Book list
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Barry Moser's illustrations of classic literature have themselves become classic. The moody, intricate woodcuts seem to suit all his subjects, from Moby Dick to the works of Lewis Carroll. These latest two releases join Huckleberry Finn and several others in the library of facsimiles of limited editions originally published by Moser's own Pennyroyal Press. Little is lost in the translation; the artwork is integrated effectively into the overall design of these handsome, well-made volumes. Moser's expressive portraits are especially effective in The Scarlet Letter: in our first look at Arthur Dimmesdale, for example, a terrifying shadow crosses one side of his handsome, suppliant face. In the Washington Irving collection, a kindly faced Rip and the wild-eyed animals of Sleepy Hollow are paired with the ever-popular tales, providing an appropriate outlet for Moser's underlying humor. DGR.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 8 Up-Actress Elizabeth McGovern reads this acceptable abridgement with precise, clear diction. Her expressive voice is pleasant, effectively using breath sounds and pauses to recreate dramatic moods. Her usually quick tempo keeps the text from being ponderous, but it can be slower when necessary. Given the time period of the original work, her formal tone is appropriate. Her speech changes slightly for the different characters, but there is not much dialogue. The abridgement retains the continuity of the story. Consider purchasing this version for special education students who can't handle the longer, original text.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 9 Up-Hawthorne's classic story of shame, secrets, and Puritan societal standards in colonial America opens with the rarely read, arcane preface. The pace picks up as the novel opens with Hester Prynne and her out-of-wedlock daughter, Pearl, publicly denounced. As Pearl grows into an exceptional girl, Hester gradually finds herself viewed with less public hostility, but two men, Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester's disguised, long-missing husband, Roger Chillingsworth, are both conspiring to satisfy their own, often dark, choices. All of ther action revolves around Hester's refusal to name her child's father. Robert Bethune's narration is well tuned to the period characters, the book's classic stature, and the language demands of the 19th-century text. This recording is a good choice for high school libraries where English instructors can use excerpts to draw students into a plot that still has relevance. Struggling students may want to listen to the entire recording to manage the less familiar writing style. Public libraries will also find it useful for adult patrons rounding out their classics.-Barbara Wysocki, retired from Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.