Tom Sawyer would rather not go to school. Instead, he spends his time
playing pirates and searching for buried treasure. When Tom and his friend
Huck witness a murder, only they can save their friends and the treasure
from the evil Injun Joe. But are they brave enough to catch him?
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is read by Garrick Hagon, who also
appeared in Star Wars and Tim Burton's Batman.
With the included CD you can HEAR the entire book, word for word, READ
ALONG with the CD, or READ the story on your own.
Each HEAR IT READ IT classic presents the world's greatest classic presents
the world's greatest stories in an easy-to-read abridged format. The included
CD contains a dramatic reading--with music and sound effects--that match
the text, word for word, so children of all ages and reading levels can
read along.
The escapades of four animal friends who live along a river in the English
countryside--Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger.
"[Mole] thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly
along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his
life had he seen a river before--this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal,
chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with
a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free,
and were caught and held again." Such is the cautious, agreeable Mole's
first introduction to the river and the Life Adventurous. Emerging from
his home at Mole End one spring, his whole world changes when he hooks
up with the good-natured, boat-loving Water Rat, the boastful Toad of Toad
Hall, the society- hating Badger who lives in the frightening Wild Wood,
and countless other mostly well-meaning creatures. Michael Hague's exquisitely
detailed, breathtaking color illustrations on almost every generous spread--along
with Kenneth Grahame's elegant, delightfully old-fashioned characterizations
of the animals--make this book a wonderful read-aloud. Grahame's The
Wind in the Willows has enchanted readers for four generations, and
this lavishly illustrated gift edition is perhaps the finest around. (All
ages, or 9 to 12)
Paperback from Tuttle Publishing ISBN: 4805308818 The rich world of Japanese fantasy
is very apparent in Japanese Fairy Tales, a compilation of twenty-two
favorite stories from the land of the rising sun. A fantastic selection
of ghouls, goblins and ogres; sea serpents and sea kings; kindly animals
and magic birds; demons and dragons; princes and princesses hide within
these pages.
Included are such favorites as "Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of
a Peach", "The Jellyfish and the Monkey", "The Mirror of Matsuyama" and
"The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child", along with several lesser-known
stories like "The Stones of Five Colors and the Empress Jokwa."
Goodnight
Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Hardcover from HarperCollins Media Published: 2005-09-06 ISBN: 0060775858
In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight
room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit
room -- to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to
the clocks and his socks, to themittens and the kittens, toeverything one
by one -- the little bunny says goodnight.
In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of
readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling
illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.
Perhaps the perfect children's bedtime book, Goodnight Moon is
a short poem of goodnight wishes from a young rabbit preparing for--or
attempting to postpone--his own slumber. He says goodnight to every object
in sight and within earshot, including the "quiet old lady whispering hush."
Clement Hurd's illustrations are simple and effective, alternating between
small ink drawings and wide, brightly colored views of the little rabbit's
room.
Finding all of the items mentioned throughout the book within the pictures
is a good bedtime activity--a reappearing little mouse is particularly
pesky. By the end of the little rabbit's goodnight poem, the story has
quieted to a whisper, and the drawings have darkened with nightfall. As
you turn the last page, you can expect a sleepy smile and at least a yawn
or two. (Picture book)
Popular
Tales from the Norse by Peter Christen Asbjornsen, Jorgen Moe
Hardcover from Bodley Head Children's Books ISBN: 0370011171
So he put the quern on the table, and bade it first of all grind lights,
then a table-cloth, then meat, then ale, and so on till they had got everything
that was nice for Christmas fare. He had only to speak the word, and the
quern ground out what he wanted. The old dame stood by blessing her stars,
and kept on asking where he had got this wonderful quern, but he wouldn't
tell her.
Paperback from Dover Publications ISBN: 0486214370 Finest stories from around the
world -- most of them old favorites: "Sleeping Beauty," "Rumpelstiltskin,"
"Cinderella," "The Arabian Nights," 33 more. Includes original 138 black-and-white
illustrations.
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Paperback from Washington Square Press ISBN: 0671471880 Set mainly in the Scottish Highlands in the years following the
Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, this story follows the fortunes of the young
David Balfour as he endeavours to claim the inheritance of which he has
been cheated by his scheming Uncle Ebenezer.
Holes by Louis Sachar
"If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot
sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy
at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake,
and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest
lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless
identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats,
of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake
because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction
was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed
to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good- dirty-rotten-
pig-stealing- great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley
is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn
to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to
get along with the Lord of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and
fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom.
But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build
character--that in fact the warden is seeking something specific--the plot
gets as thick as the irony.
It's a strange story, but strangely compelling and lovely too. Louis
Sachar uses poker-faced understatement to create a bizarre but believable
landscape--a place where Major Major Major of Catch-22 would feel right
at home. But while there is humor and absurdity here, there is also a deep
understanding of friendship and a searing compassion for society's underdogs.
As Stanley unknowingly begins to fulfill his destiny--the dual plots coming
together to reveal that fate has big plans in store--we can't help but
cheer for the good guys, and all the Yelnats everywhere. (Ages 10 and older)
--Brangien
Davis - Amazon.com (Paperback -- May 9, )
The Catholic Youth Bible: New Revised Standard Version: Catholic
Edition by Brian Singer-Towns et al.
Listed under Religion for Children
The
Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
oes Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn't think
that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school's fundraiser would
create such a stir, but it does; it's as if the whole school comes apart
at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat--a
target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He's just trying to stand up
for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming
a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students,
fighting for honor--or are they fighting for their lives? In 1974, author
Robert Cormier dared to disturb our universe when this book was first published.
And now, with a new introduction by the celebrated author, The Chocolate
War stands ready to shock a new group of teen readers. Amazon.com Mass Market Paperback: 191 pages Laureleaf; ISBN: 0440944597; Reissue edition
