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Showing 1 - 20 of 30 items
By Langston Hughes. 1995
By Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao. 2012
Ivan the gorilla has lived comfortably for years in a down-and-out, circus-themed mall. But when baby elephant Ruby arrives, Ivan…
decides that he must find her a better life. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 2012By Beverly Cleary. 2010
Four-year-old Ramona likes to do things her own way and usually winds up upsetting her nine-year-old sister Beezus. Like the…
time Ramona scribbles in a library book checked out to Beezus, or when she puts a witch--her rubber doll--in the oven, spoiling Beezus's birthday cake. For grades 2-4. 1955By Barbara Robinson. 2005
The Herdmans are the worst kids in town, so when they take over the lead roles in the church's annual…
Christmas pageant, they cause quite a commotion. For grades 4-7. 1972By Arnold Lobel. 1976
Five stories celebrating Frog and Toad's friendship and activities through all the seasons of the year, from sledding in winter…
to eating ice cream in summer. Beginning reader. For grades K-3. 1976By Herman Melville. 1985
This realistic novel recapitulates the ending of Typee (RC 9738), as a British whaler rescues Melville, an American sailor. He…
and the ship's doctor become fast friends and share many adventures in the South Pacific: mutiny, imprisonment, and a beachcombing existence in TahitiBy E. B White. 1945
Mr. and Mrs. Little's second son is a mouse. Stuart is happy with his human family, but his size of…
just over two inches and the family cat are causes of some misadventures. Then Stuart falls for a little bird named Margalo. For grades 4-7. 1970 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. 1945By William Wells Brown. 2004
The first novel by an African-American, this dramatic tale revolves around the fate of a child fathered by Thomas Jefferson…
with one of his slaves. Although born into slavery, author William Wells Brown escaped bondage to become a prominent reformer and historian. His emotionally powerful depiction of slavery and racial conflict in the antebellum South resounds with the immediacy and honesty of his own experiences. Brown weaves a variety of contemporary sources -- sermons, lectures, political pamphlets, and newspaper advertisements -- into this innovative work, which appears here in an unabridged republication of the 1853 first edition.By George Washington Cable, Michael Kreyling. 1988
By Charles W. Chesnutt, Donald B. Gibson. 1993
An early masterwork among American literary treatments of miscegenation, Chesnutt's story is of two young African Americans who decide to…
pass for white in order to claim their share of the American dream.By Charles W. Chesnutt. 2002
Stay here beside her major I shall not he needed for an hour yet Meanwhile I…
ll go downstairs and snatch a bit of sleep or talk to oldJane The night was hot and sultry Though the windows of the chamber were wide open and the muslin curtains looped back not a breath of air was stirring Only the shrill chirp of the cicada and the muffled croaking of the frogs in some distant marsh broke the night silence The heavy scent of magnolias overpowering even the strong smell of drugs in the sickroom suggested death and funeral wreaths sorrow and tears the long home the last sleep The major shivered with apprehension as the slender hand which he held in his own contracted nervously and in a spasm of pain clutched his fingers with a viselike grip Major Carteret though dressed in brown linen had thrown off his coat for greater comfort The stifling heat in spite of the palm-leaf fan which he plied mechanically was scarcely less oppressive than his own thoughts Long ago while yet a mere boy in years he had come back from Appomattox to find his family one of the oldest and proudest in the state hopelessly impoverished by the war -even their ancestral home swallowed up in the common ruin His elder brother had sacrificed his life on the bloody altar of the lost cause and his father broken and chagrined died not many years later leaving the major the last of his line He had tried in various pursuits to gain a foothold in the new life but with indifferent success until he won the hand of Olivia Merkell whom he had seen grow from a small girl to glorious womanhood With her money he had founded the Morning Chronicle which he had made the leading organ of his party and the most influential paper in the State The fine old house in which they lived was hers In this very room she had first drawn the breath of life it had been their nuptial chamber and here too within a few hours she might die for it seemed impossible that one could long endure such frightful agony and liveBy James Weldon Johnson. 1995
One of the most prominent African-Americans of his time, James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) was a successful lawyer, educator, social reformer,…
songwriter, and critic. But it was as a poet and novelist that he achieved lasting fame. Among his most famous works, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man in many ways parallels Johnson's own remarkable life. First published in 1912, the novel relates, through an anonymous narrator, events in the life of an American of mixed ethnicity whose exceptional abilities and ambiguous appearance allow him unusual social mobility -- from the rural South to the urban North and eventually to Europe. A radical departure from earlier books by black authors, this pioneering work not only probes the psychological aspects of "passing for white" but also examines the American caste and class system. The human drama is powerful and revealing -- from the narrator's persistent battles with personal demons to his firsthand observations of a Southern lynching and the mingling of races in New York's bohemian atmosphere at the turn of the century. Revolutionary for its time, the Autobiography remains both an unrivaled example of black expression and a major contribution to American literature.By Stephen Crane. 1997
In his brief but productive lifetime, Stephen Crane (1871-1900) wrote vividly and sensitively about a variety of subjects. In his…
work he displayed a rare ability to combine astute characterization, colorful settings, and an ironic tone in memorable tales offering perceptive explorations of human psychology and motivation.He is perhaps famous as author of The Red Badge of Courage, the quintessential Civil War classic. However, Crane wrote seven other stories involving this monumental conflict. All are gathered together in this volume. They include "A Mystery of Heroism," "A Gray Sleeve," "Three Miraculous Soldiers," "The Little Regiment," "An Indiana Campaign," "An Episode of War," and "The Veteran," which features Henry Fleming, protagonist of The Red Badge of Courage, years after the war.Attractive and sturdily bound, this modestly priced edition will find an enthusiastic audience among admirers of Crane's work, students of American literature, and Civil War buffs alike. All will enjoy the work of an author now recognized as one of the most innovative, influential writers of his generation -- an acknowledged master of the short story.By Ambrose Bierce. 1994
Newspaperman, short-story writer, poet, and satirist, Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) is one of the most striking and unusual literary figures America…
has produced. Dubbed "Bitter Bierce" for his vitriolic wit and biting satire, his fame rests largely on a celebrated compilation of barbed epigrams, The Devil's Dictionary, and a book of short stories (Tales of Soldiers and Civilians, 1891). Most of the 16 selections in this volume have been taken from the latter collection.The stories in this edition include: "What I Saw at Shiloh," "A Son of the Gods," "Four Days in Dixie," "One of the Missing," "A Horseman in the Sky," "The Coup de Grace," "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," "The Story of Conscience," "One Kind of Officer," "Chickamauga," and five more.Bierce's stories employ a buildup of suggestive realistic detail to produce grim and vivid tales often disturbing in their mood of fatalism and impending calamity. Hauntingly suggestive, they offer excellent examples of the author's dark pessimism and storytelling power.By Charles Waddell Chesnutt. 1998
Outstanding, affordably priced volume presents a selection of 10 best stories by a pioneer in the development of African-American fiction:…
"The Goophered Grapevine," "Po' Sandy," "Sis' Becky's Pickaninny," "The Wife of His Youth," "Dave's Neckliss," "The Passing of Grandison," "A Matter of Principle," "The Sheriff's Children," "Baxter's Procrustes," and "The Doll." Redolent with wit, charm, and insight; essential reading for students of African-American culture. Edited and with an Introduction by Joan Sherman.By Theodore Dreiser, Clementine The Hedgehog. 2013
Sometimes reading the classics is a chore, but not so with the snarky annotations by Clementine the Hedgehog. Having made…
her debut as a weekly book reviewer of note on Tumblr in 2012, Clem now takes on Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. On each page, she inserts her keen insights, dark sense of humor, and cut-the-crap commentary, crafting a 21st-century literary criticism for distraction addicts everywhere. "This is obviously my favorite review to date, as it was WRITTEN BY A HEDGEHOG, and COMES WITH A HEDGEHOG GIF."-Emma Straub"Tumblr book review series of the year."-Rachel Fershleiser, head of Tumblr literary outreachClementine Classics, a new series from Black Balloon Publishing, gives classic works of literature the contemporary annotations they deserve. Obsessed, possessed, and thoroughly distressed by the originals, today's writers riff, rant, praise, and flay these old books, giving them new life. The series' beautifully designed e-books are both an act of sincere literary criticism and a new, composite form of humor writing.By Clementine The Hedgehog. 2013
Sometimes reading the classics is a chore, but not so with the snarky annotations by Clementine the Hedgehog. Having made…
her debut as a weekly book reviewer of note on Tumblr in 2012, Clem now takes on Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. On each page, she inserts her keen insights, dark sense of humor, and cut-the-crap commentary, crafting a 21st-century literary criticism for distraction addicts everywhere. "This is obviously my favorite review to date, as it was WRITTEN BY A HEDGEHOG, and COMES WITH A HEDGEHOG GIF."-Emma Straub"Tumblr book review series of the year."-Rachel Fershleiser, head of Tumblr literary outreachClementine Classics, a new series from Black Balloon Publishing, gives classic works of literature the contemporary annotations they deserve. Obsessed, possessed, and thoroughly distressed by the originals, today's writers riff, rant, praise, and flay these old books, giving them new life. The series' beautifully designed e-books are both an act of sincere literary criticism and a new, composite form of humor writing.By Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Denise D. Knight. 1999
A superb collection of fiction and poetry from a major feminist voice in American literature Wonderfully sardonic and slyly humorous,…
the writings of landmark American feminist and socialist thinker Charlotte Perkins Gilman were penned in response to her frustration with the gender-based double standard that prevailed in America as the twentieth century began. Perhaps best known for her chilling depiction of a woman?s mental breakdown in her unforgettable 1892 short story ?The Yellow Wall-Paper,? Gilman also wrote Herland, a cunning, wry novel that imagines a peaceful, progressive, environmentally conscious country from which men have been absent for two thousand years. Both are included in this volume, along with a selection of Gilman?s major short stories and her poems. .By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. 2019
For the first time in Penguin Classics, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps's bestselling Civil War classicElizabeth Stuart Phelps's 1868 Reconstruction-era novel The…
Gates Ajar, in its portrait of inconsolable grief following the American Civil War, helped to shape enduring American ideas about heaven and demonstrated that for American women, the war didn't simply end at Appomattox. When Mary Cabot loses her beloved brother, Union soldier Royal, in the war, she feels as though she will never feel peace again until the arrival of her widowed aunt Winifred. Sharing the wisdom that has comforted her through her grief, Winifred offers Mary a groundbreaking view of the afterlife: a place of loving reunion with all those who were lost. As Winifred ministers to Mary, her vision of the afterlife circulates in the community and attracts local adherents who have similarly suffered losses in the war. Written with the intention of illuminating and bettering the lives of women after the war, The Gates Ajar is an empowering manifesto on conquering grief and a timeless manual for optimism.The phenomenal number one bestseller, which sold over twenty million copies and was made into a classic film starring Robert…
Redford and Scarlett Johansson. This stunning 25th anniversary edition features exclusive new content from Nicholas Evans.'A love story, a gripping adventure and an emotionally charged tale of redemption and human strength' Cosmopolitan'Brilliance pervades this five-handkerchief weepie' The Times'Wild horses couldn't drag me from this . . . a tear-jerking page-turner' Daily Mail____________________When Grace Maclean and her beloved horse, Pilgrim, are hit by a truck one snow-covered morning, their destinies become inextricably bound to one another. Though both manage to survive the tragedy, the impact on their lives is devastating; both horse and girl are traumatised and profoundly changed. Beside herself with worry, Grace's mother, Annie Macean, hears about a man called Tom Brooker, a 'whisperer' said to possess the gift of healing troubled horses. He is her last hope and she decides to abandon her life in upstate New York, setting off across the continent with Grace and Pilgrim to find him. This journey, under the sweeping Montana sky, will change all their lives for ever . . .____________________What everyone's saying about The Horse Whisperer:'A book that couldn't have been written any better. Nicholas Evans spins a heart wrenching epic love story . . . Buy it, borrow it or steal it. But don't miss this gem for anything' Five stars, Goodreads reviewer'A beautiful story, beautifully told. If you've seen the movie, do yourself a favour and read the book. The reading experience will make the movie version even better' Five stars, Goodreads reviewer'Easily in my top 5 books I have ever read . . . Some parts of the story were devastating and some parts were magical. If you aren't scared to feel all of the feelings, read this. Be prepared to have your heart ripped out' Five stars, Goodreads reviewer'This has to be one of the best books I have ever read and it had me hooked from the first page . . . If you have seen the film then I beg you to read this book because the director truly hasn't done this amazing story justice!' Five stars, Amazon reviewer