Books in Lake Classics series

A mysterious sea monster has been creating havoc in the ocean. Ships of all shapes and sizes, as well as humans, have been destroyed by this enigma! No corner of the earth has been spared from its terror, as it continues to kill all who cross its path. In reaction to this destructive force, the US Government wastes no time in sending out a team of experienced professionals to track down and destroy it. Professor Pierre Aronnax, a marine biologist; Conseil, his faithful assistant; and Ned Land, a Canadian master harpooner, come together in an epic hunt. On board a naval ship, the Abraham Lincoln, the three men set out to track down this terrifying beast of the ocean. But, will they succeed? And what will they discover if they do? Published in 1870, originally in French, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a classic example of the imagination and foresight of Jules Verne. His pioneering approach to writing in the late 19th century led many to refer to him as the father of science fiction.

At the beginning of PUDD'NHEAD WILSON, a young slave woman, fearing for her infant son!s life, exohangesthe light-skinned child with her master's. From this rather simple premise, Mark Twain fashioned one of his most entertaining, funny yet biting novels. On its surface, PUDD'NHEAD WILSON possesses all the elements of an engrossing nineteenth-century mystery: reversed identities, a horrible crime, an eccentric detective, a suspenseful courtroom drama and a surprising, unusual solution. Yet it is not a mystery novel. Seething with the undercurrents of antebellum Southern culture, the book is a'savage indictment in which the real criminal is society, and racial prejudice and slavery are the crimes. Written in 1894, PUDD'NHEAD WILSON glistens with characteristic Twain humor, with suspense, and with pointed irony:a gem among the author's later works.