Category Great Books for Children

               It is the story about how Paddington Bear from Peru comes to live with the Brown family of Number 32, Windsor Gardens, London, and how he makes a friend in the form of Mr. Gruber, and an enemy in the form of Mr. Curry. Paddington is very friendly, extremely polite and has a strong sense of right and wrong.

               However, he also has a child-like curiosity, and is rather naive. Life among humans in England is new and fascinating to him, and he has some difficulty adjusting. As a small bear, he also has some physical difficulty coping in a world which is not designed for him, which makes him appear somewhat clumsy. As a result, Paddington often finds himself in trouble of some kind. Nevertheless, things always seem to work out well for Paddington in the end.

               ‘A Bear Called Paddington’ first appeared in 1958. From then on the character Paddington has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and other artists.

              ‘David Copperfield’ a novel written by Charles Dickens, was first published in 1850. Considered the most autobiographical of Dickens’ novels, it follows the life story of a man named David Copperfield, who has to fend for himself at an early age, following the death of his mother. This was Dickens’ favourite among his own novels.

               The lead character, David Copperfield, spends his early years in relative happiness with his loving widowed mother. Soon after her marriage to another man nothing remains the same. After giving birth to a baby boy, she and the child die. David Copperfield struggles hard, and later, became a proctor. How David ultimately finds fame and fortune as an author is the plot of the classic novel.

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            ‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’, starts with a boy offering a cookie to a mouse. When the mouse receives the cookie, he asks for a glass of milk. To drink the milk, he asks for a straw. Once he is done eating he asks to look in the mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milk moustache. When he looks in the mirror he realizes he needs a trim, so he asks  scissors.

            After cutting his hair, he sees that he has made a mess, and asks for a broom.

            Once he starts cleaning he gets carried away, and starts cleaning the entire house. After he’s done cleaning, he wants to take a nap, since he worked so hard. So the boy has to look for a small blanket, pillow, and box so that the mouse can take a nap.

            The mouse then asks for the boy to read him a book, and when he saw the pictures he got excited and asked if he could make his own drawing. So, he draws a picture of his family, and even signs it with a pen.

            Then he wants to hang it up on the refrigerator himself. Once the drawing is hanging on the fridge, he realizes that he’s thirsty. So then he asks for a glass of milk, and when he gets the milk he then wants a cookie to go along with it.

            ‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’ is a book written by Laura Numeroff. It was illustrated by Felicia Bond, who also illustrated the other books in the series.

               ‘The Magic Pudding’ is the story of Bunyip Bluegum the koala, who is pushed out of home by the size of his uncle’s whiskers. Forced to eat his meals outside, he decides to go and see the world instead.

               When he gets hungry, he meets two friends, Bill Barnacle the sailor and Sam Sawnoff the penguin, who own Albert, the magic pudding. Albert can talk, change flavour on request and also has stick-like legs. However much you ate, Albert never diminished. His only pleasure is being eaten and on his insistence, Bill and Sam invite Bunyip to join them for lunch.

               There are people out to steal magic pudding. Pudding-thieves like possum and wombat are after the magic pudding. Even the powers-that-be, the Judge, the Usher, the Mayor and the Constable, seem part of a grand plan to wrangle the pudding out of the hands of its rightful owners.

               ‘The Magic Pudding’ is written by Norman Lindsay and was first published in 1918.

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               This book tells the story of a St. Bernard-Scotch shepherd breed dog named Buck who is taken from a life of comfort and thrown into the wilds of Alaska and northern Canada. Since the novel deals with Buck as though he were a person with thoughts and emotions, it is known for its interesting plot.

               What happens next in the life of Buck? To know more about this, read the much loved book ‘The Call of the Wild’. It was a novel by Jack London published in 1903. The story was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in the summer of 1903, and was published a month later in book form. It was later adapted to movies.

               ‘The Call of the Wild’ focuses mainly on the idea of primitive life, the time before cell phones, cars, and houses.

               Toseland, who prefers to go by Tolly than any other nickname, comes to live with his great grandmother in their ancient family home one rainy day. Tolly has a great imagination to occupy his time, and soon, he looks for ghosts from the past. All the while, he listens to stories of the three ghosts: Toby, Alexander, and Linnet, and even finds some of their belongings and makes friends with them.

               ‘The Children of Green Knowe’ is the first in a series of six children’s novels written by Lucy M. Boston. It was published in 1954.

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               Katy is a girl on the cusp of adolescence. She has all kinds of plans for what she wants to do when she grows up. She thinks of ways in which she can be a good person, and a credit to her family, but when it comes to implementing them in her day-to-day life, she generally just gets into trouble.

               After an accident leaves her bed-ridden, Katy is forced to rethink her ambitions and her relationship with her family. Katy finds the courage to remember her daydreams and the delightful plans she once schemed. How she achieves this is the plot of the much-loved book, ‘What Katy Did’.

               At the end of the book she becomes the heart of the home, beloved by her family for her unfailing kindness and good cheer.

               ‘What Katy Did’ is an 1872 children’s book written by Sarah Woolsey under her penname Susan Coolidge.

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               ‘Little House in the Big Woods’ is the first book in the Little House book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was published in 1932 and was illustrated by Helen Sewell. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s story begins in 1871 as a four-year old girl living with her mother, father, older sister Mary, and baby sister Carrie.

               In the course of this story, she celebrates Christmas with her family, Aunt Eliza, Uncle Peter, and three cousins Alice, Peter, and Ella.

               She and her family go to visit her grandparents’ house after they harvest maple sap. Her parents even take her and her siblings on a trip to the town of Pepin, a few kilometres away from their house.

               At night, her father plays the fiddle for Laura’s younger siblings to send them off to sleep. He also tells them stories.

               ‘Little House in the Big Woods’ has captivated generations of readers.

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            The book tells the story of a young boy named Diamond. He is a very sweet little boy who makes joy everywhere he goes. His family is very poor, and he sleeps over the stables where the horses are kept.

            One night, he is visited by North Wind, who is a beautiful woman, a breeze, or a storm, as she chooses. Diamond befriends the North Wind She lets him fly with her, taking him on several adventures. Though the North Wind does good deeds and helps people, she also does seemingly terrible things. On one of her assignments, she must sink a ship. Yet everything she does that seems bad, finally leads to something good.

            ‘At the Back of the North Wind’ is a children’s book written by George MacDonald. There is also a ‘story within a story’ in this book, which is worth reading on its own. It was serialized in the children’s magazine Good Words for the Young beginning in 1868 and was published in book form in 1871.

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            ‘The Trumpeter of Krakow’ is the story of a young boy’s admiration for the bravery of a long-dead youth, and of how this encourages him to remain loyal to his country, in the face of great danger.

            Forced to abandon their farm to the invading Tartars, Joseph Charnetski and his parents flee to Krakow with the only thing that they managed to salvage, a priceless family heirloom called the Great Tarnov Crystal.

            Tarnov Crystal is reputed to have magical powers and will guarantee victory to anyone who possesses it. So, the Crystal should be delivered to the king only, before it falls into the wrong hands. Destined to fulfill the task, Joseph was inspired by the young trumpeter of Krakow, who met his death when he alerted the city to an invasion by the Tartars.

            ‘The Trumpeter of Krakow’ was written by Eric P. Kelly.

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             ‘The Little White Horse’ narrates the story of Maria Merry-weather.

               The events of the novel begin in 1842. After her father dies in debt, Maria Merry-weather and her governess Miss Heliotrope go to live at Moonacre Manor with Maria’s uncle Benjamin. Maria soon finds that the castle is more like home than anywhere else she has lived.

               While there, Maria learns all about her family’s history. She uncovers the identity of the dog Wrolf, and the beautiful apparition of the Little White Horse, first seen on her way to the castle.

               ‘The Little White Horse’ is a classic book written by Elizabeth Goudge. It was first published in the year 1946.

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               Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red hair and has an interesting triangle-shaped nose. She is a character created by American writer Johnny Gruelle that appeared in a series of books he wrote and illustrated for young children.

               The character was created in 1915 as a doll, and was introduced to the public in the 1918 book ‘The Raggedy Ann Stories’. When a doll was marketed with the book, the concept had great success. A sequel, ‘Raggedy Andy Stories’ (1920) introduced the character of her brother, Raggedy Andy.

               Elmer Elevator meets an old alley cat one night. Elmer takes the cat home. Though his mother makes him get rid of it, the cat is touched enough by his deed to return the favour.

               The cat narrates Elmer about her last travel to a strange place, known as Wild Island. The island is populated by various beasts. No man dares to go to it for fear of what horrors may be in store. There the cat meets the most fascinating, and saddest inhabitant of the place – a baby dragon!

               The baby dragon, once hurt his wing, and fell out of the sky. Thus he happened to land on the island.

               Once the animals found him, instead of aiding the dragon, they decided to hold him prisoner. Shocked by this, Elmer decides to go and rescue the dragon.

               My Father’s Dragon series is a trilogy. The first book, ‘My Father’s Dragon’ was written by Ruth Stiles Gannett.

               ‘Swallows and Amazons’ is the first book in the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. It was published in 1930 and the story is set in the Lake District in August 1929, during the last fortnight of the summer holidays.

               The Walker children (John, Susan, Titty and Roger) sail a borrowed dinghy named Swallow, and the Blackett children (Nancy and Peggy), sail a dinghy named Amazon.

               The Walkers are staying at Holly Howe (a farm near the lake) during the school holidays, and want to camp on an island in the lake; the Blacketts live in a house (Beckfoot) nearby. When the children meet, they agree to join forces against a common enemy – the Blacketts’ uncle Jim Turner.

               The children meet on the island which they call Wild Cat Island, and have a series of adventures involving sailing, camping, and exploring the island. The story includes a good deal of everyday Lake District life of the farmers and the charcoal burners working in the woods.

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            ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ is a 1960 American children’s novel written by Scott O’Dell. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island in the 19th century.

            This book narrates the story of a young girl stranded for years on an island, off the California coast. Her name is Karana, which is her secret name. Wonapalei is her secret name. Wonapalei is her common name (everyone in the village has a secret name). One day, a ship of Aleuts, led by a Russian named Captain Orlov, arrives and persuades the natives into letting them hunt sea otters in return for other goods. However, the Aleuts attempt to swindle the islanders and leave without paying. When they are confronted by Chief Chowig, Karana’s father, a battle breaks out, and lives are lost on both sides. Finally, the Aleuts leave the islands, leaving little payment for the otters they hunted. Karana’s father and many other men in the tribe, die after the battle.

            This action-packed book chronicles Karana’s struggles to survive as she comes face-to-face with the island’s wild animals, violent Aleutian hunters and her own fear and loneliness.

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            Hans Brinker and his sister have many troubles, being poor and seemingly fatherless. They are still hopeful, however, and they try to treat everyone with fairness. Their father had an accident years ago when his daughter was just a baby. Ever since, he has been ill and mindless.

            The siblings prepare to enter a skating competition with the other children. They have little chance of doing well on their handmade wooden skates, but the prospect of the race and the prize of the silver skates excite them and fire their dreams. The troubles they face, and how they overcome them, is beautifully narrated in the book ‘Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates’.

            It was written by Mary Mapes Dodge and first published in 1865. The novel takes place in the Netherlands. The book’s title refers to the beautiful silver skates to be awarded to the winner of the ice-skating race.

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               ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ tells the story of a stuffed toy rabbit made out of velveteen. For some time, the velveteen rabbit is completely ignored by his owner, a young boy.

               The rabbit spends most of his time in the company of other toys. The only friend that the velveteen rabbit has is an old toy horse. The toy horse tells the rabbit that being real and being clockwork are not the same thing. The horse goes on to explain that toys become real when children love them very much.

               When the boy rediscovers the velveteen rabbit, he quickly falls in love with him. After some time, the boy declares that the rabbit is not a toy but real. Soon afterwards, however, the velveteen rabbit finds out that, although he is real to the boy, he is not necessarily seen as such by anyone else. ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ was written by Margery Williams. The book was first published in 1922.

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               ‘A Princess of Mars’ is the first novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series, originally written and published  under the pseudonym Norman Bean.

               The story goes like this -John Carter was once mysteriously transported to Mars, called Barsoom by its inhabitants. Carter finds that he has great strength and superhuman agility in this new environment, as a result of its lesser gravity.

               He soon falls in with a nomadic tribe of Green Martians, or Tharks, as the planet’s warlike, six-limbed, green-skinned inhabitants are known.

               Thanks to his strength and martial prowess, Carter rises to a high position in the tribe, and earns the respect, and eventually the friendship of Tars Tarkas, one of the Thark chiefs. The Tharks subsequently capture Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium.

               Later, the inhabitants of Barsoom face a life threatening situation. To save life on Barsoom, Carter uses a secret telepathic code to enter the factory, bringing an engineer along with him who can correct the situation there. Carter then succumbs to asphyxiation (depriving oxygen), only to awaken back on Earth, left to wonder what has become of Barsoom and the princess whom he fell in love with.

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               ‘The Witches’ is a children’s fantasy horror novel by the British writer Roald Dahl. It was published in 1983 by Jonathan Cape in London, with illustrations by Quentin Blake.

               The story is set partly in Norway, and partly in the United Kingdom, and features the experiences of a seven-year-old British boy who goes to live with his Norwegian grandmother after his parents are killed in a car crash.

               The grand-mother is a wonderful story-teller. He loves all her stories, but he is enthralled by the one about witches, that she says, are horrific creatures who seek to kill human children.

               The book was published in 1983. In 2012 ‘The Witches’ was ranked number 81 among all-time children’s novels in a survey.

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               ‘The Railway Children’ tells the story of three young siblings, who live in a house near a railway station with their mother. Their father, an ex-government officer is in jail. Actually, he is an innocent man being falsely accused. The children befriend an old gentleman who regularly takes the 9:15 train near their home, who eventually helps the family in proving their father’s innocence, and the family is reunited.

               ‘The Railway Children’ is a children’s book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialized in The London Magazine during 1905 and first published in book form in 1906. The setting is thought to be inspired by Edith’s walks to Chelsfield railway station close to where she lived, and her observing the construction of the railway cutting and tunnel.

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               This famous children’s novel tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur in her web in order to persuade the farmer to let him live.

               ‘Charlotte’s Web’ is a children’s novel by American author E. B. White.

               The book was first published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams. ‘Charlotte’s Web’ was adapted into an animated feature by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions in 1973. ‘Charlotte’s Web’ is considered a classic of children’s literature, enjoyable to adults as well as children. A live-action film version of E. B. White’s original story was released on December 15th, 2006. A video game based on this adaptation was also released in 2006.

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              The story revolves around a poor young boy named Charlie Bucket, born to penniless, starving parents. He resides with both his paternal and maternal grandparents, who are bedridden.

               Along with Charlie’s mother and father, they dwell in a dilapidated, tiny house. Charlie is fascinated by the universally-celebrated chocolate factory located in his hometown, owned by famous chocolatier Willy Wonka.

               One day, Charlie gets a ticket to visit Mr. Wonka’s factory, and he visits it with his grandfather. Do you know what happened next? Charlie Bucket became the successor of Willy Wonka!

               ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is a 1964 children’s book by British author Roald Dahl. The story was originally inspired by Roald Dahl’s experience of chocolate factories during his school-days.

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               One Christmas Eve, a boy is lying quietly in his bed, listening for the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh, despite having been told by a friend that Santa does not exist.

               He suddenly hears the sounds of, not Santa’s sleigh, but a train stopping in front of his house. A conductor steps outside and looks at the boy’s window, prompting the boy to put on his bath robe and slippers and go outside.

               The conductor explains to him that the train, called the Polar Express, is going to the North Pole. The boy puts out his hand, and he is pulled aboard. The train is filled with children on their way to the North Pole. The train takes the children to Santa. The boy is chosen to receive the first Christmas gift by Santa. He asks for a silver bell from Santa’s sleigh.

                Santa immediately gave him one. The Boy slips it into his pocket, but much to his disappointment, the bell just fell through a hole in his pocket. Heartbroken, he returns to his home. In the morning, his little sister finds a small box with the boy’s name on it among the presents. Inside is the silver bell!

               ‘The Polar Express’ is the classic work of Chris Van Alls-burg in 1985.

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               Many of you might be familiar with the name Stuart Little because of the animated movie Stuart Little. But, did you know that the character Stuart Little first appeared in a book of the same name? It is a 1945 children’s book by E. B. White. The book was his first book for children, and is widely recognized as a classic in children’s literature. ‘Stuart Little’ was illustrated by the subsequently award-winning artist Garth Williams, also his first work for children.

               ‘Stuart Little’ begins with the protagonist’s unusual birth. His parents must adapt in many ways at home to accommodate a two-inch-tall son who resembles a mouse. Stuart has a brother named George. Their family cat Snowbell, does not like Stuart. When Margalo, a bird, is adopted by the Littles, Stuart intervenes to keep her safe from Snowbell. In return for Stuart’s protection, Margalo saves Stuart when he gets stuck in a trash can.

               Some of Snowbell’s friends want to eat Margalo, and when the bird finds out, she leaves the Little house-hold. Stuart follows, hoping to find her. At the end of ‘Stuart Little’, Stuart still hasn’t found Margalo, but he’s not giving up. He decides to continue his journey to seek her out.

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               Once there was a small duckling. Due to his strange appearance, he is not accepted by the other ducks or by other animals on the farm where he lives. He suffers constant verbal and physical abuse. The unhappy bird finally leaves home. He fails to find happiness anywhere else but briefly becomes excited when he sees some swans flying overhead, considering them to be the most beautiful birds he has ever seen. After suffering a miserable winter, in the spring, the ugly duckling finds that he has grown up to be a swan himself.

               ‘The Ugly Duckling’ is a short story for children by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published in 1843 in the fourth volume of Andersen’s fairy tales. Hans Christian Andersen considered the story to be autobiographical. As a child, he was mocked for his big nose, and large feet.

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            This book tells the story of a hard hearted miser named Ebenezer Scrooge, whose only interest is making money. Scrooge cares nothing for anything from which he cannot make a profit. He hates Christmas in particular, considering it to be a con, or as he calls it, a humbug. He is unaware of the poverty in which his employee Bob Cratchit lives, and the difficulties he and his family face.

            Scrooge has a change of heart after he is visited by four spirits. On Christmas Eve, the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley warns him of the terrible fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Afterwards, Scrooge is intermittently visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come.

            ‘A Christmas Carol’ is an 1843 children’s book by Charles Dickens, loved equally by both children and grownups. It is divided into five chapters.

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               There is a naughty girl called Ramona. She is excited because she is starting kindergarten. Although Ramona does not mean to be a pest, she still manages to create trouble without trying to. Ms. Binney is her teacher, and Ramona likes her a lot, especially when she praises Ramona’s interesting drawing.

               Ramona tries to do her best in kindergarten but it isn’t easy, especially during seat work, when she has to sit quietly and keep her eyes on her own work. She’s just too interested in seeing what everyone else is doing.

               One day, Ramona decides to become cross with her new enemy Susan and pulls her hair. Ms. Binney sends her home until she can behave. Ramona decides that Ms. Binney doesn’t like her any more, and she refuses to go back. Finally she receives a letter from Ms. Binney.

               This is how the story of ‘Ramona the Pest’ goes. It is written by Beverly Cleary. The book was first published in 1968 and featured illustrations by Louis Darling.

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               Hugh Lofting’s ‘Doctor Dolittle series’ are stories about Doctor Dolittle.

               The first book ‘The Story of Doctor Dolittle’ narrates Dolittle’s love towards animals he kept. Polynesia the parrot taught him to talk to the animals. His love of animals grows over the years, and his house-hold eventually scares off his human clients, leading to loss of wealth. He was totally unconcerned by how much money he had, once going on a journey to Africa to escape the fact that he had no money.

               This much loved book was written and illustrated by Hugh Lofting. There are 13 books about Doctor Dolittle. Each book has him doing something different with his wonderful collection of animals. It was one of the books in this series that was adapted into the film Doctor Dolittle.

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               One of the most famous and memorable accounts of World War II and the Holocaust, is the story of a Dutch Jewish school girl, Anne Frank, living in Amsterdam. ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’, also known as ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, is the journal by Anne Frank. In 1942, Anne was given a diary notebook for her 13th birthday, which is when the diary starts. By this time, Germany had already invaded, and occupied the Netherlands for two years.

               The book was first published in 1947, two years after Anne’s death in a concentration camp, and later became a classic. Anne called the diary Kitty. It was her true friend. She addressed many of the entries to “Dear Kitty”. The diary chronicles the next two years of Anne’s life in the cramped annexe, along with her seven co-prisoners. Anne’s last diary entry was written on August 1st, 1944. The work was eventually translated into more than 60 languages, and it was later adapted for the stage and screen.

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             After losing her family to a cholera epidemic, young Mary Lennox is sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven and his on Colin.

               After discovering a hidden garden behind the mansion, Mary sets out to discover why it has remained closed from human eyes for so long. From the servant there, she heard the story of the garden that was locked ten years ago by her uncle after his wife’s death; Mary determines to find the key. In the end, Mary brings the garden back to life.

               ‘The Secret Garden’ is a children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in 1911, after it was serialized in an American magazine in 1910.

               This magical story is an exaltation of the beauty of nature and its beneficial effects on the human spirit. ‘The Secret Garden’ attracts children around the globe.

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               Mrs. Rabbit had told her off-spring firmly that Mr. McGregor’s garden was out of bounds. She should know: her husband had been baked into a pie by Mrs. McGregor. But her son, Peter, was not about to heed his mother’s warning. He ventures into Mr. McGregor’s garden. The story of the book continues like this, chronicling the adventures of Peter.

               ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ is a children’s picture book, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter, and published in 1902. It was Potter’s first book, and was initially privately printed.

               Upon publication, however, it was immediately successful. It has since gone on to become one of the most famous British books ever written, and has sold 45 million copies. Peter Rabbit himself has become a British icon.

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            ‘Treasure Island’ is the story of Jim Hawkins, a boy who finds a map which leads to the buried treasure of the notorious pirate Captain Flint. Jim takes the map to two wealthy local men, Dr. Livesey, and Squire Trelawney, who buy a ship, hire a crew, and set sail in search of the treasure. However, most of the crew turns out to be pirates who once served under Captain Flint, led by Long John Silver, a one-legged man who constantly keeps his pet parrot on his shoulder. The pirates plan to murder those who oppose them, and to keep the treasure for themselves.

            Most of the book is narrated in the first person by Jim Hawkins.

            ‘Treasure Island’ is a children’s historical adventure novel of thirty-six chapters by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It was originally serialized in the magazine Young Folks between 1881 and 1882, Stevenson wrote it under the pseudonym Captain George North. the story was first published in book form in 1883.

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             Brian Robeson is a thirteen-year-old boy. As he travels by a plane to visit his father in the oil fields, the pilot suffers a massive heart attack, and dies. Brian tries to land the plane, but ends up crash-landing into a lake in the forest. He must learn to survive on his own, with nothing but his hatchet—a gift his mother gave him shortly before his plane departed.

               Throughout the summer, Brian learns how to survive in the vast wilderness with only his hatchet. He discovers how to make fire with the hatchet, and he eats whatever food he can find. He deals with various threats of nature, including wolves, mosquitoes, and even a tornado. Over time, Brian develops his survival skills and becomes a fine woodsman.

               Later, he finds a transmitter, but not knowing how to use it, he thinks it is damaged and throws it aside. Finally however, he is rescued.

               ‘Hatchet’ is a 1987 Newbery Honour-winning novel written by American author Gary Paulsen. It is the first novel of five in the Hatchet series.

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               The story in this book opens in the year 1866. Everyone in Europe and America is talking about a mysterious creature that has been sinking ships. Finally, the government decides to intervene and commissions a ship named The Abraham Lincoln to capture and identify the creature.

               On board the ship are Pierre Aronnax, a renowned scientist along with his manservant, Conseil, and Ned Land the king of harpooners. The search ship was attacked by the creature. The three men find themselves on top of the mysterious creature, which is actually a submarine vessel. They are taken on board and placed in a cell. The men meet Captain Nemo, who in order to escape repression in his homeland, built a submarine called The Nautilus and roams freely through the world’s oceans in it. The ‘twenty thousand leagues’ in the title refers to the distance travelled; six times the diameter of the Earth.

               ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ is a science fiction children’s book written by Jules Verne. It was first published in 1870. The novel was first published in English in 1872, in an abbreviated translation by Lewis Page Mercier, a British clergyman.

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               Little Otto’s mother died during childbirth, and his father, a warlord, left him in a monastery for a proper and safe upbringing. Otto’s father returns for him when he is an older boy, at which time Otto discovers the truth about his father’s past, particularly about his part in the murder of Baron Frederick. As a result of a feud, Otto was captured by his father’s enemies and they cut off his right hand. Later, Otto’s father returns and rescues him with the help of a few remaining loyal followers. However, he dies during the fight. Otto flees to the monastery where he grew up, and is given refuge there. Later, he becomes a statesman.

               ‘Otto of the Silver Hand’ is a children’s thriller book written and illustrated by Howard Pyle.

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               Do you want to get lost in a time when there were no cars to get you around, and real help came from majestic horses? Well, ‘Black Beauty’ will take you there.

               ‘Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse’ is a popular children’s novel by the British author Anna Sewell. It was first published in 1877, and became an immediate success. The novel has been widely translated.

               The novel’s title character is the horse Black Beauty. The story is told from the point of view of Black Beauty, who lives in 19th century England. Over the course of the book, Black Beauty has a series of owners and caretakers, some good and some bad. Although he experiences many hardships, the gentle and intelligent Black Beauty remembers his mother’s wise advice, and always gives his best. The story was written before the invention of automobiles when society depended on horses for nearly everything.

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               ‘Harriet the Spy’ is a 1964 book by Louise Fitzhugh about a girl named Harriet who likes to spy on people. The book is considered as a classic.

               The title character of the book is Harriet, a precocious eleven-year-old who writes down everything because she wants to be a writer when she grows up. She keeps a composition book with her at all times, writing down her observations, and general thoughts that pop into her mind. After school, she goes on her spy route. One thing about Harriet, though: she’s extremely secretive about the contents of her notebook. One day Harriet loses her notebook. Her classmates find it and are appalled at her brutally honest documentation of her opinions of them. They try to trouble Harriet. Thus the story goes.

               In the US, this is ranked number 12 as the best children’s book, and number 17 all time children’s book on two lists generated in 2012. Fitzhugh wrote two sequels to the book- ‘The Long Secret’ and ‘Sport’.

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          Roald Dahl’s ‘James and the Giant Peach’ tells the tale of a young boy called James, who is packed off to live with his two really horrible aunts after his parents were killed by a rhinoceros that escaped from London Zoo. The aunts Spiker and Sponge, who treat him like a slave, keep him in the attic, and only feed him fish heads.

          One afternoon, when he is crying in the woods, James stumbles across a friendly wizard, who mysteriously understands his situation, and gives him some magic crystals that he promises will bring happiness.

          On the way back to the house, James spills the crystals onto a peach tree, which grows a peach of a giant size. When entering into the peach James has a wild and surreal cross-world adventure with seven magically-altered garden bugs he meets. They set off on a journey to escape from James’ two mean and cruel aunts. The adventures of James thus begin.

          The book ‘James and the Giant Peach’ was a great success. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1996.

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               ‘Goodnight Moon’ is an American children’s novel written by Margaret Wise Brown, and illustrated by Clement Hurd. It is a classic children’s book in the form of a simple picture book which shows a small bunny getting ready for bed. It first lists the items in the bunny’s nursery, and then, he says goodnight to each in turn. By the end of the story, the bunny is asleep in the darkened nursery.

               It was published on September 3, 1947, and is a highly acclaimed bedtime story. ‘Goodnight Moon’ has sold more than 48 million copies since it was first published.

               Many parents around the world have read the book to their sleepy children. This book is the second in Brown and Hurd’s “classic series”, which also include ‘The Runaway Bunny’ and ‘My World’.

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              This wonderful story book, published by Harper in 1972, with illustrations by John Schoenherr is set on the Alaska North Slope. It features Julie or Miyax. She is a young Eskimo girl.

               After Julie’s mother’s death, she is raised by her father, Kapugen. Later, Julie is sent to live with Aunt Martha, a distant and cold woman. She attempts to escape from there, and ends up getting lost on the Arctic tundra.

               She runs into a pack of wolves, and rather than devouring her, she is adopted by them. The book deals with her struggle to learn how to communicate with wolves, and her reasons for leaving.

               ‘Julie of the Wolves’ was written by Jean Craighead George in 1972, and two sequels, ‘Julie’ and ‘Julie’s Wolf Pack’, followed. The novel ‘Julie of the Wolves’ is undoubtedly one of the all-time favourite books of children.

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               This is how the story of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, goes. Max, a young boy, makes so much mischief in his wolf suit that his mother sends him to bed without his supper. In his room he imagines himself in a forest and he journeys to where the Wild Things live. They are fierce, but he conquers them by meeting their eyes. They make him their king. But Max is homesick, so he returns home to discover his supper waiting in his room for him.

               The story consists of just 338 words as it is basically a picture book. Written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, the book is very popular among children. It was published in 1963.

               Since its publication, the book and author have been honoured with a number of awards. The story has been adapted as a test animation project by John Lasseter, a 1983 opera by Oliver Knussen, and has been referenced in pop culture numerous times. In October 2009, Warner Bros. Pictures released a live-action theatrical film based on the book.

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            ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is a 1908 children’s book of twelve chapters by Kenneth Grahame. The book tells the adventures of the animal friends Mole, Rat, Mr. Badger and Mr. Toad. It has been read and re-read with pleasure by children and their parents through multiple generations.

            Mole is cleaning his home, but gets fed up with the work he is doing. He decides to leave his underground home, and take a walk in the fresh air. He eventually finds himself at the river, which he has never seen before, and meets the water rat Ratty, who takes him for a boat ride. Mole and Ratty quickly become friends. Ratty invites Mole to stay with him, and teaches him how to row a boat. In the summer, Ratty takes Mole to Toad Hall, the home of Mr. Toad, a cheerful and friendly character, who is also vain and boastful.

            Later, Mole shows interest in visiting another of Ratty’s friends, Badger, who lives in the Wild Wood. Ratty does not want to take him there, because he knows that Badger does not like visitors. Their story continues with more adventures than ever.

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            ‘The Giving Tree’ is a paradise of words for nature lovers. It is the story about an apple tree and a little boy. This beautiful book mainly focuses on the intense bond between the tree and the boy. For example, even though the boy ages, and becomes an adult as the story progresses, the apple tree prefers to affectionately call him boy till the end.

            In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages, the tree gives him parts of herself, which he can transform into material items. The tree gives the boy her fruits for money, her branches for building him a house, and her trunk for building him a new boat. With every stage of giving, the tree seems happy. Their amazing relationship continues, even after the boy grows into a very old man.

            ‘The Giving Tree’ was written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein and was first published in 1964.

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            The story of Snow White, a princess who was the most beautiful woman in her kingdom, is one of the world’s best loved tales.

            Snow White’s stepmother, the Queen who is the second most beautiful woman in the kingdom, becomes extremely jealous of Snow White, and grows to despise her because of her superior beauty. The Queen orders a huntsman to murder Snow White. The huntsman takes pity on Snow White, and allows her to escape into the forest. She takes refuge in a cottage that belongs to seven dwarfs. The seven dwarfs allow Snow White to stay as their housekeeper. The story takes a sudden twist when the Queen finds out that Snow White is still alive.

            ‘Snow White’ is a well known and very widely read children’s book. It is a beautiful, creatively written German fairy tale. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ‘Grimms’ Fairy Tales’. The Grimms completed their final revision of the story in 1854.

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               ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ is a children’s fantasy book. The title character of the book is a living wooden puppet, carved by a toy maker named Geppetto who makes the puppet his adoptive son. Pinocchio is initially disobedient and mischievous. He abandons his father and goes off in search of adventure. The story takes a turn as Pinocchio is saved by a fairy. The fairy educates Pinocchio, and manages to get him to change his ways. As a reward Pinocchio gets the best gift in his life, which continues to make the plot of the book interesting.

               The book of thirty six chapters is written by Carlo Collodi. It has been translated into some 250 different languages. There have been various adaptations of ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’, the best known of which continues to be the 1940 animated film Pinocchio, from Walt Disney.

               The popular myth of somebody’s nose growing longer when he or she lies was introduced in ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’.

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               ‘The Tinder Box’ is a fantasy short story for children by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

                The main character in the story, a soldier, is sent by a witch to visit an underground treasure trove. The witch tells him that he can bring back as much money as he can carry, and keep it for himself, but he must give her an old tinder box which he will also find down there. The story continues to narrate the soldier’s life ahead.

                The story which appeared in Andersen’s first collection of fairy tales was published in 1835 and was translated into English in 1846. The book was the subject of the first Danish animated film, released in 1946.

                There are also several similarities between ‘The Tinder Box’ and the stories ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ from ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, a work with which Andersen had been familiar since childhood.

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            Who doesn’t like to read enchanting folk tales from the mysterious Arabian lands? ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ is a compilation of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories, written down in Arabic

            The standard Arabic text of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ today is the work of a series of anonymous authors, writing over a period of more than a thousand years. Its collection took place over many centuries and countries. Some of the tales, including ‘Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp’, ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’, and ‘The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor’ were added by European translators.

            Despite the many differences between editions, one element they have in common is the frame story of King Shahryar and his wife, the storyteller Scheherazade. The stories themselves belong to a variety of different genres, including adventure, comedy, fantasy and tragedy.

            It is often regarded as a work that shows, man’s unending will to overcome defeat.

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               If you are a dog lover, and love to read stories about them, you should definitely read ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’. It is a beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend.

               It is a book about a boy named Billy Colman and the adventures he has with his two coonhound dogs named Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy spends two years earning enough money in order to buy the puppies. After that, he trains them to hunt raccoons, with Old Dan displaying strength and Little Ann displaying intelligence. Over time they become known as the best coonhounds in the area. The story continues to narrate the unexpected fate of the boy and the dogs.

               ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’, written by Wilson Rawls, was published in the year 1961. The book was a success, and attracted readers of all ages.

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          Is there anyone who isn’t familiar with the famous character ‘Mowgli’? Hopefully none. The main character of the evergreen ‘The Jungle Book’ (1894), a collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling, is a huge part of our childhood.

            Mowgli is a human child raised by wolves in the jungle. In these tales, the animals proved to be both Mowgli’s allies and adversaries. Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther along with many others, are Mowgli’s friends. But Shere Khan the tiger is his biggest enemy. The stories are set in a forest in India.

            Kipling was born in India and spent the first five years of his childhood there. After about ten years in England, he went back to India, and worked there for about six and half years. The original publications contained illustrations, some by Rudyard’s father, John Lockwood Kipling. ‘The Jungle Book’ has remained popular, partly through its many adaptations for film and other media.

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            Well, the title character of this enthralling children’s book doesn’t even need an introduction, as he is one of the most popular cartoon characters in the world.

            ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ is a classic 1926 children’s book by English author Alan A. Milne, which tells the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh, a silly bear living in the Hundred Acre Wood with his friends Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl and Christopher Robin. It was illustrated by Ernest H. Sheppard. This story collection is a selection of 15 charming stories, created to show little ones what it means to be a true friend. Come along with Winnie-the-Pooh and friends as they learn about sharing and caring, about working together, and missing each other when they’re apart, about putting friends first and building friendships that last.

            The book consists of ten loosely-connected stories, each told in one of its ten chapters. Later ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ was adapted into comic and animation format. In 2003, the book was listed at number 7 on the BBC’s survey ‘The Big Read’.

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            Do you dream of playing on the green and beautiful mountains sometimes? Then you will just enjoy the cute story of Heidi, the mountain girl from Switzerland.

            ‘Heidi’ is a two volume novel written by Johanna Spyri. It is by far the most popular piece of Swiss literature ever written, and has been translated from German into 50 languages, been filmed more than a dozen times, and more than 50 million copies of ‘Heidi’ books have been sold world-wide.

            This charming story is about an orphaned girl named Heidi who is sent away from her aunt to live with her grand-father in the Alps Mountains in Switzerland. Heidi’s grandfather is a cold hearted and mean man at the beginning.

            However, as they get to know each other, the love between Heidi and her grandfather, grows so strong, that they cannot be separated. Life in the mountains is perfect, and it all seems too good to be true, till Heidi is suddenly taken away from her beloved grandfather and her favourite mountains, and sent to Frankfurt.

            Heidi hates the hustle of city life. She can’t get over her homesickness and longs for the mountains where everything is green and fresh.

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            If you prefer a series of children’s books, rather than just a single storybook, you will find ‘The Wizard of Oz’ really fascinating. It is an amazing work for children written by American author L. Frank Baum.

            The first book in the series, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ was published in 1900. Baum wrote thirteen sequels to the original novel, and a total of forty books, written by a variety of authors, belong in the series’ canon.

            ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ tells the story of an innocent little farm girl named Dorothy Gale, who is being raised by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry when a tornado sweeps through their home and airlifts it, with Dorothy and her dog Toto inside. The next day, when the house finally hits solid ground, Dorothy steps out the front door. She sees a huge crowd of strange people and, on sight, decides this unfamiliar land isn’t for her. But she’s in Oz now. The story continues and revolves around Dorothy’s life and adventures afterwards.

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            Are you into stories about mischievous and imaginative children? Then you will surely love the works of the great storyteller Mark Twain.

            ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, written by Twain is a child’s adventure story. It is also, however, the story of a young boy’s transition into a young man. The book was published in 1876. Mark Twain describes some autobiographical events in the book. The novel is set around Twain’s actual boyhood home of Hannibal, near St. Louis, US, and many of the places in it are real. As a result, today, these places support a tourist industry.

            ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ has become a classic portrait of a mischievous youth, and the adventures of adolescence. It is one of the world’s best-loved tales ever.

            This amazing book was Twain’s first attempt at writing a real novel. The titular hero of the novel, Tom Sawyer, is a young boy living on the banks of the Mississippi River. He lives with his Aunt Polly, half-brother Sid, and his cousin Mary.

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          ‘The Happy Prince’ is a fantasy short story for children by the Irish author Oscar Wilde. It was first published in a collection called ‘The Happy Prince and Other Tales’ in 1888. It contains five stories: ‘The Happy Prince’, ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’, ‘The Selfish Giant’, ‘The Devoted Friend’, and ‘The Remarkable Rocket’.

          The story’s title character is a beautiful statue, covered in gold leaf and decorated with jewels. The statue represents a prince who, during his lifetime, was famous for being happy.

          However, the truth is that the prince appeared to be happy only because he knew nothing of life outside of his palace. Only after he died and became a statue did the prince learn of the suffering of the poor people in his city.

          The happy prince befriends a swallow that spends time on the statue, and asks it to offer some assistance to the people who are living in poverty.

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          ‘Rip Van Winkle’ is a short story written by Washington Irving, and it was published in 1819. The book is beautifully interwoven with fantasy and history. The story is based on a German folktale.

          It is the story of Rip Van Winkle, who lives in a village in the Catskills, with his wife and children. He is an easy-going man, with a nagging wife who constantly criticizes him.

          One day, Rip goes hunting in the mountains, and meets the ghost of Henry Hudson, the famed explorer. Rip eats and drinks with Hudson and his crew, then falls asleep under a tree.

          The story then moves twenty years ahead, when Rip wakes up to find that the world has changed. His wife has died. His children are grown. At first, the only person in his village who recognizes him is Peter Vanderdonk, the oldest man in the village.

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            ‘Kathasaritsagara’, meaning Ocean of the Streams of Stories, is an 11th century collection of Indian legends, fairy tales, and folk tales,  retold in Sanskrit by a scholar named Somadeva.

            Nothing is known about the author other than that his father’s name was Ramadevabatta.

            The work was compiled for the entertainment of the queen Suryamati, wife of king Anantadeva of Kashmir.

            Unlike most familiar classics, this work contains no hidden moral lessons. Instead, it is an easy celebration of earthly life. It consists of 18 books of 124 chapters, and has more than 21,000 verses, in addition to prose sections.

            The book contains a major tale, which is about the adventures of Naravahanadatta, son of the legendary king Udayana.

            Most of the other tales are interestingly connected to this central story.

            The work was translated into English by Charles Henry Tawney. The translation was published in two volumes in 1880 and 1884.

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            Written between 1605 and 1615, ‘Don Quixote’, also known as ‘The Ingenious Nobleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha’, is a children’s novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It has been widely read, and enjoyed by children.

            The novel, originally written in Spanish, is about a wannabe knight, Alonso Quixano, who drags a farmer, Sancho Panza, along on a series of adventures. Don Quixote, in the first part of the book, does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story. The book was immediately translated into English, and it was a great and continuing success.

            ‘Don Quixote’ is considered to be one of the most important books of all time, and it is often cited as the first modern children’s novel.

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            ‘Robinson Crusoe’ is another sea adventure children’s book, written by Daniel Defoe. The novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’ tells the story of a young and impulsive Englishman who defies his parents’ wishes, and takes to the seas seeking adventure.

            He was involved in a series of violent storms at sea, and was warned by the captain that he should not be a seafaring man. The young Robinson Crusoe is ship-wrecked and cast away on a remote tropical island for 28 years.

            This wonderfully written book is said to be based on the true-life events of Alexander Selkirk, a sailor who survived four years on a Pacific island, after he encountered a terrible ship mishap.

            Despite its simple narrative style, ‘Robinson Crusoe’ was well received in the literary world. Before the end of 1719, the book had already run through four editions, and it has gone on to become one of the most widely published books in history.

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            If you are into sea adventure books, you will thoroughly enjoy the famous story book – ‘Moby-Dick’, written in 1851 by Herman Melville. It recounts the adventures of the narrator Ishmael, as he sails on the whaling ship, Pequod, under the command of the monomaniacal Captain Ahab.

           ‘Moby-Dick’, is a classic, not only in children’s literature but also in world literature. It is a novel first published in London as ‘The Whale’ and a month later in the United States as ‘Moby-Dick or The Whale’.

            Ishmael is the narrator in the story. Ishmael believes he has signed onto a normal whaling vessel, but he soon learns that Captain Ahab is not guiding the Pequod to hunt any whale, but is seeking one specific whale, Moby-Dick, a great white whale infamous for his ability to destroy the whalers that seek him.

            The captain’s wooden leg is the result of his first encounter with Moby-Dick. After the ship sails, it becomes clear that Captain Ahab is bent on revenge and he intends to get Moby-Dick.

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               ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ is a classic children’s book, written by Jonathan Swift. It was originally published in 1726.

               ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, comprises four books. It is an adventure story involving several voyages of the main character Lemuel Gulliver, a ship’s surgeon, who, because of a series of mishaps, ends up on unknown islands living with people and animals of unusual sizes. However, Gulliver returns to his home in England, where he recovers from these unusual experiences and then sets out again on a new voyage.

               In this creatively written work of fiction, many exciting things are included, for example- ‘remote regions of the world’, including Lilliput, where Gulliver finds himself tied to the ground by six-inch-high human figures, where he meets a man ‘as tall as an ordinary spire steeple’.

               The book became popular as soon as it was published. John Gay wrote in a 1726 letter to Swift that ‘It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery’.

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            ‘Oliver Twist’ is a must read, classic children’s novel written by Charles Dickens, published serially under the  pseudonym ‘Boz’.

             It is the story of a young orphan, Oliver, and his attempts to stay good in a society that refuses to help. Oliver is born in a workhouse, to a mother not known to anyone in the town. She dies right after giving birth to him, and he is sent to an orphanage, where he and the other orphans are treated terribly, and fed very little.

            After escaping from there, little Oliver travels to London, where he meets the ‘Artful Dodger’, a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal, Fagin.

           In the later part of the story, Oliver meets a good man, who takes him in. But, the plot takes a turn when Oliver is again trapped by Fagin’s men.

          ‘Oliver Twist’ has been the subject of numerous adaptations for various media, including a highly successful musical play, ‘Oliver!’, and the multiple Academy Award-winning 1968 motion picture of the same name.

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            ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, the classic children’s book by Lewis Carroll, tells the story of Alice who falls down a rabbit hole, and lands into a fantasy world that is full of weird, wonderful people and animals. Though it is a children’s book, it is one of the popular ones among adults too.

            Commonly shortened to ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the book was published in 1865. Unlike most of the other children’s books till then, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, was an imaginative fantasy work, not just bound to moral lessons.

            The book portrays many interesting characters that Alice meets during her adventure. Some of them are the Duchess, the March Hare, Mad Hatter, and the Red Queen. The book has inspired numerous film and television adaptations.

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             If you are looking for something exciting to read during your holidays, try reading the ‘Jataka Tales’. They are story books that are enjoyable, as well as filled with wisdom.

            Originally written in the Pali language, the ‘Jataka Tales’ have been translated into different languages around the world. They contain stories of the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. These include Buddha in both animal and human forms. These stories are extremely popular and are valued in all branches of Buddhism.

            ‘The Jataka Tales’ are dated between 300 BC and AD 400. Many of the tales are set in or near Benares, now called Varanasi, a city in North India on the Ganges River.

            Each tale begins by noting the occasion that prompted its telling, and ends with the Buddha identifying the lives of the people in the introductory story with those of people from the past. There is humour in some of these stories.

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          ‘Aesop’s Fables’ is a collection of tales from the Greek storyteller, Aesop.

            He was a slave who lived in ancient Greece, between 620 and 564 BC. He was a keen observer of both animals and people. Most of the characters in his stories are animals, some of which take on human characteristics, and are personified in their ways of speech and emotions. Each fable has an accompanying moral to be learned from the tale. The fables, numbering 725 totally, were all passed down orally through generations.

            Aesop loved to write stories which were mostly fables. A fable is a very short story with a moral, or a lesson to teach. Three centuries after Aesop’s death they were written down, and their author-ship was attributed to Aesop.

There are many famous fables, including the most famous ones like ‘The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs’, ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’ etc.

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            ‘The Panchatantra Stories’ are the most popular children’s book in India. These are the oldest surviving fables from India, which are popular abroad too.

            Panchatantra is believed to be written by Vishnu Sharma, along with many other scholars. It is basically a network of interesting stories on human behaviour, depicted through animal characters that are loved by people of every age group.

            The stories were probably written originally in Sanskrit, and later translated into English, and many other languages. These stories are the best guide to teach children moral values, since each tale has a moral lesson at its end. Most of the stories are written very creatively, featuring plants and animals that can speak and converse with human beings too.

            Apart from a short introduction, these tales consist of five parts. Each part contains a main story, called the frame story, which in turn, contains several sub stories.

            The most popular Panchatantra stories are ‘The Wedge-pulling Monkey’, ‘The Blue Jackal’ etc.

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