Classic Storytellers
Beverly ClearyISBN 1-58145-457-8 • 9781584154570List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockWhen Beverly Cleary was a little girl, she struggled with reading. After finding out that books could be fun to read and stories could be fun to write, she grew up to write books on her own. Cleary never forgot what it was like to be a child who wanted something good to read. Her books are about children who have the same joys, fears, and frustrations that most of us have. She has won numerous awards, and for over fifty years, many children have enjoyed her books. Characters such as Ramona, Beezus, Henry Higgins, and Socks are known and loved by children all over the world. |
E. B. WhiteISBN 1-58145-273-7 • 9781584152736List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockAs a child, E. B. White loved animals and writing. He did well in school and received a prize for his poetry when he was 14. But his successes did little to stop his anxieties and fears. He was afraid of the future. He was terrified of speaking in public. When White first worked as a newspaper reporter, his worries seemed justified. He got lost on his way to an important assignment and struggled to understand people on the telephone. He quit newspapers and it was unclear what he would do to support himself. But White persevered. He kept writing and discovered a magazine that published the type of writing he enjoyed. He focused on humor, poetry and commentary. He became more confident in himself and wrote Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan. The boy who loved animals and writing became a beloved national literary treasure. |
Edgar Allan PoeISBN 1-58415-373-3 • 9781584153733List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockEdgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous American writers of all time. Yet he was almost ignored while he was alive. He spent much of his life in a desperate struggle trying to earn enough money to support himself. As a child, he was an exceptional athlete. As he grew older, he was subject to fits of depression and became an alcoholic. He was thrown out of the U. S. Military Academy. He had a hard time holding a steady job. He married his 13-year-old cousin. His problems may have been a result of losing both his parents when he was very young. Poe’s turmoil is reflected in his stories and poems. They show the horror and anguish that he almost always felt. |
Ernest HemingwayISBN 1-58415-376-8 • 9781584153764List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockIt would be hard to a find a writer who lived a more adventurous life than Ernest Hemingway. Not long after learning to walk, he developed a love of fishing and hunting and other sports that remained for the rest of his life. He survived a serious wound in World War I and decided to try to become a successful writer. His first novel, The Sun Also Rises, made him famous. The continued success of his writing and his rugged lifestyle soon made him an almost larger-than-life figure. He attracted the same sort of media attention as modern-day pop stars. More than 40 years after his death, people still instantly recognize his picture. |
F. Scott FitzgeraldISBN 1-58415-249-4 • 9781584152491List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockF. Scott Fitzgerald defined the 1920s, calling it the "Jazz Age." His work reflected both the excitement of the decade and the misery of the Great Depression that followed. He is indeed a classic storyteller, but like many artists he suffered for his work. Scott's writing came from dealing with the pain he experienced in his life. Hiding this pain from the outside world and "keeping up appearances" are themes echoed in his work. Although many of the characters Scott wrote about seemed well off, they usually worried about money. While many authors create sympathy for characters who are poor, Scott could get readers rooting for characters who were rich. His novels such as The Great Gatsby are still read and enjoyed not just as reflections of the times in which he lived, but as reflections of his life as well. |
Harriet Beecher StoweISBN 1-58415-375-X • 9781584153757List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockHarriet Beecher Stowe was a typical, well-behaved 19th century mother and wife, but she was very angry. She wanted more than anything to see the end of slavery in the United States, but what could she do? Harriet picked up her pen and wrote a story. She wrote about the injustice of slavery, but most importantly, she wrote a story that showed slaves feel the same joys and pains that all humans feel. Originally, published in monthly installments in a newspaper, Harriet's story became a popular novel called Uncle Tom's Cabin. This novel helped many people see slavery in a new light and was an important catalyst for change that eventually led to the end of slavery in the United States. What could one woman do? One woman could do quite a bit! |
Jack LondonISBN 1-58415-263-X • 9781584152637List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockJack London grew up poor, abandoned by his father even before he was born. He was raised by a disabled Civil War veteran who married his mother, a woman with violent and unpredictable mood swings. At 14, he dropped out of school to support the family, working in factories and on ships. Over the course of his brief lifetime, he authored more than four dozen novels such as Call of the Wild and even more short stories. He became a best-selling author in the United States. Today he is one of the most widely read writers of all time. Jack London wrote about the life and adventures he lived. |
Jacqueline WoodsonISBN 9781584155331List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockAfter her sister taught her how to write her name, Jacqueline Woodson began writing on everything. Once she even wrote on the side of a building! (And got into trouble for it.) Prizes for writing soon followed, and in fifth grade her winning poem about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was so well done, everyone thought she copied it from a book. This notoriety taught Jacqueline that she could use writing to get people’s attention. As Jacqueline grew older, she began to notice poverty, discrimination, and in-equality all around her and decided to do something about it. She would use books like I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This, Lena, and If You Come Softly to let everyone know about people who were mistreated because they were different. Today, her books are read around the world and have been published in many languages, including Italian, Dutch, Tagalog, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Mandarin, and Turkish. |
John SteinbeckISBN 1-58415-271-0 • 9781584152712List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockPerhaps no other writer is more closely associated with Central California than John Steinbeck. His experiences as a young man while exploring the natural beauty of the Salinas Valley made a lasting impression on him, particularly when it came to the migrant workers who labored in fields. Profoundly affected by their plight, Steinbeck traveled with workers, which became the basis for two of the greatest books in American Literature. Through The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck exposed their harsh lives as never before. It was this compassion and dedication to celebrating the human spirit that sets Steinbeck's writing apart and makes him one of America's most important and influential writers, not just during his own lifetime but for modern readers as well. |
Judy BlumeISBN 1-58415-377-6 • 9781584153771List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockJudy Blume is one of the most popular writers of young adult fiction in the world. For over three decades Blume's books have been embraced by young girls everywhere. She has sold over 75 million books, which have been translated into more than twenty languages. Much of Blume's success is due to her insistence on portraying 'tweens and teens in realistic situations. But that same dedication to the truth has also made Blume one of the most controversial authors of the last fifty years. No other writer has had more books banned from libraries and schools than Blume because of her straightforward depiction of teen issues. As a result, Blume has become one of America's most vocal advocates against censorship and a champion of the First Amendment to ensure that the next generation of writers will have the same creative freedom she has enjoyed. |
Katherine PatersonISBN 1-58415-268-0 • 9781584152682List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockWhen Newbery Medal winner Katherine Paterson was a young girl, she wanted to be either a missionary or a movie star. It wasn't until she was a mother of three that her first book, Who Are You? was published in 1966. She's been writing ever since and now has more than thirty books to her credit. In much of her earlier work, Katherine calls upon her rich experiences of growing up in China and working as a missionary as a young adult in Japan to bring her stories to life. Katherine also remembers what it is to be young and can relate to the heartaches and disappointments experienced by her young readers. "Mrs. Paterson knows exactly how children feel," wrote one young fan. This connection to her audience keeps her books flying off library and bookstore shelves alike, earning her the honored title of classic storyteller. |
Mark TwainISBN 1-58415-374-1 • 9781584153740List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockWho was Mark Twain? Not a real person. It was the name Samuel Clemens picked for himself for his writing and speaking career. It was a term used by steamboat men on the Mississippi River. Little did Sam Clemens guess that this pseudonym he’d chosen, his false name, would soon seem to have a life all its own. Soon very few people remembered that he was really Sam Clemens and thought only of Mark Twain, a wonderfully funny speaker and terrific writer. He became the talk of America, and everyone, even today, over a hundred years later, can recognize him by his white suit and mustache. But who was the real man? What was he like? The story of Sam Clemens is an amazing one, tied into the growth of the United States itself. |
Matt ChristopherISBN 9781584155355List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockMatt Christopher grew up with two passions—baseball and writing. As a young man, he played semiprofessional ball but quickly realized that while talented, he wasn’t good enough to be a professional player. So he channeled all his creative energies into being a writer. Every night when he got home from work he would sit in front of his typewriter and turn out stories. Eventually, he started getting published, but he wasn’t selling enough to make a living at writing. And then he took the advice of his local librarian, who suggested he combine his love of sports with his love of writing. The result was The Lucky Baseball Bat, and Matt Christopher knew he had finally found his niche. He became known as the bestselling sportswriter for children, having written more than 100 books that have sold over six million copies. More than anything, Matt Christopher proved that if you try hard enough, your dreams really can come true. |
Mildred TaylorISBN 1-58415-311-3 • 9781584153115List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockMildred Taylor was a quiet and shy girl. She loved to daydream and read. She loved to read so much, she hid wherever she could to read without interruptions. Sometimes she even read in the closet! Mildred also loved to hear the stories told by her parents, aunts, and uncles. When she tried to tell her classmates about some of those stories, they wouldn't believe her. This was during the time in U.S. history known as segregation. Mildred's white classmates couldn't believe the brutal or heroic details she recounted. This didn't stop Mildred. She decided she would tell her true stories about strong and courageous African Americans. She would become a writer. In this classic storytellers biography, readers get to know the hardships and triumphs of one of America's best storytellers for young people, Mildred Taylor. |
Nathaniel HawthorneISBN 1-58415-454-3 • 9781584154549List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockNathaniel Hawthorne’s road to greatness was paved with uncertainty and financial hardship. His early life as a writer was a constant struggle against economic ruin, which intensified after he married. Only his iron determination to become a master at his craft kept him writing. His skill and talent would not be denied, and he finally achieved the type of success that he dreamed of all along. The story of his life is a triumph of courage and conviction over doubt and despair, and a lesson for all of us to never stop reaching for our dreams. |
Ray BradburyISBN 1-58415-455-1 • 9781584154556List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockRay Bradbury grew up in a world filled with imagination and possibility. From childhood, he knew he wanted to be a writer, but he also wanted to do so much more. He watched amazing magicians perform tricks, read about the exciting adventures of future space travelers, and viewed the wonders of technology at the World’s Fair. As Bradbury grew up, he found himself embracing the mysteries of his childhood and transforming them in his writing. Just as many things interested him as a child, Ray Bradbury has found himself doing many fascinating things as an adult—as a writer and so much more. |
Stephen CraneISBN 1-58415-272-9 • 9781584152729List Price $29.95School/Library Price $20.95In StockWhen Stephen Crane saw boundaries, he didn't dawdle and wait for someone to help him inside. He just jumped the fence. This spirit is evident in the Civil War novel that he's famous for, The Red Badge of Courage. He was only twenty-one when he wrote the book, and he dared to tell the story even though he'd never so much as stepped onto a battlefield. His life was a series of wild dares. Every time he disobeyed his Methodist parents and snuck away to explore the neighborhood, he risked punishment. Every time he compromised his safety as a journalist by disguising himself and sneaking into dangerous places, he risked his life. What was his greatest feat? That's easy. Somehow, he wrote it all down.
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Classic StoryTellers: Complete Set (17 titles)ISBN 9781584157335List Price $509.15School/Library Price $356.15In Stock |
