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

This delightful fairy tale for all ages is filled with fantasy, wit, and wisdom. A classic penned in 1872 by author George MacDonald, it has inspired the work of his friend Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland), and many others, including C.S. Lewis (The Narnia Chronicles), J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), G.K. Chesterton (The Father Brown Mysteries), and Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time).

Published in 1905 by Frances Hodgson Burnett - author of the beloved The Secret Garden - this is the story of Sara Crewe, the adored and pampered daughter of a wealthy widowed father. Sara suffers great losses but taps in to her "inner princess", and with strength, imagination, and storytelling, she triumphs over her sad circumstances while at the same time inspiring her fellow school companions.

The first in a series of 28 Tom Swift books by Victor Appleton, this book introduces us to our hero Tom Swift son of noted inventor, Barton Swift. Tom's father's invention for new and improved turbine motor is stolen by the Happy Harry Gang, who we will meet in future episodes since they manage to escape this time. Each chapter is a cliffhanger filled with intrigue, espionage and excitement!

Emil Tischbein's adventure begins when he is traveling by train from the small town of Neustadt to visit his grandmother in Berlin. His hardworking mother has given him 140 marks in an envelope which is securely fastened with a pin to his inside pocket. Unfortunately for him, he's sharing a railway carriage with a man in a bowler hat who, taking advantage of Emil's sleepiness, has robbed him.

Cloud of Spruce, the ancestral home of the Lesley clan, is situated amid orchards and spruce woods with a perfect view of Prince Edward Island harbor. Six-year-old Marigold Lesley is sure that the sound of the wind through the trees is the whispers of fairies; that just over the hill is a beautiful Hidden Land; and that her friend Sylvia—who no one else can see—will always be waiting to play with her. Marigold lives with her understanding mother, her curmudgeonly Old Grandmother, and her strict Young Grandmother who doesn't approve of imaginary friends.

Pets find themselves at the mercy of human decisions—some bringing joy, others sorrow. Follow the heartwarming and heartbreaking tales of cats, dogs, and even pigs as they navigate the journey from abandonment to rescue, foster care, and adoption. In this collection of stories, discover the resilience of animals and the remarkable humans who open their hearts to give them a second chance at love and family.

He’s “Mister” Crow because he can’t stand his first name (for good reason!), but no one calls him Old to his face. Listen as Old Mr. Crow is mightily tricked by Mr. Frog the tailor, learns some downsides to owning the only umbrella in Pleasant Valley, and very nearly loses his standing in the local crow community. Oh! and he has a near miss with the worst case of gout Aunt Polly Woodchuck has ever seen!

Country girl Polly Milton plies her sweet demeanor and practical ways to teach the citified Shaw family that time-tested, old-fashioned values are the surest way to a happy life. Sprinkled with wry commentary from the author, Louisa May Alcott’s classic is bursting with timeless charm.

Despite Dorothy's many tales of her adventures in Oz, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry never quite believe her stories. Upon finding out the tornado that destroyed their farmhouse in book 1 (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) is the cause of her Uncle Henry's horrible debt, Dorothy is determined to help her family. She makes plans with Ozma to bring her aunt and uncle to Oz where they may live happily ever after. Unbeknownst to Ozma and our friends in Oz, the Nome King is plotting to take over the Land of Oz and retrieve his magic belt that Dorothy took from him in book 3, Ozma of Oz.

Gusta, the rhino lady, and her friend Gusto, a rhino gentleman, are going through different life situations with humanized emotions and circumstances. However, in a fantastic “animalistic” form, touched with the breeze of charming humor, poetry, and animalistic wisdom. This special edition of Gusta & Gusto includes commentaries between Lea Sakran, the mother, and Laura, Dana Rose Sakran, her daughter. The comments within the tales interweave organically with the stories.

Howard Garis was an American author who wrote many volumes for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. While Garis wrote several books under pseudonyms, the best known titles penned under his own name are those in the Uncle Wiggily series. The title character is an elderly rabbit, who suffers from rheumatism. In his rambles about the neighborhood he uses a distinctive and colorful walking cane. Although he is infirm, and sometimes appears slow of apprehension, he usually manages to defeat the deceptive wiles of his less scrupulous neighbors.

While playing outside on the farm in Kansas, Dorothy, and Toto happen upon the Shaggy Man, who asks for directions to Butterfield. The pair is happy to show him the way, but the road splits into seven different paths and Dorothy is unsure which is the correct choice. After some debate, the group decides to take the seventh path where they run into an adorable little boy named Button Bright who cannot seem to stop getting lost. Further down the road, they encounter Polychrome, who is the daughter of the Rainbow.

Dorothy and Uncle Henry go to California to visit family at Hugson's Ranch where Dorothy is introduced to her second cousin, Zeb. While Dorothy, Zeb, and Dorothy's cat, Eureka, are enjoying a horse-drawn buggy ride one afternoon, an earthquake hits, creating an enormous crack in the ground beneath their buggy. They all go tumbling into the crevice, down to the Land of the Mangaboos.

Everyone loves a wonderful Christmas story! In this classic tale of A Kidnapped Santa Claus, there is a unique forward with two lesson plans, one including a cooking activity and one including a diorama project. You will find an about the author section with information about both the contributor and a footnoted writeup about L. Frank Baum.

Gusta, the rhino lady, goes through different life situations with her friend Gusto, a rhino gentleman. In its simplicity, each of the twelve chapters has a deeper meaning, with Gusta and Gusto going through humanized emotions and circumstances. However, in a fantastic “animalistic” form, touched with the breeze of charming humor, poetry, and animalistic wisdom.

While traveling to Australia with Uncle Henry, Dorothy is swept overboard. She is able to save herself by means of a floating chicken coop, complete with a Yellow Hen inside, who she names Billina. Dorothy and her new friend explore their surroundings and meet a mechanical man named Tik Tok who joins their adventure. Back in Oz, Princess Ozma is on a mission to demand the release of the royal family of Ev from the evil Nome King. She meets up with Dorothy and the group must band together to solve the riddles of the King and restore order to the land.

Biff Brewster heads to Burma to visit his uncle, Charles Keene. His trip to the Far East is evidently of interest to other people. When he arrives in Burma, a kidnap attempt occurs at the airport. He doesn't understand why but escapes back to the airline terminal. An employee of Charles Keene finds Biff and takes him to Explorations Unlimited, Charles Keene's company. Biff discovers his uncle is missing in Communist China and decides to find and rescue him. During the rescue, Biff discovers a secret Chinese base whose knowledge is valuable to the United States.

Biff Brewster receives a 16th birthday present to go to Brazil to be with his father. Biff believes he will be going on a safari. Before leaving, Biff receives a secret letter from Mr. Stannart of the Ajax Company to give to his father. Stannart informs Biff that his father is not looking for rubber plantations, as many at the Company believe, but instead is looking for a secret gold mine. As Biff quickly discovers, others are also looking for the secret gold mine and will stop at nothing to find it. In addition to thieves, Native headhunters and wild rivers await Biff and his father.

The Marvelous Land of Oz is book two in the Oz series by L. Frank Baum. In this story, we meet a young boy named Tip. His guardian Mombi is a wicked witch and Tip is always met with anger and abuse. One day Tip has had enough and seeks revenge on the witch, building a wooden man with a pumpkin for a head, hoping to frighten Mombi. His plan backfires and while not fooled, Mombi demonstrates her own power by bringing the aptly named Jack Pumpkinhead to life. Not yet done with her abuse, Mombi informs Tip she will turn him into a stone statue as punishment for his deceit.

The Book of Dragons is a collection of children’s stories by English writer Edith Nesbit, who wrote under the name E. Nesbit in order to obscure her gender. Comprising eight stories originally published in 1899 in The Strand magazine, The Book of Dragons is a work that explores the magic and wonder of mythical beasts for children and adults alike.