Good Reads
This is the best-selling book of all time.
What is the Bible?
As of 2021, it tops the Guinness list with five billion sold.
How many states make up New England? Can you name them all?
Six states:
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire
How many people traveled on the Mayflower?
102
You might find cardboard tubes around two feet tall with these in them.
What are posters (or art prints)?
Some artists’ prints can sell for a pretty penny. For example, a print of Edward Bawden’s 1961 “Liverpool Street Station” sold for £9,200 in 2019
Robert James Waller wrote this book about an affair between photographer Robert Kincaid and a married woman named Francesca
What is The Bridges of Madison County?
The novel was later adapted for the big screen.
He created the character Tiny Tim.
Who is Charles Dickens?
Dickens introduced Tiny Tim to the world in his classic novel A Christmas Carol, the best-selling Christmas book ever
Founded in 1636, what Ivy League university is the oldest in the U.S.?
Harvard University
Harvard was initially called New College or the college at Newtowne
How many days did it take for the Pilgrims to get to the New World?
66 days
If you peek into boxes, you might find amber, green, pink, yellow, red, or cobalt blue drinking glasses from the 1920s through the 1940s. They are made of this
What is depression glass?
The colorful glass added some cheer during a difficult time
This is another name for bounceberries
What are cranberries?
Ripe cranberries will bounce, hence the name bounceberries.
Noah Webster published this genre of book.
What is dictionary or reference?
He wrote the first American dictionary. The finished product took 28 years to write and publish.
What state is nicknamed “The Green Mountain State”?
Vermont
Vermont gets its name from the French word roots vert (green) and mont (mountain).
How many of the Pilgrims died the first winter in the New World?
50
If you look through old purses and stumble upon dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars, save them because they are probably made of this.
What is silver?
Their value is generally based on the amount of silver in the coins, but you might have accidentally stumbled upon some numismatic coins, which bring a hefty premium
What year did New England officially get its name: 1700, 1620, or 1595?
1620
Captain John Smith of Jamestown sailed up the coast and called the area North Virginia. However, King James renamed it New England
This “Queen of Mystery” holds the top spot as the world’s best-selling fiction author
Who is Agatha Christie?
Many of her mystery novels have been adapted for the stage and screen. The Mousetrap premiered on the London stage in 1952, and it has had the longest run of all time. It’s currently in its 70th year
What is the state capital of New Hampshire?
Concord New Hampshire’s motto, “Live Free or Die,” was written by Revolutionary General John Stark.
What are 2 reasons why the Pilgrims died that first winter?
1) sickness
2) not enough food
3) snow and cold
4) they didn't know how to get food
Those dusty, old rugs leaning against the wall might be from the Far East, but they are generically referred to as this.
What are Oriental rugs?
The ones from Iran are Persian rugs.
Where did the Pilgrims land in the New World?
They landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
He authored this go-to book for new mothers in the 1960s.
Who is Dr. Benjamin Spock?
Baby and Child Care was first published in 1946 and has been translated into 39 languages, with sales of more than 50 million copies
What New England city is known for clam chowder and a distinct accent?
Boston Bostonians have a unique dialect, using words like wicked and jimmies.
Name the 2 different groups of Pilgrims.
1) Separatists
2) Adventurers
If you stumble upon a collection of comic books and are lucky enough to find Detective Comics #27, you will find the first appearance of this character
What is Batman?
Released in May 1939, the story in which he debuts is titled “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” A copy in good condition can be worth over one million dollars.
These old pieces of paper, the size and shape of diplomas, represent shares owned in a company
What are stock certificates?
Chances are the company has long gone out of business, but they are fun to look at and to use as a teaching tool with youngsters. If the company is still in existence, you could be sitting on a fortune