Books in Essential Classics series

L. Frank Baum's classic tale of Dorothy, retold for a younger readers Dorothy is a young girl who lives with her aunt and uncle on a farm in Kansas. She and her dog, Toto, are picked up by a sudden tornado and whisked far away, over the rainbow, to the strange magical land of Oz. How will they ever get home? And what is at the end of the yellow brick road? Plucky Dorothy and Toto embark on a magical adventure to search for the Wizard of Oz, and along the way encounter the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. This retelling has been shortened and illustrated for younger readers.

Charles Dickens' classic tells the story of a young boy in Victorian England who faces great adversity, all while dreaming of becoming a writer, retold for younger readersYoung David Copperfield is deeply affected when his widowed mother remarries. When his mother dies, David’s stepfather sends him to work in a London factory. He has to learn how to find how own way in a harsh world, and makes many friends along the way, both good and bad. After Wilkins Micawber, his landlord, is sent to prison, David escapes London and takes refuge in Dover with Betsey Trotwood, his aunt. This retelling has been shortened and illustrated for younger readers.

Alexandre Dumas' classic tale, published in 1844, is retold here for younger readers. This is the story of d’Artagnan, a country boy who travels to Paris to seek his fortune and, hopefully, to join the Musketeers—the bodyguards of the King of France. He meets three musketeers called Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Together they foil a dangerous plot against King Louis and his Queen, Anne—and against their own lives.

Alcott's classic American novel of the March girls lives during the Civil War, retold for younger readers The beloved story of the March girls is a classic American novel, and was first published in 1868. This is the charming story of the March girls—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and their wise and patient mother Marmee, describing the ups and downs of one eventful year in their family life spent enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England. This retelling has been shortened and illustrated for younger readers.

When Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole she discovers the extraordinary world of Wonderland, where a magical adventure begins. It's not long before Alice finds herself attending a very unconvential tea party and taking part in a peculiar game of croquet, all in the company of such mysterious and unforgettable characters as the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle.Lewis Carroll's classic story is brought alive for a new generation of readers in this exquisite picture book.

Homer's epic poem of the adventures of Odysseus' journey home after the Trojan War, retold for younger readersThe Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem that recounts the return of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, from the Trojan War. Odysseus endures many trials and hardships before he finally reaches home. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats—from the witch Circe, who turns his men into pigs, to the twin terrors of Scylla and Charybdis; from the stupefied Lotus-Eaters to the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon himself—Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely. This retelling has been shortened and illustrated for younger readers.

In this retelling of Charles Dickins' classic tale, a poor workhouse orphan, Oliver, experiences the terror and brutality of the criminal underworld. His companions, who include a thief, a whore, and a pickpocket, are destined for gruesome ends, but Oliver emerges unscathed from the underworld. He survives starvation in the workhouse, life with the evil Fagin, kidnap, and robbery before eventually finding happiness.