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When John Carter goes to sleep in a mysterious cave in the Arizona dessert, he wakes up on the planet Mars. There he meets the fifteen foot tall, four armed, green men of mars, with horse-like dragons, and watch dogs like oversized frogs with ten legs. His adventures continue as he battles great white apes, fights plant men, defies the Goddess of Death, and braves the frozen wastes of Polar Mars. In other adventures, the Prince of Helium encounters a race of telepathic warriors, the Princess of Helium confronts the headless men of Mars, Captain Ulysses Paxton learns the secret of human immortality, and Tan Hadron's idealized notion of love is tested as he fights off gigantic spiders and cannibals. Edgar Rice Burroughs vision of Mars was loosely inspired by astronomical speculation of the time, especially that of Percival Lowell, who saw the red planet as a formerly Earth-like world now becoming less hospitable to life due to its advanced age. Burroughs predicted the invention of homing devices, radar, sonar, autopilot, collision detection, television, teletype, genetic cloning, living organ transplants, antigravity propulsion, and many other concepts that were well ahead of his time. The books in the Barsoom series were an early inspiration to many, including science fiction authors Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury, they influenced renowned scientist Carl Sagan in his quest for extraterrestrial life, and were instrumental in the making of James Cameron's Avatar, and George Lucas' Star Wars. This edition includes 46 illustrations.

At the turn of the century, before the advent of movies and radio, the most widely read family magazine in America was The Youth's Companion, and C. A. Stephens was indisputably its most popular writer. Over a period of 55 years, he contributed more than 1,500 stories, but the stories that gained the most fervent readership were fictionalized versions of his recollections of growing up on a small farm in New England.

Walter Farley's tales of bravery, instinct, and survival have been captivating readers for almost 65 years. Here, in a handsome gift set, are four of the best, starting with The Black Stallion, where Alec Ramsay saves the Black after a shipwreck. The bond they form cannot be broken. This bond survives their separation in The Black Stallion Returns, when Alec returns the magnificent horse to his original owner in Arabia. Reunited in The Black Stallion’s Ghost, they survive a terrifying curse. Finally, in The Black Stallion Revolts, they are separated again after a plane crash, and Alec is suspected of murder as the Black runs wild! Each gripping tale culminates in a thrilling race to the finish!

THE MARK OF ZORRO is the classic tale of Don Diego Vega who leads a double life – on one hand plays a convincing timid poetry-reading aristocrat, and on the other hand plays the hero Zorro, the cunning bold fighter of injustice. This lighthearted tale of the masked hero of Old California unfolds as a suspenseful romp across Los Angeles of the 1820s. Loaded with notable characters and colorful adventures, recounted in direct and humble prose, the pulp adventure offers a winning balance of action, comedy, and romance. McCulley originally published the novel "The Curse of Capistrano," in 1919 where our hero is first introduced to the world. The following year a silent movie by Douglas Fairbanks titled “The Mark of Zorro” was released based on McCulley’s novel.

Before there was a famous king named Arthur, there was a curious boy named Wart and a kind old wizard named Merlyn. Transformed by Merlyn into the forms of his fantasy, Wart learns the value of history from a snake, of education from a badger, and of courage from a hawk--the lessons that help turn a boy into a man. Together, Wart and Merlyn take the reader through this timeless story of childhood and adventure--The Sword in the Stone.

T.H. White's classic tale of the young Arthur's questioning and discovery of his life is unparalleled for its wit and wisdom, and for its colorful characters, from the wise Merlyn to the heroic Robin Wood to the warmhearted King Pellinore.

A contest to find the best coon hound in Kentucky tests Jeb's belief in his half-blind dog Mooneye.

In one volume, four of Baroness Orczy's most beloved and popular novels featuring her timeless character "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and his undercover adventures rescuing the victims of the French Revolution and Reign of Terror.  Included in this volume are:

•  The Scarlet Pimpernel (originally published in 1905)
  
• I Will Repay (originally published in 1906)
  
• The Elusive Pimpernel (originally published in 1908)
  
• The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (originally published in 1920)

Scamp learns to be content with his dog's life when Zildy the kooky witch turns him into a whing-dingdilly.

Billy was a little boy who “loved horses more than anything else in the world.” Imagine how happy he was when he got his very own pony for his birthday! From that day on, Billy was seldom seen without his new friend, Blaze.

Riding through fields and woods, Billy and Blaze learned to trust and understand one another—and to jump over fences and fallen trees with ease. They were a great team, but were they good enough to win the gleaming silver cup at the Mason Horse Show?

This is the first book in the classic Billy and Blaze series. Sensitive drawings and easy-to-read words capture the warmth and gentle understanding between a boy and his horse.