Did anyone else learn to read with Mary, Mike and Jeff?--around 1969?

[Chris in VA]

I am looking for the series I grew up with--maybe it was MacMillen, but I'm not sure. They were basal readers, and I was in the "top" reading group in first/second grade. Mary, Mike and Jeff were the three character's names in the readers, similar to Dick and Jane, iykwim.

I remember there were little plays in the 3rd grade book (and by that time, no more MMandJ as characters).

[KatieJ]

I was Dick, Jane and Spot girl! Loved those books. I have a very vivid memory of a large poster in the front of the classsroom the first day of 1st grade. I am soo excited to learn to read!

[Chris in VA]

I loved reading, that's for sure--still do! I think I remember that series because I remember being so disappointed that there weren't any more stories about Mary, Mike and Jeff when the book was over.

FWIW, I remember my spelling book, too! lol

[MamaT]

I was in first grade in 1969 and my books were Dick and Jane. I remember them well. I even remember who I sat beside in first grade!

[Guest rkcarter]

I just found this post, googling for "Mary Mike and Jeff." Yep, we read them too, in first or second grade, which for me would have been between 1966-1968. I was really hoping I'd find someone had posted an image or two somewhere; I have vague memories. I remember too that I wanted to read more "Mary Mike and Jeff" back then, and was sad that there was no more, at least in our classroom or school library.

[fivetails]

I don't remember Mary/Mike/Jeff ~ but I do remember (and have a reader & workbook here somewhere) Mr. Mugs! :)

[NanceXToo]

I learned probably 10 years later with Dick, Jane, and Spot lol.

[Melora in NC]

In 1970, I learned with Janet and Mark (I've forgotten the name of their dog and cat).

[Guest CupcakeCat]

I used the Mike, Mary, and Jeff book in my elementary school (perhaps 1st grade).  It was in Newton, CT in 1971-1972.  Velvet was their cat, and I think their dog's name was Bolo.  One time they went on a picnic, and from the illustration, it looked they were going to eat ice-cold egg salad sandwiches.  How enticing!  I remember my mom hated the series. It was probably unbelievably sexist, with white dad coming home from work in a suit and hat solving the problems that very kempt, organized, and white "mother," as they referred to her, couldn't possibly handle. After all, she was only home all day, fairly well off, and had constant first-hand knowledge of her children and their (extremely light) antics. And No, the book was not "just a sign of the times": Rather, it was a sign of the stupidity of decision-makers in education.  Anyway, I remember the dark blue hardcover and that it was called, "Worlds of Wonder."  And I remember daydreaming about egg salad sandwiches and picnics.

[Lori D.]

** RESURRECTED THREAD ALERT ** :)

 

Chris, I was wondering if your Mary, Mike & Jeff readers were the ones from Macmillian Publishers, by Harris and Clark. Here are a bunch of them at Amazon. I can't seem to find a list that matches titles and grades, but was able to come up with a few tidbits of titles and "levels":

 

Opening Books -- "level 3" (pre primer 1)

A Magic Box -- level 4" (pre primer 2)

Things You See -- "level 5" (pre primer 3)

 

Lands of Pleasure -- "level 7"

Enchanted Gates -- "grade 2"

 

Friends At Hand "level 9A"

More Than Words -- "third reader, level 11"

 

Shinning Bridges -- ?

Worlds of Wonder -- ?

Better Than Gold -- ?

On Wings of Words -- ?

 

 

Hopefully other people will have info that can help fill in the gaps here, esp. if you are wanting to collect these. :) These were not the readers I learned with, but I know how fun it is to collect vintage readers and children's anthologies -- I have a bookcase full of them! :)

[Chris in VA]

I used the Mike, Mary, and Jeff book in my elementary school (perhaps 1st grade).  It was in Newton, CT in 1971-1972.  Velvet was their cat, and I think their dog's name was Bolo.  One time they went on a picnic, and from the illustration, it looked they were going to eat ice-cold egg salad sandwiches.  How enticing!  I remember my mom hated the series. It was probably unbelievably sexist, with white dad coming home from work in a suit and hat solving the problems that very kempt, organized, and white "mother," as they referred to her, couldn't possibly handle. After all, she was only home all day, fairly well off, and had constant first-hand knowledge of her children and their (extremely light) antics. And No, the book was not "just a sign of the times": Rather, it was a sign of the stupidity of decision-makers in education.  Anyway, I remember the dark blue hardcover and that it was called, "Worlds of Wonder."  And I remember daydreaming about egg salad sandwiches and picnics.

 

Oh, you nailed it, Cupcake. I definitely want this series because they are sexist and misogynistic and white and antifem, which fits right into my worldview as a stupid educator. 

 

And I love egg salad.

 

 

*sheesh*

[ElizabethB]

I'm amazed that you remember that. I don't! I can't for the life of me remember anything about the books I learned to read with.

I was in one of the schools that piloted the I See Sam books! All I could remember was that they were cute little books with animals, after asking several older teachers, I figured out which series they were! I had them in K, followed by Dick and Jane in 1st grade. They never did anything exciting, I kept reading ahead to find out and was never motivated enough to go back to the right page so I often got skipped when it was my turn to read, LOL. I got enough phonics to read well, but could not spell well until I had taught phonics for a few years and learned all the phonetic spelling rules.

[Guest bobcarhart]

I had these books in 1st Grade, 1976.

1-Opening Books (intro to Mary, Mike, Jeff, Van, and Debby, Bolo).

2- A Magic Box (introduces Velvet)

3- Things You See

4- Worlds of Wonder (last book that has Mary, Mike, and Jeff)

5- Lands of Pleasure

-- end of 1st grade--

-- 2nd Grade

6- Enchanted Gates

7- Shining Bridges

-- 3rd Grade

8- Better Than Gold

...On Wings of Words

...The Magic Word

 

The reason the first book is 'Level 3' is that there were Kindergarten books in the series that came before these. Mary, Mike and Jeff are actually introduced there. One of those books was called 'We Begin'.

 

My first grade teacher had little paper puppets of Mary, Mike, and Jeff that came from 'We Begin.'

 

Good luck.

[Guest bobcarhart]

There are workbooks called 'Discovery Book' that went with each reader. You probably used those, too.

[Reefgazer]

I was a Tip and Mitten learner myself.

[Guest EllCee]

I was in first grade in 1971 and we read Mike, Mary and Jeff.  They also had two friends named Van and Debbie who I think were brother and sister.

[Guest EllCee]

Wow I can't believe you have all of this information.  Reading over your listing the only one I remember by title is Enchanted Gates.

 

 

I had these books in 1st Grade, 1976.
1-Opening Books (intro to Mary, Mike, Jeff, Van, and Debby, Bolo).
2- A Magic Box (introduces Velvet)
3- Things You See
4- Worlds of Wonder (last book that has Mary, Mike, and Jeff)
5- Lands of Pleasure
-- end of 1st grade--
-- 2nd Grade
6- Enchanted Gates
7- Shining Bridges
-- 3rd Grade
8- Better Than Gold
...On Wings of Words
...The Magic Word

The reason the first book is 'Level 3' is that there were Kindergarten books in the series that came before these. Mary, Mike and Jeff are actually introduced there. One of those books was called 'We Begin'.

My first grade teacher had little paper puppets of Mary, Mike, and Jeff that came from 'We Begin.'

Good luck.

 

[Tsue]

I found some of these boards yesterday in some stuff that was given to me. One board has To The Zoo

[mjfrommn]

Mike, Mary and Jeff were the kids in my reading books!! Small town in Minnesota, 1st grade would have been 1966-67.

[almondbutterandjelly]

Ah, resurrected thread, but FUN!  I remember Don the Mouse.  Did anybody else learn with Don the Mouse?  And we had a girl in our class named Dawn and everybody started calling her Don because I guess they couldn't tell the difference.  Don the Mouse.  Might have to look that up.

[Bear]

They were the readers used at Greenbriar Elementary in Ft Worth, TX, in 1966. Have looked for them for years. No luck so far.