Books published by publisher The Classics

Winner of the New York Times Book Review Children's Book of the Year, 1966.Commended title, American Library Association, 1966.'The author has the power to get inside his characters.'—The New York Times'Conveys with insight the reactions, fears, perplexities, ignorances and behavior of children in a real adult world.' Washington Post‘The novel is a chronicle of fire and panic, of intense and remarkable perception, and of almost inexhaustibly vivid descriptive language unforgettable.’ Wall St Journal‘The description of the fire and the atmosphere of the day are so vividly described deservedly classic story.’ ReadPlusIt's hot and dry on Ash Road, where three boys taste their first independence, camping without adults. When they accidentally light a bushfire, none could guess how far it would go. They are forced to face the consequences with only each other to depend on.Ivan Southall was Australia's first recipient of the Carnergie Medal. An icon of children's literature, he wrote over sixty books. He died in 2008.

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of A Christmas Carol includes a Foreword and Biographical Note by Jane Yolen.Scrooge was a foul old man who wrapped his cold, uncaring heart in chains. Chains of greed. Bigotry. Contempt. Apathy. Selfishness. He detested the world, and was alone. Until the night his long-dead partner Marley appeared.A hideous spectre forced to walk the earth forever, Marley was damned. As Scrooge would be...unless he agrees to face three ghosts. One would take Scrooge back to the memories he'd buried. One would show Scrooge the world of joy and friendship he'd rejected. One would force Scrooge into the dreadful shadow of the future he'd forged.Three ghosts of Christmas. Of Christmas Past. Of Christmas Present. Of Christmas Yet to Come. All offering Scrooge a single gift--a chance.A last chance to give love.A last chance to join life.

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title―offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of Oliver Twist includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Nancy Springer.Abandoned at an early age, Oliver Twist is forced to live in a dark and dismal London workhouse lorded over by awful Mr. Bumble who cheats the boys of their meager rations! Desperate but determined, Oliver makes his escape. But what he discovers in the harsh streets of London's underworld makes the workhouse look like a picnic. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the wily Fagin--the nefarious mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets.Will a life of crime pay off for young Oliver? Or will it earn him a one-way ticket to the gallows?

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 edition. Excerpt: ... the opposite corner, I see the sentinel guard, who will never stir from his post, until the assembly has dispersed, unless he hears or sees symptoms of danger or interruption, and then he will dash out and fly among them, making his warning cry, so different from all others, that any one who has once heard it will recognize it again. We must whisper our remarks very softly then, or it may give notice of our presence here, and all the flock may forsake the field. How solemn and grave, yet how keen and attentive he looks! How patient and observant! Contented not to join the fun himself, so that he may but promote it. Unselfish, dark watchman, are you paid for your trouble, and if so, how? Or do you do it out of love and affection for your brethren, expecting love and affection from them in return, on some future occasion, when one of them will watch, and you be allowed to play? Play, I still say; but can this be only play indeed? Surely something graver and more important than play must have brought these different companies and families from their often distant homes, to this spot? Alas! how vain are my questionings! nature remains mute around me, and man is ignorant and unable to answer. Yes! ignorant and unable to answer, let him say what he will. Hear this, oh you philosophers,--you lights of the world, with your books and papers and diagrams, and collected facts, and self-confidence unlimited! You who turn the bull's eye of your miserable lanthorns upon isolated corners of the universe, and fancy you are sitting in the supreme light of creative knowledge! Hear this; you are ignorant and unable to answer; or disprove it if you can, by showing me that you do know this one simple thing which puzzles me now! Tell me what the rooks are...

Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1602. The play (also described as one of Shakespeare's problem plays) is not a conventional tragedy, since its protagonist (Troilus) does not die. The play ends instead on a very bleak note with the death of the noble Trojan Hector and destruction of the love between Troilus and Cressida. Throughout the play, the tone lurches wildly between bawdy comedy and tragic gloom, and readers and theatre-goers have frequently found it difficult to understand how one is meant to respond to the characters.

The Lost Princess: A Double Story, first published in 1875 as The Wise Woman: A Parable, is a fairy tale novel by George MacDonald.The story describes how a woman of mysterious powers pays visits to two very different young girls: one a princess, the other a shepherd's daughter. It has been regarded as ahead of its time in its approach to parenting.

Doctor Dolittle loves animals. In fact, he loves animals so much that his cozy cottage in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh is bursting with pets: goldfish in the pond, rabbits in the pantry, white mice in the piano, a squirrel in the linen closet, a hedgehog in the cellar, not to mention a horse, chickens and pigeons, two lambs, and many others. But his favorite pets by far are Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the baby pig, Polynesia the parrot, and Too-Too the owl. It's no wonder no human patients will visit the good doctor--it's too crowded!But soon Doctor Dolittle's fame as an animal doctor spreads far and wide--all the way to Africa, where a village of sick monkeys needs Doctor Dolittle's help!At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Martin Chuzzlewit has been raised by his grandfather and namesake. Years before Martin senior took the precaution of raising an orphaned girl, Mary Graham, to be his nursemaid, with the understanding that she will be well cared for only as long as Martin senior lives. She thus has a strong motive to promote his well-being, in contrast to his relatives, who want to inherit his money. However, his grandson Martin falls in love with Mary and wishes to marry her, ruining Martin senior's plans. When Martin refuses to give up the engagement his grandfather disinherits him.Martin becomes an apprentice to Seth Pecksniff, a greedy architect. Instead of teaching his students he lives off their tuition fees and has them do draughting work that he passes off as his own. He has two spoiled daughters, Charity and Mercy, nicknamed Cherry and Merry. Unbeknown to Martin, Pecksniff has taken him on in order to establish closer ties with his wealthy grandfather.Young Martin befriends Tom Pinch, a kind-hearted soul whose late grandmother gave Pecksniff all she had in the belief that Pecksniff would make an architect and a gentleman of him. Pinch is incapable of believing any of the bad things others tell him of Pecksniff, and always defends him vociferously. Pinch works for exploitatively low wages while believing that he is the unworthy recipient of Pecksniff's charity.