The books were authored by William Holmes McGuffey, (1800-1873) a nineteenth century American educator, original copyright entered in Ohio in 1849, first published by Truman and Smith, Cincinnatti, Ohio. The 1982 edition is mostly a facsimile of the original books, updated by the publisher. The books reflect the Christian beliefs of Mr. McGuffey and the school curriculum of the era. The contents include poetry, stories, fiction and nonfiction.
The volumes included in this set include Eclectic Primer, Eclectic Pictorial Primer, Eclectic First Reader, Eclectic Second Reader, Eclectic Third Reader, Eclectic Fourth Reader, and Eclectic Speller.