Literature

When the Time Traveler courageously stepped out of his machine for the first time, he found himself in the year 802,700–and everything has changed. In another, more utopian age, creatures seemed to dwell together in perfect harmony. The Time Traveler thought he could study these marvelous beings–unearth their secret and then return to his own time–until he discovered that his invention, his only avenue of escape, had been stolen. H.G. Well’s famous novel of one man’s astonishing journey beyond the conventional limits of the imagination first appeared in 1895. It won him immediate recognition, and has been regarded ever since as one of the great masterpieces in the literature of science fiction.128 pages. Learn More

Want to travel to the year 802,701? Hop aboard The Time Machine. Illustrated in black-and-white. When a turn-of-the-century scientist travels into the distant future in his time machine, he expects to find progress and superior people. But instead he discovers a world in decay. Reading level: 2.4. Adapted by Les Martin. 93 pgs. Learn More

Storytime magic casts its spell in this treasury of time-honored tales from many lands. Handed down from one generation to another are such delightful stories as "Johnny Cake," an early English peasant tale; "The Wonderful Pot" and "The Little Old Woman Who Went to the North Wind," two entertaining Danish fables; "The Gold Bugs," an old German tale; and "Why the Bear Sleeps All Winter," a popular story from the American South.

In addition to the title story young listeners will also delight in hearing such old read-aloud favorites as "The Three Bears," "The Little Girl Who Wanted the Stars," "Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar," "The Boy Who Found His Fortune," "The Discontented Coffee Pot," "Why the Bear Has a Stumpy Tail," "Chicken Little," "The Cat and the Mouse," "The Story of Lambikin," and many others.

An ideal way to introduce youngsters to the pleasures of a good story as well as inspire them to read on their own, these entertaining tales have been reset in large, easy-to-read type and accompanied by six new illustrations by Thea Kliros.

Reprint of stories from Firelight Stories: Folk Tales Retold for Kindergarten, School and Home, Milton Bradley Co., Springfield, MA, 1907.

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Easy Reading Shakespeare Old World Literature Series, HIGH-INTEREST/LOW READABILITY, Introduce your students to the famous literary accomplishments of William Shakespeare. Easy-reading adaptations will ignite the interest of reluctant and enthusiastic readers. Each of these condensed works is divided into 10 short chapters • Was written using McGraw-Hill’s Core Vocabulary • Has been measured by the Fry Readability Formula • Includes 100 comprehension questions that test for main idea, critical thinking, inference, recalling details, sequencing and more • Has 60 vocabulary exercises in modified Cloze format • Defines and uses words in context with new vocabulary prior to each chapter • Includes complete answer keys at the back for all written exercises • Contains 72 pages with exciting illustrations in every chapter. Learn More

Audiences have always delighted in the robust comedy and verbal inventiveness of The Taming of the Shrew. It has survived many adaptations ranging from, probably, the play printed in 1594 as The Taming of the Shrew through several eighteenth-century versions to modern-dress productions and transformations into ballet, musical, film, and opera.Introducing this new edition, H.J. Oliver pays attention to the play's theatrical virtues while also providing a deeply considered study of its textual problems, structural complexities, and interpretive challenges. Learn More

The Taming of the Shrew This is the tale of two young men -- the Lucentio and Petruchio -- and the two sisters they meet in Padua. Lucentio falls in love with Bianca, the ideal younger daughter of the wealthy Baptista Minola. Unfortunately, Bianca has two other suitors and her father will not let her marry until her ill-tempered sister, Katherine, is married. The second problem is remedied when Petruchio comes to town in search of a wife. Only interested in her money, Petruchio marries Katherine against her will and returns with her to his country house to "tame" her; a task that Petruchio is soon to discover is easier said than done. Learn More

The Tale of Troy By ROGER LANCELYN GREEN

Contribution by Michelle Paver.The story of Helen and the judgement of Paris, of the gathering Heroes and the seige of Troy; of Achilles and his vulnerable heel, reared by the Centaur on wild honey and the marrow of lions; of Odysseus, the last of the Heroes, his plan for the wooden Horse and his many adventures on his long journey home to Greece. With a beautiful introduction by best-selling author Michelle Paver, and additional endmatter including an author profile, who’s who, activities, glossary and more.

Paperback | Published by Puffin Books May 10, 2012 | 224 Pages | Middle Grade (10 and up)

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Best-selling author Clyde Robert Bulla's classic, finely-crafted Arthurian tale with its sword fights, dark and dangerous dungeon, roguish knaves, action-packed showdowns and tales of dangerous feats, will appeal to emerging readers who are ready for chapter books and reluctant tween readers alike.

In the days of King Arthur there stood a mighty oak tree within the walls of a castle. Peace reigned in the castle until the fearsome night when Lionel, long-lost brother of Lord Weldon, returned to cause trouble and unhappiness.

It was then that Shan, the son of Lord Weldon, took on the duties of a knight and hid the sword in the hollow of the giant oak. The days that followed were filled with adventures that tried the courage of the young boy.

Shan was surprised by bearded robbers in the woods. He met noble knights in plumed helmets, and eventually he even made a trip to high-towered Camelot. His story is filled with the pageantry and color of England in King Arthur's time. It creates a vivid picture of the Knights of the Round Table and the wisdom of King Arthur himself.

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The Swiss Family Robinson (Abridged edition) ABRIDGED EDITION By JOHANN D. WYSS.Introduction by Jon Scieszka.

Following a wild and raging storm, the Swiss family Robinson are stranded at sea. But the thundering waves have swept them off to a tropical island, where a new life awaits them. Their ship is laden with supplies and the island is packed with treasures, so they soon adapt and discover new dangers and delights every day . . . With an inspiring introduction by American author and America’s first children’s laureate Jon Scieszka. This story has been specially abridged for Puffin Classics.

496 Pages | Middle Grade (10 and up)

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Sara’s life has always flowed smoothly, like the gliding swans on the lake, until her little brother Charlie disappears. Then Sara is forced to see her life in a whole new way.144 pages. Ages 8-12. Learn More

This comprehension guide allows students to join the six Bastable children on their adventures as they look to restore their family fortune. Including recipes, projects, and questions for each chapter, this guide is an essential companion to Nesbit’s classic novel. Recommended for 3rd grade students. 69 pages Learn More

The Story of Sacajawea Coloring Book by Dover. Kidnapped as a young child and sold to a French trader, Sacajawea was just a teenager when she helped lead explorers Lewis and Clark through the wilderness of the great American Northwest. Features carefully rendered illustrations and informative captions that provide a glimpse into the life of this remarkable young Native American. 32 pages.

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Delightful classic about the eccentric doctor who could speak to animals includes all the remarkable adventures and familiar characters, among them the extraordinary two-headed pushmi-pullyu; Polynesia, the parrot; and Jip, the dog.

For adults, children and fans of timeless animal stories.

Reprint of the F. A. Stokes, Co., New York, 1920 edition

Grade level 3 - 8 (ages 8 - 14+)

Page Count 96

Dimensions 5 x 8

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A historical fiction novel set in Civil War Gettysburg in 1863. Often a place becomes historical by chance rather than by design. Such was the fate of Gettysburg, a peaceful little market town until the summer of 1863, when the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac transformed it into a battleground. Through skillful selection of details, fidelity to the historical record, and calculated shifts in perspective, the author has created an intensely moving account that becomes a commentary on the tragic consequences of war. The fictional characters, Buck Summerhill, is a private in the Union Army; his cousins Mason and Curtis Walker are Confederates; his widowed mother, sixteen-year old sister Beckah, and younger brother Leander are among the residents of the town who must cope first with the immediate dangers of the conflict and then with the scores of causalities left behind. The epilogue contains the Gettysburg Address, and attempts to provide some kind of transcendent explanation of those tragic days. Grades 5 and up. Softcover. 201 pages. Learn More

THE SILVER BRANCH The Roman Britain Trilogy (Volume 2)

Violence and unrest are sweeping through Roman Britain. Justin and Flavius find themselves caught up in the middle of it all when they discover a plot to overthrow the Emperor. In fear for their lives, they gather together a tattered band of men and lead them into the thick of battle, to defend the honor of Rome. But will they be in time to save the Emperor . .

208 Pages, Ages 10-15

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Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until the Beaver clan teaches him their skills in this Newbery Honor book. Paperback. 144 pages. Learn More

Using this comprehension guide, discover the magic of the secret garden along with Mary, Dickon, and Colin. A perfect pairing with the book, this guide includes thorough questions and answers, numerous writing projects, a research report on animals, directions for making your own terrarium, and much more. Learn More

Few children’s classics can match the charm and originality of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, the unforgettable story of sullen, sulky Mary Lennox, “the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.” When a cholera epidemic leaves her as an orphan, Mary is sent to England to live with her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven, at Misselthwaite Manor. Unloved and unloving, Mary wanders the desolate moors until one day she chances upon the door of a secret garden. What follows is one of the most beautiful tales of transformation in children’s literature, as Mary her sickly and tyrannical cousin Colin and a peasant boy named Dickson secretly strive to make the garden bloom once more. A unique blend of realism and magic, The Secret Garden remains a moving expression of every child’s need to nurture and be nurtured—a story that has captured for all time the rare and enchanted world of childhood. 304 pages. Learn More

The Scarlet Pimpernel By BARONESS ORCZY.

The first and most successful in the Baroness’s series of books that feature Percy Blakeney, who leads a double life as an English fop and a swashbuckling rescuer of aristocrats, The Scarlet Pimpernel was the blueprint for what became known as the masked-avenger genre. As Anne Perry writes in her Introduction, the novel “has almost reached its first centenary, and it is as vivid and appealing as ever because the plotting is perfect. It is a classic example of how to construct, pace, and conclude a plot. . . . To rise on the crest of laughter without capsizing, to survive being written, rewritten, and reinterpreted by each generation, is the mark of a plot that is timeless and universal, even though it happens to be set in England and France of 1792.”

Paperback |  Published by Puffin Books Mar 01, 1997 | 336 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-3/4 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

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An "A" for "adultery" marks Hester Prynne as an outcast from the society of colonial Boston. Although forced by the puritanical town fathers to wear a bright red badge of shame, Hester steadfastly resists their efforts to discover the identity of her baby's father. The return of her long-absent spouse brings new pressure on the young mother, as the aggrieved husband undertakes a long-term plot to reveal Hester's partner in adultery and force him to share her disgrace.

Masterful in its symbolism and compelling in its character studies, Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of punishment and reconciliation examines the concepts of sin, guilt, and pride. The Scarlet Letter was published to immediate acclaim in 1850. Its timeless exploration of moral and spiritual issues, along with its philosophical and psychological insights, keep it ever relevant for students of American literature and lovers of fiction.

A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Reprint of the Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, Boston, 1850 edition.

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The Runaway Bunny begins with a young bunny who decides to run away: "'If you run away,' said his mother, 'I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.'" And so begins a delightful, imaginary game of chase. No matter how many forms the little bunny takes--a fish in a stream, a crocus in a hidden garden, a rock on a mountain--his steadfast, adoring, protective mother finds a way of retrieving him. The soothing rhythm of the bunny banter--along with the surreal, dream-like pictures--never fail to infuse young readers with a complete sense of security and peace. For any small child who has toyed with the idea of running away or testing the strength of Mom's love, this old favorite will comfort and reassure. Ages 4-8. Learn More

ABOUT THE RISE AND FALL OF ATHENS

Nine Greek biographies illustrate the rise and fall of Athens, from the legendary days of Theseus, the city’s founder, through Solon, Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon, Pericles, Nicias, and Alcibiades, to the razing of its walls by Lysander. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world.

With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Small masterpiece set the pattern for the treatment of war in modern fiction. Amid the nightmarish chaos of a Civil War battle, a young soldier discovers courage, humility, and, perhaps, wisdom. Widely praised for uncanny re-creation of the sights, sounds, and sense of actual combat. An enduring landmark of American fiction. Reprint of the D. Appleton & Co., New York, 1895 edition. Learn More

Stephen Crane’s immortal masterpiece about the nightmare of war was first published in 1895 and brought its young author immediate international fame. Set during the Civil War, it tells of the brutal disillusionment of a young recruit who had dreamed of the thrill and glory of war, only to find himself fleeing the horror of a battlefield. Shame over his cowardice drives him to seek to redeem himself by being wounded—earning what he calls the “red badge of courage.” Praised for its psychological insight and its intense and unprecedented realism in portraying the experience of men under fire, The Red Badge of Courage has been a beloved bestseller for more than a century. 160 pages. Learn More