Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy. Views: 316
Soren and the Band are back. Coryn has retrieved the ember and it seems a golden age is dawning at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. But all that is golden in not necessarily good. Soren, Twilight, Gylfie, and Digger face their biggest challenge yet as the young king, haunted by suspicion that haggish blood flows in his veins, hunts for the truth. His wanderings imperil himself and the good guardians who travel with him.
Meanwhile, back at the tree, the influence of the ember is strong- and strange. The tree changes, as do the guardians left to govern in the young king's absence. Otulissa objects to the strange new ways, and her outspokenness puts her in grave danger. Someone must get word to Soren and the Band. But who? Views: 316
This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them. Views: 316
Tom is a fifteen year old boy who lives in New York City with an old man named Jacob in Mrs. Flanagan’s rooming house. They pose as grandfather and grandson, but, while Tom understands that they are no real relation, he knows nothing about his real family. Tom makes a living for them both as a street bootblack. Just before Jacob dies, he tells the boy that he is really Gilbert Grey, the son of a wealthy Cincinnati, OH, businessman named John Grey. However, John’s brother James conspired with Jacob to spirit the child away, claiming that he drowned, so that James could inherit the family wealth. Jacob has written a confession explaining all the details. So after Jacob’s death, Tom, or Gilbert, heads for Cincinnati to see if he can locate his uncle and claim his fortune. What will he find? Can he succeed? Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899) was a nineteenth-century American author who wrote approximately 135 novels, beginning with Ragged Dick in 1867, most of which have been described as rags to riches stories, illustrating how down-and-out boys might be able to achieve the American dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. The son of a Unitarian minister, Alger also became a Unitarian minister in Brewster, MA, but soon retired from the ministry and moved to New York City where he formed an association with the Newsboys Lodging House and other agencies offering aid to impoverished children. Alger\'s empathy with the young working men, coupled with the moral values he learned at home, formed the basis for his stories. He is noted as a significant figure in the history of American cultural and social ideals, even though his novels are rarely read these days. Tom the bootblack is a good role-model of honesty, hard work, and persistence. There are a couple of references to dancing, but the evils of alcoholic drink are strongly emphasized. The book is recommended by Nathaniel Bluedorn in Hand That Rocks the Cradle: 400 Classic Books for Children, saying, “These stories teach good character and the benefits of entrepreneurial business practices.” Though Alger’s books may be considered by some as hopelessly outdated and even “weird” today, I can easily see why young boys used to eat them up until they went out of style, and to be honest, even looked upon as pulp fiction, they are still a lot better than much of the trash that poses as young people’s literature in our time. At the end of Tom, the Bootblack, Alger apparently included a couple of short stories, one about Davie Cameron, a poor Scottish peasant who finds a buried treasure, and the other about a young boy named Lloyd who tries to save a schooner during a storm by building a fire on the beach. Faith in God is stressed in both. Views: 316
THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH Poems and prose, maps and chronologies, detours and diversions along the road to Middle-earth . . . Christopher Tolkien has gathered archival materials that his late father, J. R. R. Tolkien, used to create the world and the history behind his classic stories. THE EVOLUTION OF A WORLD This fourth volume of The History of Middle-earth presents early versions of those first tales, from the creation myth to the fall of Morgoth. Writings include a chronology of the events in Beleriand, the first Silmarillion map, and the only known description of the physical nature of Middle-earth's universe. Detailed annotations highlight changes ranging from the spelling of Elvish names to pivotal emendations whose effects reach even to the war of the ring. The Shaping of Middle-earth presents a solid framework by which to trace the development of the early lore of Middle-earth. It is a truly indispensable reference work for those familiar with the history of that endlessly beloved land--and fascinating reading for those just entering that world. Views: 316
World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
Book Two of the Great Alta Saga
Jenna was the White Queen.
Skada was the Dark Queen. She is bound to Jenna—the other half of Jenna’s self. Drawn out of a mirror by a rite of magic, a “dark sister” is confined to the dark. She vanishes in daylight. It is in this other world the dark sisters wait for moonlight or lamplight to call them forth again.
This is their story: of myths turned real, ordinary people turned heroes, a land turned inside out by the coming of White Jenna. Views: 315
"When did two girls of our age have such a chance as we've got - to have a lark entirely on our own? No chaperone, no rules, no..."
"No present income or future prospects," said Lucilla.
It's 1919 and Jane and her cousin Lucilla leave school to find that their guardian has gambled away their money, leaving them with only a small cottage in the English countryside. In an attempt to earn their living, the orphaned cousins embark on a series of misadventures - cutting flowers from their front garden and selling them to passers-by, inviting paying guests who disappear without paying - all the while endeavouring to stave off the attentions of male admirers, in a bid to secure their independence. Views: 315
A beautiful Kirkassi girl, cold-eyed villains and smiling killers, a bazaar merchant peddling slightly used dreams—could any young adventurer ask for more? Not Carlo Chuchio, who is seeking hidden treasure on the legendary Road of Golden Dreams.With Baksheesh, the world’s worst camel-puller, Carlo leads a caravan through the realm of Keshavar. Robbed of all but his underdrawers, mistaken for a mighty warrior and then for a crown prince, Carlo risks his life for a prize that may not even exist.Newbery medalist Lloyd Alexander weaves a glorious tale of adventure, love, and the treasures that matter most. The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. Views: 315
“At my age, too,” began Miss Helen Campbell, leaning back in her seat and folding her hands with an expression of resignation. “At your age, what, dear cousin?” demanded Wilhelmina Campbell, superintending the strapping on at the back of the car of five extra large suit cases and other paraphernalia for a long trip. “Why should not things happen at your age as well as at ours? But at your age, what?” “At my age to turn emigrant,” exclaimed the little lady. “At my age to become a gypsy vagabond. Oh, dear, oh, dear! What would grandpapa have said?” “He would have been delighted, I am certain, Cousin Helen,” answered her young relative, “since he was a soldier and a jolly old gentleman, too, papa has always said.” “But such an up to date gypsy-vagabond-emigrant, Miss Campbell,” pursued Elinor Butler, “one who rides in a motor car and wears a silk traveling coat and a sky-blue chiffon veil.” Views: 315
"Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner prove they are two living goddesses of writing, creating two compelling worlds with high stakes and gripping emotions." -Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of the Demons Lexicon trilogy and the Lynburn Legacy series. New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted a gripping tale of magic and logic, fate and choice, and a deadly love. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Brandon Sanderson. Prince North's home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines, powered by technology. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the Surface, responsible for providing answers, direction—hope. North's and Nimh's lives are entwined—though their hearts can never be. Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose... Views: 314
When eight-year-old Annie is visited by a fairy and a dragon, she thinks it's a dream. When she discovers that they're real, it's the best day of her life—until they tell her why they revealed themselves to her. If she can't convince her uncle to stop his proposed housing development, terrors may be unleashed. Can a little girl who's flunking out of school save the world?Eight-year-old Annie Rust has a vivid dream one night that a frivolous dragon and a fairy with a punk-rock hairdo visit her in her bedroom. When she discovers the next day that it was no dream, she's overjoyed. Her parents and friends are nice, but school is making her life miserable: she's about to flunk out of half her subjects.At first she thinks her new friends will help her forget her troubles, but the opposite is true. As soon as they decide they can trust her, they tell her why they've broken the strict fairy laws and revealed themselves to her. Her uncle and his hard-hearted partners are planning to cut down the trees in a place the kids call the Haunted Woods and build fancy new houses. If that happens, the fairy warns her, dreadful consequences will follow, which might include the destruction of all of America, and maybe even the world.Although sworn to secrecy, Annie knows that she can't solve this problem alone. She drags her best friend, and finally her well-meaning uncle, into the search for a solution. But it turns out that Annie's fairy and dragon are only children themselves, and when their parents discover what they've done, they take Annie and her uncle underground to show them first-hand why they must stop the development.For all their good intentions, no one—not the fairies, the dragons, or her reformed uncle—can find a way out of the danger. It's up to Annie, a girl who can't even focus on her homework for five minutes in a row, to think of a way to stop the horror under the hill from erupting and destroying everything she knows. Views: 314
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Views: 314
Revised & Expanded! A New Hero For A New EraMustang Sally has some speedy shoes to fill. This young superhero has waited her whole life to join Just Cause – the premiere team of American heroes. Now she’s hoping her super-speed will earn a spot on the same team to which her parents and grandparents belonged. A chance encounter with the villain who killed her father changes everything.Revised & Expanded Edition! A New Hero For A New EraMustang Sally has some speedy shoes to fill. This young superhero has waited her whole life to join Just Cause – the premiere team of American heroes. Now she’s hoping her super-speed will earn a spot on the same team to which her parents and grandparents belonged. An Old Grudge From An Old EnemyA chance encounter with the villain who killed her father changes everything. Even though she’s only an intern, Sally devotes herself to finding the man known as Destroyer. With the help of her eagle-winged best friend Sondra and her super-strong love interest Jason, her investigations uncover a sinister plot stretching all the way back to her grandparents’ era. Sally and Just Cause must risk everything to halt Destroyer’s plans and save the entire world.Bonus Features:Beyond the revised original text, this volume contains three all-new short stories that expand upon the history of Mustang Sally's family line in the context of the Just Cause Universe. It also contains a summary of the historical and contemporary superhero teams that have been part of the legendary history. Views: 314
