A Girl of the Limberlost
Clifford the Big Red Dog

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben-Hur surpassed the fabulously popular Uncle Tom in the 19th century and was beloved for its attempt to faithfully represent the life and times of Jesus, and the person of Jesus himself. This is ironic, given that when Wallace began writing the book, he was not very religious. However, his extensive research into the Holy Land and the Bible brought him to the conviction that while his own book was a work of fiction, the Good Book was not. 20th century readers will recognize Ben Hur more from the 1950’s movie, and might not even be aware that it had first been a book. Typically, the movie isn’t as good as the book, but the movie is also an American classic. Nonetheless, the book’s attention to historical detail and its glimpse into America at a particular point in time gives modern readers deeper insight into both Christianity and the United States in the 19th century. This edition is unabridged and faithfully reflects the version as originally published in 1880.

More Adult, Non-Juvenile Books

  • Winner of the 1987 American Book Award The Essential Etheridge Knight is a selection of the best work by one of the country’s most prominent and liveliest poets. It brings together poems from Knight’s previously published books and a section of new poems.
  • The Fault in Our Stars is insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw. It brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
  • In The Golem of Brooklyn, Len Bronstein, an art teacher with little knowledge of Judaism, accidentally brings a golem to life after stealing clay and getting high. As this nine-foot-six, Yiddish-speaking creature learns about contemporary crises, including the rise of white nationalism, it embodies the weight of Jewish history and trauma, prompting profound questions about humanity and identity.
  • In The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride explores the intertwined lives of the residents of Chicken Hill, a neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans coexist amid struggles and secrets. As the community rallies to protect a deaf boy from institutionalization, the narrative reveals the deep bonds of love and resilience that sustain them, even in the face of adversity and the oppressive forces of society.