Benjamin Jowett

Comprising seven essays by learned contributors and controversially advocating a rationalist Christianity, this work became a sensation upon publication in 1860. Frederick Temple (1821–1902), later Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote on the cultural contributions of non-Christians; Roland Williams (1817–70), Professor of Hebrew at Lampeter, questioned Old Testament prophesies; Baden Powell (1796–1850), Oxford Professor of Geometry, challenged belief in miracles and embraced Darwinism; Henry Bristow Wilson (1803–88) questioned literal biblical history; the only lay contributor, Egyptologist Charles Wycliffe Goodwin (1817–78), embraced geology; Mark Pattison (1813–84), tutor at Lincoln College, wrote on the history of rationalist theology; and Benjamin Jowett (1817–93), Oxford Professor of Greek, advocated a historical reading of the Bible. Wilson and Williams were later found guilty of heresy by a Church court, though this was overturned on appeal. For readers interested in the theological controversies of the Victorian era, these essays remain invaluable.

When orphaned Pollyanna Whittier comes to live with her stern maiden aunt, the entire town of Beldingsville is affected by the bubbly nature of this lively eleven-year-old. Not only is she perpetually cheerful, she also brightens the lives of everyone she meets. How does Pollyanna manage to be so eternally optimistic? How does she spread her bright outlook among the sick, sad, and abrasive people of the town and transform the life of her lonely aunt? It's the "glad game," she says, describing the antidote to hardship and depressed spirits. But in a serious accident, the town almost loses its "Glad Girl," and everyone looks for a way to make this youngster happy again. Translated into several languages since its original publication in 1913, Pollyanna has been made into a Broadway play, as well as a popular motion picture. One of the best-loved children's stories of all time, this classic--along with its spirited heroine--will inspire readers for years to come.