Classic Childrens Literature

"For many days we had been tempest-tossed...the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost." So begins this delightful adventure story. The Robinson family, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and four sons, will emerge alive from this terrible storm, bringing to land two dogs and a shipload of livestock: hens, pigeons, and geese.

Island of the Blue Dolphins is the remarkable story of a strange and beautiful Indian girl who lives a serene and courageous life as the solitary survivor on an island off the California coast. Left behind when the rest of her tribe fled, she waits, year after year, for a ship to come for her. She fights for her very survival, building a shelter, hunting for food, and making weapons to stave off her enemies, the wild dogs who took her brother.

Pollyanna, an expert at her favorite "Glad Game" of always looking at the bright side in her numerous trials, is one of the most popular and enduring characters in all of children's literature.

When the Watson family—ten-year-old Kenny, Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron—sets out on a trip south to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, they don’t realize that they’re heading toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history. The Watsons’ journey reminds us that even in the hardest times, laughter and family can help us get through anything.

When an acorn hits her on the head, Chicken Little believes the sky is falling down and runs to tell the King and everyone she meets along the way.

He really just likes to liven things up at school -- and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever: the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero.

Enid Blyton's much-loved classic series, packed full of adventure and mystery. A mysterious trip to the desolate northern isles leads to another exciting adventure for Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and Jack. Bill is kidnapped, and the children are marooned far from the mainland. Will they rescue Bill in a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with an unknown enemy? Perfect for fans of the Famous Five looking for their next adventure.

Dorothy Gale, on a voyage at sea, is tossed overboard during a storm. She is washed ashore at Ev, a country neighboring Oz, where she meets up with her old friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, and meets Ozma, the new Princess of Oz.

More teetering tales and quirky characters from the 30th floor of towering Wayside School. The craziness continues.

Little Women is the story of a wife and her four daughters living in genteel poverty in the environs of Boston while the father is away as a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Enjoy the freedom of the outdoors, the beauty of the countryside and the charm of all creatures, great and small, in this bumper short-story collection. Enid Blyton loved the countryside, animals and birds, and she wrote many wonderful stories to teach children all about the natural world. Each story is perfect for young children and is the ideal length for bedtime or classroom story time.

From the smoldering ruins of Troy, the warrior Aeneas sets out to find a new homeland for his people. But it's no easy task, for his adventure is filled with great sacrifice, angry gods, tragic love, and brutal battles. Will Aeneas be able to fulfill his destiny and found the mighty city of Rome?

At 16, Anne is grown up...almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the new schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. She is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behavior of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe.

For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone. Originally published over a half-century ago, the twelve books are still eagerly read by children and adults alike – by all those captivated by the world of adventure and imagination. Such longevity is not only due to Ransome’s unparalleled gift of storytelling, but also his championing of qualities such as independence and initiative; virtues that appeal to every generation, whether young or old.

Read by Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Kathleen Turner, and Matthew Broderick, here are the stories of the immortals of Olympus - the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece - as freshly described as if they were alive today. Mighty Zeus, with his fistful of thunderbolts; mischievous little Hermes; grey-eyed Athena, godess of wisdom; Asclepius, the first physician; Orpheus and his beloved Euridice; Helios the sun, crossing the heavens in his fiery chariot....

More than anything else in the world, Emily Byrd Starr wants to be a writer. When Emily's stern and proper Aunt Elizabeth finally consents to send her away to high school, the budding author is overjoyed...until she learns of her aunt's conditions. Emily must live with her even sterner and more proper Aunt Ruth, and she has to give up writing stories for the duration of her schooling. Still, to climb one step higher on the Alpine Path to success, Emily agrees. Follow Emily and her friends Ilse, Teddy, and Perry as they head off to school in Shrewsbury.

Set in the 14th century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs.

Big sister Beezus Quimby tries to be patient with her four-year-old little sister, Ramona, but it isn't easy, not when Ramona powders her nose with marshmallows and invites her nursery school class to a party without telling her family. Sometimes Beezus doesn't like Ramona, but the girls are sisters and that means they will always love each other - just not every single minute.

A woodcutter and his wife are desperate for a child - even one as small as his father's thumb. So Merlin and the Faerie Queen grant their wish, and Tom Thumb is born! A magical retelling of the classic tale, read by Stephen Mangan.

The Emperor loves to wear the most fashionable and finest clothes in the land. However, when two strangers suggest that they can weave him a special suit - which is invisible to anyone who's not worthy and wise - it has to be seen to be believed. A magical retelling of the classic fairy tale, read by Tamsin Greig.