Once upon a time… there was a publisher and a book. “Admissão ao ginásio”, Editora do brasil (1940-1960 decades)

Abstract

The present article discusses the history of the book Admissão ao ginásio, published by Editora Brasil, in 1943. This book had had several reissues until 1970 when its 548th edition was published. The book had as its target audience last year primary school students and teachers, as well as teachers who worked in preparatory courses for middle school entrance exams. The inauguration of the publishing house specialized in textbooks, and the publication of this book, both in the same year, was set up by the context of middle school expansion and admission exams becoming mandatory. This study uses categories such as school culture and political culture to contribute to the history of textbooks, considering its materiality and production and circulation context from the 1940-1960 decades.