The unprecedented popularity of the Harry Potter books took the publishing world by storm and captured the imaginations of readers around the world. This unofficial biographical study of J. K. Rowling invites fans and critics alike to take a close l…

The brief life and meteoric career of Sylvia Plath have been the subject of fascination since her suicide in 1963 at age thirty. This concise, well-researched biography recounts the facts of her troubled life based on the latest updated research. Bi…

The poet Sylvia Plath has been a cultural icon since 1963 when she took her own life on a cold winter morning at the age of 30. This up-to-date biography explores the nature and sources of the mythology that has surrounded the poet's life by present…

The number of athletes who have died competing in the sport of motor racing, including amateurs and professionals around the world, stretches into the thousands. Despite the danger, drivers continue to compete day in and day out for the thrill and j…

Using updated scholarship and never before published primary research, this new biography peels away the myths surrounding Emily Dickinson and takes a fresh look at the complex and busy life of this genius of American letters. As a research tool, th…

From Shakespeare to Harry Potter: An Introduction to Literature for All Ages is a literature primer for ages 9 to 99. Using well-known examples from William Shakespeare, Harry Potter, and other works, the book explains important concepts in a friend…

Widely acclaimed as one of the finest short-story writers and known for her acerbic wit, complex themes, and illuminating portrayal of the American South, Flannery O'Connor is a favorite among students, scholars, and general readers. Known for her s…

Samuel Clemens lived 75 years, 50 under the pseudonym Mark Twain. His youth could be characterized as sometimes mischievous, his older years as generally eccentric and his writing as always provocative. Twain left a literary canon of nearly 50 books…

Over four hundred alphabetically arranged entries provide plot summaries and bibliographical information, and appendices provide lists of Caldecott medalists and honor books.