An Elementary Study of Insects

A charming time capsule from 1923, this elementary entomology textbook invites young readers into the crawling, buzzing world of insects. Written for grade school children, it frames the study of bugs through the lens of early 20th-century American agriculture: which insects help farmers, which destroy crops, and how to tell them apart. Haseman encourages hands-on exploration, collecting specimens, observing life cycles, keeping notes, believing that direct contact with nature builds character and knowledge alike. The book moves from basic anatomy and development to surveys of major insect orders, always returning to the practical question: what can this creature do for or against us? For modern readers, it's less a field guide than a window into a vanished era of nature study, when children were sent to the garden with nets and curiosity, and the insect world was both livelihood and classroom.