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Short Nonfiction Collection, Vol. 059

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Essays & Short Works, Non-fiction
Chapter: 16 | Listen: 2

Sixteen short nonfiction works in the public domain, independently chosen by the readers. Volume 59 contains an eclectic mix of readings, ranging from a description of a Coney Island elephant colossus to meditations on mental telepathy and baseball. Philosophical essays by Leibniz, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Francis Bacon and William Blake touch on the topics of truth, prejudice, poetic genius, suicide, and preparation for a Christian life. An educator at a women’s college in the early 1920’s bemoans the decline in the way high school girls dress for school and recommends a “serge jumper dress, made with a washable under blouse.” In the same span of years, a female reporter, going undercover to research conditions in the Detroit House of Corrections has herself arrested and is “stripped to the skin and searched for narcotics” and then made to don prison garb: “a faded gingham coverall, prison-made and drab.” A medical doctor, writing in the 1870’s, examines the connection between clean living and longevity, while a historian discusses how slave labor was employed in the salines of Southern Illinois. Native American Indian speech patterns are explored in an essay on the evolution of language, while a a chapter from a children’s science book explains what happens “when the dew falls.” Lastly, a spirited defense of the Bodleian as a research institution rather than a circulating library rounds out this volume of the nonfiction collection. Preparation for a Christian Life III was translated by Lee M. Hollander. [chương_files]

Red Cross Girls on the French Firing Line

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Action & Adventure
Chapter: 20 | Listen:

This is the second in a series of captivating period historic romance and adventure books entitled “The Red Cross Girls.” The series trails four American girls who serve as Red Cross nurses during WWI in Europe. This time, Eugenia, a prim and proper New Englander, has a romance with a handsome Frenchman. Will it be a happily-ever after? The sequence of books gives perception into women’s changing roles in society, although the progress of change is far from complete. (Source: paperback book jacket) [chương_files]

Coffee Break Collection 017 – Health and Fitness

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Essays & Short Works, Short Stories
Chapter: 14 | Listen: 3

This is the seventeenth Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is health and fitness… views on these, including physical activity, nutrition and sport, have changed drastically over the years. Readers have chosen selections on subjects ranging from judo and walking to advice for the nutrition and education of children, Summary by Lynne Thompson [chương_files]

Wind in the Willows (Version 6)

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Action & Adventure, Animals & Nature, Family
Chapter: 12 | Listen: 4

The Wind in the Willows is a classic children’s book–enjoyed by all ages!–by British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Begun as letters to his 7-year-old son Alistair and later developed into a novel, it tells the adventures of animals Mole, Rat, and Toad, who dwell, along with Badger, Otter, and other animals, in the riverbank, fields, and woodlands of the English countryside. Best friends Mole and Rat, along with Badger, are continually rescuing Toad from his scrapes. An encounter with nature god Pan lends a special magic to this tale. In 2011, I recorded this delightful reading by my friend Sarbaga Falk. We made presents of the recordings for Sarbaga’s family and our friends and their children and grandchildren; and had it in mind to put it on LibriVox. Shortly after we recorded Wind in the Willows, Sarbaga was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, which worsened until she passed away in February 2020. Sarbaga loved tales, jokes, and stories, and she would no doubt be tickled to listen to this wonderful tale told in her own inimitable and expressive voice. This stands as a fitting tribute to our dear friend, as she continues to delight us all. – Summary by Cynthia Rylander Crossen [chương_files]

Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology

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Action & Adventure, Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales
Chapter: 14 | Listen: 3

Asgard Stories – Tales from Norse Mythology. To all our Children who have loved the hearing of these Asgard Stories. This little volume is the outcome of several years experience in telling to classes of children the classic myths, both southern and northern. “A broad simplicity, so very different from the light gracefulness of the old Greek paganism, distinguishes this Norse system. It is thought, the genuine thought of deep, rude, earnest minds, fairly opened to the things about them, – a face-to-face and heart-to-heart inspection of things, – the first characteristic of all good thought in all times.” wrote Carlyle. Anderson, the author of “Norse Mythology,” wrote: “In the Norse mythology the centralizing idea is its peculiar feature; in it lies its strength and beauty. The one myth and the one divinity is inextricably in communion with the other; and thus also the idea of unity, centralization, is a prominent feature and one of the chief characteristics of the Teutonic nations.” [chương_files]

Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island

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Action & Adventure, Children's Fiction
Chapter: 22 | Listen:

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. – Summary by Nan Dodge [chương_files]

Story of Red Feather

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Action & Adventure
Chapter: 12 | Listen: 3

The fierce chieftain Red Feather is leading a raiding party of Sioux across the Montana frontier, and the Clarendon homestead is directly in his path! Melville must escape the siege with his little sister Dot, and gets some unexpected help along the way. (Summary by Mira Williams) [chương_files]

Billy Whiskers’ Travels

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Action & Adventure, Animals & Nature
Chapter: 13 | Listen: 2

Running away from home is always bound to lead to adventures, some surprising and good and some not so pleasant. Follow Billy Whiskers when he encounters fireworks, tigers and dragons! Will this little goat ever get home again? – Summary by Larry Wilson [chương_files]

Kari the Elephant (Version 2)

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Action & Adventure, Animals & Nature
Chapter: 10 | Listen: 2

Kari the Elephant is a 1922 work by Dhan Gopal Mukerji. The book is the first among those written in English by an Indian author in the category of children’s literature. Kari the Elephant is a bildungsroman narrative that unravels the relationship shared by the protagonist boy and Kari the elephant and the adventures the boy, along with Kari and Kope, the pet monkey go through living by the edge of the forest is quite mesmerizing. Their relationship grows stronger with each adventure and their lives defy the boundaries between human and animal society. Set in a colonial Indian village, the treatment of nature and natural life along with the infiltration of capitalist mindset runs as a background to this narrative that eventually endangers this unique relationship the boy and Kari share. (Summary by Mahimaraj) [chương_files]

Double Challenge

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Action & Adventure, Action & Adventure Fiction
Chapter: 12 | Listen: 1

Jim Kjelgaard brings to life another wild adventure when Ted Harkness and his father attempt to open a hunting lodge. Everything changes when Ted’s father is accused of attempted murder and begins his hideout in the woods. Ted works in this exciting outdoor novel to keep the lodge afloat and clear his fathers name before time runs out! – Summary by Siler Weaver [chương_files]