Showing results by author "James Gardner" in All Categories

These "Tales for Tiny Tots" are ageless and varied very short stories, aimed at those who are just nascent at listening, to provide them with delight and inch them towards a broader understanding of the world. Each tale contains a wise moral brought forth by colorful imagery: there you will find the "Tale of Peter Rabbitt", by Beatrix Potter, "Little Red Hen", "Dolly Dimple", "The visit to Santa Claus Land", and many more read by Katie Haigh.

"Prince Darling": An aged king who is a widower lavishes indulgence on his only son, who the people consequently call "Prince Darling". He fears he will die before the child is of age and confesses his concern to his friend, the Fairy of Truth. The fairy promises to grant the boy a boon such as beauty, wealth or military success, but the king asks only that the fairy make the boy a good person. The fairy says she cannot change the boy's character, but she can give him advice and correct him when he errs.

"The Twelve Labours of Hercules" are a series of feats ordered by the gods carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised as Hercules. The legend was first written whole, as a fixed cycle of twelve labours, in an epic Greek poem now lost, in about 600BC; as they survive in the original source, the labours are not all recounted in a single place, but must be reassembled from many sources. This short story is a retelling of Hercules' legend with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

Here is a collection of the most beloved English poems, from century-old anonymous nursery rhymes to delightful texts from Edward Lear to Lewis Carroll and Robert Stevenson. Rediscover the classics that have been passed from parents to children for generations: "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat", "Kindness to Animals", "How doth the little busy bee", "Twinkle twinkle little star", and 20 more timeless jewels, read by Katie Haigh.

Kim Lam is an ordinary college student until a freak scientific accident (what else?) transforms Kim and three housemates into Sparks - and drafts them into the never-ending war between the Light and Dark. They struggle to master their new abilities - and (of course) to design cool costumes and come up with great hero-names. Turns out that "accident" was just the first salvo in a Mad Genius's latest diabolical scheme. Now it's up to four newbie heroes to save the day, before they even have a chance to figure out what their team's name should be!

Only days have passed since a freak accident granted four college students superhuman powers. Now Jools and her friends (who haven’t even picked out a name for their superhero team yet) get caught up in the hunt for a Mad Genius’ misplaced super-weapon. But when Jools falls in with a modern-day Robin Hood and his band of superpowered Merry Men, she finds it hard to sort out the Good Guys from the Bad Guys - and to figure out which side she truly belongs on. Especially since nobody knows exactly what the Gun does....

Ten mythological heroes and stories from Greek mythology, for a delightful overview of the fundamentals of our culture. This is a selection of the most touching and inspiring stories from Ancient Greece; they have all inspired countless works of art through the centuries, often come from even more ancient myths, and are here retold in a detailed and lively manner.

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is the ultimate tragic love story. It is perhaps one of the most famous Greek myths, and the greatest artists have composed masterpieces to honour these two great lovers who lost their chance at reunion. The earliest account comes from Ibycus (circa 530 BC), a Greek lyric poet. This short story is a mixture of the various existing versions, presenting the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in all its details, all the way to Orpheus' death at the hands of the Bacchantes.

"The Tragedy of Macbeth" is a play written by William Shakespeare. Set mainly in Scotland, the play illustrates the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. The play was most likely written during the reign of James I, who had been James VI of Scotland before he succeeded to the English throne in 1603. James was a patron of Shakespeare's acting company and of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during James's reign, "Macbeth" most clearly reflects the playwright's relationship with the sovereign.

"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others." The play seems to have been one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most-performed. It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as "the world's most-filmed story after Cinderella".

Have you ever been to a King Lear performance with the impression of not having understood everything? It's normal. Shakespeare's plays are the most beautiful of the theatrical repertoire, but you cannot go to a Shakespeare play if you do not have a minimum prepared this show: understand the issues, characters, context, cultural or historical references is indispensable. The same is true if you intend to read a play by William Shakespeare: our summaries will help you better understand what you have read.

Bring together the inner happiness brought by meditation and the external pleasure of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). We specify that the interpretation of this title is intentionally whispered, to correspond to the principles of the ASMR. This album of meditation and relaxation techniques is read by Katie Haigh in a soft whisper that will ensure to trigger the frisson of ASMR and its healing properties, so that you feel perfectly relaxed, brain-thrillingly good, and finally let go of stress and anxieties.

The fascinating and little-known story of the Louvre, from its inception as a humble fortress to its transformation into the palatial residence of the kings of France and then into the world's greatest art museum.

The New York Times Best-selling fantasy author Anne Bishop makes her U.S. debut in science fiction with this engaging futuristic novella. The Restorers travel the universe fulfilling a purpose handed down through the generations. They live and die aboard city-ships, never knowing the worlds they create and save. What begins as a disastrous training exercise in creating and balancing ecosystems becomes an unexpected fight for survival. The only hope may be the secret project of an untried Restorer.

Martin Gardner wrote the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American for twenty-five years and published more than seventy books on topics as diverse as magic, philosophy, religion, pseudoscience, and Alice in Wonderland.

Thrilling tales of despair litter the countryside of Rustle County, where children have been disappearing for hundreds of years. This collection of terrifying short stories details the odious occurrences that have haunted Boltsville for generations. Follow Sheriff LeBuff and his affable deputy, Officer LeBlanc, as they try to piece together the dark mystery.

Most people would love to сrеаtе (more) wеаlth and achieve (more) finаnсiаl success, ѕо thаt they саn livе thе life оf their dreams. You could be one of them! Tо асhiеvе thiѕ, уоu need to learn the inconvenient truths about the rich. The inconvenient truths contain information about what rich people dо. What they do, sets them араrt frоm everyone else.

"The Death of Adonis" is a fundamental part of Greek mythology and one of its most touching stories. Accidentally wounded by one of Eros' arrows, the goddess Aphrodite falls desperately in love with the handsome Adonis, son of a king and a beauty among mortals. Yet his only passion is hunting and he refuses to take her warnings seriously when he hears about a great boar he would love to slay. There is something of the idea of coming of age in this tale, when the moment of realisation brings forth the understanding of what could have been and where the real beauty lays.

The myth of King Midas is a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing that gold should be coveted above all things, and the foolishness of wishing without thinking. It appeared in Ovid's "Metamorphosis", and has inspired many works of art and literature through the centuries. This is a retelling of the complete tale of "The King with the Golden Touch", from the Gordian knot to the ears of an ass, in great detail and with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

Alexander III was Emperor of Russia from 1881 until his death in 1894. He was highly conservative and reversed some of the liberal reforms of his father, Alexander II. He was a pacifist, focused on the protection of his people; mostly seen as lacking refinement and elegance, he rather relished the idea of being of the same rough texture as some of his subjects. Discover the life and struggles of this influential ruler through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.