Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Literature & Fiction

Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout takes us back to gentler times when the bad guys weren't really that bad, didn't carry Uzis, and being an inventor like Thomas Edison was the dream of many young boys. In this book our hero creates an electric automobile with a top speed of over 100 mi./h, saves the bank, gives the bully two black eyes, wins the prize for the fastest automobile in a 500 mile race, only stopping once to recharge his batteries. Without a NASCAR pit crew, it only took Tom 25 min.

Tom Swift and His Motorcycle is Volume 2 of the original Tom Swift series. In this book, first published in 1910, our hero, the young inventor Tom Swift, buys a motorboat at auction that he "soups up", making it one of the fastest boats on Lake Charlupa. Meanwhile, the Happy Harry Gang has some sort of interest in the motorboat, with shady characters lurking about the Swift laboratories and the boat.

Volume 19 of the Tom Swift series, Tom Swift and his Big Tunnel finds our hero in Peru, South America, along with his friends, Koku the Giant and Mr. Damon blasting his way to the Andes Mountains using a new explosive developed by the young inventor. Of course there are plenty of thrills in this volume. What would you expect with an explosive more powerful than dynamite, and dealing with a new set of villains.

Narrated by Mike Vendetti, this is the original version of Hensel and Gretel published by the Brothers Grimm. Probably not suitable for the polite and sensitive child under 12. A really wicked stepmother convinces the children's father to lead the children out into the woods far enough so they wouldn't be able to return home, but they do return one time to the chagrin of the stepmother. The next time they are taken to the woods they are not able to return home but do stumble upon a little house constructed of cake and confectionery which they immediately begin to consume.

This book, Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Memorial Edition, takes us to 14 homes of the great, including Dickens, Shakespere, Victor Hugo, and Thomas Edison.

Book number 15 of the Tom Swift series finds our hero pursuing smugglers across the Canadian border. In his friends and a custom agent had to Canada in Tom's mighty airship equipped with the world's greatest Searchlight in search of smugglers were using Shopton as a destination. Of course along the way, Tom and his friends have several hair-raising experiences. This book was originally published in 1912, and attitudes and expressions were different from today, and some may find the language in this material offensive.

Volume seven of the Tom Swift series brings our hero, Tom Swift, to Phantom Mountain, somewhere in Colorado, in search of a band of rascals who use the power generated in a flash of lightning to create diamonds. Tom Swift encounters Barcoe Jenks, an eccentric character we met in the previous volume, who enlists Tom's aid to get the secret of making perfect diamonds from the sinister gang of Diamond Makers. Once again our hero, Tom Swift, saves his companions from many a disaster.

In volume number eight of the Tom Swift series by Victor Appleton, narrated by John Michaels, our hero, Tom Swift, takes his airship, the Red Cloud, and his friends above the Arctic Circle in search of gold. They find the gold, but not without dealing with savage Indians, scoundrels, violent storms, and of course the evil Fogers. Please note that some of the language, attitudes, and references, although acceptable when this book was copyrighted in 1911, are not politically correct today.

Volume 10 of the Tom Swift series finds our hero building a new airship and taking it to Africa, where he hunts elephants with his new electric rifle and rescues two missionaries from a savage and crafty tribe of red pygmies. Please remember that this book was published in 1911, and attitudes and language acceptable at that time are not politically correct today.

Tom Swift and His Air Glider by Victor Appleton, volume 12 of the Tom Swift series, takes our hero to Siberia in search of a long lost platinum mine. In order to accomplish this, the young inventor invents an "air glider" that (don't try this at home) operates best in a hurricane. In this episode instead of his arch rival Andy Foger, the Czarists provide the intrigue as they attempt to capture Tom and his friends.

Glenn Hascall does a beautiful job narrating this classic by Beatrix Potter. It will entertain youngsters, and also provide an object lesson.

Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders volume 20 in the Tom Swift series by Victor Appleton. In this volume Tom and his friends are in the Honduran jungle in search of a Golden Idol. Our hero thwarts the bad guys, find the idol, and he gets the girl. A fun escape for the listener to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when "electric" rifles in the near future were a distinct possibility.

In the first volume of this series, our hero, Tom Swift, rebuilds a motorcycle. In this, volume 25, Tom Swift and his Electric Locomotive, Tom Swift not only invents, but builds an electric locomotive capable of speeds in excess of 120 mph. This is the final volume of the 25 volume Tom Swift series narrated by John W Michaels and published by Audio Books by Mike Vendetti.

Volume nine of the Tom Swift series pits our hero Tom Swift against his arch rival Andy Foger in an airplane race for a prize of $10,000. A lot of money back in 1910. Andy has developed an even nastier bag of tricks in this volume. Our hero not only builds the world’s fastest monoplane in his garage, but saves his father's life by flying a world-class surgeon in the monoplane to his father's aid. Every chapter of this book is a cliffhanger, leaving the listener in anticipation of the next exciting chapter.

Glenn Hascall narrates this charming Hans Christian Anderson story of the vain Emperor who rather than be thought stupid or incompetent because he can't see the "beautiful" cloth to conniving weavers have sold him parades through the kingdom naked until a child too young and naïve to go along with the deception spills the beans.

A blaze breaks out in a fireworks factory near Tom Swift's home, but the fire is even closer to his sweetheart, Mary Nestor's house. Tom and his chum and faithful companion Ned Newton rush to extinguish the conflagration and help rescue victims. Tom and Ned rescue a scientist and chemist who becomes one of the subplots of this thrilling tale of yesteryear. The main plot of the story is based on an idea that strikes Tom as he is fighting the fire: Why not invent an aerial firefighting apparatus? It is this invention that nearly blinds Eradicate, but ultimately sends Tom to rescue Mary Nestor.

Glenn Hascell narrates this Hans Christian Anderson tale of a very vain little girl more concerned with herself than those who try to help her. She is so vain she pays more attention to her shoes then the sermon in church. The old lady, her benefactor is dying, but Karen chooses to go to a dance in town. Hans Christian Anderson is famous for his morality stories, and there definitely is a moral here. Once again Glenn Hascall takes us there.

Narrator and actor Glenn Hascall slips into character to describe this Rudyard Kipling tale of how the Leopard got his spots. One need not be a youngster to enjoy this short story.

Beautifully narrated by Glenn Hascall, this classic by Beatrix Potter will entertain youngsters, and also provide an object lesson.

The Ugly Duckling, narrated by Glenn Hascall and written by Hans Christian Anderson, is indeed an inspiration to those of us who believe we were born ugly or less talented than our peers. Barnyard abuse, verbal abuse, or bullying: it's all pretty much the same. This classic piece by Hans Christian Anderson has delighted children for over 150 years.