Primers and other early American schoolbooks were often lost due to years of use, neglect and eventually becoming outdated. Thankfully, Clifton Johnson, in Old Time Schools and School-Books, is able to draw from his vast collection of school books in order to offer readers a taste of the insides of these books, from the printed content to graffiti scribbled in the margins. Additionally, Johnson presents lively scenes of how schoolhouses operated in order to present a larger picture of the development of education, particularly as it unfolded in Massachusetts. Although nearly a century old, the book offers a thoughtful and engaging look at the early roots of education in the United States.