In this companion book to the much-loved classic A Girl of the Limberlost, an orphaned teenager longs to find his place in the world. Freckles was discovered on the doorstep of a Chicago orphanage, badly beaten and missing a hand. He yearns for the fulfillment of useful work, and at Indiana's Limberlost Swamp, his grit and determination win him the difficult, dangerous job of guarding a valuable stand of timber. Faithful and brave in his daily tasks, Freckles comes to appreciate the beauty and majesty of the natural world amid the wetlands' sights, sounds, and silences.
As nature...

French novelist Jules Verne -- "the man who invented the future" -- captured and intensified the human impulse to explore the world's hidden regions. This prophetic 1870 adventure novel, centering on a fabulous underwater craft commanded by the brilliant and mysterious Captain Nemo, was written well before the development of the deep-water submarine.
Combining marvelous scientific achievements with common, everyday events, the story brims with intricate descriptions of a futuristic vessel and bizarre scenes of life on the ocean's bottom. Sights include Red Sea coral, wreckage from a...

Coldhearted Ebenezer Scrooge has no use for Christmas cheer. He rejects a dinner invitation from his jolly nephew, scolds charity workers, and very begrudgingly allows his clerk a day off. All the warmth and joy of the holiday are humbug to Scrooge until Jacob Marley, his long-dead business partner, pays a call. Marley's spirit is the first in a series of ghostly visitors who offer visions of the past, present, and future -- warnings that transform a bitter old miser into a charitable and compassionate man.
First published in 1843, A Christmas Carol was an instant success and...

When this novel was first published in 1906, Jack London was well on his way to becoming one of the most popular writers in the world. A spellbinding tale of life in the northern wilds, White Fang ranks among the author's finest achievements. London reveals the savage realities of the battle for survival among all species in a harsh, unyielding environment. Part wolf, part dog, White Fang is a ferocious and magnificent creature whose experiences reflect the essential rhythms and patterns of life in both humanity and the animal kingdom.
Above all, this story offers keen observations...