The Three Weavers


Annie Fellows Johnston - 1897
    As the story goes, once upon a time there were three weavers, and to each was born a daughter. The "Watcher of Weavers" prophesied to each saying, "A royal prince shall seek to wed thy child" on the condition that she weave a mantle for the prince that will be fair to look upon with rich cloth of gold, and it must fit him as perfectly as the falcon's feathers fit the falcon. Each father is responsible to teach his daughter how to prepare for her prince. When should he begin? Each father's approach coupled with his daughter's cooperation will decide the fate of their future. This is a must read for every father and daughter of all ages!

The Hidden Hand


E.D.E.N. Southworth - 1859
    Southworth was one of the most popular and prolific writers of the nineteenth century and her Capitola Black, or Black Cap - a cross-dressing, adventure-seeking girl-woman - was so well-loved that the book was serialized three times between 1859 and 1888 and was dramatized in forty different versions. When we first meet sharp and witty Capitola she is living among beggars and street urchins, and dressed as a boy because a boy can get work and be safe, whereas a girl is left to starve for want of "proper" employment. Unknown to her, Capitola has a very rich elderly guardian who finds her at a providential moment and takes her back to his palatial mansion where she finds herself "decomposing above ground for want of having my blood stirred." But not to fear. There are bandits, true-loves, evil men, long-lost mothers, and sweet women friends in Capitola's future - not to mention thunder storms, kidnap attempts, and duels. The pace is fast, the action wonderfully unbelievable. This is escape literature at its nineteenth-century best, with a woman at its center who makes you feel strong, daring, and reckless.

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ


Lew Wallace - 1880
    This faithful New Testament tale combines the events of the life of Jesus with grand historical spectacle in the exciting story of Judah of the House of Hur, a man who finds extraordinary redemption for himself and his family.A classic of faith, fortitude, and inspiration.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood


Howard Pyle - 1883
    Consisting of a series of episodes in the story of the English outlaw Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, the novel compiles traditional material into a coherent narrative in a colorful, invented "old English" idiom that preserves some flavor of the ballads, and adapts it for children. The novel is notable for taking the subject of Robin Hood, which had been increasingly popular through the 19th century, in a new direction that influenced later writers, artists, and filmmakers through the next century.[1]Pyle had been submitting illustrated poems and fairy tales to New York publications since 1876, and had met with success. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood was the first novel he attempted. He took his material from Middle Age ballads and wove them into a cohesive story, altering them for coherence and the tastes of his child audience. For example, he included "Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar" in the narrative order to reintroduce Friar Tuck. He needed a cooperative priest for the wedding of outlaw Allan a Dale (Pyle's spelling of the original Alan-a-Dale) to his sweetheart Ellen. In the original "A Gest of Robyn Hode", the life is saved of an anonymous wrestler who had won a bout but was likely to be murdered because he was a stranger. Pyle adapted it and gave the wrestler the identity of David of Doncaster, one of Robin's band in the story "Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow." In his novelistic treatment of the tales, Pyle thus developed several characters who had been mentioned in only one ballad, such as David of Doncaster or Arthur a Bland. Pyle's book continued the 19th-century trend of portraying Robin Hood as a heroic outlaw who robs the rich to feed the poor; this portrayal contrasts with the Robin Hood of the ballads, where the protagonist is an out-and-out crook, whose crimes are motivated by personal gain rather than politics or a desire to help others.[1] For instance, he modified the ballad "Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham", changing it from Robin killing fourteen foresters for not honoring a bet to Robin defending himself against a band of armed robbers. Pyle has Robin kill only one man, who shoots at him first. Tales are changed in which Robin steals all that an ambushed traveler carried, such as "Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford", so that the victim keeps a third and another third is dedicated to the poor. Pyle did not have much concern for historical accuracy, but he renamed the queen-consort in the story "Robin Hood and Queen Katherine" as Eleanor (of Aquitaine). This made her compatible historically with King Richard the Lion-Hearted, with whom Robin eventually makes peace. The novel was first published by Scribner's in 1883, and met with immediate success,[1] ushering in a new era of Robin Hood stories. It helped solidify the image of a heroic Robin Hood, which had begun in earlier works such as Walter Scott's 1819 novel Ivanhoe. In Pyle's wake, Robin Hood has become a staunch philanthropist protecting innocents against increasingly aggressive villains.[1] Along with the publication of the Child Ballads by Francis James Child, which included most of the surviving Robin Hood ballads, Pyle's novel helped increase the popularity of the Robin Hood legend in the United States. The Merry Adventures also had an effect on subsequent children's literature. It helped move the Robin Hood legend out of the realm of penny dreadfuls and into the realm of respected children's books.[2] After Pyle, Robin Hood became an increasingly popular subject for children's books: Louis Rhead's Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band (1912) and Paul Creswick's Robin Hood (1917), illustrated by Pyle's pupil N. C.

The Haunted Room: A Tale


A.L.O.E. - 1900
    Their newly inherited home is grand but gloomy, neglected, and rumoured to be haunted. Before they leave Summer Villa, their uncle warns them that it will not be against the haunted chambers of the house that they need to be wary, but rather, that which is hidden deep within the haunted chambers of their own hearts. Expose the secret chambers of your heart where Pride, Fear, or Worldliness might be residing and break free of their tenacious hold!

The Captive


Christoph von Schmid - 1841
    When offered an easy escape from life’s difficult circumstances, some will eagerly jump at the opportunity and flee the trials that God has laid in their path. Young Anselmo is made of sterner stuff and brings glory to God with his unyielding faith in God and his Savior, Jesus Christ. Watch as God unfolds a bounty of blessing simply because one young man has the courage to see the goodness of his Creator in every circumstance both good and ill.

Laddie: A True Blue Story


Gene Stratton-Porter - 1913
    Loosely based on Stratton-Porter's own childhood, Laddie is a double tale—the classic poor-boy/rich-girl romance and the story of a child of nature and her idyllic childhood.

Under the Lilacs


Louisa May Alcott - 1878
    Theatricals and imaginative pageantry are all part of the fun.

Days of Dreams and Laughter: The Story Girl and Other Tales


L.M. Montgomery - 1990
    Includes The Story Girl and The Golden Road, both featuring the charming Sara Stanley and Kilmeny of the Orchard, one of Montgomery's most romantic and emotional works. Black-and-white illustrations. 6" x 9".

The Story of the Other Wise Man


Henry Van Dyke - 1895
    One thing is certain, it is not written in any other book, nor is it to be found among the ancient lore of the East. And yet I have never felt as if it were my own. It was a gift, and it seemed to me as if I knew the Giver."--Henry Van DykeLong, long ago, a wise man named Artaban, a priest of the Magi, discerned from heavenly signs that the time was at hand for the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy--the birth among the Hebrews of a holy Prince and Deliverer of Man. Hastening to join three fellow Magi for the long journey into Judaea, he paused to help a dying man and was left behind. And so Artaban began his pilgrimage alone, striking out not toward the realization of his life's deepest longing, as he hoped, but only toward misfortune and suffering. Or so he believed until one blessed, radiant moment.With an introduction by Leo Buscaglia

Elsie Dinsmore


Martha Finley - 1868
    She has never known her mother, and her relationship with her father is filled with misunderstanding and tears. The young girl learns to depend wholly upon her faith in her heavenly father.

The Lamplighter


Maria Susanna Cummins - 1854
    But her sudden popularity left her quite unspoiled. A singular modesty, a childlike simplicity, a deep and beauti ful religious faith, were the qualities that endeared her to her friends and that are still evidenced by what was written of her at her death, which occurred in Dorchester October 1, 1866. As her pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Hall, declared in his memorial discourse, She received her success with a simple gladness, less that she was famous than that she might be useful; less that she had gained the public's applause than that she had touched, to issues human and philanthropic, the public's heart, and caused her poor 'lamplighter' to be the means of illumining other and direr darkness than that of night.

Little House in the Big Woods


Laura Ingalls Wilder - 1932
    This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams.Little House in the Big Woods takes place in 1871 and introduces us to four-year-old Laura, who lives in a log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. She shares the cabin with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their lovable dog, Jack.Pioneer life isn’t easy for the Ingalls family, since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But they make the best of every tough situation. They celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do their spring planting, bring in the harvest in the fall, and make their first trip into town. And every night, safe and warm in their little house, the sound of Pa’s fiddle lulls Laura and her sisters into sleep.The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

A Lost Pearle


Mrs. Georgie Sheldon - 1890
    Then her sudden disappearance wreaks havoc, and she is relentlessly pursued. Trials and tragedy often reveal one's true nature, and Pearle comes out shining as she demonstrates great courage and inner strength. She soon realizes that, out of trials that seem to crush us to the earth, we can rise throught God's love and help into a purer and better life than we have ever known.

The Lost Prince


Frances Hodgson Burnett - 1915
    Twelve-year-old Marco knows he is being trained for something, but he isn't sure what. All his life he has traveled with his father in secrecy, learning many languages and the ways of a gentleman, but forbidden to speak about their country of origin, Samavia. Samavia has been fraught with war for the last 500 years, ever since the prince mysteriously disappeared. But now, there is hope that peace may come at last, as it has been rumored that a descendant of the lost prince may have been found.