Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888; American) - Rose's father has died leaving her an orphan. She goes to live with her Aunt Plenty and Aunt Rose. She is very lonely until she makes friends with a servant, Phoebe and then seven cousins, all boys, arrive. Life will never be the same. Publication 1875.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888; American) - This novel about Jo and her three sisters, Meg, Amy, and Beth, is set during the Civil War. Their father has gone off to fight. It is based upon the author's life and the lives of her three sisters. Publication 1868.
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888; American). Publication 1871.
Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888; American). Publication 1886.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1816 - 1855; English) - This is an amazing love story. Jane, an poor orphan, grows up in the loveless home of a hate-filled aunt. Her close friend at school dies and cruel punishments are administered by the superintendent. As an adult, Jane falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester. He is tormented by a terrible secret in his past. This is a true gothic tale of suspense, romance, insanity, and attempted murder. Publication 1847.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1818 - 1849; English) - The is the story of the tortured romantic relationship of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by Catherine's father. The tale is set on the rugged moors of Yorkshire. Publication 1847.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (1820 - 1849; English) Publication 1848.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817; English) - The courtship of proud Mr. Darcy and prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet is complicated by their persistent misunderstanding of each other's actions and feelings. There are many interesting characters. Mrs. Bennet is preoccupied with marrying off her five daughters. There is an impressive dowager aunt who intimidates everyone except Elizabeth. The amazingly conceited clergyman rehearses his speeches to young ladies. The story is set in the 18th century. Publication 1813.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817; English) - Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are two very different sisters. Elinor is sensible, while Marianne is sensitive and emotional. After the death of their father, the girls, their mother, and younger sister are forced to move to a small cottage in the country. The sisters fall in love with eligible bachelors, but problems arise. Publication 1811.
Emma by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817; English) - Emma Woodhouse is a young lady who is intent on matchmaking. After many complications Emma finds that her scheming has served to confuse matters and hurt other people's feelings. Publication 1815.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817; English) Publication 1814.
Persuasion by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817; English)Publication 1817.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817; English) Publication 1817.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874 - 1942; Canadian) - Orphaned red head Anne Shirley goes to live with an elderly brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on Prince Edward Island. Anne is a bookish dreamer who needs to be loved. Publication 1908. Sequels include: Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, and Anne of Ingleside.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1907 - 1989; English) - Wealthy Max de Winter remarries and his new bride quickly realizes something is wrong at Manderley. In the opinion of the housekeeper, who was devoted to Rebecca, the last mistress of Manderly, the new Mrs. de Winter is timid and nervous, nothing like Rebecca. The housekeeper becomes the new bride's enemy as a horrible mystery about Rebecca unfolds. Publication 1940.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy (1865 - 1947; Hungarian) Publication 1903.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864; American) - A young woman, Hester Prynne, is shunned in her community of New England Puritans and forced to wear a red "A" on her chest because of her sins with the local minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester's husband, Roger Chillingworth, is jealous and full of vengeance. Publication 1850.
The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864; American) Publication 1851.
My Antonia by Willa Cather (1873 - 1947; American) - Antonia Shimerda moves from Bohemia to a pioneer town in Nebraska. Mr. Shimerda is homesick and cannot make a living, so he commits suicide. Antonia is strong and determined. She makes friends with Jim Burden, who lives on a neighboring farm. They grow up on the Nebraska prairie along with wolves, brown earth-owls, and rattlesnakes, and gradually Jim learns to love Antonia. Publication 1918.
O, Pioneers! by Willa Cather (1873 - 1947; American) Publication 1913.
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (1873 - 1947; American) - Publication 1915.
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (1862 - 1910; American) - A young couple want to make Christmas special despite lack of funds. Each does what is necessary to buy just the right present for the other. The results are quite ironic. Publication 1906.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1810 - 1865; English) Publication 1854.
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (1810 - 1865; English) Publication 1865.
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863; English) Publication 1848.
The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (1863 - 1933; English) Publication 1894.
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson (1908 - 1973; American) - The old stray dog certainly is ugly and a thieving rascal, but out here on the Texas frontier a dog is a good companion, especially with Dad away on a cattle drive. Publication 1956.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1876 - 1916; American) - A domesticated dog, Buck, is kidnapped and sold to gold hunters. To survive he has to learn to listen to the call of the wild and learn the ways of his wolf ancestors. Eventually, he falls into the ownership of John Thornton, whose life Buck saves twice. Publication 1903.
White Fang by Jack London (1876 - 1916; American) - A half wolf - half dog is nearly destroyed by the vicious cruelty of men. Publication 1906.
The Sea Wolf by Jack London (1876 - 1916; American) Publication 1904.
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (1891 - 1968; American) - Johnny is an apprentice to a silversmith in Boston (not Paul Revere) in the days just prior to the American Revolution. An accident ends his apprenticeship. In the days following his accident he meets Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and many other men of history. Publication 1944.
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745; Anglo-Irish) - Lemuel Gulliver travels to a series of very unusual and heretofore unknown lands. In one place he is a giant compared to the Lilliputians. In another, he is the size of a mouse compared to the people he finds. He also finds a floating island and a place where intelligent horses are served by humanoids. Publication 1726. This was made into a movie starring Ted Danson.
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1660 - 1731; English) - Crusoe finds himself stranded on an uncharted island off the coast of South America for nearly 30 years. He must find food, shelter, and clothing. He survives because of his faith in God. Many years after landing on the island, he saves a man named, Friday, who is about to be eaten by cannibals and Friday becomes Crusoe's faithful servant. Publication 1719.
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (1743 - 1848; Swiss) - Fritz, Ernest, Jack, Franz, Mother, and Father survive a shipwreck and find themselves stranded on a deserted island near New Guinea. Being a religious family they offer thanks to God for all that he has provided. They salvage all that they can from the ship. They build a tree house for protection from wild animals, find food, make candles from berries, bread from roots, and a canoe from a tree. They face snakes, wolves, bears, and a lion, but are doing quite well until they discover a way to leave the island. Who will go? Who will stay? This was made into a movie a very long time ago. Publication 1812.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894; Scot) - Young Jim Hawkins, an innkeeper's son, finds a treasure map among the belongings of a dead seaman. Pirates seek that very map and Jim finds himself in quite a predicament. On board ship, Jim overhears Long John Silver's plans for mutiny. This has also been made into a movie. Publication 1883.
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (1828 - 1905; French) - Phineas Fogg tries to make his way around the globe in 80 days in order to win a bet of 20,000 pounds. He is accompanied on his journey by a servant and they implore all sorts of modes of travel (elephant, sled, balloon, etc.). Publication 1873.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1828 - 1905; French) - Professor Aronnax leads an expedition attempting to destroy a giant sea monster. Their efforts with harpoons are futile and the men find themselves in the water. Later, they are captured by the enigmatic Captain Nemo on his underwater vessel, the Nautilus. Publication 1870. The movie starred a rather young Kirk Douglas.
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936; English). - A boy, Mowgli, is lost in the jungle of India and adopted by a family of wolves. Publication 1894.
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936; English) This has many wonderful tales including How the Leopard Got His Spots. Publication 1902.
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936; English) - Harvey Cheyne is a spoiled rich teenager who considers himself above the manual labor aboard the ship. Then he falls overboard and his rescued by a