Ways to Participate

We welcome your involvement! It takes a substantial amount of time to prepare a single online book, about 40 hours on the average. Since starting this project in April 1999, I have been able to complete about a book a month. There are hundreds of wonderful children's books that I would like to include. Take a look in the following categories for a sampling of what might be offered:

• Storytelling
• Kindergarten
• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Fourth Grade
• Fifth Grade
• Sixth Grade

Adding a book to this site does more than adding a single book. If the book is a collection of stories that can stand alone, it adds to the number of stories that can be included in anthologies. Once there is a critical mass of stories, it will be possible to develop anthologies on all sorts of themes: stories to read to a six year old, stories for a beginning reader to read to himself, stories about frogs, stories from China, stories of courage, stories for autumn, stories for holidays, and so forth.

At the rate I can add books myself, it would take decades to get the books I already have on my shelves online. If this project appeals to you, consider offering your services in one or more of the following ways:

1. Prepare a whole book from start to finish.
   
   
2. Prepare a section of a book from start to finish.
   
   
3. Add formatting to a text prepared for Project Gutenberg so it conforms to the other texts available at the Baldwin Project. This is an ideal task for a detail-oriented person. I will provide instruction in how to add the formatting. Adding formatting to a 200 page book only takes about 2 to 3 hours!
   
   
4. Proofread a draft version of a text.
   
   
5. Point out errors in books already available.
   
   
6. Research and write articles about the authors, including a list of their books for children. I can forward you the information I have from Twentieth Century Children's Writers and The Junior Book of Authors. The St. Nicholas magazine, that was published for decades at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, regularly included feature stories about authors. Another good source of information about authors of books for children is Who Should We Then Read? by Jan Bloom, 1999.
   
   

To get involved, send e-mail to me at Lisa@MainLesson.com, telling me how you would like to participate. I look forward to hearing from you!