Books in Sterling Unabridged Classics series

Mark Twain’s brilliant 19th-century novel has long been recognized as one of the finest examples of American literature. It brings back the irrepressible and free-spirited Huck, first introduced in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and puts him center stage. Rich in authentic dialect, folksy humor, and sharp social commentary, Twain’s classic tale follows Huck and the runaway slave Jim on an exciting journey down the Mississippi.

The illustrations for this series were created by Scott McKowen, who, with his wife Christina Poddubiuk, operates Punch & Judy Inc., a company specializing in design and illustration for theater and performing arts. Their projects often involve research into the visual aspects of historical settings and characters. Christina is a theater set and costume designer and contributed advice on the period clothing for the illustrations.Scott created these drawings in scratchboard ­ an engraving medium which evokes the look of popular art from the period of these stories. Scratchboard is an illustration board with a specifically prepared surface of hard white chalk. A thin layer of black ink is rolled over the surface, and lines are drawn by hand with a sharp knife by scraping through the ink layer to expose the white surface underneath. The finished drawings are then scanned and the color is added digitally.Sneaky pirates, sailing ships, buried treasure, exotic lands, and murderous mutiny: what could be better to win over even the most reluctant boy reader? Robert Louis Stevenson serves up thrills, chills, and plenty of action in this timeless, and much-admired adventure novel.

At once satiric and magical, rich in philosophy and astonishing adventure, Gulliver s Travels transports children into worlds unknown. The entire voyage is seen through the eyes of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship s surgeon whose amazing account begins with a shipwreck on the high seas and continues as he encounters a race of miniature people known as Lilliputians; giant Brobdingnagians; the foolish Laputians; the very humanoid Yahoos; and finally, the gentle and wise horse-like Houhynhyms beings far superior to Man. Will Gulliver ever make it home again?"

Thanks to its colorful cast of characters and gritty portrayal of street life in Victorian London, Dickens’ Oliver Twist has captured readers’ hearts for more than 150 years. Today’s children will love it too. Oliver, a poor orphan, escapes the miserable workhouse where he was born only to fall into the clutches of a band of pickpockets led by the odious Fagin. Yet no amount of cruelty can destroy his purity…and through his goodness, he finds salvation.

All children except one grow up. In 1904, Peter Pan first flew across a London stage and into the bedroom of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling. Ever since, this perpetual youth has continued to delight children of all ages. Young readers will happily soar with him and his friends to enchanted Neverland, where they’ll meet Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, and the “dark and sinister” Captain Hook. It’s a tale as ageless as its beloved hero.

The bestselling Sterling Classics series continues with Charles Dickens's Great Expectations--one of the most popular novels of all time. When Philip Pirrip, nicknamed Pip, is approached by an escaped convict and forced to steal food and supplies, he little realizes how this act will alter his life. This handsome, unabridged edition, with striking illustrations by Scott McKowen and questions for discussion by the esteemed educator Arthur Pober, will find a treasured place in any family's library.

The illustrations for this series were created by Scott McKowen, who, with his wife Christina Poddubiuk, operates Punch & Judy Inc., a company specializing in design and illustration for theater and performing arts. Their projects often involve research into the visual aspects of historical settings and characters. Christina is a theater set and costume designer and contributed advice on the period clothing for the illustrations.Scott created these drawings in scratchboard ­ an engraving medium which evokes the look of popular art from the period of these stories. Scratchboard is an illustration board with a specifically prepared surface of hard white chalk. A thin layer of black ink is rolled over the surface, and lines are drawn by hand with a sharp knife by scraping through the ink layer to expose the white surface underneath. The finished drawings are then scanned and the color is added digitally.As the popularity of the recent Lemony Snicket books proves, children never get tired of reading about orphans and their misfortunes. So Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1905 story about a pampered little rich girl who suddenly finds herself poor and fatherless should continue to entice generations of fans.

The illustrations for this series were created by Scott McKowen, who, with his wife Christina Poddubiuk, operates Punch & Judy Inc., a company specializing in design and illustration for theater and performing arts. Their projects often involve research into the visual aspects of historical settings and characters. Christina is a theater set and costume designer and contributed advice on the period clothing for the illustrations.Scott created these drawings in scratchboard ­ an engraving medium which evokes the look of popular art from the period of these stories. Scratchboard is an illustration board with a specifically prepared surface of hard white chalk. A thin layer of black ink is rolled over the surface, and lines are drawn by hand with a sharp knife by scraping through the ink layer to expose the white surface underneath. The finished drawings are then scanned and the color is added digitally.Every child loves a story about a horse, and Black Beauty remains one of the finest, most touching ever written. Set in Victorian London, the novel follows the shifting fortunes of a horse as he moves from owner to owner. Narrated by the noble Black Beauty himself, the tale offers an animal’s perspective of the world, and highlights the thoughtless, even cruel treatment animals endured during that period.