Many generations of Americans read their first words in a McGuffey’s reader, according to the Union County Heritage Museum.
The books began with simple words and phonics before progressing to more advanced stories, introducing many young students to literature. The museum asked whether readers had practiced reading with one of the books.
Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."
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