Games from Long Ago

E. Jane Philipps is head of the Biology Library at Queen’s University
in Kingston.

Games from Long Ago provides a fascinating introduction to the different
types of outdoor, parlor, and board games played by children in
19th-century North America. Describing familiar activities such as
“Twenty Questions,” “Blind Man’s Buff,” and “Bobbing for
Apples,” and lesser-known pastimes like “Pinch, No Smiling,” the
authors convey a great deal of information about lifestyles and social
context in an entertaining and engaging fashion. Easy-to-understand
explanations of the rules or conduct of each game encourage the reader
to try each of the activities. The accompanying illustrations enhance
both the educational and amusement value of the text, detailing the
costumes and settings of the period and depicting the playing of the
games. The work includes an informative glossary and a well-structured
index. Games from Long Ago belongs in every library as a resource for
student projects and will certainly be a welcome addition to a child’s
personal collection. Aimed at those with well-established reading
skills, the book contains games for children of all ages and offers a
variety of imaginative pastimes for the entire family. Highly
recommended.