Go Bob’s Little Reader is a mid-19th Century compilation of readings which emphasizes selections from American authors, both in prose and poetry. The editor’s goal was to correct the perceived imbalance in widely used readers of the time which emphasized British authors.
Lyman Cobb (1800-1864) was an influential author and editor of children’s readers and other textbooks. He attended the local public schools in Massachusetts and became a teacher upon graduation. After moving to New York City, he devoted himself to editing and publishing textbooks, chiefly in spelling, reading, and arithmetic. His widely used works included Go Bob’s Little Reader and Cobb’s Spelling Book. Besides children’s textbooks, he published The Evil Tendencies of Corporal Punishment in 1847. His arguments were adopted by leaders of the reform movement in American public schools.