Books with author Carol Pentleton

"Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversation?' "So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her." And so begins one of the most beloved and influential fantasies of the modern age. The author weaves dreamscapes, extraordinary characters, logic and whimsy into a tapestry of masterful storytelling that will enchant children and adults alike.

Cap’n Bill, Trot, and Button-Bright are together again for another fabulous adventure, this time to Sky Island, a celestial kingdom of Blues, Pinkies, Snubnosed Princesses, a Magic Umbrella, the Boolooroo of the Blues, the universe’s most annoying blue parrot, and Tourmaline the Poverty Queen, to name just a few. Only L. Frank Baum could so deftly weave discussions of law, ethics, war, peace, wisdom, justice, and compassion into magical fairy tales that young and old readers alike clamor for more. This story follows The Sea Fairies, Baum’s venture into a new area of fantasy tale after the success of the Oz series. Old friends and new fill Sky Island with their charm, and the story of their journey will reward readers of all ages.

"The man in the street would not have known it, but a great crisis was imminent in New York journalism. "Everything seemed much as usual in the city. The cars ran blithely on Broadway. Newsboys shouted 'Wux-try' into the ears of nervous pedestrians with their usual Caruso-like vim. Society passed up and down Fifth Avenue in its automobiles, and was there a furrow of anxiety upon Society's brow? None. At a thousand street corners a thousand policemen preserved their air of massive superiority to the things of this world. Not one of them showed the least sign of perturbation. Nevertheless, the crisis was at hand." The irrepressible Psmith is accompanying his fellow Cambridge student Mike to New York on a cricketing tour. Through high spirits and force of personality - well, you know how Psmith is - Psmith takes charge of a minor periodical, and becomes embroiled in a scandal involving slum landlords, boxers and gangsters! It's a roaring Wodehouse tale, replete with colorful characters, clever wordplay, and the sorts of retorts you wish you had at your command. And, rare for Wodehouse, a strong social conscience!

Who is more to be pitied? Poor Mr Kay, the totally tactless, clueless, and unpopular housemaster at Eckleton? Or the gaggle of uproarious boys who under his woefully incompetent supervision? The Head of Kay's, P. G. Wodehouse's hilarious story of British public school life, features wildly impractical practical jokes, townies versus gownies in riotous fights, the Byzantine inter-house politics at the school, a summer term sojourn at an army-style camp, cricket, rugby, and the Titanic struggle for a old games trophy. Spend an entertaining term with Wodehouse's wonderful language, clever plot twists, and loony characters at Eckleton in The Head of Kay's.

"Joan Randle reined in her horse on the crest of the cedar ridge, and with remorse and dread beginning to knock at her heart she gazed before her at the wild and looming mountain range. " 'Jim wasn't fooling me,' she said. 'He meant it. He's going straight for the border... Oh, why did I taunt him!' "It was indeed a wild place, that southern border of Idaho, and that year was to see the ushering in of the wildest time probably ever known in the West. The rush for gold had peopled California with a horde of lawless men of every kind and class. And the vigilantes and then the rich strikes in Idaho had caused a reflux of that dark tide of humanity. Strange tales of blood and gold drifted into the camps, and prospectors and hunters met with many unknown men." Zane Grey uses the canvas of the great American West to paint a picture of the prevalent honor culture that influences the country down to this day. Here's a tale that is exciting and thought-provoking for both Zane Grey fans and students of American culture.

First published in 1891, Intentions contains four groundbreaking critical essays by the famous poet, playwright and raconteur. The Decay of Lying, Pen, Pencil and Poison, The Critic as Artist, and The Truth of Masks delineate Wilde's aesthetic philosophy, and mark the beginning of a Modernist manifesto in literature and art. Entertaining and very readable, Intentions casts a bright light on Wilde's own work and life.

"These things are quite improbable, to be sure;" wrote L. Frank Baum more than a century ago, "but are they impossible? "Our big world rolls over as smoothly as it did centuries ago, without a squeak to show it needs oiling after all these years of revolution. But times change because men change, and because civilization, like John Brown's soul, goes ever marching on." "The impossibilities of yesterday become the accepted facts of to-day." In Baum's forward-looking electrical fairy tale, readers will find cell phones, television, DVRs, the taser, and much more, plus a rousing childhood adventure. And what about the rest of the marvels described in The Master Key? Will the Demon of Electricity reveal even more secrets in the future? "Who knows?"

Mike Jackson, cricketer and scion of a cricketing clan, finds his dreams of studying and playing at Cambridge upset by news of his father's financial troubles and must instead take a job with the "New Asiatic Bank" Thrust into the cold world to earn his keep in the City, Mike's bleak mood swiftly changes with the addition of the debonair, witty, calm and completely unruffleable Psmith to Mike's workplace and home. This tale of Psmith and Mike's entry into the banking world is a wonderful send-up of British corporate culture, with hysterical sidetrips through the worlds of cricket, street life, Parliamentary elections, and private clubs. Psmith, one of the most delightfully eccentric characters in literature, provides an essential primer on dealing with bosses and getting ahead that goes Machiavelli one better!

Wodehouse's wonderful collection of short stories about life at school delves into cricket, football, note-taking, devious schoolboy tricks, tabby terrors, and human nature in general. These stories are filled with perfectly charming characters, sharp observations, and the eternal truths about education and the social life of adolescents. They're also some of the funniest stories you will ever read.

"It is not given to everyone to see Mr. Stanley Ukridge manage a chicken farm." Jeremy Garnet, author and old friend of Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge finds himself dragged along on holiday to Ukridge's new chicken farm in Dorset. And some holiday it is! Wild chicken chases, romantic entanglements, a faked rescue, a cat in a chimney, a bevy of creditors, and a fiercely contested golf tournament all play their parts in this rollicking tale of the "haps and mishaps on an English chicken farm." One of Wodehouse's earliest novels, Love Among The Chickens is delightfully entertaining and a special treat for all Wodehouse fans.

P. G. Wodehouse's first published novel, and the first of several set at school, The Pothunters chronicles the merry adventures of a group of mischievous schoolboys and their search for some stolen trophies. From the discovery of the theft through to the final discovery, there are intricately woven tales of studies, sports, a messy literary endeavour, and the timeless theme of teachers versus students. This book presages much of the form, wit, and style of Wodehouse's later work, and is a rollicking good story to boot!

Unscrupulous millionaire Benjamin Scobell wants to build a casino on the tiny Mediterranean island of Mervo. But nothing is ever as simple as it appears in this early P.G. Wodehouse gem. Ill-fated romance, a quiet weekly publication given a dose of pep, muckraking journalists, cat-loving gangsters, deposed monarchs, and smart young things all play a role in this rollicking tale. Sharp-eyed readers will note the introduction of some familiar characters from Wodehouse's better-known books. This is one of the formative pieces of romantic comedy that explored comic themes which the author mined so well during his long and glorious career.