Books published by publisher Applewood Books

Horace plans to write a follow-up story to his feature article about the ruined castle owned by John Dent. It has long been rumored that John Dent and Hilma Joerg, former owner, are in the midst of a feud. Since Horace is sick, Judy and Peter visit the castle to see what they can discover. While outside the castle walls, Judy and Peter hear mysterious violin music playing from within the castle. They speak to Granny Joerg and her family and learn that nobody has seen John Dent in a long time and fear that caretaker Hiram Boggs may have concealed his death. They also learn that Granny Joerg's grandchildren have been missing for several hours. Judy and Peter speak to Hiram Boggs who claims that he has not seen the children. Uncertain whether to believe the man, they decide that they must find a way inside the castle to find John Dent and the children in case they are being held captive by the mean caretaker.

This children's classic, first published in 1881, which tells the story of the widowed Mrs. Pepper and her five children-Ben, Polly, David, Joel, and Phronsie, continues to resonate with readers today. Without being saccharine, the book reveals the true value of family. When the children, or Five Little Peppers as they are known in Badgertown, wish they could afford a special birthday celebration for their mother, Mamsie, she says, with a smile like a flash of sunshine, "I don't want any other celebration . . . than to look around on you all. I'm rich now, and that's a fact." This is the first in a series of books about the inhabitants of the Little Brown House.

The thirty-eight volume Judy Bolton series was written during the thirty-five years from 1932-1967. It is one of the most successful and enduring girls' series ever published. The Judy Bolton books are noted not only for their fine plots and thrilling stories, but also for their realism and their social commentary. Unlike most other series characters, Judy and her friends age and mature in the series and often deal with important social issues. To many, Judy is a feminist in the best light-smart, capable, courageous, nurturing, and always unwavering in her true beliefs; a perfect role model.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables is a classic of American literature, written by one of the country's greatest writers. First published in 1851, the book is set in a mansion not unlike his cousin's many-gabled home in Salem, Massachusetts, which Hawthorne visited regularly.Caroline O. Emmerton's introductory note to this 1913 edition details the history of the house, from its construction circa 1668 to its purchase and restoration by Emmerton in the early 1900s. Emmerton founded the House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association in 1910, to serve the growing population of immigrant factory workers flocking to Salem. To help fund the Settlement House, the mansion opened its doors to the public as a museum, also in 1910.This edition is illustrated with 16 photographs of interior and exterior views of the house.

This wonderful collection of nursery rhymes was originally published in 1914 by McLoughlin Brothers of New York. Lavishly illustrated with more than 50 color drawings by Walter Crane, the most prolific and influential children's book creator of his generation, the book includes the words and musical scores for thirty-six favorites, among them ""Little Jack Horner,"" ""Ye Song of Sixpence,"" and ""Hush-a-by Baby."" The combination of the simple and musical rhymes with the colorful illustrations is sure to delight both little children and their parents. Nursery rhymes often had their origin in Britain or France and reflected events in history, parodying royal and political events of the day. While some rhymes, like ""The Mulberry Bush"" and ""Oranges and Lemons"" were simple children's games, others were more pointed. ""Three Blind Mice"" was originally about King Henry the VIII's daughter, the Catholic Queen Mary who persecuted Protestants, and it is said that ""Jack and Jill"" referenced France's King Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette.