Classic Adaptation

When young Pip accidentally meets a convict out in the marsh one Christmas Eve, he has no idea that his life is about to change - forever. The amazing events following that encounter, and the strange tale of Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter, Estella, have made Great Expectations a must since it was first serialized in 1860. Now, young listeners can enjoy Dickens’ engrossing story in this simplified yet thrilling version.

More than a hundred years ago, Ellen G. White penned The Desire of Ages, a classic volume on the life of Jesus that has been a source of inspiration and enlightenment to millions of readers all over the world. Author Jerry D. Thomas’s passion to make this powerful story more accessible to today’s listener has given birth to Messiah - a contemporary adaptation of Mrs. White’s great work. Thomas’s friendly style amplifies the beautiful message of this devotional classic, making the sublime themes of the original easier to grasp.

On the birth of Princess Aurora, an evil fairy places a curse on her and declares that before the sun sets on her 16th birthday, she will die by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. To protect her from the evil spell, the king agrees to place Aurora in the care of three spirited good fairies who live in a cottage in the woods. One of the fairies conjures a spell so Aurora will fall into a deep sleep instead, to be awakened only by a kiss from her true love.

Classic Starts: The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the world's beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve. No child is too young to appreciate the amazing deductive powers of the world's smartest detective. These easy-to-listen-to Sherlock Holmes stories provide the perfect introduction to the super sleuth and his friend and assistant, Dr. Watson. Among the intriguing tales: "A Scandal in Bohemia", Holmes's first encounter with the mysterious Irene Adler; "The Red-Headed League"; "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" and others.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Red Riding Hood by Beatrix Potter. "Once upon a time there was a village child who was so pretty - so pretty as never was seen...." So begins Beatrix Potter's retelling of Red Riding Hood, which is filled with the delicious darkness of the original classic fairy tale as well as some trademark Potter wit and flourishes.

Cybils Award-winning author Laura Amy Schlitz crafts a masterful interpretation of one of the Grimm Brothers' most engrossing fairy tales. A cold and hungry soldier is returning from war. He has no money, so he makes a pact with the devil. If he can wear a bearskin for seven years, he will always have plenty of gold. But if he tells anyone of the pact, he will lose his soul.

An unremembered past. A deadly power. A destiny she never saw coming.... Nic Rutherford is tired of feigning a normal life. She’d rather embrace her strange ability to track local predators and kill them with a kiss. And when her best friend dies, she demands a secretive werewolf help her cross the veil to bring the dead girl back. When her shifter partner reveals the truth behind Nic’s forgotten history, she pushes further into the treacherous Fae realm. But when she trains with the Wild Hunt warriors, she may be signing a magical contract with deathly consequences.

Eleven-year-old Rebecca Randall is quite a handful - and now she’s leaving her beloved Sunnybrook Farm to live with her well-to-do elderly aunts and get an education. But they were expecting Rebecca’s quiet, hardworking older sister instead. Can the bright-eyed and talkative girl win them over...especially her strict, rule-bound Aunt Miranda? Just as Rebecca’s “grand spirit” charms everyone in the story, it will captivate listeners, too.

Robin des Bois est un héros du Moyen-Age anglais. Selon la légende, telle qu'elle est répandue aujourd'hui, Robin des Bois était un brigand au grand cœur qui vivait caché dans la forêt de Sherwood. Habile braconnier, mais aussi défenseur des pauvres et des opprimés, il détroussait les riches. Ensuite, avec ses compagnons, notamment Frère Tuck (le moine) et Petit Jean, il redistribuait ensuite le butin aux pauvres. Sa fiancée s'appelle Marianne.

Deep beneath the ocean, there is a shimmering palace. Built of coral walls and windows of clearest amber, it is the kingdom of the merpeople. And one of these mermaids you might know well: she is the youngest, and is gifted with the most beautiful voice. Unhappy with her life as a mermaid, she dreams of living on dry land. One day, on her birthday, she ascends to the surface to find a magnificent three-masted ship drifting in calm waters. There, amongst the passengers, she meets the brown-eyed prince.

At 17, Anna K is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal.

Edgar Allan Poe may be 150 years beyond this world, but the themes of his beloved works have much in common with modern young adult fiction. Whether the stories are familiar or discovered for the first time, listeners will revel in both Edgar Allan Poe's classic tales, and in the 13 unique and unforgettable ways that they've been brought to life.

Black Beauty is the classic horse story, a beautiful and touching tale told by the title character himself. Set in Victorian London, it follows Beauty's life and changing fortunes as he moves from owner to owner. As the horse encounters new experiences and new friends who reveal their own histories, the story quietly paints a fascinating portrait of how animals were treated during that era.

I wish I could get through into looking-glass house,’ Alice said. ’Let’s pretend that the glass has gone soft and . . . Why, I do believe it has! It’s turning into a kind of cloud!’ A moment later Alice is inside the looking-glass world. There she finds herself part of a great game of chess, travelling through forests and jumping across brooks. The chess pieces talk and argue with her, give orders and repeat poems . . .It is the strangest dream that anyone ever had...

After ten long years of war and the fall of Troy, Greek hero Odysseus sets sail for his homeland. His voyage, however, is destined to take much longer than he expects. During his eventful journey, Odysseus comes across all sorts of monsters and mythical creatures and loses his ships and crew. When he finally reaches his beloved island, he finds his queen besieged by suitors who claim his throne. What tricks will Penelope resort to in her effort to avoid them?

Being a US Navy SEAL was Jim Schweitzer’s life right up until the day he was killed. Now, his escape from the government who raised him from the dead has been coded "Javelin Rain." Schweitzer and his family are on the run from his former unit, the Gemini Cell, and while he may be immortal, his wife and son are not. Jim must use all of his strength to keep his family safe, while convincing his wife he’s still the same man she once loved. But what his former allies have planned to bring him down could mean disaster not only for Jim and his family, but for the entire nation....

“Go down the crater of the volcano Snaefells. Follow the shadow just before the month of July. You will find your way to the center of the Earth. I did it.” That mysterious message, found in a long-lost letter, propels a young man and his uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: to a prehistoric world below the earth where dinosaurs and other strange creatures still roam. Jules Verne's classic fantasy will enchant a new generation of listeners. Retold from the original by Kathleen Olmstead.

Are you looking for a short story for your children? This one has a good moral and teaches not to trust strangers. "Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy-tale about a young girl and a big bad wolf. Its origins can be traced back to the 10th century to several European folk tales, including one from Italy called "The False Grandmother". The best known version was written by Charles Perrault.

Classic Starts: The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the world's beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve. Here is the ultimate dog story, one filled with emotion, adventure, and excitement. During the Gold Rush, Buck is snatched away from his peaceful home and brought to the harsh and bitter Yukon to become a sled dog. Will he adapt, and learn to trust men?

When the children dug a hole in the gravel-pit, they were very surprised at what they found. "It" was a Psammead, a sand-fairy, thousands of years old. It was a strange little thing - fat and furry, and with eyes on long stalks. It was often very cross and unfriendly, but it could give wishes - one wish a day. "How wonderful!" the children said. But wishes are difficult things. They can get you into trouble. An Oxford Bookworms Library reader for learners of English.