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Published in 1920, “The Wreath” is the first book in the “Kristin Lavransdatter” trilogy by the Nobel Prize winning Norwegian author Sigrid Undset. Beloved for its historical and cultural accuracy, the stories follow the life of the main character, Kristin Lavransdatter, a fictional Norwegian woman living in the 14th century in the Gudbrand Valley in Norway. In “The Wreath” readers are introduced to Kristin at a young age at her family’s prosperous farm. Kristin often clashes with her loving family and, while kind and gentle, she becomes willful and headstrong. Her family is beset by repeated tragedies and her life is upended when her reputation becomes tarnished. In response, she is sent to a nunnery by her parents and her life takes a dramatic turn. There she falls in love with an inappropriate man and engages in a scandalous affair, much to the disapproval of her pious parents. Beautifully written and poetic, “The Wreath” captures both the details of this ancient world and creates characters who share all the same passions and shortcomings as those in the modern era. Undset’s classic continues to be treasured in Norway and read all over the world.

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“From Superman to Man”, self-published in 1917 by J. A. Rogers, was the author’s first book and a powerful attack on racism and the ignorance that fuels it. Born Joel Augustus Rogers in Jamaica around 1880, Rogers emigrated to the United States in 1906 and eventually settled in Harlem, New York during the exciting artistic and cultural time of the Harlem Renaissance. In “From Superman to Man”, a black Pullman porter and a white racist Southern politician on his way to California debate racial stereotypes and the arguments used to bolster claims of white superiority. Rogers based the novel on his own experiences working as a Pullman porter and his exhaustive research into biology, anthropology, and history. A novel far ahead of its time in its understanding of biology, race, and the history of oppression, Rogers makes many compelling arguments against white supremacy that he would continue to expound upon throughout his career. While written over a hundred years ago, “From Superman to Man” remains a compelling and thought-provoking book on the irrationality of racism and the important and forgotten contributions of black people to human history.

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“The Diaries and Adam and Eve” by Mark Twain was originally published as two separate stories and were later combined at Twain’s request. “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” was published as a stand-alone book in 1904. In 1905, “Eve’s Diary” was published in the Christmas issue of “Harper’s Bazaar” and then as a book in 1906. With his signature wit and charm, Twain tells the separate stories of humanity’s biblical ancestors from the perspective of each in the form of diary entries. As one would expect from one of America’s greatest humorist, Adam and Eve’s diaries are funny and clever interpretations of these classic biblical tales. Adam is portrayed as lazy, cranky, and disinterested in the new, long-haired creature he suddenly finds with him in the Garden of Eden. Eve, in contrast, is enthusiastic, chatty, and brimming with curiosity about the enchanting and abundant life around them. The couple’s children, Cain and Abel, also make a brief appearance, though Adam is characteristically uninterested and Eve is left to the do all the hard work. Twain’s retelling of this classic and ancient myth is touching, funny, and an essential addition to the library of anyone who appreciates one of America’s best storytellers. This edition includes a biographical afterword and the original illustration of F. Strothmann and Lester Ralph.

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The first in a series of books about the Pepper family, “Five Little Peppers and How They Grew” has delighted readers since its original publication in 1881. This first novel introduces Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie, the children of their widowed Mamsie, Mrs. Pepper. While very poor, the Peppers live in a supportive little town in their beloved Little Brown House. The family faces many challenges, such as sickness and an overflowing generosity stinted by their financial straits, yet they accept and overcome many obstacles with an optimism and good-naturedness that is as surprising as it is commendable. When little Phronsie is later placed in great danger, the Peppers meet young Jasper King, who will ultimately change their fates and lead them to the unexpected conclusion of the novel. This heartwarming tale is a testament to perseverance in the face of hardship, incorruptible kindness, and the power of family love that conveys a message well worth learning to this day.

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First published in 1872 by the famed and beloved Scottish author George MacDonald, “The Princess and the Goblin” is a classic and widely influential children’s fantasy novel. It is the story of the young and lonely Princess Irene who lives in a large castle in a desolate land with only her nursemaid for company. One day while exploring her castle home, Princess Irene finds a secret stairway in the castle, discovers her great-great-grandmother living in a secret chamber, and is introduced to a new magical world. Princess Irene begins to explore her world outside of the castle, discovers the existence of goblins, whom she was unaware lived nearby, and is rescued from danger by a young miner named Curdie. He and Princess Irene quickly become friends and have more adventures discovering magic and avoiding the violent goblins. When Curdie is captured by the goblins and overhears a plot to kidnap the Princess and flood the King’s mine he is challenged to foil the nefarious plan of the goblins and save the Princess. A masterpiece of children’s literature and a touching story of courage and loyalty, “The Princess and the Goblin” is a timeless treasure. This edition include a biographical afterword.

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First published in 1920, “The Story of Doctor Dolittle”, or “Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts”, is Hugh Lofting’s classic children’s novel about the animal-loving British country doctor, John Dolittle, who learns he can talk to animals with help from his pet parrot Polynesia. In this first book in a series of titles about Doctor Dolittle’s adventures, the good doctor puts his unique skills to use when he has to leave his beloved home in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh and travel to Africa with his pets to help cure a terrible monkey epidemic. Doctor Dolittle and his pets, including Jip, his loyal dog and Dab-Dab, his housekeeping duck, encounter all manner of adventure and misfortune during their trip, from a shipwreck, to being kidnapped, to encounters with pirates, and to the discovery of unique and interesting animals. After finally curing the monkeys, Doctor Dolittle and his pets are able to return to their idyllic country home with grand treasures and amazing stories to tell from their voyage. This edition includes all the original illustrations by the author.

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Johnny Gruelle’s “Raggedy Ann Stories” introduced the world to one of the most beloved of all children’s characters, Raggedy Ann. Gruelle, born in Illinois in 1880, and was a children’s author, political cartoonist, and illustrator. He had an artistic upbringing and was taught to draw by his father, the famed Hoosier painter Richard Gruelle. As an adult, Gruelle was inspired to create his most famous character, Raggedy Ann, by his daughter Marcella and the fun she had playing with dolls. Gruelle combined the names from “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphan Annie” and patented the iconic rag doll with her red yarn hair and triangle nose in 1915. “Raggedy Ann Stories”, his book explaining her origins and introducing Raggedy Ann and her friends to the world, was published in 1918 and both the book and doll were great commercial successes. Gruelle went on to publish many more books chronicling Raggedy Ann, her brother Raggedy Andy, and their many friends. The stories have become timeless and enduring classics for their loving characters, wholesome values, and fun adventures, and continue to charm children and parents over one hundred years later.

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“The Sign of the Four” is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s follow-up novel to his immensely successful “A Study in Scarlet”, where we first meet two of the most famous literary detectives of all time, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. “The Sign of the Four”, first published in 1890, introduces the reader to Miss Mary Morstan, Dr. Watson’s future wife, and centers around the mysterious disappearance of Mary’s father, Captain Morstan. Set in 1888, Mary’s father has been missing for the past ten years and since 1882, after answering a newspaper ad looking for her, Mary receives an anonymous gift of priceless pearls on the anniversary of his disappearance. Mary solicits the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to unravel the mystery of her father’s disappearance and the identity of her anonymous benefactor. Holmes and Watson are soon deep into a dangerous and complex case involving a stolen treasure, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and a secret pact between four convicts. “The Sign of the Four” is not only a brilliant and engrossing mystery, but it is also the first glimpse of the legendary detective as a complicated human and flawed hero. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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First published in 1922, “Jacob’s Room” is Virginia Woolf’s third novel and a surprising and innovative departure from her other work. It is the life story of the character Jacob Flanders, from his childhood in pre-war England, through his time at Cambridge, and following him into his adulthood and travels abroad. The novel is told entirely from other character’s viewpoints, most often from the women in Jacob’s life, and focuses on their memories and feelings. Considered to be a highly experimental novel, “Jacob’s Room” is a study in character development, as well as perception and emotion. Jacob primarily exists as a character or object in the lives of others and the reader experiences him through the eyes of the women rather than as an individual in his own right. Woolf, through the use of symbology, stream of consciousness, monologue, and brief dialogues, brilliantly focuses her novel on the psychology of her characters instead of any specific plot or action of the story. “Jacob’s Room” is a critically acclaimed impressionistic work that focuses on the very meaning of existence and identity. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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The only full-length novel by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym” was first published in 1838. It is the story of a boy from Nantucket, Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship, the “Grampus”, with the help of his friend Augustus, the ship captain’s son. Pym and Augustus experience many unexpected adventures and misfortunes at sea, including mutiny, violent storms, cannibalism, and the destruction of the ship. Eventually, only Pym and another sailor, Dirk Peters, have survived and are clinging to the debris when they are rescued by the “Jane Guy”, a fishing ship headed to the southern seas. Pym becomes fascinated by the interesting birds and wildlife to be found near the Antarctic and convinces the captain to sail even further south. Pym’s adventures continue as the sailors meet aggressive natives and strange new lands. Rich with symbolism and allegory, Poe who sought to make the novel full of believable details, was heavily inspired by many popular travel journals of his time. “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym” greatly influenced writers such as Herman Melville and Jules Verne and remains to this day an exciting nautical adventure. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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