The Young Book Agent

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of The Young Book Agent is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Young Book Agent

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

“May I ask what books you sell?”

“I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

“They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

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Chapter X Reading 1/26

The Young Book Agent

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of The Young Book Agent is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

/fræŋk miːts ə bʊk ˈeɪdʒənt soʊ juː ɑːr ə bʊk ˈeɪdʒənt sed fræŋk ənd naʊ lʊkt æt ðə jʌŋ mæn wɪð ˌɪnˈkriːst ˈɪntrəst/

Line 2

“May I ask what books you sell?”

/meɪ aɪ æsk wʌt bʊks juː sel/

Line 3

“I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

Line 4

Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

/hiːr ɑːr sʌm ˈsæmpəlz ənd ðə jʌŋ mæn brɔːt ðem fɔːrθ frʌm hɪz bæɡ/

Line 5

“They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

/ðeɪ ˈsɜːrtənli lʊk ˈveri faɪn ˈænsərd fræŋk ˈæftər ˌɪnˈspektɪŋ ðə ˈvɑːljuːmz/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

agent noun US /ˈeɪdʒənt/

an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect

From this reading “FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.”

beautifully adverb US /ˈbjuːtəfli/

in a beautiful manner

From this reading ““I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.”

Cooper's noun US /ˈkuːpərz/

possessive form of “cooper” — United States industrialist who built the first American locomotive; founded Cooper Union in New York City to offer free courses in the arts and sciences (1791-1883)

illustrated verb US /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading ““I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.”

inspecting verb US /ˌɪnˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “inspect” — look over carefully

From this reading ““They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.”

meets noun US /miːts/

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading “FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.”

samples noun US /ˈsæmpəlz/

plural of “sample” — a small part of something intended as representative of the whole

From this reading “Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.”

volumes noun US /ˈvɑːljuːmz/

plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading ““They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.”

BOOK AGENT noun + noun

a book salesman

In this reading “FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.”

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.”

increased interest adjective + noun

In this reading “FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.”

look very verb + adjective

In this reading ““They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.”

for three preposition + noun

In this reading ““I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.”

All words in this reading · 60

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

AGENTnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənt/

an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “May I ask what books you sell?”

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

beautifullyadverbUS /ˈbjuːtəfli/

in a beautiful manner

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

BOOKnounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading “May I ask what books you sell?”

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

cook-book

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

Cooper'snounUS /ˈkuːpərz/

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

FRANKadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

HistorynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “May I ask what books you sell?”

illustratedverbUS /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

increasedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːst/

made greater in size or amount or degree

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

inspectingverbUS /ˌɪnˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “inspect” — look over carefully

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “May I ask what books you sell?”

MEETSnounUS /miːts/

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

samplesnounUS /ˈsæmpəlz/

plural of “sample” — a small part of something intended as representative of the whole

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading “May I ask what books you sell?”

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

SOconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Here are some samples,” and the young man brought them forth from his bag.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

volumesnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/

plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object

From this reading “They certainly look very fine,” answered Frank, after inspecting the volumes.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “May I ask what books you sell?”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

worksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading “I am taking orders for three works—a new and beautifully illustrated set of Cooper’s works, an Illustrated History of the United States, and a new cook-book.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading FRANK MEETS A BOOK AGENT “SO you are a book agent?” said Frank, and now looked at the young man with increased interest.

Chapter 10 of The Young Book Agent by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 10 of The Young Book Agent contain?

Chapter 10 holds 134 sentences of The Young Book Agent, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of The Young Book Agent by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 10 of The Young Book Agent?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Young Book Agent

Common questions about reading The Young Book Agent by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Young Book Agent?

Yes. All 4292 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56756 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Young Book Agent is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56756, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Young Book Agent take to read?

About 357 minutes of reading across 859 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Young Book Agent section by section

How to work through The Young Book Agent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Young Book Agent to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Young Book Agent

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Young Book Agent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Book Agent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frank: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Book Agent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hardy: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Book Agent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Success: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Young Book Agent; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter X

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