The Pupils’ Reading Circle: Combating the Dime Novel During the Turn of the 20th Century

• In Event: School Accountability: Methods, Mandates, and Curriculum

Abstract

At the turn of the twentieth century, pupils’ reading circles were popular literacy programs in the United States. Students who participated in these home reading circles received a booklist and agreed to read a set number of books each year. Young readers received membership cards, badges and diplomas in return for their participation in state and nationally sponsored programs. The main goal of the pupils’ reading circle was to steer young readers away from certain types of literature deemed “vicious” and “vulgar”—in particular, the dime novel—and to instill in them a love for “true culture books”. In many rural areas of the country, these reading circles helped to lay a foundation for the establishment of school libraries.

Author

• Mindy Spearman, Clemson University