Re: Reading music
You seem to be on the right path -- I learned the mandolin from Mel Bay (back in the dark ages when there was no tab that i recall) and the first lessons were all about where to put which finger on which string to match with which written note on the staff. I also used that for the one student I had once upon a time -- we learned how to play the mandolin while learning how to read standard notation -- a single effort, since it was all new anyway. I will admit I started as a flute player and, despite playing for eight years, I never understood timing until I taught myself how to play an instrument as a (relative) adult. Mel Bay did that. The book(s) didn't get into theory, just playing and reading. Once you make the connection between note on the mandolin and note on the sheet music, I'd suggest playing as many unfamiliar tunes as you can find. The longer you do that, the better you get.
As for the other, I've used flute music, recorder music, mandolin music, guitar music, piano music and fiddle/violin music to play and learn tunes. The biggest problem is some instrumental music is too low for the mandolin (think guitar) and you have to do some modifications. Mandolinists (or at least the ones I know) like fiddle music because the range is exactly the same.
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