Books published by publisher Hippocrene Books

A unique blend of enchantment, adventure, comedy and romance make this collection of Swedish fairy tales a treasury in any library. Originally published by Baron G Djurklou in the 1880s, the tales are written in the dialect of the Swedish peasantry. Hippocrene Books is pleased to bring this 1901 English translations of the Baron's stories back into print for today's readers. The translation retains the humorous and colloquial style of the original 18 stories, and opens up a world of magic talking animals, princesses and princes, trolls and witches endearing and mischievous of all ages.

In the tradition of Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island comes a Sienkiewicz novel for readers of all ages!This thrilling adventure saga and coming-of-age tale sets two young children, Stas Tarkowski, fourteen, and Nelly Rawlinson, eight, within the reaches of Africa's desert storms, the ravages of hunger, and threatening jungles filled with vicious animals and warring tribes. Everything for the pair seemed comfortable and safe in Egypt. But when the children are separated from their fathers during a vacation along the Nile, they become pawns in a treacherous plot and are abducted by the vengeful followers of the Mahdi. Joined in their trek by two African children, Kali and Mea, and together with the aid of a faithful dog, Saba, and a mighty elephant, King, the unlikely troop makes its way through deep Africa while facing perilous situations that would render helpless even grown men and women.Throughout this enthralling novel, author Sienkiewicz paints the vivid scenery of what was then known as "the dark continent," a land filled with unknown peoples, primordial landscapes, tall and deep jungles, uncharted rivers and mountains. Political instability, then as now, could make entire regions impassable. In the 1880s one such crisis, a rebellion led by "the Mahdi," threatened to turn a large part of the continent into a hell of destruction and carnage. It is in such a background that Henryk Sienkiewicz, the master storyteller and winner of the 1905 Nobel Prize for literature, placed two European children - the heroes of this engaging tale.For Henryk Sienkiewicz, In Desert and Wilderness represented a final triumph; this was the last novel he would complete. Sienkiewicz, who had visited Africa in 1891, successfully recreates in the book the beauty he encountered amid the continent's entrancing landscape. Written over eighty years ago for a younger audience, but appealing to all ages, In Desert and Wilderness remains a literary treasure in Poland. Now the fine Max A. Drezmal translation of this classic has been corrected and modernized by Miroslaw Lipinski - presenting the tale to a new generation of adventure enthusiasts.

Japan... a country that lies beneath a cloud of mystery and secrecy, where the old sits uneasily close to the new, where ancient spirits hide in neon shadows.Some of the ghost stories you are about to read are based on folk tales that have been passed from father to son and mother to daughter for generations. Read about how Hoichi the violinist lost his ears to a ghostly samurai, and how Misu the monk defeated the spirit that devoured the dead. Learn what happens when you break a promise made to a deadly ice spirit, and why a young girl haunts the dreams of a priest in post-war Tokyo. Other stories are as new and exciting as modern Japan. Read about the faceless woman who haunts and taunts a young boy, and the fate of two Japanese gangsters who choose the wrong victim to terrorize.We hope that you enjoy these terrifying tales, and remember, they are only stories... so don't have nightmares.Japanese Ghost Stories is published by Hippo Books, a publisher dedicated to producing interesting, readable and fun books. This book is suitable for English students with upper-intermediate English or higher. Be sure to check out our other Hippo Graded Readers.About the Author:Cooper Baltis is one of the writers and founders of Hippo Books. He is a former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at the National University of Mongolia and is TESOL certified. He has taught English in Asia for five years and has published stories in several literary magazines in America. His Hippo books include Hassan and Lulu and My Brother the Giant, as well as many short story collections. To find out more about this author, click his name under the book title above.