Phileas Fogg was enjoying a night of cards and conversation when the discussion turned to bank robbers. To prove his theory that the robber could be halfway across the globe, he makes a wager that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Can he win his bet? Find out in this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Jules Verne's classic by Rod Espinosa. Creator biographies and a glossary help reluctant readers take the first step on the road to classic literature.
In Charles Dickens's classic tale of society, Pip is a boy who wants to be a gentleman. When a mysterious benefactor provides Pip the money to better himself, he moves to London to learn all he can to impress and marry the beautiful Estella. But when the benefactor surfaces, all could be lost. Young readers can follow the tale of love, wealth, and friendship in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Dickens's Great Expectations.
In Charles Dickens's classic tale of redemption, Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old man with no Christmas spirit. All that changes after he is visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve and shown how his past, present, and future are affected by his actions. Young readers can follow the tale of love, wealth, and holiday spirit in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Dickens's A Christmas Carol.
In Charles Dickens's classic tale of the French Revolution, Lucie Manette and her family are living quietly in London when the revolution draws them into the center of the dangerous mob in Paris. The fight for her husband's freedom and the sacrifice of Sydney Carton has been adapted for young readers. From the calm of London to the unrest in Paris, love, loyalty, and friendships are tested in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.
Alexandre Dumas's classic tale of betrayal and revenge follows the life of Edmond Dantes. After young Dantes is falsely imprisoned in the Chateau d'If, he is taken under the wing of another prisoner and taught to be a gentleman. By deceiving his jailers, Dantes escapes prison and sets off to take revenge on those who had betrayed him. Follow the powerful story of friendship, betrayal, and revenge in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo.
Charles Dickens presents the classic tale of David Copperfield to readers young and old. From the loss of Copperfield's father before his birth, through his mother's remarriage, to finding the love of his life, Dickens reveals the heartbreak, hope, and friendship found along an ordinary life. Young readers can follow the tale of love in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Dickens's David Copperfield.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tale of family honor brings us the Pyncheon family. From the deception of the first Colonel Pyncheon to the evilness of the current Judge Pyncheon, the family's curses, troubles, and few happinesses are revealed. Follow all happenings of the family home in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables.
Two of Washington Irving's classic short stories have been adapted for young readers. When Ichabod Crane enters the village of Sleepy Hollow, he is enthralled by its ghost stories--until he becomes the center of one. Then, the strange disappearance of Rip Van Winkle has been the talk of his village for twenty years, yet it's only been a night's sleep for Rip! The mysteries of the old Dutch settlements are retold in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle.
In Mark Twain's classic tale of friendship and adventure, Huckleberry Finn escapes his evil, drunken father, befriends a runaway slave named Jim, and sails the Mississippi River! As Huck and Jim sail to freedom, they encounter con men and thieves and get in plenty of trouble along the way. Follow Huck's coming-of-age journey in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Middle graders will laugh and cry with thirteen-year-old Vanessa Martin as she tries to be like Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. In this semi-autobiographical debut novel set in 1983, Vanessa Martin's real-life reality of living with family in public housing in Newark, New Jersey is a far cry from the glamorous Miss America stage. She struggles with a mother she barely remembers, a grandfather dealing with addiction and her own battle with self-confidence. But when a new teacher at school coordinates a beauty pageant and convinces Vanessa to enter, Vanessa's view of her own world begins to change. Vanessa discovers that her own self-worth is more than the scores of her talent performance and her interview answers, and that she doesn't need a crown to be comfortable in her own skin and see her own true beauty.
Ling, the narrator of Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, can’t imagine a different life than the comfortable one she’s known, living with her physician parents in Wuhan, China. In this nonfiction companion to the popular novel, you'll explore what real life was like in 1970’s China––from foods and traditions, to medicine and marketing. It covers historical elements, such as Mao’s rise to power, the Red Guard, and Barefoot Doctors, as well as broader cultural topics, like Chinese food, Chinese New Year, and origami. The Nonfiction Companion series takes popular, grade-appropriate fiction titles and provides a more in-depth understanding of them. What were ration booklets really like? How did barefoot doctors work? Did families really run away to work on farms? Students will love to read about the histories, author backgrounds, and real-life facts surrounding books they already know and love.
Imagine what it might be like to be sent away from home in wartime. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s award-winning novel The War That Saved My Life tells the story of fictional siblings whose lives unexpectedly change for the better in spite of the war. In this nonfiction companion, you'll dive deeper into the story and discover more about the real spies of World War II, ration books, the dangers of poverty, horses in the English countryside, and contributions women made on the home front. The Nonfiction Companion series takes popular, grade-appropriate fiction titles and provides a more in-depth understanding of them. What were ration booklets really like? How did barefoot doctors work? Did families really run away to work on farms? Students will love to read about the histories, author backgrounds, and real-life facts surrounding books they already know and love.
When Brian Robeson goes to visit his dad in Canada, the last thing he expects is that his plane will crash and he’ll be stranded in the wilderness. In this nonfiction companion to the popular novel, you'll learn about the author’s harrowing real-life experiences that are the basis of the novel. Get the facts about the dangers Brian faces in the Canadian North Woods and learn about foraging, fishing without gear, and how to start a fire without matches. Would you have what it takes to survive on your own? The Nonfiction Companion series takes popular, grade-appropriate fiction titles and provides a more in-depth understanding of them. What were ration booklets really like? How did barefoot doctors work? Did families really run away to work on farms? Students will love to read about the histories, author backgrounds, and real-life facts surrounding books they already know and love.
In Gennifer Choldenko’s novel Al Capone Does My Shirts, Moose Flanagan has to figure out how to navigate life on Alcatraz. Not only is the island home to infamous criminals like Al Capone, but Moose also has to help his parents with his sister, who has autism, and learn how to fit in at school. In this nonfiction companion to the popular novel, you'll read about what life was like for real kids who grew up on Alcatraz, prisoner escape attempts, autism in the 1930s, and exactly why Al Capone was so famous. The Nonfiction Companion series takes popular, grade-appropriate fiction titles and provides a more in-depth understanding of them. What were ration booklets really like? How did barefoot doctors work? Did families really run away to work on farms? Students will love to read about the histories, author backgrounds, and real-life facts surrounding books they already know and love.
Bud Caldwell, the protagonist of Christopher Paul Curtis’s novel Bud, Not Buddy, is on a mission to find the man he believes to be his father––bandleader Herman E. Calloway. In this nonfiction companion to the popular novel, you'll explore what real life was like during the Depression-era setting of the book, who the real jazz musicians of the era were, and what life was like living in a cardboard town called a Hooverville. The Nonfiction Companion series takes popular, grade-appropriate fiction titles and provides a more in-depth understanding of them. What were ration booklets really like? How did barefoot doctors work? Did families really run away to work on farms? Students will love to read about the histories, author backgrounds, and real-life facts surrounding books they already know and love.
In Esperanza Rising, Esperanza lives a comfortable, well-to-do life on her family’s ranch in Mexico. When her life suddenly changes and she must become a farm worker in California, she has a difficult time adjusting. In this nonfiction companion to the popular novel, readers learn about the struggles farm workers faced during the Great Depression, including illness, dust storms, and the decision of whether or not to strike, as well as the small joys, like favorite foods and weekly fiestas. The Nonfiction Companion series takes popular, grade-appropriate fiction titles and provides a more in-depth understanding of them. What were ration booklets really like? How did barefoot doctors work? Did families really run away to work on farms? Students will love to read about the histories, author backgrounds, and real-life facts surrounding books they already know and love.
This masterfully written story of buried treasure, piracy, and swashbuckling on the high seas is an unforgettable adventure, filled with excitement for all ages. It begins in merry ol' England and entwines its way with intrigue and adventure to an exciting climax on an exotic tropical island.
Two boys- one a prince, the other a pauper- look so much alike that no one can tell them apart! Join them in the days of old England, as they switch places- the prince becoming a pauper and the pauper a prince.
Dad was always depressing Abel with his pyramid stories. He was always dooming Abel to a life at the bottom of the pyramid with all the other miserable losers. No matter how much Abel struggled and clawed, he'd never get to the pinnacle of the pyramid. And his mom was absolutely sure of Abel's incompetence at whatever he said.
Carmen Ibarra's larger-than-life father is running for city council against Monte Esposito, the corrupt incumbent- and Naomi's cousin. Ernesto is a little nervous. Deep in his heart he knows that Esposito is not good for the barrio. But he isn't about to upset Naomi's family. So he keeps his mouth shut.
Mark just can't settle into his new life. He misses his friends and has trouble connecting with new classmates. Walking through his neighborhood, he sees an open window. Instantly, everything changes. Maybe he can pretend to be someone else and live a different life ... if only for a moment.
Shipwrecked Viola disguises herself as a boy and enters the service of Duke Orsino and falls in love with him. Orsino sends his servant, Cesario (Viola in disguise) to woo the Countess Olivia on his behalf. Olivia cannot love Orsino, but promptly falls in love with his servant, Cesario (Viola). Viola's shipwrecked twin brother, Sebastian, arrives on the scene creating chaos as it now appears that Cesario can be in two places at once. Will all the confusion end to everyone's satisfaction?
Do UFO's really exist? Could creatures from another planet visit Earth? In The War of the Worlds they do exist and the visitors from the planet Mars come to Earth with not so friendly intentions- to destroy our civilizations! Can humans stop these monstrous invaders before they destroy everything and everyone on Earth?
Deb has reading problems and is self-conscious about it. She doesn't think smart boys will like her. But she's hardworking, helpful, and a girl of her word. Deb turns down a date to rake her sick neighbor's leaves. Ed, smart and handsome, comes by to give her a hand and- perhaps- ask her out.
Oliver Twist is a penniless orphan. What chance has he got on the dangerous streets of 19th century London? Before long, he's taken in by a gang of thieves. The boy's future looks grim indeed, until a few kindly souls enter the picture.
