George MacDonald was an influential Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. MacDonald’s works (particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels) claimed the admiration of such authors as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Madeleine L’Engle.
The Wise Woman fairy tale was one of MacDonald’s more popular works. This delightful story describes how a woman of mysterious powers pays visits to two very different young girls: one a princess, the other a shepherd’s daughter. Neither girl is left unchanged by the startling events that are unleashed as a result: and the reader is confronted by astonishing fairy-worlds in which the girls are forced to choose between good and evil.
<...A collection of comical short stories by renowned American humorist and author Mark Twain, the compilation features 30 stories published in 1906. Presenting a colorful array of tales, the short stories cover various periods of Twain’s writing career, while also allowing him to revise and perfect each story. Exploring various topics including abusive hierarchical power, human recklessness, and backfiring expectations, the collection offers a sweet treat to satisfy every taste.
The anthology begins with the story “The $30,000 Bequest” which introduces the married couple Electra and Saladin who live a modest yet comfortable life with their two daughters. Both husband and wife a...
20.000 Meilen unter dem Meer ist ein Roman des französischen Schriftstellers Jules Verne. Der Roman ist vorgeblich ein Erlebnisbericht des französischen Professors Pierre Aronnax, Autor eines Werkes über „Die Geheimnisse der Meerestiefen“. Auf einer Expedition zur Klärung einer Reihe rätselhafter Schiffsunglücke, die von einem Unterwasserfahrzeug oder Seeungeheuer gekentert worden sein sollen, wird das fragliche Objekt gesichtet. Im Verlauf der anschließenden Verfolgungsjag werden Aronnax, sein Diener Conseil und der kanadische Harpunier Ned Land ins offene Meer gespült, finden aber letztlich auf der Oberfläche des vermeintlichen Seeungeheuers festen Boden unter den Füßen. Es stellt si...
James Otis wrote a series of books depicting life in the new colonies, written from a child’s point of view. Ruth of Boston is the story of 12 year old Ruth, coming from London to live in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It gives accounts of what a girl’s daily life might have been like during the beginnings of this colony.
First published in 1863, Five Weeks in a Balloon depicts an insightful journey undertaken by a group of intrepid explorers into the partly uncharted African continent, as they aim to explore its exotic wonders. Apart from concentrating on themes including exploration, loyalty, friendship, determination, and honor, the novel also offers an endearing set of jovial characters and vivid imagery. Furthermore, the novel is the first book in Verne’s distinguished Voyages Extraordinaires series.
The adventure begins when Dr. Samuel Fergusson attempts to devise a mechanism to allow him to travel across the unexplored regions of Africa, an objective that many before him have tri...