The Silver Fox Patrol is out on their first camping trip! The boys, Thad the fill-in scout-master, Allan, Bumpus, Davy Jones, Smithy, Bob White, Giraffe and Step-Hen, are learning many new things about being scouts and about themselves. But when a bear invades the camp, their trip turns into an adventure that they will talk about for a long time!
Herbert Carter is one of many pseudonyms used by St George Rathborne.
Edward Sylvester Ellis was a major American author during the era of inexpensive fiction of the nineteenth century (dime novels). Because he wrote under dozens of pseudonyms, as well as under his own name, it is virtually impossible to know exactly how many books he wrote, but it is believed to be in the hundreds. He specialized in boys' stories, inspirational biography, and history for both children and adults. (From FictionDB.com)This is a western, set in the Pecos River valley in the late 19th century, post Civil War era.
In this 7th volume of the "Outdoor Girls" series, the girls spend the summer in a bungalow on Pine Island. The young people accidentally discovered a gypsy cave concealed by underbrush, and succeed not only in rounding up the band of gypsies, but in recovering several valuable articles that had been stolen from the girls.
The Bobbsey twins are off to spend a summer full of fun and adventures on Blueberry Island. They will encounter a cave, and gypsies, and other things I won't tell you about. You can find out by listening to this book!
As with many children's books written during this time in history, there are racial stereotypes that would not pass muster today. To edit them out would be to erase history, so I'm reading the book, as is. There is a "fat black mammy" named Dinah, and gypsies (of undetermined geographical origin) who naturally steal because they don't know any better. These stereotypes can act as a good springboard for educating your child on how far we have come, and how far we still need to go, to erase racism altogether.
In "The Outdoor Girls in Florida, Or Wintering in the Sunny South", the parents of one of the girls have bought an orange grove in Florida and her companions are invited to visit the place. They do so and take a trip into the wilds of the interior where several unusual things happen .
This is the fifth book in the "Outdoor Girls" series. (Adapted from the book)
In this 11th book in the "Outdoor Girls" series, the girls have some very exciting experiences. An old man, Professor Dempsey, by name, who had retired to a little log cabin in the woods to recover his health, had chanced to do the girls a very great favor. Of course the girls were grateful to him and were very much interested when he told them of his two sons who were in the war. Later, when the girls read of the death of his two sons in the paper, they went to the old man's lonely cabin in the woods, but found themselves too late. According to a friendly neighbor, the old man had become temporarily insane at the terrible news, had wrecked his cabin in an insane frenzy, and disappeared.
Later, at Wild Rose Lodge, the girls were frightened several times by a strange apparition lurking in the woods around the lodge and Moonlight Falls, a beautiful fall of water not far from the cottage where the girls were staying. The boys came home from France and helped the girls solve the mystery.
Five hundred thousand years ago, Og has been separated from his people during a volcano eruption. This story follows Og on his journey to find his people and the many adventures he experiences along the way.
Third entry in the then-popular boys' adventure series has the Rover brothers (Tom, Dick, & Sam) heading to Africa to search for their long-missing father, after a few more adventures at their upstate New York boarding school, Putnam Hall.
The continuing saga of those rambunctious Rover Boys, brothers Dick, Tom, and Sam, takes them to the Great Lakes region of the northern U.S.. Expect the usual adventure and ultimately heroic encounters with bad apples, like arch-enemies the Baxter clan and simpering Josiah Crabtree.
A runaway carriage, a spunky little girl, and a street urchin combine on the first page of Dusty Diamonds Cut and Polished: a Tale of City Arab Life in a hilarious combination that you won't want to leave. This story shows first hand what 'city arabs' have to face day by day and the impact Christians can make.
There is no page in England’s history so bright, nor of which Englishmen have such reason to be proud, as that covering the period between 1640 and 1650. This glorious decade was ushered in by the election of the “Long Parliament,” and I challenge the annals of all nations, ancient or modern, to show an assembly in which sat a greater number of statesmen and patriots. Brave as pure, fearless in the discharge of their difficult and dangerous duties, they faltered not in the performance of them—shrank not from impeaching a traitor to his country, and bringing his head to the block, even when it carried a crown. True to their consciences, as to their constituencies, they left England a heritage of honour that for long haloed her escutcheon, and even to this hour throws its covering screen over many a deed of shame. (From the Prologue)
Set in the exciting North American frontier this tale of a rescued dog and its loyalty and help to its new master really underlines the old saying that a dog is a man's best friend. The book really is a story of adventure in the early Western prairies not just about the dog. It is more what it was like to hunt a buffalo and live at a time when the Indians presented a problem and also how the early settlers dealt with them. It touches on things that were new to the people at the time Ballantyne wrote it. Crusoe was won by a young lad in a shooting contest as well as a rifle. And as the boy and dog grew and rode out to see the grand prairie for the very first time we meet the different animals and great country and the reader gets to share the excitement of adventure.
The Silver Fox Patrol are starting a new adventure down in the swamp of Louisiana. This trip is an important one to Thad, because they are looking for his long lost little sister, Pauline. All the boys are there to support their friend and leader, and, of course, trouble is never really that far behind these young men!
Herbert Carter is one of many pseudonyms used by St George Rathborne.
Another Slumbertown and Tuck-Me In Tale book by Arthur Scott Bailey, this time we meet Turkey Proudfoot at Farmer Greens farm in Pleasant Valley and his fellow yard mates who loved to mimic his beautiful tail.
When two life sized carved lions from the east are given as a gift to an English household, the children of the house are enchanted, especially when the lions come to life and help take care of them. This is a delightful book for young girls but retains some adult appeal. The author Mrs Molesworth has been called "the Jane Austen of the nursery.
The Motor Boat Boys, by Louis Arundel, is a series of adventure books for boys The series featured six teen-aged boys of the Motor Boat Club, and their adventures on various waterways. This is the sixth book in the series.
The Prince and the Pauper tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII. (Wikipedia)
One day a poor boy, Tom, gets a little too near the gates of the palace. and the guards start to beat him. However the prince himself intervenes and invites Tom into the palace. They talk about their differences in life and how very similar they both are to one another in appearance. They decide to trade clothes for a few minutes to see what it is like. Still in Tom's clothes, the Prince, Edward, leaves the room for a few minutes, and the guards mistake him for the pauper, throwing him out of the palace!
Tom decides to try and act like the prince, not knowing what has happened to him. Everyone thinks the prince is ill, causing him to forget things, while the real prince struggles to survive in the streets of his own kingdom. This story is about all the adventures both have in the process. --Summary by Fiddlesticks
This collection of The Junior Classics is compiled from many wonderful authors including Alcott, Dickens, Hawthorne, and Carroll. The stories are suitable for all ages and as with the rest of the series include the teaching of morals.
Doctor John Dolittle is an animal doctor and famous naturalist whose success hinges on his ability to speak the languages of many different kinds of animals. This book, the second Dr. Dolittle adventure, is narrated by Tommy Stubbins, who meets the Doctor after finding an injured squirrel. Stubbins becomes interested in the Doctor's work and has the opportunity to travel with him and several animal companions to a mysterious floating island called Spidermonkey Island.
Doctor Dolittle and his friends travel to South America to meet the greatest naturalist in the New World.
A note to listeners: This book was written in a different time, and as such, contains language and sentiments that are offensive to modern sensibilities.
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting. He is a doctor who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages. He later becomes a naturalist, using his abilities to speak with animals to better understand nature and the history of the world.
Kipling shows his love of the sub continent and its people and understanding of their beliefs in these tales. An older Mowgli roams the jungle with his old friends and investigates the ways of his people, a Prime Minister becomes wandering holy man, scavengers tell their tale and we leave India for the far,far north of Canada.
The first part of this volume consists of stories by modern writers dealing mainly with life in our own day. They are, of course, meant for the older children, and both the style and the situations call for more maturity on the part of the reader. The lure of the extraordinary is now dispensed with, and instead these tales supply the interest that comes from recognizable truth to experience.
The list of fiction contained in this volume, representing the imaginative product of almost all races and times, is fitly closed by the gift made to the children of England of a story for themselves by the master of English novelists, William Makepeace Thackeray.
"A children's book, sharp social commentary and sad psychological thriller about a man's search for a sense of belonging. All in one amazing and lyrical collection. This is the first book in which Peter Pan starts to appear. His adventure in Kensington Gardens are first narrated here. Other than that, it offers a magical portrait of contemporary London, and a realistic tale of a family to which every one of us could have belonged."
The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a novel by the Reverend Charles Kingsley, first published in its entirety in 1863. Though some of the author's opinions are very dated now, the journey of a little chimney-sweep water-baby through rivers and storms, under sea and over iceberg, is still a classic, wonderful children's adventure.
Summary by Cori Samuel. Music from Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture at musopen.org
The Adventures of Maya the Bee is an exciting tale for children of all ages. Themes of growth and development of courage and wisdom are found, as well as the extreme joy and satisfaction that Maya experiences in the beauty of creation and all creatures. Her ultimate and innate loyalty to her Nation of Bees is acted out in the final heroic scenes. This story gives us the delightful sense of having seen a small segment of the world through a Bee's eyes.
The novel is set in a fishing village in Dorset during the mid 18th century. The story concerns a 15 year old orphan boy, John Trenchard, who becomes friends with an older man who turns out to be the leader of a gang of smugglers. One night John chances on the smugglers' store in the crypt beneath the church. He explores but hides behind a coffin when he hears voices. He finds a locket which contains a parchment, in the coffin belonging to Colonel Mohune. Unfortunately after the visitors leave, he finds himself trapped inside, and is only rescued two days later when two of the smugglers, Ratsey, the sexton and Elzevir Block, the innkeeper of the Why Not?, the local pub, investigate his disappearance. His aunt insists he leaves her house and Elzevir Block takes him in to live at the pub.
First published in 1812, The Swiss Family Robinson may sometimes seem old-fashioned to modern readers, especially the family’s attitude toward wildlife (if it moves, shoot it). However, it’s a truly exciting adventure and a timeless story of warm and loving family life.
As the narrator says: “It was written... for the instruction and amusement of my children... Children are, on the whole, very much alike everywhere, and you four lads fairly represent multitudes... It will make me happy to think that my simple narrative may lead some of these to observe how blessed are the results of patient continuance in well-doing, what benefits arise from the thoughtful application of knowledge and science, and how good and pleasant a thing it is when brethren dwell together in unity, under the eye of parental love.”
Written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss and edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss (this edition lists J.R. as the author), the novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world, and self-reliance. It’s fun to think of the long-ago author reading his own books of natural history and creating this novel to share his interests with his boys.
While working in Africa, the eminent naturalist John Dolittle sets out to create the best post office on earth, using his bird friends to carry messages and packages anywhere in the world in record time. Along the way, he also manages to foil a slave trader, enrich a kingdom, save a ship, and meet the oldest living creature on earth!
Doctor Dolittle's Post Office is the exciting third in the series of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books. As usual, the Doctor has many adventures while helping his animal friends and the people he meets. At the start book, Doctor Dolittle gets help from the sea birds to help to capture a notorious slave trader and free his captives, then organizes the postal service of a small African kingdom, Fantippo, ruled over by King Koko. He does this of course with the help of all his animal friends especially the birds. He discovers a hidden island populated by peace loving creatures, gets thrown into another African jail, invents animal alphabets, and defeats at least two armies. Each of the animals in the Dolittle family also tells a quaint and personal story. The postal program grows into a worldwide postal and publishing service for the benefit of animals everywhere. ..Whew! what an adventure! .
This delightful novel begins when a family of five children moves from London to the English countryside. While playing in a gravel pit soon after the move, they discover an ancient and rather grumpy sand-fairy known as the Psammead, who agrees to grant one wish of theirs per day. The children’s wishes send them on adventure after adventure, but rarely turn out as expected.
This is the story of Peter Rabbit, a mischievous, but cautious, lagomorph who lives in the Green Meadows. Peter Rabbit begins his adventures with a quest for a new name, since his name is far too common for his taste. Having a new name is not quite what he thought it would be, however, and soon he is on to new exploits like outsmarting Reddy Fox and discovering where all his friends spend the winter. This tale co-stars Reddy Fox, Jerry Muskrat, Unc' Billy Possum, Jimmy Skunk, Ol' Mistah Buzzard, Bowser the Hound, and many more of Thornton W. Burgess' delightful characters. Summary by Jill Engle
Lovely story of two children who get lost in a hazardous winter crossing of an Alpine pass after visiting their grandparents in a neighboring village. Full of beautiful details about the lives of the hardy villagers, and their love for their families and their mountain home.
Set in the late twelfth century during the Third Crusade, the Norman Conquest having occurred not much more than a hundred years ago, Winning His Spurs is a tale of Christian heroism. Cuthbert, a fifteen-year-old village boy whose life is rather dull, is given his life's dream when, after showing heroic bravery in saving Margaret, the daughter of the Earl of Evesham, from Wortham Hold, he is hired as the page of the earl to serve in the war against the Muslims occupying Jerusalem. This brave young boy serves as a soldier in the Crusade, commits acts of heroism, rescues a Princess, and eventually, he "wins his spurs" as a knight and is promoted to Earl of Evesham himself! Are you ready to join Cuthbert and learn of his exciting adventures?Summary by Austin Gasiecki
A fairy has become bored with her life, and convinces some young girls to transform her into a human boy so she can go on adventures. The adventures come fast and furious, as the newly-named Prince Marvel explores the surrounding kingdoms. A masochistic squire accompanies Marvel, helping him with assorted kings, knights, dragons, and other medieval menaces along the way.
This is a compilation of the poems in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. As noted in the title, the poems are transformed into song, with sheet music included in the book. Music is by Lucy E. Broadwood. In addition to the text and sheet music, a digital version of the music in "midi" format is available from the Gutenberg site for the book. For the LibriVox recording, the poems are read.
The Wizard of Oz has built two beautiful "Ozoplanes" to explore Oz. But the official launch party goes wrong when the Soldier with the Green Whiskers accidentally launches the Oztober into the cloud country of Stratovania! The ruler, Strut of the Strat, makes Jellia Jamb his "Starina" and then sets off to conquer the fascinating country of Oz! Meanwhile the Wizard, Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow pile into the Ozpril and chase after the Oztober, but end up having an adventure of their own...This is the 33rd book in the "Oz" series, following in the official canon after L. Frank Baum's original 14 books. The phrase "The Wizard of Oz" was included in the title to coincide with the 1939 release of the film The Wizard of Oz. The focus of the story is primarily on characters who appeared in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
Puck of Pook's Hill is a children's book by Rudyard Kipling, published in 1906, containing a series of short stories set in different periods of history. The stories are all told to two children living near Pevensey by people magically plucked out of history by Puck.
In Desert and Wilderness is a novel for children by Polish author and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz. It tells the story of two children, Stas Tarkowski and Nel Rawlison, and their adventures as they cross the African desert and jungle. During the journey they face lions, leopards and malaria, make friends with desert tribespeople and an elephant, and learn about some harsh realities of life. An unusual "coming of age" story!
This is the last book in the The Andrew Lang "Color" Fairy Books series published after his death by his wife. She wrote the stories and he had edited them before his demise. It is a collection of stories that are a bit different than the Fairy Books: still colorful and well written but telling tales about decidedly odd topics. A word of Caution: please read the stories before your children do, some of them contain some violent imagery.
In this third installment from the “Ragged Dick” series by Horatio Algers, Jr., the reader is reacquainted with some old friends and meets young Mark Manton. Mark is a match boy plagued by bad luck and an even worse guardian. But, with new friends, hard work, and smart choices, Mark may just find his luck taking a turn for the better.
A young boy named Ben runs away to make a life of his own in the big city. He learns very quickly that this will be a lot harder than his imagination prepared him for. Summary by Tori Faulder
Prince Inga lives a happy life on the island of Pingaree until one day invaders from the north enslave every person on the island, including his parents. Inga, who escaped unnoticed in an apple tree, visiting King Rinkitink who had fallen in a well, and surly talking donkey Bilbil embark on a quest to save the Pingareeans.
Armed only with three magic pearls that imbue strength, invincibility, and wisdom, the three take on the open sea, the military might of the islands of Regos and Coregos, and the Nome King.
Readers of the present book who have not read that named above—though all should read it as well as this—will have no difficulty in joining the story of the castaways to “The Swiss Family Robinson” with the help of the brief sketch of its contents which follows.
The story begins with the arrival of the Unicorn, a British corvette commanded by Lieutenant Littlestone, whose commission includes the exploration of the waters in which New Switzerland is situate. He has with him as passengers Mr. and Mrs. Wolston and their daughters Hannah and Dolly.
When the Unicorn weighs anchor again Mr. Wolston and his wife and their elder daughter, Hannah, remain on the island. But the corvette takes away Fritz and Frank Zermatt and Jenny Montrose, who are all bound for England, where Jenny hopes to find her father, Colonel Montrose, and the two young men have much business to transact, and Dolly Wolston, who is to join her brother James—a married man with one child—at Cape Town. Mr. Wolston hopes that James, with his wife and child, will agree to accompany Dolly and the Zermatts—by the time they return Jenny will have become Mrs. Fritz Zermatt—to the island and take up their abode there. (Adapted from the Preface)
Young Joe Bronson, caught between poor grades and his father's threats of military school, runs away from home. He joins the crew of a sloop named the Dazzler, but quickly figures out his captain, Pete Le Maire (nicknamed "French Pete") frequently engages himself and those at his command in criminal activity. Will Joe be able to escape this unwanted and dangerous new life at sea?
Published in 1902, Jack London sold this book (his first full-length novel) as a boy's adventure novel set in San Francisco, his hometown. In his autobiography, London recalls lifting several more elements in this novel from his adolescence, as in youth he bought a sloop called the Razzle Dazzle from a oyster pirate nicknamed "French Frank."
In all history, there is no drama of more terrible interest than that which terminated with the total destruction of Jerusalem. Had the whole Jewish nation joined in the desperate resistance made, by a section of it, to the overwhelming strength of Rome, the world would have had no record of truer patriotism than that displayed, by this small people, in their resistance to the forces of the mistress of the world.
Unhappily, the reverse of this was the case. Except in the defense of Jotapata and Gamala, it can scarcely be said that the Jewish people, as a body, offered any serious resistance to the arms of Rome. The defenders of Jerusalem were a mere fraction of its population--a fraction composed almost entirely of turbulent characters and robber bands, who fought with the fury of desperation; after having placed themselves beyond the pale of forgiveness, or mercy, by the deeds of unutterable cruelty with which they had desolated the city, before its siege by the Romans. They fought, it is true, with unflinching courage--a courage never surpassed in history--but it was the courage of despair; and its result was to bring destruction upon the whole population, as well as upon themselves.
Fortunately the narrative of Josephus, an eyewitness of the events which he describes, has come down to us; and it is the storehouse from which all subsequent histories of the events have been drawn. It is, no doubt, tinged throughout by his desire to stand well with his patrons, Vespasian and Titus; but there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of his descriptions. I have endeavored to present you with as vivid a picture as possible of the events of the war, without encumbering the story with details and, except as regards the exploits of John of Gamala, of whom Josephus says nothing, have strictly followed, in every particular, the narrative of the historian.
Long time since this hand hath penned a preface. Now only to say, that this romance, as originally published, was written when the author was suffering severe affliction, both physically and mentally—the result of a gun-wound that brought him as near to death as Darke’s bullet did Clancy.
It may be asked, Why under such strain was the tale written at all? A good reason could be given; but this, private and personal, need not, and should not be intruded on the public. Suffice it to say, that, dissatisfied with the execution of the work, the author has remodelled—almost rewritten it.
It is the same story; but, as he hopes and believes, better told.
Great Malvern, September, 1874.
Gaylord DuBois wrote juvenile literature for decades. This is a boys' adventure story about serving in the American World War II flying corps.
PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In THE SECRET PACT, Penny sees a man savagely pushed off a bridge into the river one foggy night. The man is rescued, but his stubborn denial of the attack, combined with the grotesque octopus tattoo he bears on his back, alerts Penny to the possibility of a deeper mystery. When her editor father, reporter friends, and even the highschool newspaper all reject her story about the incident, she takes matters into her own hands. With her friend Louise's help, Penny starts her own local paper, operating out of a formerly abandoned newspaper plant. As new clues emerge to the "Octopus tattoo" mystery, she enlists the help of anyone willing, even persuading Mrs. Weems to go "under cover." Nothing, not even threats and an unexpected tornado, can deter the determined Miss. Parker.