Aleph-Bet Books Offers 500 Books and a Top 100 List

Here is a look at the future from the past: 2002: Childlife One Hundred Years From Now, by Laura Dayton Fessenden. Published in 1902, it is a science fiction journey into the future, and while Ms. Fessenden certainly didn't get everything right, she did foresee many things that came to pass. The boy and girl who inhabit this “future” world travel to Hawaii, now a state in this tale. She got that right, though she missed in saying it had been renamed “Roosevelt.” Presumably, it was named for Teddy, for if she predicted it would be named for Franklin in 1902, that would be truly miraculous. Some of the amazing developments include refrigeration without blocks of ice, submarine travel, airships filled with hydrogen traveling at the incredible speed of 75 miles per hour, cities enclosed in climate-controlled glass domes, moving sidewalks, and telephones where you could see the person to whom you were speaking. Yes, she predicted Skype. There are no longer criminals, but sick people who are taken to hospitals to be cured of their sickness. Chimpanzees have been taught to speak and now act as domestic servants. You actually can get good help these days. And, everything you need is distributed by the government. Socialism has come to America. However, you do still get to choose your government, conducted through electronic voting machines. We have not quite yet traveled to Mars in 2002, though that will be coming soon. Radio contact has been established with the Martians. World peace was achieved in 1980 and America even has a woman President. Time will tell which comes first – world peace, contact with Martians, or a woman President. Item 184. $850.

Item 1 is an unusual ABC book: Kryolith Kids Alphabet. “A is for Arctic where Kryolith is / B is for beauty which cleanliness gives.” Kryolith is a mineral that was mined mainly in the Arctic, which publisher Pennsylvania Salt Mfg. Co. used to produce lye, to make soap. This must have really fascinated the kids. $300.

Aleph-Bet Books may be reached at 914-764-7410 or Helen@alephbet.com. Their website is found at www.alephbet.com.