author
Charles J. (Charles Joseph) Barnes
1837–1921
A key figure behind the widely used New National Readers, Charles J. Barnes helped shape late-19th-century school reading through lessons that combined literacy practice with stories, poetry, and moral themes. His books remained in circulation for generations and were reprinted internationally.
2 Audiobooks
New National Fourth Reader
by Charles J. (Charles Joseph) Barnes, J. Marshall Hawkes
New National First Reader
by Charles J. (Charles Joseph) Barnes, Harlan Hoge Ballard, S. Proctor Thayer
About the author
Charles Joseph Barnes (1837–1921) was a schoolbook author associated with the Barnes’s New National Readers series. Project Gutenberg credits him as the author of the New National First Reader and co-author of the New National Fourth Reader, while library records also identify him as the author of the New National Fifth Reader, published by the American Book Company in 1884.
His readers were designed to guide students from basic vocabulary and phonetic exercises toward more advanced reading, comprehension, articulation, and expressive prose and poetry. A genealogical record identifies Barnes as born on July 26, 1837, and connected with A. S. Barnes & Co., the publishing firm founded by his uncle. His educational books continued to be cataloged, reprinted, and used in classrooms well into the early 20th century.