Publisher: Interactive Media
Old Granny Fox is a story about an aging fox who has to rely on her cunning and intelligence to survive in the forest. Even though she is old, she is still able to outsmart other animals in the forest. This story teaches children that even older animals can be very resourceful and dangerous.
Michael Strogoff is one of Jules Verne's most thrilling and emotionally powerful adventure novels, a masterful tale of courage, loyalty, and endurance set against the vast and unforgiving landscapes of imperial Russia. The story follows Michael Strogoff, a trusted courier of Tsar Alexander II, who is charged with an urgent and dangerous mission: to cross Siberia and deliver a vital message to the Grand Duke in Irkutsk, warning him of a treacherous uprising. As war looms and enemy forces close in, Michael must travel thousands of miles through hostile territory while concealing his true identity. Along the way, he faces relentless pursuit, natural disasters, brutal captivity, and the constant risk of betrayal. His journey is marked by extraordinary physical suffering and moral испытание, yet his unwavering sense of duty and inner strength never falter. Accompanied by memorable companions and adversaries—including the courageous Nadia Fedor and the ruthless traitor Ivan Ogareff—the novel blends fast-paced action with deep emotional resonance. Verne combines meticulous geographical detail with suspense and drama, transforming the Siberian wilderness into a powerful backdrop for one man's heroic resolve. Michael Strogoff remains a timeless classic of adventure fiction, celebrating honor, perseverance, and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a compelling testament to Jules Verne's ability to unite grand adventure with profound human emotion.Show book
Hector Hugh Munro, more familiarly known by his pen-name ‘Saki’ was born in what was then Akyab in British Burma on 18th December 1870. His father was an Inspector General for the Indian Imperial Police, and his mother the daughter of a Rear Admiral. When he was 2 his mother died and he and his siblings were sent back to England to be raised by their grandmother and paternal maiden aunts in a strict, puritanical household near Barnstaple, Devon. Educated by governesses Saki used many of these women as character models for his later writing. At 17 his father retried and returned to England and then embarked on a series of European travels with Saki and his siblings. After a short stint working in Burma with the Indian Imperial Police Saki decided to move to London to make a living as a writer. Initially he wrote as a journalist for a number of newspapers and magazines before attempting an historical study, ‘The Rise of the Russian Empire’, whose real value lay in directing him to writing short stories instead, the first of which, ‘Dogged’, he published in 1899. From here it was a short stab of the pen to writing political satire before in 1902 he became the foreign correspondent for The Morning Post, first in the Balkans, then Russia, Paris and back to London in 1908, where 'the agreeable life of a man of letters with a brilliant reputation awaited him.' Collections of his short stories full of witty, mischievous and often macabre stories that satirized Edwardian society and two novels now appeared in the years up to the Great War. At its’ outbreak he was 43 but managed to join as an ordinary trooper. More than once he returned to the battlefield when officially too sick or injured. On 14th November 1916 Hector Hugh Munro was sheltering in crater during the Battle of the Ancre, when he was shot and killed by a German sniper. According to several sources, his last words were "Put that bloody cigarette out!"Show book
The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors. From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure. Among them is the Suffragette Mona Caird.Show book
“I am all here—head, hands, legs, and all the rest of it, but it happens I’m invisible.” When a mysterious stranger arrives at the Coach and Horses inn during a biting snowstorm, he is wrapped head-to-foot in bandages, his eyes hidden behind enormous blue goggles. The villagers of Iping are initially curious, then suspicious, and finally terrified as they realize that the linen wrappings conceal not a scarred man, but an impossible vacancy. Griffin, a brilliant but unhinged scientist, has discovered the secret of invisibility, but in doing so, he has severed his connection to humanity. As his power grows, so does his megalomania, leading to a reign of terror, burglary, and a desperate flight across the English countryside. Why you will love this: The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance is a foundational pillar of Science Fiction and Psychological Horror. This production captures the claustrophobic tension of a small town meeting a modern god, exploring the Hard Science Fiction concepts of light refraction alongside the literary themes of moral decay and social isolation. Narrated by Michael Craig, the story breathes with cinematic atmosphere and Victorian dread. Herbert George Wells, often called the 'Father of Science Fiction,' published this masterpiece in 1897. His ability to blend grounded, scientific speculation with profound social commentary remains unparalleled in the history of English literature.Show book
Lafcadio Hearn was born on the 27th June 1850 on the Ionian isle of Levkás in Greece to a British Army officer and a Greek Mother. His father, fearing for his career prospects at being married to a Greek Orthodox wife, sent them to Dublin whilst he continued to advance his career with further postings. Life there was difficult for mother and son. His father returned, wounded and traumatised, when Lafcadio was three. He annulled the marriage and she remarried but had to give up care of Lafcadio to her sister-in law. After brief periods for Catholic education in England and France he emigrated to Ohio in the United States when he was 19, taking on a series of casual jobs before embarking on a career as a journalist, publishing poems and essays in Cincinnati. It was whilst here that he began a side-line in translating, starting with Gautier and Flaubert. He married in 1874 to a 20 year old African-American woman in violation of Ohio's anti-miscegenation law. The marriage soon failed. In 1877 he relocated to New Orleans to write on a variety of themes before picking up a two year assignment from Harper’s to write in the West Indies, where he also wrote his first novel. In 1890 Harper’s sent him to Japan. Here he left journalism and took the remarkable decision to become a schoolteacher in the north of Japan. Enraptured by the culture he was driven to explain it in various Western publications to those who had little, if any, knowledge of its culture. Within the year he had fallen in love with, and married, a high-born Japanese lady, together they would have four children. In 1895 he became a Japanese national and took the name Koizumi Yakumo, Koizumi being his wife’s family name. The following few years, whilst a professor of Literature at the Imperial University of Japan, were his most creative and admired period. Lafcadio Hearn died of heart failure on the 26th of September 1904, in Tokyo, Japan shortly before leaving to deliver a series of lectures at Cornell University in New York State. He was 54.Show book
School Library Journal Best Books of 2011 • Eureka! Silver Honor Books—California Reading Association • Capitol Choices 2012 List of Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens • 2012 Notable Children’s Books—ALSC The National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology offers timeless stories of Greek myths in a beautiful new volume. Brought to life with lyrical text by award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli, the tales of gods and goddesses such as Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Athena and heroes and monsters such as Helen of Troy, Perseus, and Medusa will fascinate and engage children’s imaginations. National Geographic completes the book with embellishments of each story: sidebars for each god, goddess, hero, and monster link the myths to constellations, geography, history, and culture to help young readers connect the stories to real life events, people, and places. Sure to dazzle all those intrigued with the fantastic tales of Greek mythology and enchant new readers, this vibrant book will soon become a family keepsake.Show book
