From back cover: "In the Pacific there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Once, Indians also lived on the island. And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind.".

The Swiss Family Robinson (German: Der Schweizerische Robinson) is a novel by Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family shipwrecked in the East Indies en route to Port Jackson, Australia.Written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss and edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss and illustrated by his son Johann Emmanuel Wyss, the novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world...

"In the years since she arrived at Green Gables, Anne has earned the love and respect of the people of Avonlea--as well as a reputation for getting herself into predicaments. Now sixteen years old--and bound and determined to look after Marilla in the wake of Matthew's death--she's about to begin her job as the town's new schoolteacher. Soon enough she is the one learning lessons, however, as she starts to realize how complicated life can be."--from...

"In this spirited novel by master storyteller Jules Verne, five Civil War prisoners escape their Confederate jail by hijacking a hot-air balloon. Blown halfway across the world and stranded on a remote island, the fugitives' survival depends upon their ability to build a sustainable environment while withstanding pirate attacks, volcanic eruptions, and other challenges. Engineer Cyrus Harding takes charge of the crew, consisting of his servant, Neb;...