Levels 11 & 12 Read Aloud Set

The Adventures of Odysseus & The Tale of Troy Sample

In this retelling of the Odyssey, Padraic Colum introduces young readers to Odysseus, the Greek hero of the Trojan War who has been away from his home and his family for twenty years. The Adventures of Odysseus & The Tale of Troy has all the essentials of Homer's epic: the son, Telemachus, searching for news about his father; the faithful wife, Penelope, refusing to marry again despite a throng of suitors; and Odysseus himself, struggling against monsters, storms, and the wrath of gods to be reunited with his family and regain his place as king of Ithaka. Colum's version will familiarize students with the characters and plot of the Odyssey, preparing them to read the more difficult words of Homer with deeper understanding.

For over a hundred years, the story of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin has delighted readers young and old. This timeless classic focuses on the antics of the inimitable Rebecca Randall and her coming of age in the quiet little town of Riverboro.

There is a small handful of books that have so insinuated themselves into our cultural subconscious that we somehow know them even if we haven't read them. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of these books.

How is it that a book of nonsense can help to make such good sense of the world? The Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Diamonds, the White Rabbit, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum — they have become topsy-turvy reference points in a topsy-turvy world. G. K. Chesterton once said that the best position from which to view the world is by standing on one's head. Lewis Carroll saved us the trouble of trying to see the world upside down by standing the world itself on its head. He shows us what a world of pure logic bereft of common sense would be like so that when we see our own reality behaving this way, we might not fear it. Carroll knew that only truly serious things are funny.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is, in a sense, a mathematician's nightmare, but one which invites us to dispel the nonsense with laughter.

From the publisher: "Mafatu has been afraid of the sea for as long as he can remember. Though his father is the Great Chief of Hikueru - an island whose seafaring people worship courage - Mafatu feels like an outsider. All his life he has been teased, taunted, and even blamed for storms on the sea.
Then at age fifteen, no longer willing to put up with the ridicule and jibes, Mafatu decides to take his fate into his own hands. With his dog, Uri, as his companion, Mafatu paddles out to sea, ready to face his fears. What he learns on his lonesome adventure will change him forever and make him a hero in the eyes of his people."

From the publisher:  The first title in Arthur Ransome's classic series, originally published in 1930: for children, for grownups, for anyone captivated by the world of adventure and imagination. Swallows and Amazons introduces the lovable Walker family, the camp on Wild Cat island, the able-bodied catboat Swallow, and the two intrepid Amazons, Nancy and Peggy Blackett.

This gorgeous hardcover copy of Rudyard Kipling's classic features both Jungle Books One and Two! Follow Baloo, Kaa, and other fantastical jungle characters as they raise young Mowgli and teach him about friendship and loyalty.

From the publisher: "Juan is the slave of the great Spanish painter Diego Velásquez and helps his master in his studio by preparing paints and stretching canvases. But Juan is an artist, too; he has taught himself by watching his master's technique. Although such work is forbidden to slaves, Juan cannot keep his secret any longer. What will happen when the truth is known?"

In this classic frontier adventure, Lois Lenski reconstructs the real life story of Mary Jemison, who was captured in a raid as young girl and raised amongst the Seneca Indians. Meticulously researched and illustrated with many detailed drawings, this novel offers an exceptionally vivid and personal portrait of Native American life and customs.

Be immersed in the tale of Lad, a thoroughbred Collie whose loyalty and courage set him apart. Readers of all ages will enjoy reading about Lad's devotion to his Master and Mistress and the trials and adventures he finds himself in. By the end of the book, readers will understand why Lad is truly an unforgettable dog.

Orphaned at birth, Oliver Twist seems destined for a life of misery. Miraculously, he survives years of neglect, hunger, and violence. On his eighth birthday he is taken to the workhouse, and now his troubles are really about to begin.

Follow the effervescent Pollyanna as she brightens the lives of those who live in the town of Beldingsville. Her optimism continues until something so terrible happens that Pollyanna doesn't know how to feel glad about it. Will her happiness prevail?