Best of High School Literature Book List

After witnessing his father's crucifixion by Roman soldiers, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by a single passion: to avenge his father's death by driving the Roman legions form the land of Israel. Consumed by hatred, Daniel joins the brutal raids of an outlaw band living in the hills outside his village. Though his grandmother's death slows his plans by forcing him to move home to care for his sister, he continues his dangerous life by leading a group of boy guerrillas in spying and plotting, impatiently waiting to take revenge.

In nearby Capernaum, a rabbi is teaching a different lesson. Time and again Daniel is drawn to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, only to turn away, disappointed and confused by Jesus' lack of action in opposing the Romans. Devoid of tenderness and forgiveness, headstrong Daniel is also heedless of the loyalty of his friend Joel; the love of Joel's sister, Malthace; and the needs of his own disturbed sister, Leah, dragging them down his destructive path toward disaster.

Elisabeth George Speare won the 1962 Newbery Medal for this magnificent novel of Daniel's tormented journey from a blind, confining hatred to his acceptance and understanding of love. Booklist called it "a dramatic, deeply felt narrative whose characters and message will be long remembered." Recommended for ages 9 and up. The 1962 Newbery Medal winner.

When her grandfather dies, Katherine "Kit" Tyler is forced to leave a carefree life on Barbados to go to her aunt, the only family that she has left. Kit arrives in Connecticut Colony in April of 1687 and is dismayed by the bleak landscape. Her misgivings deepen as she is introduced to the Puritan ways of her new family, and she soon finds herself at odds with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Matthew--and the entire community. When she tries to escape the oppressive surroundings of her new home, Kit encounters the Widow Tupper, a Quaker who is believed to practice witchcraft. The friendship between Kit and Widow Tupper grows, but not without consequences. Kit is accused of being a witch simply because of her association with the widow, known to all as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. 256 pages, softcover. Grades 5-8.

This is the unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War. Recommended for ages 8 to 12. A 1965 Newbery Honor book.

Respectable, comfort-loving Bilbo Baggins has no use for adventures---until Gandalf the Wizard "volunteers" him to lead a dragon-defying, cross-country treasure hunt! The beloved prequel to The Lord of the Rings.

300 pages, softcover. 75th Anniversary Edition with illustrations by Tolkien.

Princess Irene has discovered a secret winding stairway in her castle which leads to a bewildering labyrinth of unknown passages with closed doors....and more stairs. What lies at the top? And what plot is brewing far below? 272 pages, softcover.

Wormwood, a demon apprentice, must secure the damnation of a young man who's just become a Christian. He seeks the advice of an experienced devil, his uncle Screwtape. Their correspondence offers invaluable---and often humorous---insights on temptation, pride, and the ultimate victory of faith over evil forces. Paperback with French flaps and deckled page edges.

Now C.S. Lewis's classic trio of fantasy tales is in one convenient volume! Called to join the universal battle of good vs. evil, Dr. Elwin Ransom, a renowned scholar, fights demonic forces with the help of heavenly messengers. Follow his out-of-this-world adventures in Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. 728 pages, softcover from Scribner.

When the Nazis invaded Holland, Corrie ten Boom's quiet life turned into a nightmare. Because she made her home a "hiding place" for Jews, she and her family were sent to a concentration camp. Refusing to despair, Corrie discovered how Jesus can turn loss to glory! This unforgettable story will move you to tears and to joy.

Underscoring the pivotal role that classic literature plays in the shaping of our lives, Moody Press has introduced Moody Classic Series, celebrating Christian writing which has stood the test of time.
John Bunyan's Pilgarim's Progress is one in this series, featured here with fine art cover design; edited by Rosalie DeRosset, 218 pages.

Harper Lee's Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south-and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred. One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father-a crusading local lawyer-risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

Fascinated by the myth of Cupid and Psyche throughout his life, C.S. Lewis wrote Till We Have Faces, his last novel, to retell their story from the perspective of Psyche's sister, Orual. With themes of envy, betrayal, loss, grief, blame, guilt, and conversion, it is considered Lewis' most mature and masterful work, as it reminds us of our own fallibility and the role of a higher power in our lives. Part of the "C.S. Lewis Signature Classics" series. 368 pages, softcover with French flaps and deckled page edges. High school and up.

A vibrant portrait of Amy Carmichael-one of India's most beloved missionaries. Follow the journey of a courageous Irishwoman who spent 53 years in South India without furlough, earning the nickname "Amma" or "Mother" from the underprivileged children she regarded as God's jewels.

One of the classic works in the canon of American literature, Hemingway's Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning The Old Man and the Sea focuses upon an aging fisherman and his great battle to bring a large marlin back to shore. With integrated themes of national identity, honor, and the struggle between man and nature, this work provides new interpretations and insights through multiple readings. 126 pages, softcover.

• Hawthorne's classic takes place during the early days of ' the Massachusetts Colony, revealing the consequences of sin and secrecy on the human heart. The tale is peopled with unforgettable characters---Hester Prynne, the adulteress forced to wear a scarlet letter "A"; Arthur Dimmesdale, the secret father of her child; and Roger Chillingworth, Hester's husband who exacts revenge on the conscience-stricken cleric. Softcover.

This classic novel looks at a young civil war soldier's struggle with the horrors of war. Crane's precise prose portrays the physical atrocities of war, as well as its psychological affects, in this American standard. First published in 1895, The Red Badge of Courage features clear realism and masterful depictions of the emotions felt by the soldiers in the thick of it.

An immediate worldwide bestseller when it was published in 1948, Alan Paton's impassioned novel about a black man's country under white man's law is a work of searing beauty. Cry, The Beloved Country is a deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people riven by racial injustice. Remarkable for its lyricism, unforgettable for character and incident, Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man.

Set in the once idyllic rural landscape of the south of England, Watership Down follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by the doughty Hazel and his oracular brother Fiver, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators, hostile warrens, and worse, to a mysterious promised land know to them only as Watership Down. A stirring tale of adventure and an imaginative tour de force that conjures up a world and its folklore with the force of myth, Watership Down is a modern classic. Through its masterful storytelling, it stands for all time as a powerful parable about society and its relation to the natural world.

King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. This volume includes an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness, and The Fire-Eaters. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

The height of Alexander Dumas' writings, The Count of Monte Cristo is set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic era. When Edmond Dantes is betrayed and throwing into a secret dungeon, it seems as if his life if over. Yet he doesn't anticipate the impact of a fellow prisoner, and the plan that the two will hatch together. His carefully wrought revenge creates a dramatic tale of mystery. 531 pages, softcover.

Nineteen year old Jim Yoder is part of the 44th division stationed in England during World War II. Hailing from the Hoosier State and a Mennonite--pacifist--background, he's determined that despite the loss of human life, the European countries are worth defending with his life. A riveting historical fiction filled with the account of a young Christian's experience during WWII. 215 pages, softcover.

"There are those who tell me that I survived in order to write this text. I am not convinced. I don't know how I survived; I was weak, rather shy; I did nothing to save myself. A miracle? Certainly not. If heaven could or would perform a miracle for me, why not for others more deserving than myself? It was nothing more than chance. However, having survived, I needed to give some meaning to my survival." Elie Wiesel's perspective on his life and experience of the Holocaust is strikingly different from the one that another Holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boom, has on her life and experience. Because of her relationship with God, Corrie ten Boom's story is one of overcoming, healing, and restoration; without a saving relationship with Christ, Elie Wiesel can make no sense of the suffering he saw and experienced, or of his survival. But he feels an urgent responsibility to testify, having been a witness to inexpressible human depravity, to speak of "this era of evil and darkness, so close and yet so distant . . . ." He writes: "The witness has forced himself to testify. For the youth of today, for the children who will be born tomorrow. He does not want his past to become their future."

Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece---a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a youth in the Nazi death camps. Offering much more than a litany of the daily terrors, everyday perversions, and rampant sadism at Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Night also eloquently addresses many of the philosophical as well as personal questions implicit in any serious consideration of what the Holocaust was, what it meant, and what its legacy is and will be.

This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man.

Louisa May Alcott shares the innocence of girlhood in this classic coming of age story about four sisters-Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

In picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy are responsible for keeping a home while their father is off to war. At the same time, they must come to terms with their individual personalities-and make the transition from girlhood to womanhood. It can all be quite a challenge. But the March sisters, however different, are nurtured by their wise and beloved Marmee, bound by their love for each other and the feminine strength they share. Readers of all ages have fallen instantly in love with these Little Women. Their story transcends time-making this novel endure as a classic piece of American literature that has captivated generations of readers with their charm, innocence, and wistful insights.

Though their bodies lie cold and dormant, the grave cannot contain the influence these seven men have had on today's world. They continue to rule because they have altered the thinking of society. They generated philosophies that have been ardently grasped by masses of people but are erroneous and anti-scriptural. Today these ideas pervade our schools, businesses, homes, even the church. As we continue to unkowningly subscribe to their philosophies we keep the grave open for: Charles Darwin, Julius Wellhausen, John Dewey, Sigmund Freud, John Maynard Keynes, Soren Kierkegaard and Karl Marx.

Oscar Wilde's most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest is a witty comedy of manners that has delighted millions in productions and in print. This edition is unabridged and unaltered from an authoritative early British edition. 54 pages, softcover.

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.

Although he faced his responsibility bravely, thirteen-year-old Matt was more than a little apprehensive when his father left him alone to guard their newly built cabin in the wilderness. When a renagade white stranger stole his gun, Matt knew he had no way to shoot game and no way to protect himself. It was only after meeting the proud, resourceful Indian boy that Matt began to discover new ways to survive in the forest. And in getting to know his friend, Matt also began to understand the heritage and way of life of the Beaver clan and their growing problem in adapting to the white man and the changing frontier. Elizabeth George Speare has written a compelling survival story, filled with wonderful detail about living in the wilderness, that explores the relationship between the white settles and the Indians in the 1700s. Recommended for ages 10 to 14. A 1984 Newbery Honor book.
Please be advised: Language may be too mature for younger readers.

This volume contains Thomas Paine's most essential works, showcasing one of American history's most eloquent proponents of democracy. Upon publication, Thomas Paine’s modest pamphlet Common Sense shocked and spurred the foundling American colonies of 1776 to action. It demanded freedom from Britain—when even the most fervent patriots were only advocating tax reform. Paine’s daring prose paved the way for the Declaration of Independence and, consequently, the Revolutionary War. For "without the pen of Paine," as John Adams said, "the sword of Washington would have been wielded in vain." Later, his impassioned defense of the French Revolution, Rights of Man, caused a worldwide sensation. Napoleon, for one, claimed to have slept with a copy under his pillow, recommending that "a statue of gold should be erected to [Paine] in every city in the universe." Here in one volume, these two complete works are joined with selections from Pain's other major essays, "The Crisis," "The Age of Reason," and "Agrarian Justice." 416 pages, softcover.

Testimony to the American frontier mythos, the fast-disappearance of Native nations on the east coast and the French and Indian War, this classic has long been viewed as a defining American work of literature. Attempting to bring the Munroe sisters to freedom, Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas have woven themselves into the fabric of American Literature, presenting a timeless trio of friendship and loyalty against the backdrop of frontier warfare and strife. 288 pages, softcover.

Sergeant York and the Great War is Sergeant Alvin C. York's reminisces of his childhood growing up in rural Tennessee along with his war-time journal of his time spent serving in the Army during the first World War (with his original grammar and spelling left intact). A chronology of his life are also included. Photos and details have been added to enhance the study of World War I for young students. 209 pages, softcover.

An irresistible blend of romance, intrigue, and suspense, this timeless historical adventure recalls the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution, when ruthless mobs ruled the streets of Paris and hundreds of royals were condemned to face the guillotine each day. The only hope of many was a courageous leader who spirited aristocrats across the Channel to England and safety. Known by the name of the wildflower he leaves as a calling card, the Pimpernel becomes the darling of the people and is particularly admired by Marguerite Blakeney, who scorns her foppish husband as ardently as she esteems this gallant hero. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

This dramatic autobiography of Booker T. Washington’s unique American experience tells of the struggle against social and ideological bias that he began as a slave and never stopped.  Historically acknowledged as one of America’s most powerful and persuasive orators, Booker T. Washington consistently challenged the forces of racial prejudice at a time when such behavior from a black man was unheard of. While his stance on the separation of the races would become controversial, he worked tirelessly to convince blacks to work together as one people in order to improve their lives and the future of their race.  Spanning from his fight for education through his founding of the world-renowned Tuskegee Institute, Washington’s Up from Slavery remains one of the most significant and defining works in American literature. 272 pages, softcover.

The little prince lives alone on a tiny planet no larger than a house. He owns three volcanoes, two active and one extinct. He also owns a flower-unlike any flower in all the wide galaxy-of great beauty and inordinate pride. It is this pride that ruins the serenity of the little princes' world and starts him on the interplanetary travels that bring him to Earth, where he learns, finally, from a fox, the secret of what is truly important in life. A story full of life and light, this is a book that changes the world forever for its readers. 96 pages, Paperback.

When 16-year-old Navajo Ned Begay enlists in the Marines during World War II, he's tapped to join one of the Allies' most secret groups---the code talkers. Braving some of the fiercest battles of the war, Ned and his companions save countless American lives, while honoring their native culture and traditions. Bruchac's inspiring historical novel is a riveting read for kids ages 10 and up. 240 pages, hardcover from Dial.

Orphaned Jane Eyre endures an unhappy childhood, hated by her aunts and cousins and then sent to comfortless Lowood School. But life there improves and Jane stays on as a teacher, though she still longs for love and frienship. At Mr Rochester's house, where she goes to work as a governess, she hopes she might have found them - until she learns the terrible secret in the attic.

This is the story of the narrator's adventures in fairyland, where he confronts tree-spirits, sojourns to the palace of the fairy queen. A book of unparalled charm and creativity that C.S. Lewis said baptized his imagination.

Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is consistently on bestseller lists and lists of personal favorites. Elizabeth Bennett is prejudiced against Mr. Darcy, partly due to wounded pride, and partly due to false accusations and clouded misunderstanding. Mr. Darcy has an inordinate amount of pride that gets in the way of his desired relationship with Elizabeth. Set in the Regency world of balls, empire-waist gowns, and witty, polite manners, Austen's novel expertly combines astute observation, satirical social commentary, and a heart-felt love story. 435 pages with explanatory end-notes, softcover.

Of all his works, this was Twain's personal favorite. Drawing on years of research, one of America's greatest authors retells the moving story of the maid of Orleans, portraying Joan's mystical visions, military prowess, endurance of charges of witchcraft and heresy, and her martyrdom with authenticity, poignancy, and admiration. An often overlooked masterpiece! 455 pages, softcover from Ignatius.

The life of an islander is practically written in stone. Methodist, women disliking the water, men making their living off of it, children obeying their parents, families looking after the others. Sara Louise Bradshaw and her twin sister Caroline are born just like other island children... Caroline has a musical talent unsurpassed by any other, while Sara Louise spends her days going crabbing with her friend Call and aching to get out of her sister's long-reaching shadow of excellence. Watching as her sister takes her friends, parents love, and dreams for the future, Sara at last has to make her own decisions for the future. 263 pages, softcover.

In this compelling love story, Margaret Hale must leave her idyllic, rural home in Hampshire, when her father resigns his position in the Anglican Church. They move to Milton, a northern industrial town where she sees, firsthand, the poverty and poor working conditions of the mill workers. When she strives to relieve the suffering of her new friends, she runs into fierce opposition from mill owner and self-made man, John Thornton, but their conflict masks a deeper attraction. In North and South, Gaskell creates an original and inspiring Victorian heroine, and delves into themes of geographical, economic, and class differences; the clash between the pursuit of profit and humanitarian ideals; and the male and female roles that are entrenched in English culture. 480 pages, softcover.

Les Misérables' classic story has been retold on stage, in film, and in song. Read the entire story in this complete and unabridged paperback edition!

Jean Valjean was convicted for stealing a loaf of bread; upon his release, hardened by years of labor, he steals a pair of candlesticks from a priest. . . and upon his re-capture for the crime, is changed by the priest's forgiveness and grace towards him. He becomes a factory owner, then a mayor, even taking upon himself a small child, Cosette, who was the daughter of one of his employees. However, he is hunted by Inspector Javert, and his reformed life is constantly under threat of discovery. Set against the June Rebellion, this historical novel is renowned for its epic storyline that covers the French political and judicial systems along with the intricate motivations of its memorable cast of characters.

Translated by Lee Fahnestock and Norman Macafee, based on the 19th century Charles E. Wilbour translation. With an introduction by Lee Fahnestock and a new afterward by Chris Bohjalian. 1472 pages, softcover.

Thirteen year old Brian Robeson survived the plane crash. . .but now was alone, in the middle of the woods of Canada, with only a hatchet. The story of how he stayed alive for 54 days---finding food, getting water, escaping animals, building a shelter, constructing a bow---has riveted young readers and become a modern young-adult classic.

This 20th anniversary edition of Gary Paulsen's Newbery Honor book Hatchet features new illustrations by Drew Willis that illustrate Brian's gear as well as interesting sidebar notes from the author.

188 pages, hardcover with dust jacket. Ages 10-14.

The greatest epic poem written by a Christian, Paradise Lost was undertaken to "justify the ways of God to men" and illuminate the biblical story of the Fall, Satan's temptation, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden. Its striking imagery and phrases are meant to be mulled over and over. John Leonard's notes are outstanding. 512 pages, softcover. Penguin.

I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow...This is the testament of Paul Baumer, who enlists with his classmates in the German Army of World War I. They become soldiers with youthful enthusiasm. But the world of duty, culture, and progress they had been taught breaks into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches.

The summer of 1972, before I turned nine, danger began knocking on doors all over China.
Nine-year-old Ling has a very happy life. Her parents are both dedicated surgeons at the best hospital in Wuhan, and her father teaches her English as they listen to Voice of America every evening on the radio. But when one of Mao's political officers moves into a room in their apartment, Ling begins to witness the gradual disintegration of her world. In an atmosphere of increasing mistrust and hatred, Ling fears for the safety of her neighbors, and soon, for herself and her family. For the next four years, Ling will suffer more horrors than many people face in a lifetime. Will she be able to grow and blossom under the oppressive rule of Chairman Mao? Or will fighting to survive destroy her spirit—and end her life? 272 pages, softcover.

In May 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific. Then, on the ocean surface, a young lieutenant's face appeared---and so began one of World War II's most extraordinary odysseys. You'll be riveted by the story of this courageous soldier---and his Christian testimony! From the award-winning author of Seabiscuit. Includes new photos and rewritten for young adults.

In an intergenerational collection of true stories, witnesses to World War II share their memories with young interviewers so that their experiences will never be forgotten. More than 70 years after the end of the most devastating war in history, children interviewed family and community members to learn about the war from people who were there, to record their memories before they were lost forever. RAF pilots, evacuees, resistance fighters, Land Girls, U.S. Navy sailors, and survivors of the Holocaust and the Hiroshima bombing all tell their stories, passing on the lessons learned to a new generation. Featuring many vintage photographs, this moving volume also offers an index of contributors and a glossary. 320 pages, softcover. Ages 10 and up.

It’s 1776 and Isabel, Curzon, and Ruth have only ever known life as slaves. But now the young country of America is in turmoil—there are whisperings, then cries, of freedom from England spreading like fire, and with it is a whole new type of danger. For freedom being fought for one isn’t necessarily freedom being fought for all…especially if you are a slave. But if an entire nation can seek its freedom, why can’t they? As war breaks out, sides must be chosen, death is at every turn, and one question forever rings in their ears: Would you risk everything to be free? As battles rage up and down the Eastern seaboard, Isabel, Curzon, and Ruth flee, separate, fight, face unparalleled heartbreak and, just like war, they must depend on their allies—and each other—if they are to survive. Which leads to a second, harrowing question: Amidst so much pain and destruction, can they even recognize who their allies are? 976 pages, softcover. 

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award and Robert F. Siebert AwardIn this New York Times bestselling classic, Caldecott Medal-winning artist Kadir Nelson tells the incredible story of baseball's unsung heroes -- perfect for celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Negro Leagues! Featuring nearly fifty iconic oil paintings and a dramatic double-page fold-out, an award-winning narrative, a gorgeous design and rich backmatter, We Are the Ship is a sumptuous, oversize volume for all ages that no baseball fan should be without. Using an inviting first-person voice, Kadir Nelson shares the engaging story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its evolution, until after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947.
The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners, of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship, of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. 96 pages, hardcover. 

Monster by Walter Dean Myers, is a New York Times bestselling novel, that tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. The story is presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives. This intriguing coming-of-age story is a multi-award winner and is now a major motion picture starring Jennifer Hudson, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Nas, and A$AP Rocky. 281 pages, softcover. Ages 13 and up.

A desperate young man plans the perfect crime -- the murder of a despicable pawnbroker, an old women no one loves and no one will mourn. Is it not just, he reasons, for a man of genius to commit such a crime, to transgress moral law -- if it will ultimately benefit humanity? So begins one of the greatest novels ever written: a powerful psychological study, a terrifying murder mystery, a fascinating detective thriller infused with philosophical, religious and social commentary. Raskolnikov, an impoverished student living in a garret in the gloomy slums of St. Petersburg, carries out his grotesque scheme and plunges into a hell of persecution, madness and terror. Crime And Punishment takes the reader on a journey into the darkest recesses of the criminal and depraved mind, and exposes the soul of a man possessed by both good and evil ... a man who cannot escape his own conscience.

The landmark, bestselling account of the crimes against American Indians during the 19th century, now on its 50th Anniversary.
First published in 1970, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is Dee Brown's eloquent, meticulously documented account of the systematic destruction of American Indians during the second half of the nineteenth century. A national bestseller in hardcover for more than a year after its initial publication, it has sold almost four million copies and has been translated into seventeen languages.
Using council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions, Brown introduces readers to great chiefs and warrors of the Dakota, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes, revealing in heartwrenching detail the battles, massacres, and broken treaties that methodically stripped them of freedom. A forceful narrative still discussed today as revelatory and controversial, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee permanently altered our understanding of how the American West came to be defined.

In this unflaggingly suspenseful story of aspirations and moral redemption, humble, orphaned Pip, a ward of his short-tempered older sister and her husband, Joe, is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentleman. And, indeed, it seems as though that dream is destined to come to pass because one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of "great expectations." In telling Pip's story, Dickens traces a boy's path from a hardscrabble rural life to the teeming streets of 19th-century London, unfolding a gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, and love and loss. Its compelling characters include Magwitch, the fearful and fearsome convict; Estella, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Miss Havisham, an eccentric jilted bride.

A Victorian fairy tale that has enchanted readers for more than a hundred years: the magical story of Diamond, the son of a poor coachman, who is swept away by the North Wind–a radiant, maternal spirit with long, flowing hair–and whose life is transformed by a brief glimpse of the beautiful country “at the back of the north wind.” It combines a Dickensian regard for the working class of mid-19th-century England with the invention of an ethereal landscape and is published here alongside Arthur Hughes’s handsome illustrations from the original 1871 edition. 352 pages, hardcover. Ages 12 and up.

When the news of Kino's great find--the "Pearl of the World"--spreads through the small town, no one suspects its power to deceive, to corrupt, to destroy.