Thorbjørn Egners lesebøker
Encyclopedia
Thorbjørn Egners lesebøker (Thorbjorn Egner's Readers) were a series of sixteen readers
for elementary school
written by Norwegian
author Thorbjørn Egner
. Egner spent 25 years working on the series consisting of collected literature as well as his own stories and illustrations and they were published in the years 1950–1972. The books were intended for children aged 8–15, which at the time corresponded to grades 2nd–9th. Among the recurring characters was the young boy Ola-Ola, who grew up on a farm on the Norwegian countryside, but later moved to the city and had to adapt to a new life. Other stories took place in far-away lands, reminiscent of the environment in Egner's celebrated People and Robbers of Cardemon Town. There were also a selection of songs and poems in between the stories.
The books took over the role held for decades by the readers of Nordahl Rolfsen
in the Norwegian educational system. Rolfsen's books were published in the years 1892–1895, and had been the standard works since, but starting in the 1950s, Egner's books took over this position. Egner himself considered the series to be the magnum opus
of his collected works. In 1972, however the year when the last book in the series was published the educational program of Norwegian primary schools was altered. The new scheme largely abandoned the use of basic readers in the curriculum
. As a result, Egner's textbooks were rendered virtually obsolete as educational tools. The books remain an important part of the Norwegian cultural heritage, being considered children's classics, and some of them have been reprinted more recently.
Basal reader
Basal readers are textbooks used to teach reading and associated skills to schoolchildren. Commonly called "reading books" or "readers" they are usually published as anthologies that combine previously published short stories, excerpts of longer narratives, and original works...
for elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
written by Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
author Thorbjørn Egner
Thorbjørn Egner
Thorbjørn Egner was a Norwegian playwright, songwriter and illustrator known for his books, plays and musicals for children.-Career:...
. Egner spent 25 years working on the series consisting of collected literature as well as his own stories and illustrations and they were published in the years 1950–1972. The books were intended for children aged 8–15, which at the time corresponded to grades 2nd–9th. Among the recurring characters was the young boy Ola-Ola, who grew up on a farm on the Norwegian countryside, but later moved to the city and had to adapt to a new life. Other stories took place in far-away lands, reminiscent of the environment in Egner's celebrated People and Robbers of Cardemon Town. There were also a selection of songs and poems in between the stories.
The books took over the role held for decades by the readers of Nordahl Rolfsen
Nordahl Rolfsen
Johan Nordahl Brun Rolfsen was a Norwegian writer, educationalist and teacher, journalist, translator and speaker. He is best known for the series of five readers for elementary school, Læsebog for folkeskolen , which became the most widespread schoolbook in Norway.-Family:Rolfsen was born in Bergen...
in the Norwegian educational system. Rolfsen's books were published in the years 1892–1895, and had been the standard works since, but starting in the 1950s, Egner's books took over this position. Egner himself considered the series to be the magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
of his collected works. In 1972, however the year when the last book in the series was published the educational program of Norwegian primary schools was altered. The new scheme largely abandoned the use of basic readers in the curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
. As a result, Egner's textbooks were rendered virtually obsolete as educational tools. The books remain an important part of the Norwegian cultural heritage, being considered children's classics, and some of them have been reprinted more recently.