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This is volume 1 of 2. One of the most quirky, eccentric and endearing heroes to ever be depicted in fiction, the chivalrous Don Quixote is sure to capture hearts while bringing tears of laughter to your eyes. If you've never encountered the Knight from La Mancha before, get set for a delightful sojourn through the Spanish countryside, across the fertile countryside of Central Spain. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was an immediate success when it was first published in 1605 and won huge financial and literary success for its creator, an impoverished writer and poet. Cervantes' own life was extremely eventful and colorful. The son of a poor army doctor, young Miguel enlisted in the army and fought in Turkey and Italy. He was captured by Algerian pirates and sold as a slave along with his brother and returned to Spain after three grueling years, when their ransom was finally paid. His aim in writing Don Quixote was, according to his own notes, to describe the manners and mores of the time and to tell the story in a clear and simple way. The character of the tragicomic Knight was apparently based on one of Cervantes' own uncles who lived in the times of troubadours and knights errant. The plot revolves round the elderly gentleman, Don Quixote who is fascinated by the ideas of chivalry and noble deeds he has read about in old books. He sets out with his trusted “squire” Sancho Panza, in reality a simple village yokel. The Don who traverses the land riding a decrepit old horse Rocinante, proceeds to fall into a series of misadventures, but still keeps his lofty ideals intact! The more practical and earthy Sancho tries to bring his master down to earth, but to no avail. His master falls irrevocably and grandly in love with a peasant woman Dulcinea whom he imagines to be a damsel in distress. A series of zany incidents follow, with the Don slipping more and more into his imagined reality. Regarded as the first prototype of the modern novel in Europe, Don Quixote is full of satire, humor, irony and wit. The character of the Man from La Mancha is both endearing and exasperating, while being one of the truly memorable figures in literature. The book appeals to young and old readers alike and is definitely a must read for its literary and humorous qualities.

This story opens with a young woman who voyages alone into the wilds of Alaska to escape her tragic past. It then continues on to a young man who passionately protects the pristine environment, people and way of life in this snowbound country. Finally, a greedy profiteer arrives in the narrative whose only aim is to fill his pockets. When these three characters encounter each other on the stark and snowy plains, it's a clash of ideals and the sparks begin to fly. The Alaskan by James Oliver Curwood is one of his very engaging adventure romance conservationist stories and was an instant bestseller, like most of his books, when it was first published in 1923. Curwood was a highly successful writer in the early part of the twentieth century and was in fact, the best paid writer in the world at his time. His books were wildly popular and have been adapted for screen, stage, television and radio. Though he was a high school drop out, he wrote and passed a university entrance exam that gave him entry into the University of Michigan's English department. He studied journalism and discovered his writing talents when he worked on a Detroit newspaper. He fell in love with Alaska when he traveled there on a story and decided that he would settle there once he'd saved enough. He continued to write and travel often to his dream destination. His books proved extremely successful and allowed him to retire early to devote himself to his writing. From 1903 until his death in 1927, he produced novels, essays, short stories and articles dealing mainly with his favorite subjects: Alaska and adventure. Though he was fond of hunting in his early years, he soon became a conservationist like many before him and died at the young age of 49. His former studio in Ossowo, Michigan is now a museum. Curwood's writing style follows the great adventure story tradition of writers like Jack London who also used the Arctic and Arctic animals as heroes of their tales. His books have been translated into many world languages, including Swedish and Polish. The Alaskan is a typical Curwood tale, with wonderful descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, the wildlife, vegetation and local populations. The plot is studded with exciting twists and turns, memorable characters and is indeed a great read for young and old alike. Recent film adaptations of his 1916 book The Grizzly King and titled The Bear have led to a renewed interest in the work of this writer who was famous in his day, but is little known to modern readers.

If you haven't come across the 200-book series about Tom Swift Jr, this book would be an interesting one to start with. The series is aimed at the young adult readership, probably male, and the young adolescent hero, Tom Swift Jr is the son of Tom Swift Sr. The books portray the perennially 18-year-old Tom, a tall and angular youngster, possessed of a very high intelligence and presence of mind. Regular characters include his parents, younger sister Sandy, best buddy Bud Barclay, his regular date Phyllis Newton, and the comic roly-poly Chow Winkler. This star cast features in almost all the novels. Tom Swift and The Visitor from Planet X is an exciting sci-fi tale, in which the inventive and scientifically inclined Tom and friends have set up Swift Enterprises, a vast four-mile facility where inventions are conceived and built. They have established contact with intelligent beings on a distant planet and make preparations to welcome the first visitor from there. However, they're unexpectedly drawn into a deadly internecine battle between diabolical forces on the distant planet which aim to sabotage the visit and destroy Earth. Tom's quick thinking and inventiveness come to the fore as he develops a devastating weapon to counter the evil forces. This exciting tale certainly keeps you interested and engaged. The Tom Swift series is the product of a writing syndicate called the Stratemeyer Syndicate which published a range of packaged children's literature in the 1950s. Other series include the famous Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, all of which were penned by a host of writers employed by this syndicate. In fact the syndicate employed three PhDs in science and technology to ensure scientific authenticity. The series is still running and the last set was published between 2006-7.

Hugely popular among younger readers, White Fang by Jack London was a runaway hit when it first debuted in 1906, as a serial story in the Outing magazine. Since then it continues to enjoy immense acclaim and popularity as a coming of age allegory where a nonconformist youngster is transformed into a responsible citizen. The most appealing aspect of White Fang is that it's told from the point of view of an animal, in this case an Alaskan Husky. Like Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, White Fang also addresses ethical issues, social injustices and cruelty to our four footed friends. Set in the harsh environment of Canada's Yukon territory, White Fang tells the gripping tale of a young half breed pup, born of a wild mother who is herself half dog, half wolf. The bloody battles for survival among the denizens of this frozen land are wonderfully depicted. As a pup, White Fang and his mother, One-Eye, survive vicious attacks by other wolves and a vengeful lynx whose kittens were killed by One-Eye. Once, while roaming close to a Native Indian encampment, One-Eye is recognized by Grey Beaver, a young hunter whose dead brother had tamed her many years ago. Grey Beaver adopts the young pup and names him White Fang. At the encampment, White Fang is a misfit among the dogs and pups reared there. He turns into a vicious, resentful, aggressive and solitary rebel. Lip-lip, the leader of the dog pack relentlessly bullies and torments White Fang. Finally, Grey Beaver trades White Fang to a dog fighter, where his combative nature leads him to a successful but hazardous career. In the midst of a savage fight, White Fang is nearly killed, but a young prospector Weedon Scott intervenes. The rest of this exciting novel traces White Fang's move to sunny California and his interesting adventures there. The story, though it has an animal as the hero, is reputedly based on Jack London's own colorful life and career. As a front runner in establishing the cult of fiction written for commercial magazines, London also led an eventful life as a journalist, social activist and passionate advocate of human rights. He traveled round the world as a hobo on steamships and schooners and even joined the Klondike Gold Rush where he found rich material for his writings. White Fang is a riveting, poignant and very dramatic story that, along with its unforgettable hero, will appeal to readers of all ages.

A science fiction novel first published in 1895, The Time Machine was the first depiction of time travel, and the reason Wells consequently coined the term “time machine” which is now universally recognized. Furthermore it is considered to be one of the precursors to the science fiction genre and the Dying Earth subgenre. An undeniable classic, the novel offers a gripping plot, speculation, and an innovative portrayal of man’s hopes, fears, and human nature in general. The tale opens with the introduction of an English scientist and inventor, simply referred to as the Time Traveler, who hosts a dinner party for a number of guests. After dinner, the Time Traveler gives a lecture to the present men stating that time is simply a fourth dimension, and that time travel is in fact possible. He proceeds with a demonstration using a smaller model of his time machine and apparently makes it disappear into the future, though the group does not seem convinced. The following week the men return, as does their unkempt host who stumbles in, and subsequently begins the narration of his incredible account. His journey begins when his time machine takes him forward in time to the year 802,701 AD, where he encounters a society of small robed humanlike creatures called Eloi, who although possess beautiful features, are quite delicate. After exploring the area, the Time Traveler returns only to find his time machine missing, and decides to drop the matter for the time being. As the protagonist gets better acquainted with the Eloi, he infers that they lack curiosity and are rather lazy. In addition, he also comes across the bestial subterranean nocturnal Morlocks, who he believes to have taken his time machine. Left among two opposing races in a slowly disintegrating Earth, the Time Traveler must find a way back home, while simultaneously trying to uncover the roots of such a dark future. A great influence on future works alike, The Time Machine in turn encouraged and set the bar for other authors to pursue similar ideas and fuse adventure with philosophical speculation. Exploring various ideas including the repercussions of evolution, capitalism, and social class division, Wells not only creates an entertaining story, but also successfully accentuates the flaws of society.