Reading & Writing Lesson (RETIRED)

[momof6under8]

This set was introduced in 1991 and retired in 2001. After retirement, the quill pen and inkwell from this set were combined with the Windsor Writing Chair, and the price of that piece was raised. The set is associated with the book, Felicity Learns a Lesson.

PC description: Mother taught Felicity to read the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer using the wooden hornbook. Her writing supplies include a quill pen, which she dipped in an inkwell that came from Holland. Felicity sewed paper together to make her copybook, used to practice writing properly. And when she got bored, she drew pictures of her horse, Penny! Pretend the shiny sander is filled with "punch" to sprinkle on her writing and dry up the ink blots.


I recently aquired this set in a lot from Craigslist

The set is comeplete.

Grade: A

I think this set is one of my favorites. I have the school supplies for all of the historical dolls and this is the only one that has writing in the book

Felicity's copybook is made from paper that she sewed together. It is partially filled with her handwriting practice and even shows some ink smudges. There are also pictures that she drew of her horse Penny.

Also included in the set is a "sander" (shaker) to shake onto the paper for ink smudges made from nice, heavy metal; a wooden hornbook featuring the alphabet and a prayer; and her ceramic inkwell and real feather quill pen.





_{(mod edit for photos)}

[American Girl Rescue]

I agree! This set is a must for Felicity to learn her lessons! The accuracy of the items is perfect. I also enjoy the writing in her book in her own handwriting! Grade A from me too.

Felicity practicing her writing lessons.

[EofA]

I'm another fan of this set. A gentlewoman like Felicity would have practiced her lessons, and it's too bad this set was discontinued.

I love the little details. Felicity uses the hornbook to teach her little sister Nan in her core series, and there is an illustration of the hornbook in her stories as well. How cool that AG made one! I did an AG Club session on hornbooks, and learned that there aren't a lot of colonial era ones that survived to the present day. Usually made of paper, wood, and a thin coating of cow horn to protect the writing, the hornbooks were passed down from child to child in a family, and eventually just wore out. The doll-sized hornbook is very simple, with the classic paddle-shape, made of very thin wood covered with paper, with a clear plastic layer tacked onto the paper that is meant to simulate the cow horn protective layer.

Over time I managed to acquire two inkwells (since Elizabeth needed one, and also, one of mine has a small chip out of it) and the photo below shows their color variation. They each came with very differently sized feathers (only the large one is pictured; the small one is only an inch long!). The heavy metal sander is as bright and shiny as the day it was made, and the copybook has marbled endpapers which were common for the era. Although I didn't think to capture them, the copybook drawings of Penny are just darling - my daughter thought it was a hoot that girls 225+ years ago doodled in their notebooks just like modern girls!

[netwit]

I love this set too! The sander is made of silver - (so it tarnishes... but easily polished) and in my set, the top of the sander can come off!

mod edit to remove broken image links

[skukla]

[keeperofthepast]

I agree! I have the school supplies for Felicity, Samantha and Kit. I think that Felicity's is just beautiful. I have the PM version and I think the inkwell and the fact the sander is silver plated and quite heavy for its size is great. I also like that the top comes off on mine. I do like Kit's nib pen better than Samantha's and I absolutely love her real wax crayons. I tried to order a second set later to store but, the crayons had been changed to plastic.

[JustMagicMaria]

I love everything about this set except the copybook. Would the covers really have been that flimsy? Here is mine all laid out.

*dead image link removed*

[QNPoohBear]

I have a partial set. The hornbook is heavy like wood and covered with plastic to resemble animal horn. The inkwell is heavy and real ceramic. I replaced the too small plastic feather with a real one. I do not have the copybook. I gave Felicity some parchment paper instead.

[keeperofthepast]

Felicity's hornbook is wood and has the alphabet and The Lord's Prayer on it. The inkwell is beautifully paint almost in a delft pattern. The sander is silver and has a top that unscrews. the copybook is so cute and contains drawings of Penny and I love the ink splotches. I loved this set so much I bought a second complete one.