Books published by publisher Akasha Classics

This collection of tales by Howard Garis featuring the much-loved Uncle Wiggily has been enchanting children for generations. Uncle Wiggily is the uncle we all would like to have - a kindly gentleman who helps get you out of scrapes. He just happens to be a bunny rabbit, and his nieces and nephews include Sammie and Susie Littletail, the rabbit children; Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, the squirrel boys; and Alice, Lulu, and Jimmie Wibblewobble, the duck children. Many more human and animal characters help Uncle Wiggily through his adventures, which Uncle Wiggily has a habit of getting into, despite being fond of home comforts. He always finds a way to set thing right in the end.

Ragged Dick, by Alger Jr., Horatio - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - Join Horatio Alger for one of his original 'rags-to-riches' stories which have been captivating readers since they first appeared in print. Ragged Dick is a street urchin in lower Manhattan, shining shoes for a living. He hasn't had many breaks in his young life, but he is determined not to let that stand in his way. His street smarts, decency, and drive serve him through a series of adventures - defeating con artists, standing up to bullies, coming to the aid of others in need - which enable him to better himself. Will he achieve his dream of becoming a gentleman? Fun for children and adults alike, Ragged Dick is an adventure story with heart.

Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - Please, sir, is this Plumfield? Asked a ragged boy of the man who opened the great gate at which the omnibus left him. "Yes. Who sent you?" "Mr. Laurence. I have got a letter for the lady." "All right; go up to the house, and give it to her; she'll see to you, little chap." The man spoke pleasantly, and the boy went on, feeling much cheered by the words. Through the soft spring rain that fell on sprouting grass and budding trees, Nat saw large square house before him a hospitable-looking house, with an old-fashioned porch, wide steps, and lights shining in many win-dows. Neither curtains nor shutters hid the cheerful glimmer; and, pausing a moment before he rang, Nat saw many little shadows dancing on the walls, heard the pleasant hum of young voices, and felt that it was hardly possible that the light and warmth and comfort within could be for a homeless "little chap" like him.

Naturalist and author Thornton W. Burgess uses his considerable storytelling abilities to bring to life this delightful introduction to zoology for young readers. Peter Rabbit is curious. He wants to know everything there is to know about the other animals in the forest. He pesters Old Mother Nature with so many questions that she agrees to hold a special school for all the animals so they can learn about each other. Infusing the book with his passion for conservation, Burgess has created an ideal medium to expose children to the wonder of the natural world.

Walking, by Henry David Thoreau - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil - to regard man as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society. I wish to make an extreme statement, if so I may make an emphatic one, for there are enough champions of civilization: the minister and the school committee and every one of you will take care of that. I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of Walking, that is, of taking walks - who had a genius, so to speak, for SAUNTERING, which word is beautifully derived "from idle people who roved about the country, in the Middle Ages, and asked charity, under pretense of going a la Sainte Terre," to the Holy Land, till the children exclaimed, "There goes a Sainte-Terrer," a Saunterer, a Holy-Lander. They who never go to the Holy Land in their walks, as they pretend, are indeed mere idlers and vagabonds; but they who do go there are saunterers in the good sense, such as I mean. Some, however, would derive the word from sans terre without land or a home, which, therefore, in the good sense, will mean, having no particular home, but equally at home everywhere. For this is the secret of successful sauntering. He who sits still in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of all; but the saunterer, in the good sense, is no more vagrant than the meandering river, which is all the while sedulously seeking the shortest course to the sea. But I prefer the first, which, indeed, is the most probable derivation. For every walk is a sort of crusade, preached by some Peter the Hermit in us, to go forth and reconquer this Holy Land from the hands of the Infidels.

Mark Twain's first foray into historical fantasy is a witty and satirical tale of switched identities. Tom is a beggar in 16th-century England. A chance meeting with Edward, the crown prince, results in an instant friendship and a wild scheme. The two boys, almost identical in appearance, decide to take each other's place in society. The escapade that follows opens the eyes of both the prince and the pauper. But when the situation threatens to spiral out of control, will they be able to get back to the lives they knew? A thrilling adventure peppered with sharp criticism of class inequalities, The Prince and the Pauper has inspired countless imitators but remains an unmissable original.

What if dinosaurs never really died out, and are still living in a remote corner of the world? This is a recurring scenario in books and films, but Arthur Conan Doyle got there first with his 1912 novel, The Lost World. The hot-tempered Professor Challenger has organized an expedition to the wild jungles of South America. Together with a fellow scientist, a hunter, and a journalist, he makes his way to a volcanic plateau where they encounter creatures left over from another age. Will they be able to survive in this terrifying ancient world? Exciting, imaginative, and humorous from start to finish, The Lost World is a treat for readers of all ages.

A royal family is thrown into utter ruin by its own poisonous web of distrust, deceit and struggle for power. Shakespeare's tragedy is one unsurpassed power and depth. It follows the descent of the ageing King Lear into madness, perpetuated by his malevolent daughters Goneril and Regan who struggle to gain power over the kingdom. Having banished his favorite daughter Cordelia, a loving, compassionate and honest woman, when she refuses to partake in a competition of flattery, he sets in motion a catastrophic sequence of events that will ultimately destroy his sanity, family and kingdom. The lines between good and evil are faultlessly drawn in this exploration of filial ingratitude, injustice, avarice and love. In a time when swollen words, false pretexts and the struggle for power are again the order of the day the message of King Lear carries renewed significance.

The Return Of Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs - Akasha Classics, AkashaPublishing.Com - The second novel in the Tarzan series opens with the aristocratic ape man aboard an ocean liner en route from New York to Europe, on which he has encounters with Russian spies, French counts, and beautiful women. He had decided not to claim his title and estates from his cousin. He is thrown overboard the cruise liner, ending up back in his native African jungle. It was there he first heard of Opar, the city of gold, remnant of the fabled Atlantis and he now sets off to search for it. Unheeding of the dangers, Tarzan leads a band of savage warriors toward the ancient crypts and the more ancient evil of Opar, reigned over by La, high priestess of the Flaming God. All the while not knowing that his almost-fi ancée Jane is suffering the harsh effects of stranded life in the merciless jungle only miles away. "Crowded with impossibilities as the tale is, Mr. Burroughs has told it so well, and has so succeeded in carrying his readers with him, that there are few who will not look forward eagerly to the promised sequel". --New York Times review, May 1915

The Crisis is a romance set amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War. The divisions that threatened to tear apart the country prior to the Civil War were nowhere more apparent than in St. Louis. On the border between North and South, civilization and the frontier, it was host to passionate sympathizers on both sides of the slavery issue. When a young abolitionist lawyer falls for the daughter of a Southern gentleman, the turbulent political atmosphere creates a seemingly impossible barrier. Can a meeting with Abraham Lincoln change everything? A meticulously-researched work, filled with real historical figures, The Crisis is a gripping read for history buffs and romantics alike.

From the author of The Jungle Book comes the tale of one man’s life-changing summer on the high seas. When a fishing schooner rescues a young man from the ocean off Newfoundland, they don’t believe his wild tales of being a millionaire’s son, nor do they appreciate his spoiled and lazy manner. But Harvey Cheyne is in fact a pampered rich kid whose fall off the deck of a luxury liner has turned his world upside down. Forced to become one of the crew until the boat finishes its expedition, Harvey finds there is more to life than getting everything you want. Rudyard Kipling’s fascination with the hard and often dangerous life of New England fishermen shines through in this adventure story, which will delight readers of all ages.

Siddhartha is Hermann Hesse’s classic account of one man’s search for enlightenment. Siddartha is a young man born into a Brahmin family during the time of the Buddha. Rather than take up the mantle which his advantages of birth have afforded him, he begins a lifelong journey through the very extremes of existence. From asceticism and spiritual devotion to immersion in physical pleasure, Siddartha finds that life’s meaning continues to elude him. A chance encounter at the river may hold the key. Hesse’s allegory, while steeped in the religion and philosophy of the East, is a highly personal look at the world and our place in it.