Showing results by narrator "Tom Weiss" in All Categories

The Burgess Bird Book for Children introduces children to the fascinating subject of bird life in storybook fashion. Thornton Burgess uses Peter Rabbit as a means for younger children to learn about birds in the Green Forest and Green Meadows. On the journey through the book, Peter learns a great deal from sassy Jenny Wren and other neighbors. Listeners learn about common birds' physical appearance, eating, nesting habits, and songs and calls.

Written in 1860 in the language of the day by William and Ellen Craft, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom tells the story of a husband and wife's plight to escape slavery in 1848 Georgia. Unlike many slaves who escaped in the dead of night chased by slave hunters and bloodhounds, the Crafts traveled in first-class trains, dined with a steamboat captain, and stayed in the best hotels during their escape to Philadelphia and freedom. Ellen, who was nearly white, disguised herself as a young male cotton planter traveling with his slave, William.

In Tales of the Unknown, Wells' series of 15 stories investigate "the other side"; that is, a fourth dimension where human beings enter into a world outside or parallel to our own. In the otherworld that Wells describes, it seems we can see others, observe their actions, yet be unable to speak, hear, or touch them.

What if German forces landed on the east coast of England and advanced on London while the British were struggling to mount a counter-attack? That’s premise of William Le Queux’s The Invasion of 1910, one of the most popular "invasion fiction" novels of all time. The novel revolves around Germany’s rising naval power and its threat to a weak Britain, unprepared for war politically, physically and psychologically. As the Germans occupy half of London, a junior Parliamentarian declares "Britain is not defeated." A newly formed Army liberates London, but the war is far from over.

Little Joe Otter is playful and full of surprises. Peter Rabbit is curious. Peter is curious why he has not seen Little Joe Otter in the Smiling Pool? Wait! Did Peter just see two Little Joe Otters in the Smiling Pool? While Peter is trying to determine if there is indeed more than one Little Joe Otter, he learns some other lessons from the times "when the world was young" from Grandfather Frog and others.

In this collection of stories, we follow Buster, who is born on the river and lives with his mother as a cub. While his mother is out hunting for food, Buster meets Loup the lynx who has only bad intentions. Buster manages to escape from Loup and ends up on a series of adventures he could not imagine.

"The History of the Standard Oil Company" is a book written by journalist Ida Tarbell in 1904. It was an exposé of the Standard Oil Company, run at that time by oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller the richest figure in America's history. Originally serialized in 19 parts in McClure's magazine, the book was a seminal example of muckraking, and inspired many other journalists to write about trusts, large businesses that (in the absence of strong antitrust law in the 19th century) attempted to gain monopolies in various industries.

Jolly Robin is a happy go lucky bird. He does tend, however, to stick his nose into other animals' business and believes that perhaps, they should sing or act like him. For example, Jolly believes that the way he sings is the best way and other birds should sound like he does. Jolly tries to convince some they should change their tune. Since many things in the world are new to him, he also sometimes makes and spreads mistakes to his acquaintances with some unpredictable events.

Ihre Schönheit war berauschend. Sie war ein lebensfrohes Wesen. Und sie wollte in Kürze heiraten. Doch all ihr Glück erstickte in einem furchtbaren Tod. Von ihrem Freund aus der Gruft geholt, von einem mysteriösen Einsiedler erweckt, kehrte Clarisse ins Leben zurück. Doch sie hatte sich verändert! Ihre Seele war von einem Höllenwesen infiziert. Clarisse wurde zur tödlichen Gefahr. Ihre Schönheit lockte die Opfer in die Falle.

Canna III is a water planet with a single large island. The island is bordered by a high cliff. Civilians irrigating the land has caused issues where soil and bedrock meet. The land has been turned into a saltwater swamp, turned upside down. The swamp is sliding into the ocean, taking inhabitable land with it. Compounding the problem is a fuel leak from underground tanks threatening to detonate. Two Colonial Survey troubleshooters have been called to the planet to try and rectify the situation.

The Seven Conundrums is seven different short stories. A mysterious man employs three desperate entertainers who have financial problems. The three accept his work proposal, not knowing if they are on the side of good or evil. As they work for the mystery man, they don't know if he is a thief, police, or both, making them spies, guardians, protagonists, and victims of curious adventures. After all, conundrums do not necessarily have a right or reasonable solution by their nature. In the end, however, all becomes known to the trio.

"It is an easy task," Selingman declared. "This young man is your slave. Whatever your daily business may be here, some part of your time, I imagine, will be spent in his company. Let me know what manner of man he is. Is this innate corruptness which brings him so easily to the bait, or is it the stinging smart of injustice from which he may well be suffering? Or, failing these, has he dared to set his wits against mine, to play the double traitor? If even a suspicion of this should come to you, there must be an end of Mr. Francis Norgate."

Peter Rabbit would like to know more about the four-footed friends who share the Green Meadows and Green Forest with him. Old Mother Nature is only too happy to help and holds a "school" for Peter. Along the way, many others of the Green Meadow and Green Forest creatures join Peter at school as he learns about his neighbors. As with all Thornton W. Burgess stories, young listeners gain positive values while learning a great deal about the animals that share their world.

Tryon Dunham, a wealthy attorney is approached by a young woman who is running from some unknown danger. She is beautiful, well dressed, and obviously educated. She won't tell the young man why she's running, but he decides he will help her. Tryon arranges to take her along to a dinner party to which he has an invitation. At the dinner party, "Mary" (the name Tryon has given her) plays the piano beautifully and charms his hostess and the other guests. But, she is desperate to escape, so he provides her a ticket for a train to Chicago. ....He decides he must find her again.

Thornton Burgess wrote the Burgess Flower Book for children to instill a love of flowers in young children. Burgess uses one of his favorite characters, Peter Rabbit, to search for flowers. The story begins in early spring as Peter discovers the first blooms. Peter's search for flowers continues all summer and into the fall. Along the way, Burgess characters, including the Merry Little Breezes, Grandfather Frog, and others, help Peter find new flowers as they bloom. The description of the flowers is very detailed.

"The History of the Standard Oil Company" is a book written by journalist Ida Tarbell in 1904. It was an exposé of the Standard Oil Company, run at that time by oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller the richest figure in America's history. Originally serialized in 19 parts in McClure's magazine, the book was a seminal example of muckraking, and inspired many other journalists to write about trusts, large businesses that (in the absence of strong antitrust law in the 19th century) attempted to gain monopolies in various industries.

London takes us back to the Pleistocene when we still lived in the trees. Written in the first-person, the story revolves around the vivid, interlocking dreams from childhood that involve racial memories and the knowledge of his prior existence as a man-like creature named Big Tooth.

Spot is a farm dog. His master is Johnny Green, son of Farmer and Mrs. Green. As with many dogs, Spot manages to get into his share of scrapes. He has run-ins with some of the farm animals, most notably Miss Kitty Cat. Miss Kitty Cat and Spot have their battles, and Spot has the scars on his nose to prove it. Miss Kitty Cat would be happy if Spot were not on the farm at all. Henrietta Hen and Turkey Proudfoot are also not very fond of Spot. Spot wants to be included in most of the Green family's activities, and this leads to some interesting problems for them and Spot.

Two scientists working on a top-secret government project suddenly start talking gibberish. The government does not know how or why this has happened and asks the Brants if they can move the remaining scientists to Spindrift Island, a scientific foundation located on an island off the New Jersey Coast, in order to better protect them. The Brants agree. Rick and Scotty become suspicious of a new barber in town and believe he is part of an espionage ring.

Brownie Beaver lives in a village near Farmer Green's house. It is a different village than you and I would live in. All the houses are built in a pond. And all their doors are underwater. But that doesn't matter because they are all good swimmers. So begins The Tale of Brownie Beaver as we are introduced to beavers and other pond dwellers. Arthur Bailey, the author, gives each of water creatures a personality and like any good children's book, teaches us about their behaviors while promoting good moral values.