Treasure Island is an adventure novel, a thrilling tale of “buccaneers and buried gold.” Traditionally considered a coming of age story, it is an adventure tale of superb atmosphere, character and action, and also a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality—as seen in Long John Silver—unusual for children’s literature then and now. (Summary from wikipedia.org) [chương_files]
In The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920), the first of Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle books, we are introduced to the good doctor who gives up treating people after Polynesia, his parrot, teaches him animal languages. His fame in the animal kingdom spreads throughout the world and soon he sets off to cure a monkey epidemic in Africa, finding all sorts of exciting adventures on the way. This recording is of the original edition, which is in the public domain. Later editions, which are still under copyright, changed some language and plot elements that are considered racially derogatory. (Summary adapted from wikipedia.org by Annie Coleman) [chương_files]
Gertrude Bell’s Syria: The Desert and the Sown describes her travels in the Levant (also called Greater Syria) during the first years of the 20th century. In this vivid and painstakingly documented narrative, Bell recounts her visits to Damascus, Jerusalem, Beirut, Antioch and Alexandretta, as well as the time she spent in the deserts of the region. Fluent in Arabic and several other languages, Bell brings to her account a level of insight beyond the reach of an average travel writer. She would later go on to play a highly influential role in the politics of the Middle East, drawing on the knowledge and personal connections she built up during these and other travels. The text is accompanied by numerous photographs taken by the author. (Summary by Kazbek) [chương_files]
This delightful novel begins when a family of five children moves from London to the English countryside. While playing in a gravel pit soon after the move, they discover an ancient and rather grumpy sand-fairy known as the Psammead, who agrees to grant one wish of theirs per day. The children’s wishes send them on adventure after adventure, but rarely turn out as expected. (Summary by Kara) [chương_files]
The Road to Oz takes Dorothy and her friends on an adventure in Oz to a grand party in honor of Ozma’s birthday. It all starts near her home on Uncle Henry’s farm in Kansas when she tries to help a shaggy stranger find the road he is seeking. On the way they find a young boy, Button-Bright, and together they get lost, only to find themselves in the fairylands of Oz. Once again in the Land of Oz, Dorothy and her friends encounter a number of new fantasy characters: some good, some bad, some amusing, and all entertaining. They make their way eventually to the Emerald City to participate in Ozma’s Birthday Celebration. In the end, Dorothy arrives safely back home, a little tired from her adventures, but quite content. (Summary written by Kara Shallenberg) [chương_files]
Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was written in 1872 and it finds Alice in a land when she walks through a mirror into the Looking-Glass House. The land is full of mythological creatures and characters and nursery rhyme characters. Alice makes a guest appearance in a bizarre game of chess with Humpty Dumpty! A charming, witty story! (Summary by Aldark) [chương_files]
Volume II of Roald Amundsen’s The Northwest Passage. Roald Amundsen and six hearty seafarers in the tiny sloop Gjöa are the first to make the complete passage across the top of the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. With a Supplement by First Lieutenant Godfred Hansen, Vice Commander of the expedition. – Summary by Steven Seitel [chương_files]
Imagine it’s early 1900’s and you want to get away from it all. So you head to Two Palms, Arizona. Where for entertainment, people await the arrival of the daily stage coach. Gold mining is an avocation. There is desert everywhere, deadly rattlers, no paved roads, some people travel in model T’s which they call flivvers. They must carry their own water, gasoline and tire patch kits for the many blowouts they encounter. The heat is blinding! The nearest “big” town is Meteorite which has an ice cream shop, a post office and a stage coach head office. Here’s where it gets interesting! Three misfits, a disgraced surgeon, an ex bank robber and a former prominent businessman type all meet on the road to nowhere to team up and head to Two Palms to turn their lives around. Already there is a wealthy San Francisco businessman and his beautiful daughter the apple of everyone’s eyes. Arizona Argonauts would make a great movie! There’s intrigue, murder, mayhem, mystery and of course romance. Try it – you’ll like it! [chương_files]
Sky Island (1912) was the second of three titles written by Baum featuring a spunky girl from California, Trot, and her companion, the old sailorman, Cap’n Bill. Baum had hoped to end the Oz series in 1910 and the following year he introduced Trot and Cap’n Bill in The Sea Fairies. In Sky Island, they journey to an island in the sky by means of an enchanted umbrella belonging to Button Bright, a character who first appeared in The Road to Oz (1909). The trio is then captured by the Boolaroo of the Blues, a monarch who is both comical and dangerous, escape to the country of the “Pinks”, and eventually regain the magic umbrella and return back to earth. This is one of Baum’s best fantasy books and contains enough not-so-veiled commentary on race and politics to interest adults as well. However, it (and The Sea Fairies) did not sell as well as the Oz books and Baum resumed writing them in 1913. He subsequently brought Trot and Cap’n Bill to Oz in 1915 in The Scarecrow of Oz. (Summary by Judy Bieber) [chương_files]
In Winnetou III hat Old Shatterhand diverse Auseinandersetzungen mit Banditen und Indianern und besteht zusammen mit Winnetou und einigen Gefährten neue Abenteuer. Winnetou und Old Shatterhand verfolgen auch den Mörder Santer weiter. – Summary by Katharina21 [chương_files]
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