Showing results by narrator "Phil Chenevert" in All Categories

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska.

A Witch Shall Be Born is one of the original sword and sorcery novellas by Robert E. Howard about Conan the Cimmerian. The story concerns a witch replacing her twin sister as queen of a city state, which brings her into conflict with Conan who had been the captain of the queen's guard. Themes of paranoia, and the duality of the twin sisters, are paramount in this story but it also includes elements of the conflict between barbarism and civilization that is common to the entire Conan series.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an American children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow, originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900. It has since been reprinted on numerous occasions, most often under the title The Wizard of Oz, which is the title of the popular 1902 Broadway musical adaptation as well as the iconic 1939 musical film adaptation. The story chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the magical land of Oz.

"The Road to Oz: In Which Is Related How Dorothy Gale of Kansas, The Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter Met on an Enchanted Road and Followed it All the Way to the Marvelous Land of Oz" is the fifth of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz books. It was originally published on July 10, 1909 and documents Dorothy's fourth visit to Oz.

"Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: A Faithful Record of Their Amazing Adventures in an Underground World and How, with the Aid of Their Friends Zeb Hugson, Eureka the Kitten and Jim the Cab-Horse, They Finally Reached the Wonderful Land of Oz" is the fourth work set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by John R. Neill. It was published on June 18, 1908 and reunites Dorothy with the humbug Wizard from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

"Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tiktok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein" published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L. Frank Baum's "Oz" series. It was the first in which Baum was clearly intending a series of "Oz" books.

This delightful little tale by Hans Christian Andersen follows the ridiculous path a rumor takes as it travels from hen coop to hen coop, spreading the scandalous tale of a whole barnyard of hens who in pluck out all their feathers to impress the cock. Indeed, There Is No Doubt about It! Scandalous!!

What is The Ideal? Renowned science fiction author Stanley Grauman Weinbaum explores individuality and artificial intelligence in this classic story.

A mysterious nobleman in disguise pleads for his help in preventing a scandal that could hurt a royal house of Europe and indeed upset the balance of power on the Continent. Conan Doyle ranked "A Scandal in Bohemia" fifth in his list of his 12 favorite Holmes stories. Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the case but "the woman" thwarts their schemes at the last moment, eliciting everlasting admiration for her wits from the great Sherlock Holmes.

The full title of Swift's pamphlet is A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burtden to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick."The tract is an ironically conceived attempt to "find out a fair, cheap, and easy Method" for converting the starving children of Ireland into "sound and useful members of the Commonwealth." Across the country poor children, predominantly Catholics, are living in squalor because their families are too poor to keep them fed and clothed.

This Father Brown mystery by Chesterton deals with a killer who is invisible. But how is it possible for someone to be invisible? To have people hear your voice and not see you? To walk right past their eyes and yet remain unseen? G. K. Chesterton explores not physics here but human nature, in this intriguing and quirky murder mystery.

This classic story by Margery Williams, published in 1922, imparts the timeless message that toys need not be expensive or modern to be appreciated and loved. Through giving and receiving love, even a commonplace stuffed animal can become real in the eyes of a child, and millions of them do every day. Love is the magic ingredient of course, and it works on all of us.

After changing countless wet and dirty diapers, parents of toddlers everywhere are more than ready to potty train their child and move past the diaper stage. Potty training comes with its own headaches and frustrations, however, and you may find yourself wishing for those peaceful days of diaper-dom. Stay patient and persevere, and you will get through this. Despite what you will hear from many sources through the potty training stage, there is no one perfect potty training method.

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775-76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. In clear, simple language, it explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation.

The Apology is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he defended himself in 399 BC against the charges of "corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel". "Apology" here has its earlier meaning of speaking in defense of a cause or of one's beliefs or actions. The general term apology, in context to literature, defends a world from attack (opposite of satire-which attacks the world).

I started to read a story once. It was a good one. There was in it not a single allusion to brandy-and-soda, or divorce, or the stock market. The dialogue crackled. The hero talked like a live man. It was a shipboard story, and the heroine was charming so long as she wore her heavy ulster. But along toward evening she blossomed forth in a yellow gown, with a scarlet poinsettia at her throat. I quit her cold. Nobody ever wore a scarlet poinsettia; or if they did, they couldn't wear it on a yellow gown.

A man returns to his home town from prison. He hopes to sneak in, pay a quick visit and vanish before people recognize him. But this may not be possible. What happens to a man's soul after years in prison? Ferber explores this poignant and sad subject in this story. But the ending is full of hope.

A researcher goes on an expedition to find "The Tablets of the Gods" which have plagued his dreams since his boyhood. He finds them, and the horrible truth of humanity's true purpose in the universe. This story, The Man Who Found Out is an example to me of pure cosmic horror in that the horror comes totally from knowledge which is (in-story) so terrible that it forever blights the minds of anyone who discovers it.

The story of Peter Pan, retold by Daniel O'Connor from the fairy play by Sir J. M. Barrie. O'Connor took the story from the original play, with the approval of Barrie, and shortened it into a book. This shorter story was published before Barrie wrote the longer novel Peter and Wendy, using the same plot and characters.

Who ever heard of a plain and downright homely heroine? Isn't a heroine by definition beautiful? Well, Edna Ferber, in her well known style that later produced Show Boat and Giant, tells us about just such a heroine in this special short story. It is special to me because of her insight into the deep courage and faith of 'ordinary' people, people like most of us. And of course our failings and frailties and sometimes, the prince does not marry the right person. Yep.