything in my house! I didn't use it in school. I bought it in Eason's because it looked like a good sensible cookery book.

Molly007 · 02-12-2013 10:16pm

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

For the love of heaven, I must have everything in my house! I didn't use it in school. I bought it in Eason's because it looked like a good sensible cookery book.

"All in the cooking"!!! That brings me back. We did cooking in primary school - also laundry skills, kitchen hygiene, knitting, sewing, - no wonder I'm a domestic goddess:D. (we had the nuns of course!)
One thing I remember about several of my schoolbooks is the clear way the information was presented. In particular the geology book we had for leaving cert - can't rem the name, also our Irish grammer book - they were really simple and well laid out with just the amount of information you needed about the subject. My kids' secondary books on the other hand seemed to be full of "filler" with lots of colour pics but not half as useful.

westman1 · 09-06-2014 11:24am

I remember the book to which you refer: Ecouter et Parler. My experience of it was from 1981 to 1983. French through Irish edition. Can anyone advise on where I might source a copy? English/French edition I can find no problem but would really like to get Irish/French edition. Maybe its nostalgia or old age but even though I gave up French as a subject after my Inter Cert, I still retain the basic structure taught to me by the nemesis of my secondary school years and bizarrely find myself remembering (with fondness!!?) the grilling I got daily from her. Obviously something must have seeped in and lodged in my angst ridden, teenage brain. Go figure! Anyhow, would appreciate any help in my search for same: Ecouter et Parler (Irish/French Edition).

Noggle · 27-09-2018 4:33pm

There was an excellent prose book at one point for the LC English. It had Hazlitt, Bacon, Stevenson and Charles Lamb, I'd love to get a copy of it.

School books you remember

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