Classics
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell
jFICTION O'Dell, Scott
Kids, Classics, Historical Fiction
Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell
jFICTION O'Dell, Scott
Kids, Classics, Historical Fiction
Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.
Added by Anne W
The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis
jFICTION Lewis, C. S.
Kids, Classics, Fantasy
Four English school children enter the magic land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in defeating the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
Added by Anne W
The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis
jFICTION Lewis, C. S.
Kids, Classics, Fantasy
Four English school children enter the magic land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in defeating the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
Added by Anne W
The giver
Lois Lowry
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Lowry, Lois
Dystopian, Classics, Kids, Fiction, Science Fiction
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
A dystopian classic about a haunting world of total conformity, in which a 12-year-old boy begins slowly to uncover the secrets of the society with no discontent but also no choice or feelings. -Anne W
Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies
Christian Trimmer
jE Trimmer
Picture Books, Fantasy, Humor, Classics, Animals
In this twist on the story of Snow White, pretty and sweet Snow Pony--beloved by children for her talent in braiding hair and dancing--follows a trail of delicious apples into the woods, where she meets seven miniature ponies.
An enchantingly hilarious retelling of Snow White that stars, you guessed it, ponies!! What's not to love? -Casey
Anna Karenina : a novel in eight parts
Leo Tolstoy
FICTION Tolstoy, Leo
Fiction, Classics
Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. While previous versions have softened the robust, and sometimes shocking, quality of Tolstoy's writing, Pevear and Volokhonsky have produced a translation true to his powerful voice. This award-winning team's authoritative edition also includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory notes. Beautiful, vigorous, and eminently readable, this Anna Karenina will be the definitive text for generations to come.
A long, long novel that you can get lost in. Depressing, bleak, but so rich in description and story. I wish I had read this for a class, as I am sure I missed some vital lessons that the book contains. -Heidi L
Far from the madding crowd.
Thomas Hardy
FICTION Hardy, Thomas
Fiction, Classics
Here's a 19th century novel where the woman seemingly has a little more control over her life--though it is shaped by not one, not two, but three men who want to marry her. One of several of Hardy's novels set in the fictional southern English county of Wessex, it conveys much about the farming life and business of the era, as well as the hazards of a woman who tries to live independently. -Heidi L
Middlemarch
George Eliot
FICTION Eliot, George
Fiction, Classics
There are many layers to this novel--love and marriage and mistakes, politics, class issues, how shallow some people can be. The heroine, if that is not too strong a word for her, is Dorothea, whose idealism and earnest quest for meaning in life often result in heartache and disappointment. But not always. -Heidi L
A tale of two cities
Charles Dickens
FICTION Dickens, Charles
Historical Fiction, Classics
One of Dickens's shorter novels, but perhaps the most quoted: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." The French Revolution comes to grim life in these pages, and unfortunately, at times it doesn't seem very different than the societal battles we still fight. I love Charles Dickens's long sentences and humorous use of words and names. This one made me cry too. -Heidi L
Added by Anne W