We must be in the same age cohort.
Parents taught us to read before first grade. The subscription Funk & Wagnells was the vehicle they provide us, along with the F&W annual Almanac, your basic world events of the year with photos. That provided a considered and factual presentation beyond the When movie news reels.
Dad’s Popular Science, Popular Mechanics exposed me to tools, their use and explained how things worked.
The National Geographic provided glorious folding maps and views of the world and its people beyond our little corner. When Dad passed we had almost 50 years of Nat’l. Geo to contend with. Offers to local libraries were met with a smirk and and a snort
I had my own subscription to Popular Science back when it was a good magazine and Dad had Popular Mechanics which had better plans and projects. I also had a subscription to Flying Magazine from a very early age. It fostered my dreams.
I’m wondering what becomes of the sets of World Book when I pass away. It won’t matter to me, I’ll be dead. There are lots of things like that I wonder about but it won’t matter of course. We spend our whole lives collecting our treasures only for them to become a problem and junk for others. Better we had not collected them to begin with. So many things that are personal treasures from my Dad and Grandfather that will become just stuff to others. Things that were gotten at great cost and effort that are now obsolete.
Time to move on.
Look THAT up in your Funk & Wagnells!