"[A] THOUGHTFUL AND HEARTFELT BOOK...A literary cri de coeur--a lament for literature and everything implicit in it." --The Washington Post In our zeal to embrace the wonders of the electronic age, are we sacrificing our literary culture? Renowned critic Sven Birkerts believes the answer is an alarming yes. In The Gutenberg Elegies, he explores the impact of technology on the experience of reading. Drawing on his own passionate, lifelong love of...

Mustich provides brief (usually one page) introductions to works of fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel writing, biography, children's books, history, and more. Ranging across cultures and through time, this eclectic collection of works is not a proscriptive list of the 'great works' but a celebration of the glorious mosaic that is our literary heritage. Arranged alphabetically by author, the list is a life-changing list for...

In this fun and funny celebration of literacy, kids of all ages will discover that the act of reading is a daring adventure that can take you anywhere! You can read at the playground, under the sea, at the opera and even in outer space! It turns out you can read everywhere! And when you do, you open yourself to a universe of adventure. Presented in light-hearted, rib-tickling verse that's perfect for reading aloud, You Can Read sings it loud and proud:...

"Acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior takes readers on a guided tour through works of great literature both ancient and modern, exploring twelve virtues that philosophers and theologians throughout history have identified as most essential for good character and the good life. In reintroducing ancient virtues that are as relevant and essential today as ever, Prior draws on the best classical and Christian thinkers, including Aristotle, Aquinas, and...

Elizabeth Brown loves to read more than anything else, but when her collection of books grows and grows, she must make a change in her life.

"Two mice--one big and one small--have a terrible problem. Little Mouse is looking for a story--they're in a book, after all!--and Big Mouse has to admit the truth. The story is gone. And (gasp!) he ate it. That is not okay with Little Mouse, who is all ready to hear a story and will settle for nothing less." -- Provided by publisher.

Max, who loves to read, discovers all the services available to him during a visit to the library.

In An Experiment in Criticism, C. S. Lewis offers a thought-provoking and unconventional approach to literary criticism. Instead of evaluating literature by traditional standards of quality, Lewis suggests that the true value of a book lies in how readers engage with it. He proposes that literature should be judged not by its inherent qualities but by the kind of reading experience it provides. Lewis distinguishes between two types of readers: those...