The Call of the Wild

By Jack London

Buck, a loving and docile St. Bernard mix becomes forcibly changed when he is nabbed from his home in sunny California and sold into service as an Alaskan sled dog. Forced to endure the harsh new climate of the Yukon backcountry, Buck becomes progressively more savage in an effort to stay alive among the other dogs in the pack. Relying on primal instincts, Buck emerges as an intimidating and fearless leader in the wild.

London’s tale is a stark reminder of how important it is to trust one’s senses. Though examined through the eyes of a dog, The Call of The Wild is a tale far greater than that of a life lived on four paws. London’s intention is clear: When faced with dire and inhumane conditions, there is nothing left to do but turn to the wild in a fight to stay alive.

This book is now the subject of the major motion picture (release date, February 2020) starring Harrison Ford and Omar Sy. With a new note about the author, and a cleanly typeset manuscript, this edition of London’s poignant tale resonates just as profoundly as when it was originally published in 1903.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781513263946

Jack London

Jack London was born in San Francisco on January 12th 1876, the unwanted child of a spiritualist mother and astrologer father. He was raised by Virginia Prentiss, a former slave, before rejoining his mother and her new husband, John London. Largely self-educated, the teenage Jack made money stealing oysters and working on a schooner before briefly studying at the University of Berkeley in 1896. He left to join the Klondike Gold Rush a year later, a phenomenon that would go on to form the background of his literary masterpieces, The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906). Alongside his novel writing London dabbled in war reportage, agriculture and politics. He was married twice and had two daughters from his first marriage. London died in 1916 from complications of numerous chronic illnesses.

Book preview

Chapter 1

INTO THE PRIMITIVE

"Old longings nomadic leap,

Chafing at custom’s chain;

Again from its brumal sleep

Wakens the ferine strain."

Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the frost.

Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. Judge Miller’s place, it was called. It stood back from the road, half hidden among the trees, through which glimpses could be caught of the wide cool veranda that ran around its four sides. The house was approached by gravelled driveways which wound about through wide-spreading lawns and under the interlacing boughs of tall poplars. At the rear things were on even a more spacious scale than at the front. There were great stables, where a dozen grooms and boys held forth, rows of vine-clad servants’ cottages, an endless and orderly array of outhouses, long grape arbors, green pastures, orchards, and berry patches. Then there was the pumping plant for the artesian well, and the big cement tank where Judge Miller’s boys took their morning plunge and kept cool in the hot afternoon.

And over this great demesne Buck ruled. Here he was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life. It was true, there were other dogs, There could not but be other dogs on so vast a place, but they did not count. They came and went, resided in the populous kennels, or lived obscurely in the recesses of the house after the fashion of Toots, the Japanese pug, or Ysabel, the Mexican hairless,—strange creatures that rarely put nose out of doors or set foot to ground. On the other hand, there were the fox terriers, a score of them at least, who yelped fearful promises at Toots and Ysabel looking out of the windows at them and protected by a legion of housemaids armed with brooms and mops.

But Buck was neither house-dog nor kennel-dog. The whole realm was his. He plunged into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge’s sons; he escorted Mollie and Alice, the Judge’s daughters, on long twilight or early morning rambles; on wintry nights he lay at the Judge’s feet before the roaring library fire; he carried the Judge’s grandsons on his back, or rolled them in the grass, and guarded their footsteps through wild adventures down to the fountain in the stable yard, and even beyond, where the paddocks were, and the berry patches. Among the terriers he stalked imperiously, and Toots and Ysabel he utterly ignored, for he was king,—king over all creeping, crawling, flying things of Judge Miller’s place, humans included.

His father, Elmo, a huge St. Bernard, had been the Judge’s inseparable companion, and Buck bid fair to follow in the way of his father. He was not so large,—he weighed only one hundred and forty pounds,—for his mother, Shep, had been a Scotch shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred and forty pounds, to which was added the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in right royal fashion. During the four years since his puppyhood he had lived the life of a sated aristocrat; he had a fine pride in himself, was even a trifle egotistical, as country gentlemen sometimes become because of their insular situation. But he had saved himself by not becoming a mere pampered house-dog. Hunting and kindred outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles; and to him, as to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had been a tonic and a health preserver.

And this was the manner of dog Buck was in the fall of 1897, when the Klondike strike dragged men from all the world into the frozen North. But Buck did not read the newspapers, and he did not know that Manuel, one of the gardener’s helpers, was an undesirable acquaintance. Manuel had one besetting sin. He loved to play Chinese lottery. Also, in his gambling, he had one besetting weakness—faith in a system; and this made his damnation certain. For to play a system requires money, while the wages of a gardener’s helper do not lap over the needs of a wife and numerous progeny.

The Judge was at a meeting of the Raisin Growers’ Association, and the boys were busy organizing an athletic club, on the memorable night of Manuel’s treachery. No one saw him and Buck go off through the orchard on what Buck imagined was merely a stroll. And with the exception of a solitary man, no one saw them arrive at the little flag station known as College Park. This man talked with Manuel, and money chinked between them.

You might wrap up the goods before you deliver ’m, the stranger said gruffly, and Manuel doubled a piece of stout rope around Buck’s neck under the collar.

Twist it, an’ you’ll choke ’m plentee, said Manuel, and the stranger grunted a ready affirmative.

Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity. To be sure, it was an unwonted performance: but he had learned to trust in men he knew, and to give them credit for a wisdom that outreached his own. But when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger’s hands, he growled menacingly. He had merely intimated his displeasure, in his pride believing that to intimate was to command. But to his surprise the rope tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath. In quick rage he sprang at the man, who met him halfway, grappled him close by the throat, and with a deft twist threw him over on his back. Then the rope tightened mercilessly, while Buck struggled in a fury, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his great chest panting futilely. Never in all his life had he been so vilely treated, and never in all his life had he been so angry. But his strength ebbed, his eyes glazed, and he knew nothing when the train was flagged and the two men threw him into the baggage car.

The next he knew, he was dimly aware that his tongue was hurting and that he was being jolted along in some kind of a conveyance. The hoarse shriek of a locomotive whistling a crossing told him where he was. He had travelled too often with the Judge not to know the sensation of riding in a baggage car. He opened his eyes, and into them came the unbridled anger of a kidnapped king. The man sprang for his throat, but Buck was too quick for him. His jaws closed on the hand, nor did they relax till his senses were choked out of him once more.

Yep, has fits, the man said, hiding his mangled hand from the baggageman, who had been attracted by the sounds of struggle. I’m takin’ ’m up for the boss to ’Frisco. A crack dog-doctor there thinks that he can cure ’m.

Concerning that night’s ride, the man spoke most eloquently for himself, in a little shed back of a saloon on the San Francisco water front.

All I get is fifty for it, he grumbled; an’ I wouldn’t do it over for a thousand, cold cash.

His hand was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief, and the right trouser leg was ripped from knee to ankle.

How much did the other mug get? the saloon-keeper demanded.

A hundred, was the reply. Wouldn’t take a sou less, so help me.

That makes a hundred and fifty, the saloon-keeper calculated; and he’s worth it, or I’m a squarehead.

The kidnapper undid the bloody wrappings and looked at his lacerated hand. If I don’t get the hydrophoby—

It’ll be because you was born to hang, laughed the saloon-keeper. Here, lend me a hand before you pull your freight, he added.

Dazed, suffering intolerable pain from throat and tongue, with the life half throttled out of him, Buck attempted to face his tormentors. But he was thrown down and choked repeatedly, till they succeeded in filing the heavy brass collar from off his neck. Then the rope was removed, and he was flung into a cagelike crate.

There he lay for the remainder of the weary night, nursing his wrath and wounded pride. He could not understand what it all meant. What did they want with him, these strange men? Why were they keeping him pent up in this narrow crate? He did not know why, but he felt oppressed by the vague sense of impending calamity. Several times during the night he sprang to his feet when the shed door rattled open, expecting to see the Judge, or the boys at least. But each time it was the bulging face of the saloon-keeper that peered in at him by the sickly light of a tallow candle. And each time the joyful bark that trembled in Buck’s throat was twisted into a savage growl.

But the saloon-keeper let him alone, and in the morning four men entered and picked up the crate. More tormentors, Buck decided, for they were evil-looking creatures, ragged and unkempt; and he stormed and

Reviews for The Call of the Wild

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent writing but I can see why I didn't like this in junior high - the cruelty to animals is pretty difficult to take. I saw recently that this is on a "banned book" list - have no idea why.

[aine.fin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Decided to read this when I saw it on the Guardian's best 100 books list - thought I had read it when I was younger but realised that was White Fang. Follows Buck the domestic dog stolen from the south and brought north to be a sled dog. Absorbing quick read.

[laphenix · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The writing is strong and beautiful, and I suffered through it 'til the very end. I just can't handle the blood and abuse.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am not a “dog person” and did not expect to like this classic tale, but I’m really glad I read this when I did. My father was a great outdoorsman and he loved animals, but especially our dogs. I listened to the first half on audio, but then finished by reading the actual book. This last half is when Buck, a St Bernard / Shepherd mix has finally found a man he loves and who loves him. They respect one another, and the hierarchy of the camp, but Buck is increasingly called to the wild. The writing is vivid – you can feel the cold, or the pain of hunger, or the joy of a Spring day. And Buck is a noble narrator. I re-read it today, remembering my father and our many dogs through the years.

[weeziesbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Call of the Wild by Jack LondonI re-read Call of the Wild by listening to it on audio from Audible. Although I have read it a few times over the years, I wanted to refresh it in my mind before seeing the up-coming movie. I am so glad that I did. I never fail to be taken back to my positive reading experiences of youth and the simple and powerful story lines where classics such as: White Fang, Old Yeller, Where the Red fern Grows, and Call of the Wild bring to the reader. It is perfect for young readers and those that love animal or dog stories. It does describe the cruelties and hardships endured by these wonderful dogs so consider this when choosing for a child. I give this story a 5 stars and consider it a classic.

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

loved it. I had never read Jack London before.

[qoomomo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is about a dog, named Buck. At first, he lived in Mr.Miller's house in Santa Clara Valley, but he was stolen by someone who wanted money. After he was stolen, he was bought by another man with a lot of money because he was very clever and strong dog which could work in the cold and snow of the north.But why he had to work in such place? Because men wanted to find gold and become rich!Buck confront a lot of danger..I felt I had to be more strong! Buck was very strong not only physically, but also mentally. And I also thought that animals love wild, and they have feelings like human. For example, if they were attacked by human, they feel bad and give them back biting or barking. I have a dog now, so I would like to cherish him more than before.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the book telling the story of a dog named Buck. He is a magnifiicently strong animal that is stolen from his farm in California and sent off to the Yukon becoming a member of a dog sled team. The style of the story reminds a great deal of Black Beauty coming from the animal's POV. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised at a fast paced tale.

[arielfl · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I read this to help out my daughter who was assigned this book to read over the summer between sixth and seventh grade. I hated it. I wish they could have picked a better book. I could name 100 off the top of my head. My daughter is the greatest dog lover ever, she lives for dogs and this book was non stop violence against them. There were times that tears were pouring down her face. I think it's cruelty to make her read this book. All of the dogs die and in gruesome painful ways. If you are into reading about dogs being tortured then this is the book for you. After watching all of his friends drown Buck, the main dog character finally achieves a little kernel of happiness with the one person in the book who actually seems to care for dogs. Of course that is cruelly ripped away from him by some made up some blood thirsty Native Americans. Nice stereotype there. Other people are referred to as "half breeds". Not too PC. Thanks for tormenting school kids everywhere and making my daughter cry Jack London.

[jimocracy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yep... this is still a great book. I don't think I had read this since I was a kid but I still like it (especially the ending). Jack London always has courage to write his stories with a reality (no matter how unpleasant) rather than just writing shiny, happy stories.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm glad I read it because I had never done so earlier in my life, but I won't read it or anything else like it again. I can't take the brutality against the animals in the book. It's just hard for me to read that.

[trilliams · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's no way in hell my dogs think like this.

[loriortega · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

London, Jack The Call of the Wild. Illust. by Pablo Marcos Studio. Waldman, 1989; original story, 1903. 239p. Intermediate/Middle schoolIn 1897, Buck, a dog from California, is kidnapped from his home and taken to the Klondike where he is made into a sled dog. After loss and abuse, he answers the call of the wild and runs away to become the leader of a wolf pack. Narrative point of view telling a fast-paced , descriptive tale. The tone of the story is often dark and frightening but moving. The theme is survival.AK: Sled dogs, wolves, snow and ice, SkagwayActivity: Ask children if they have seen a sled dog team. If so, where? What was it like? If they haven’t, would they like to? Would they want to ride on a dog sled?

[melina_hiatt_easter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Call of the Wild centers around a dog named Buck and his survival in the human world. The book grapples with themes such as violences and nurture vs. nature. Students who enjoy reading about the struggle to survive harsh conditions will enjoy this book.

[jodyjoujou_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first book ever to read when I started Middle school. One of my favorite lit books. Its a great book because it plays on all the different level of the readers' feelings. Sometimes I felt angry, sad, and some chapter and plot made me happy, excited. Overall I recommend it for anyone who needs to get into reading this book will make you want to read more.

[ague_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I rated this book a 9 out of 10. It is a great adventure story about a dog, and thus little or no dialogue takes place.

[agage_9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jack London's "Call of the Wild" follows the journey of one dog as he laboriously toils in the artic regions of Canada and comes closer and closer to answering his true calling. The main character, a mixed breed dog named Buck, is pulled suddenly away from his life in domesticated society and is sold into the strenuous world of dog sledding. He goes through many hard experiences and learns valuable lessons about the primitive world and the "Law of Club and Fang." He often finds himself either at the receiving end of harsh blows from the club or in fights to the death with his fellow teammates as tries to assert his dominance among them. He is continuously passed from owner to owner and suffers through different experiences with each. Each step he takes as sled dog makes him less and less of a domestic animal and more of a "thing of the wild." He begins to acquire some of the traits of his ancestors, such as acting on impulse, while all the while wrestling whether or not to give into the call of the wild. "The Call of the Wild" relates to our Search for Self theme because the main character, Buck, spends the entire novel taking steps that bring him closer towards reconnecting with his inner "beast." In a way, the novel is similar to "The Alchemist" in that Buck is called towards his destiny in the wild, but must choose whether to answer that call or remain tied to humans and the domestic world. In this book, the idea of "self" mainly equates to the awakening of Buck's ancestors within himself, and his longing to enter into the primitive world. He spends a great deal of time searching in the forest for the source of what drives him there in the first place. As I began reading the novel, I quickly learned that the book was not what I had expected it to be. It was extremely graphic, to say the least. Each chapter featured some sort of brutality against Buck or the other dogs as they were either beaten mercilessly with a club, starved to death and killed with an ax, or ripped savagely apart by their fellow teammates. I typically hate to read, watch, hear, or see any form of animal abuse (I know, I'm such a girl...) so it was really hard for me to concentrate on the message within the story while all this torture and death was going on. Moving past the graphic parts, however, I thought the novel overall was very compelling and intriguing. I loved the way the story was written and the ability of the narrator to be in Buck's shoes and feel what he was feeling without actually having Buck do any physical talking either mentally or verbally. Since dogs obviously can't talk, this feature made the novel seem more realistic, yet still formulated a strong bond between the reader and Buck. Many of the reviews on this site have said that they read this book in high school as a requirement, and I can see why. It was a simple, quick read that still was chalk full of advanced literary elements and techniques that could be included in a literary analysis chart. I would recommend it to anyone who wouldn't mind reading all the graphic details and who was looking for something to read and finish relatively quickly.

[gamermom2004 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A great story of the struggle between tame and wild. A true classic that everyone should read. Great for the younger generations.

[rayski_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stolen from his home and sold to dog sled outfitters, Buck hears his call and is forever changed…for his better. Makes one think about his personal callings and decisions.

[gbev2008 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I never read this as a youngster though it seemed to be "unofficially required" reading in elementary school. I always assumed it was man and his dog story, but it turned out to be civilized dog returns to wilderness story told from the dog's point of view. And it worked well. Very well written and engaging.

[mausergem_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The call of the wild, a fantastic book which strokes every reader’s vanity and pride, is about a southern dog, Buck who is taken from his farm and sold up north to draw sledges in the Arctic. The story is about his struggles with the new conditions and new masters.The book beautifully describes the transformation of a domesticated dog to wildness. A very powerful book.and a must read.

[debbiemccauley-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jack London’s book was first published in 1903 and this complete and unabridged hardcover reproduction does justice to the story with an attractive cover and illustrations throughout. Buck is a pampered half German shepherd, half saint Bernard dog who is king of his world which entails looking after Judge Miller’s Californian raisin farm. He is kidnapped by a servant and sold to pay gambling debts. This is when his education really begins ‘Again and again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed’ (London, 2002, p. 29). The book is set in the time of the Klondike gold rush and Buck must learn to survive in the Yukon where men will do anything, nothing too low, for gold. ‘He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilisation and flung into the heart of things primordial’ (London, 2002, p. 37). The savagery of these working dogs in this harsh country is explored in Bucks witnessing a dog’s horrific death. ‘Two minutes from the time Curly went down, the last of her assailants were clubbed off. But she lay there limp and lifeless in the bloody, trampled snow, almost literally torn to pieces’ (London, 2002, p. 39). This book is riveting, a work of art. Jack London has so honed his craft that he can transport one into the very heart and soul of his character. I was hardly able to put this book down, even though the pure savagery at times had me cringing and close to tears, empathising with Buck and feeling his pain. ‘He is at times savage but ultimately he possesses a dignity, a wisdom, and even a sort of moral code that is so often lacking in the human world’ (Kilpatrick, W., et al., 1994, p. 173). When Buck is drawn to the wolf pack and finds the community he desires, the sense of happiness is overwhelming. This book is a masterpiece and should be read by all.

[yogimarley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic. London captures your imagination with an adventure story told through the eyes of a (involuntary) sled-dog. The progression from what equals slavery to eventual freedom provides a unique context. Bucks ability to adapt is interesting, making the best of his situation. His growth through the book can easily parallel anyone moving from their late teens to adulthood. I have issues with London as a person (primarily his bigotry towards the Chinese); however, I can't deny his lasting legacy in adventure writing. This story is timeless...

[donnagalanti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Both of these tales (White Fang & Call of the Wild), one of a civilized dog who embraces the wild after he is stolen and one of a wild dog tamed by the love of a man...are both masterpieces that embrace the animal and flawed humanity in man and the the beasts that show us so and brave so much. Both are raw, emotional tales told in sparse, beautiful language that gnaw at you long after you put them down. First read at age 12, and enjoyed again as much at 41.

[lovinglit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story is written from the perspective of Buck, the dog. He is large, he is faithful and pragmatic, and he is kidnapped by a worker on the ranch he lives on, and sold to a trader who sends him north to run with a team dragging sleds. Poor Buck is mistreated, and faces a hard run. It is not just humans who are cruel to him, other dogs resent his size and presence, and battles for position as alpha male take place. The dog team are run to the ground, and Bucks saving grace is his size, strength and stamina. He is passed to and from inept and cruel owners until he finally meets an owner he can trust and bond with.It's a nice, if somewhat violent, story. Nothing too deep, but a read that carries you along.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Call of the Wild by Jack London is a book I have long wanted to read, somehow missing this classic as a younger reader. Now that I have read it, I am glad that this was missed in my younger days as I don’t know if I would have been able to handle the animal cruelty that plays such a large part of this story. Maybe we were tougher years ago as many of the great animal classic stories like this one, Black Beauty and Beautiful Joe have many scenes that today would not be accepted in a children’s story.The story of Buck, being snatched from his easy life in California and being taken to work in the gold fields, shows him to be a special dog, dominant and intelligent, and, after finding out how cruel man can be, he learns to read both people and the situations that arise in his life. The story follows Buck as he is passed through various owners, some cruel, some indifferent and one that Buck learns to love. All the while, deep inside Buck comes a call, a desire to run free in the wilderness.At my much advanced age, I can now appreciate Jack London’s writing, especially when describing the Alaskan wilderness. The story is fast paced with excellent action sequences and overall I would class this a great read, if, and it’s a big if, you can face the brutality of what Buck goes through. The themes of like natured beasts calling out to each other, and the luring back to the primordial life that exists deep in memory are a little dated but overall this is a compelling read. London uses language like a poet, simple, at times savage but always rich in imagery.

[liciasings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this story. The writing was clever and well-crafted, the dog's story was interesting, and the themes of the power of instinct and love - in nature and in between a human and an animal - this was all well-done. It was a very different book from what I usually read. The voices and the characters are all male; the story seems to be targeted at young men or boys. It certainly wasn't a favourite. Even so, it is hard to deny that this is a classic, and I am glad I took the time to read it.

[col2910_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis.......The story takes place in the extreme conditions of the Yukon during the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush, where strong sled dogs were in high demand. After Buck, a domesticated dog, is snatched from a pastoral ranch in California, he is sold into a brutal life as a sled dog. The novella details Buck's struggle to adjust and survive the cruel treatment he receives from humans, other dogs, and nature. He eventually sheds the veneer of civilization altogether and instead relies on primordial instincts and the lessons he has learned to become a respected and feared leader in the wild.Published back in 1903 after the author had spent sometime in the aforementioned Yukon.I was looking for something a little bit different and quick to read after getting bogged down by another book which I wasn't enjoying. I had previously heard of this book, hasn't everyone(?) but can't recall reading it ever during my near half-century of years, not even in the dim and distant days of school. Glad I made the effort though.Gripping, exciting, moving.......a testament of an indomitable spirit, bravery, determination, loyalty, fearlessness, and probably another dozen or so admirable attributes. Sad in places, but ultimately an uplifting and rewarding read.I wouldn't put it past me finding more from London in the future.4 from 5Down-loaded free from the internet.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A terrific dog story, though hard to read at times because of all that Buck endures. I read it in the Library of America edition. Had never read it as a child as far as I recall; I note that some film versions are geared towards children and I can only assume (hope?) they have been bowdlerized; I wouldn't recommend this for children under 10 or 11 no matter their reading level.

[goldletter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One I haven't read, but plan to. It has several pastel colored illustrations.