Fiction (13-18)

Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of twentieth-century literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.

Critic, author, and debunker extraordinaire, G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) delighted in probing the ambiguities of Christian theology. A number of his most successful attempts at combining first-rate fiction with acute social observation appear in this original selection from his best detective stories featuring the priest-sleuth Father Brown. A Chestertonian version of Sherlock Holmes, this little cleric from Essex — with "a face as round and dull as a Norfolk dumpling" and "eyes as empty as the North Sea" — appears in six suspenseful, well-plotted tales: "The Blue Cross," "The Sins of Prince Saradine," "The Sign of the Broken Sword," "The Man in the Passage," "The Perishing of the Pendragons," and "The Salad of Colonel Cray." An essential item in any mystery collection, these delightful works offer a particular treat for lovers of vintage detective stories and will engage any reader.

  Throughout the annals of literature there is one detective who reigns supreme — Mr. Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street, London. From that celebrated address, Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson set out to solve the most difficult cases and bring to justice the master criminals of Victorian England.Now readers can enjoy the crime-solving exploits of the storied duo in this selection of favorite adventures. "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" concerns the appearance of mysterious stick-figure drawings, which prove disastrous to a country squire and his bride; "The Red-Headed League" pits Holmes against a clever bank robber, while "A Scandal in Bohemia" finds the detective locked in cerebral combat with Irene Adler, the only female who ever outwitted him (and the only one to steal his heart). In "The Final Problem" Holmes confronts the evil Professor Moriarty, "the Napoleon of Crime," atop the Reichenbach Falls. Also included here are four other classic tales: "Silver Blaze," "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," "The Engineer’s Thumb," and "The Crooked Man."A great way to introduce younger readers to the world's best-known fictional detective, this affordable collection will entertain mystery lovers of all ages. Reprinted from standard editions.