Newbery Medal winner The Cross of Lead is "a page-turner from beginning to end … full of adventure, mystery, and action" (School Library Journal).Sometimes I ran, sometimes all I could do was walk. All I knew was that if the steward overtook me, I’d not survive for long. …Crispin is a poor thirteen-year-old peasant in medieval England. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he has been declared a "wolf’s head," meaning he may be killed on sight, by anyone. He flees his tiny ...

It is 1857, and Reverend Geoffrey Wilson has departed England to prove the literal truth of the Bible. The expedition heads towards Tasmania, where he is convinced he will find the real Garden of Eden. But the other passengers have their own agendas. Dr Potter is developing a sinister thesis, and the ship is crewed by smugglers of contraband brandy and tobacco. As the English passengers near Peevay's land, their bizarre notions become painfully at odds with reality. Their destination is no...

The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - published in 1719 - was Defoe's first novel and his best-known work. Loosely based on a true account of a Scottish sailor, Alexander Selkirk, it is a tale of one man's fall from grace, and progress to redemption.Willful and impatient, young Robinson Crusoe disregards the advice of his family and heads for the open sea. His obduracy eventually leaves him stranded on an uninhabited island somewhere in the Caribbean - the...

The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England. The novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie and celebrated for its evocation of the nature of the Thames valley.

A moving, magical tale about a spunky girl from the award-winning author of the Chronicles of Prydain.Quick-witted, bright, and sassy, Rizka the Gypsy girl is involved with everything that is happening in Greater Dunitsa, including runaway lovers, floods, magical caves, and a ghost in the town hall. And everyone in town has an opinion. Big Franko wants her to have a better life, General Hatvan wants to court-martial her, young Sofiya wants to be just like her, and her greatest enem...

Writing in England at the turn of the 20th century, G.K. Chesterton was dubbed the "prince of paradox" for addressing serious questions with his light, whimsical style. In this classic allegory, which has captivated generations since it was first published in 1908, Chesterton tackles such profound concepts as honor, truth, and God with insightful humor and colorful enigma. The seven members of the secret Central Anarchist Council are sworn to destroy the world. For security reasons, each m...

Eleven-year-old Kevin Cartwright can hardly believe his ears when his father, a brave soldier wounded in the Revolutionary War, announces that he is leaving Philadelphia and never coming back. He is heading into the untamed wilderness of New Jersey, where he hopes to find a peaceful place to raise Kevin and his little sister. But in 1783, New Jersey is filled with secret traps and hidden dangers. Before the family has traveled far, Kevin is captured by the mysterious Captain Grey and his m...

"Look into the tiger's eyes. I wish to show you lives different from your own," Soma-Nandi tells the boy-king Tamar. When you join Tamar on his enchanted journey, you too can look into the tiger's eyes. But beware, for along the way, nothing is as it appears to be: forest creatures speak and populate hidden kingdoms, hacked-down vines regenerate before your very eyes, and holy men spring up from ant hills. In a dream, Tamar has lost everything to the impressive King Jaya in a game of dice....

When Robin Brogan comes down with chicken pox, he doesn't think it's really so terrible. After all, it gets him out of acting in the school play. And since his best friend Dan also has spots, they are staying together at Robin's house in England overlooking the ocean. When the hours begin to drag, Robin's mother tells stories about a wonderful summer she spent in their shoreline house. Bit by bit, the boys learn of a strange girl who mysteriously appeared on the beach long ago and shared h...

Cats don't really have nine lives, but they can visit nine different lives, anywhere, anytime. This is the secret Jason's cat, Gareth, tells him. When Jason hears this, he begs to go along. Soon cat and boy find themselves in ancient Egypt on the first of nine fantastic adventures. With the wink of an eye, Jason and Gareth are transported to alluring settings in world history. On their travels they meet interesting and famous people, such as St. Patrick, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Whether the ...

The 15th-century Wars of the Roses serve as backdrop for this swashbuckling historical novel from the author of Kidnapped and Treasure Island. In a time of shifting loyalties and trecherous alliances, young Dick Shelton is betrayed by his brutal guardian. Intent on rescuing the woman he loves, Dick joins forces with a mysterious fellowship intent on dispensing their own brand of justice. Through one trap after another, each choice Dick makes begins to have dire consequences -not only for h...

In this riveting sequel to the Newbery Award–winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead—the second book in a planned trilogy—Avi explores themes of war, religion, and family as he continues the adventures of Crispin and Bear.The more I came to know of the world, the more I knew I knew it not.He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his name—Crispin—only intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret...