The New Oxford Progressive English Readers offer a great selection of classic novels and plays from renowned authors that have been abridged in the form of easy-to-read stories for children to enjoy.

"There once lived a very rich king called Midas who believed that nothing was more precious than gold." So begins this imaginative and breathtaking retelling of the myth of the man with the golden touch. When a mysterious stranger offers to reward Midas for a kindness, the king does not hesitate: He wishes that all he touches would turn to gold. To his delight, his wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. But to his dismay, when he accidentally turns his beloved daughter into a golden statue, Midas learns that what at first seems a blessing can also become a curse.

Gold is wealth. Wealth is power. Power is a curse. This captivating fantasy adventure—the untold story of the daughter King Midas turned to gold—will dazzle you with the kind of action, adventure, twists, turns, and a bit of romance to make any fan of magic and mythology greedy for more. After King Midas’s gift—or curse—almost killed his daughter, he relinquished The Touch forever. Ten years later, Princess Kora still bears the consequences of her father’s wish: her skin shines golden, rumors follow her everywhere she goes, and she harbors secret powers that are getting harder to hide. Kora spends her days concealed behind gloves and veils. It isn’t until a charming duke arrives that Kora believes she could indeed be loved. But their courtship is disrupted when a thief steals treasures her father needs to survive. Thanks to Kora’s unique ability to sense gold, she sails off on her quest to find the missing items. Magic, mythology, fantasy, and pirate adventures charge through every page as Kora learns that not everything is what it seems—not her companions, not the thieves, and not even Kora herself. A Touch of Gold: Is told from the perspective of Kora, King Midas’s daughter and a strong female protagonist Is a clean fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling books, The Wrath & the Dawn and Cinder Is an enchanting and captivating fantasy adventure/fairy tale retelling Features a beautifully decorated cover Will have strong appeal to readers ages 13 & up

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Grade level: 3, 4, 5, e, p, i.

Five classic stories of horror, humor and the macabre from Jane Rice. From the Salem Witch Trials to a drowned man’s revenge and a man-eating plant, Jane Rice finds a macabre humor in some horrific stories. The House (1941) – The House hated. It had a grim and determinedly evil personality all its own, and it had set out to murder every member of the family, one by one— The Golden Bridle (1943) – The golden bridle was the answer to the golden dream of every jockey—it meant a winner in every race. But its golden touch had something, too, of the Midas touch— The Crest of the Wave (1941) – He was riding the crest— ’til a Delilah and a Judas tipped him into the river. After that—he rode them! The Elixir (1942) – Maybe it was the Witches’ Cup, maybe it was the mighty potion of mixed drinks she’d mixed—but something sent her from a 1942 Halloween party to a Salem witch-hunt. At the wrong end of the hunt! Pobby (1942) – Pobby was a difficult character for an author to handle. He kept coming around to visit the writer, demanding that the ending be changed. He didn’t want the plant to grow—