· 2014
"A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again. But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week." So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic--and sarcastic asides--to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that." Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume--a must for home, library, and classroom shelves--as stunning as it is entertaining.
· 2015
Who cut off Medusa's head? Who was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus? It takes a demigod to know, and Percy Jackson can fill you in on the all the daring deeds of Perseus, Atalanta, Bellerophon, and the rest of the major Greek heroes. Told in the funny, irreverent style readers have come to expect from Percy, ( I've had some bad experiences in my time, but the heroes I'm going to tell you about were the original old school hard luck cases. They boldly screwed up where no one had screwed up before. . .) and enhanced with vibrant artwork by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco, this story collection will become the new must-have classic for Rick Riordan's legions of devoted fans--and for anyone who needs a hero. So get your flaming spear. Put on your lion skin cape. Polish your shield and make sure you've got arrows in your quiver. We're going back about four thousand years to decapitate monsters, save some kingdoms, shoot a few gods in the butt, raid the Underworld, and steal loot from evil people. Then, for dessert, we'll die painful tragic deaths. Ready? Sweet. Let's do this.
· 2013
THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL will soon be a major motion picture from Netflix—starring Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Wylie, Sophie Anne Caruso, Jamie Flatters, Earl Cave, Kit Young, and more! The New York Times bestselling School for Good and Evil series is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one. Start here to follow Sophie, Agatha, and everyone at school from the beginning! With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil. The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are? Don't miss the thrilling conclusion to the beloved series, The School for Good and Evil #6: One True King!
The three billy goats outsmart the hungry troll who lives under the bridge.
· 2015
Grimm's Fairy Tales is the definitive collection of fairy tales in the English language. This collection includes favorites like Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Hansel and Gretel, and Rumplestiltzkin. Lesser known stories like The Golden Bird and The Goose-Girl are sure to delight and enchant children of all ages. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes
· 2014
From Newbery Honor-winning, New York Times bestselling author Adam Gidwitz Did you know that Cinderella’s stepsisters got their eyes pecked out by birds? Really. And that Rumpelstiltskin ripped himself in half? And that in “The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage,” a mouse, a bird, and a sausage all talk to each other? (Okay, I guess that one’s not that grim.) Those are the real fairy tales. But they have nothing on the fairy tales in this book. For more twisted tales look for A Tale Dark and Grimm and In a Glass Grimmly. * “Underneath the gore, the wit, and the trips to Hell and back, this book makes it clearer than ever that Gidwitz truly cares about the kids he writes for.” —Publishers Weekly starred review “Entertaining story-mongering, with traditional and original tropes artfully intertwined.”—Kirkus Reviews “As innovative as they are traditional, the stories maintain clear connections with traditional Grimm tales while creatively connecting to the narrative, and all the while keeping the proceedings undeniably grisly and lurid. . . .Readers will rejoice.”—School Library Journal
· 2013
This carefully crafted ebook: “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (German: Nussknacker und Mausekönig) is a story written in 1816 by E. T. A. Hoffmann in which young Marie Stahlbaum's favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and, after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls. Content: Christmas Eve The Gifts The Favorite Wonders upon Wonders The Battle The Sickness The Story of the Hard Nut The Story of the Hard Nut Continued Conclusion of the Story of the Hard Nut The Uncle and Nephew The Victory The Puppet Kingdom The Capital The Conclusion E.T.A. Hoffmann, original name Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (1776 — 1822), German writer, composer, and painter known for his stories in which supernatural and sinister characters move in and out of men’s lives, ironically revealing tragic or grotesque sides of human nature.
· 2015
A Short Story Collection by Nathaniel Hawthorne “Pleasant is a rainy winter's day, within doors! The best study for such a day, or the best amusement,—call it which you will,—is a book of travels, describing scenes the most unlike that somber one” ― Nathaniel Hawthorne, Twice-Told Tales This collection of short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne contains works he had previously published anonymously. Twice-Told Tales includes the following stories: "The Gray Champion" "Sunday at Home" "The Wedding-Knell" "The Minister's Black Veil" "The May-Pole of Merry Mount" "The Gentle Boy" "Mr. Higginbotham's Catastrophe" "Little Annie's Ramble" "Wakefield" and many more! This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes
· 2011
In this wonderful, vigorously contemporary translation, Craig Hill has captured the liveliness, satiric wit, and poetic beauty that made Jean de la Fontaine famous during his lifetime and his Fables celebrated as a masterwork of world literature ever since. Despite la Fontaine’s deceptively modest claim that all he intended was to put the moral tales of Aesop and other ancient fabulists into poetry for the pleasure of Louis XIV’s young son, his real accomplishment, as later generations have understood, was holding a mirror up to the society of his day and, in the process, fashioning a work that has become a classic. Borrowing from a variety of sources, la Fontaine gave the hitherto mute animals in ancient fables the power of speech. Backstabbing politicians, brainless nincompoops, charlatans, clueless heads of state, egomaniacs, empty-headed celebrities, foolish investors, gluttons, liars, penny–pinchers, self-important blowhards, and wastrels—these are the targets of la Fontaine’s pen. In this beautifully bound collector’s edition, Craig Hill has given us a rare treat: both the irreverent spirit and the vivid poetry that have made la Fontaine’s fables beloved through the ages, continuing to amuse and inspire centuries after they ?rst appeared in print.
· 2022
The Complete Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales is a remarkable anthology that encapsulates the vibrant and often dark world of folk narratives gathered and preserved by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. This collection is characterized by its enchanting prose, rich imagery, and underlying moral tales, revealing the complexities of human nature and societal values. The literary context of the tales is steeped in the oral traditions of Germany, capturing a post-Enlightenment interest in folklore and the authenticity of cultural heritage. The Grimms' meticulous editing process, which transformed raw folk stories into well-rounded narratives, retains an authenticity while ensuring that each tale serves as both entertainment and a cautionary moral lesson. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were not only scholars of linguistics and philology but also passionately dedicated to preserving the oral narratives of their German homeland. Their background in academic pursuits and folklore studies deeply impacted their methodology in documenting these tales. The brothers' experiences in a rapidly changing society fueled their desire to capture elements of German culture that were at risk of being lost, intertwining their scholarly ambitions with a love for storytelling that has resonated through generations. Readers are encouraged to delve into The Complete Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales as it offers not only a window into a rich folkloric tradition but also profound reflections on humanity and morality. Whether revisiting childhood favorites or discovering these timeless narratives for the first time, this collection invites readers to explore the depths of imagination and the potent lessons housed within, making it an essential part of any literary canon.