Classic Adaptation

Ever been lost and wanted to go home? Join Odysseus as he struggles to return to his family in this epic retelling of the adventures of The Odyssey Retold for a children's audience, Poetic Primer's The Odyssey, is filled with vibrant sound effects, music, and character voices while still maintaining the poetic format of the original work.

When a handsome young man begins to court Catherine Sloper, she feels she is very lucky. She is a quiet, gentle girl, but neither beautiful nor clever; no one had ever admired her before, or come to the front parlour of her home in Washington Square to whisper soft words of love to her. But in New York in the 1840s young ladies are not free to marry where they please. Catherine must have her father’s permission, and Dr Sloper is a rich man.

Sometimes the Dashwood girls do not seem like sisters. Elinor is all calmness and reason, and can be relied upon for practical, common sense opinions. Marianne, on the other hand, is all sensibility, full of passionate and romantic feeling. She has no time for dull common sense - or for middle-aged men of 35, long past the age of marriage. True love can only be felt by the young, of course. And if your heart is broken at the age of 17, how can you ever expect to recover from the passionate misery that fills your life, waking and sleeping?

In a hole under the floorboards Silas Marner the linen-weaver keeps his gold. Every day he works hard at his weaving, and every night he takes the gold out and holds the bright coins lovingly, feeling them and counting them again and again. The villagers are afraid of him and he has no family, no friends. Only the gold is his friend, his delight, his reason for living. But what if a thief should come in the night and take his gold away?

When Black Beauty is trained to carry a rider on his back, or to pull a carriage behind him, he finds it hard at first. But he is lucky - his first home is a good one, where his owners are kind people, who would never be cruel to a horse. But in the 19th century many people were cruel to their horses, whipping them and beating them, and using them like machines until they dropped dead. Black Beauty soon finds this out, and as he describes his life, he has many terrible stories to tell.

Suddenly, there was a high voice screaming in the darkness: "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" It was Long John Silver’s parrot, Captain Flint! I turned to run . . .’But young Jim Hawkins does not escape from the pirates this time. Will he and his friends find the treasure before the pirates do? Will they escape from the island, and sail back to England with a ship full of gold?

In a gloomy, neglected house Miss Havisham sits, as she has sat year after year, in a wedding dress and veil that were once white, and are now faded and yellow with age. Her face is like a death’s head; her dark eyes burn with bitterness and hate. By her side sits a proud and beautiful girl, and in front of her, trembling with fear in his thick country boots, stands young Pip.

’Please, Mr Murdstone! Don’t beat me! I’ve tried to learn my lessons, really I have, sir!’ sobs David. Although he is only eight years old, Mr Murdstone does beat him, and David is so frightened that he bites his cruel stepfather’s hand. For that, he is kept locked in his room for five days and nights, and nobody is allowed to speak to him. As David grows up, he learns that life is full of trouble and misery and cruelty. But he also finds laughter and kindness, trust and friendship . . . and love.

London in the 1830s was no place to be if you were a hungry 10-year-old boy, an orphan without friends or family, with no home to go to, and only a penny in your pocket to buy a piece of bread.But Oliver Twist finds some friends – Fagin, the Artful Dodger, and Charley Bates. They give him food and shelter, and play games with him, but it is not until some days later that Oliver finds out what kind of friends they are and what kind of ’games’ they play. An Oxford Bookworms Library reader for learners of English, adapted from the Charles Dickens original by Richard Rogers.

The Marquis lay there, like stone, with a knife pushed into his heart. On his chest lay a piece of paper, with the words: Drive him fast to the grave. This is from JACQUES. ’The French Revolution brings terror and death to many people. But even in these troubled times people can still love and be kind. They can be generous and true-hearted . . . and brave. An Oxford Bookworms Library reader for learners of English, adapted from the Charles Dickens original by Ralph Mowat.

Once upon a time, six famous children's stories were magically reimagined...with hilarious results! Meet the sneaky Ninjabread Man, cheeky Little Rude Riding Hood, ground-shaking Cinder-Elephant, and clever Octo-Puss in Boots. Snow White has ditched her woodland cottage for a spaceship and seven robots...and the Three Little Narwhals are on the run from the Big Bad Shark! This wonderful compendium brings together riotously funny retellings of well-known tales by popular children's authors Chris Jevons, Samantha Newman, and Jo Franklin.

The Cid, written by Pierre Corneille (1606-1684), is one the greatest theater plays from France (Le Cid). Recorded for the first time in English language, this Studio Cast Album Recording stars David Serero as Don Rodrigo, in his own adaptation.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the definitive children's classics and is rightfully listed as required reading for boys and girls. It is an exceptionally imaginative story of a little girl in a land of fantasy. The young heroine, Alice, stumbles into a string of adventures. From a swim in a lake of her own tears to afternoon tea with some very unusual companions, she meets a variety of original and extremely odd but charming personalities.

Our eponymous hero finds himself shipwrecked on an African desert island after a tumultuous storm, and following the realization he is the only survivor, is faced with the prospect of years of isolation. However, he throws his energy into familiarizing himself with his new habitat: he hunts, learns how to make pottery and even adopts a parrot. And after encountering a group of cannibals, Robinson Crusoe finally finds a companion.

Finalmente, probó la avena del tazón pequeñito de Bebé Oso, y estaba a la medida. ¡De hecho, era tan deliciosa que ella se la comió toda! ¡Sigue este cuento clásico con el audio de una casita en el bosque, un papá, mamá y un bebé oso, y una niña traviesa que es demasiado curiosa!

A beautiful adaptation highlighting the humor of the mechanicals, the magic of the fairies, and the vitality of the lovers, without losing the essence of the language. Perfect for students, teachers, and theaters alike. Making Shakespeare more accessible (including for those with additional needs). A supplement for understanding the Shakespeare, a fast track to understanding the plot and language.

No debemos reirnos de alguien porque sea feo; a lo mejor, nos llevamos una sorpresa cuando pase un poco de tiempo.

Tom Sawyer does not like school. He does not like work, and he never wants to get out of bed in the morning. But he likes swimming and fishing, and having adventures with his friends. And he has a lot of adventures. One night, he and his friend Huck Finn go to the graveyard to look for ghosts.They don’t see any ghosts that night. They see something worse than a ghost – much, much worse.

Adapted from the classic by Lewis Carroll.... There, on top of the mushroom, was a large caterpillar, smoking a pipe. After a while the Caterpillar took the pipe out of its mouth and said to Alice in a slow, sleepy voice, "Who are you?" What strange things happen when Alice falls down the rabbit-hole and into Wonderland! She has conversations with the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat, goes to the Mad Hatter’s tea party, and plays croquet with the King and Queen of Hearts.

The subject of countless adaptations, Oliver Twist is an essential read or listen, and this version is both exciting and accessible for children ages 8 to 13. Roy McMillan uses Dickens’ original words in the main text, simplifying and clarifying them at certain points. Oliver’s journey to London is narrated with ceaseless energy by Jonathan Keeble; his reading is infused with a delicious knack for storytelling.