"Of course, a book is more than the sum of its materials. It is an artifact of the human mind and hand."
Written in the recent book People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks' words echo not only throughout her book, but also in the library of the Classics Collection that is Sharing-Books. Tom Brown's School Days is an example of a book, whose story is found, not only between its covers, but in the travels of one woman.
Originally a prize for attendance, the second hand book followed its current owner from the Australian sheep farm of her birth, safely escaped the destruction of World War I, through the heights of the Roaring Twenties in English upper class society, and on through the epic battle of World War II. It stayed with her during the British Raj in India where she witnessed two births: one of a blonde boy and the other, the birth of the nation that is now India. It escaped under the protection of a Gurkha lieutenant colonel and now resides in a pastoral community in Lincolnshire where the book has enthralled two succeeding generations of her family.
The next stop for Tom Brown's School Days is as a download in your home. As you read through the pages, you will notice smudges, folded pages, and traces of bits. We have chosen to capture the weathered, golden pages of all our classics that come under our protection. We thought you too would treasure reading each story, just as they have come to us.

Labels: Arthur Hughes, bullying, children's ebooks, classics, ebooks, Gurkhas, Rugby, Sydney Prior Hall, Tom Brown's School Days

With the recent film release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, we feel it is only fitting that we make available one of the suggested influences to J.K. Rowling's successful series to our "Potterfiles".

Many parallels have been made between Harry Potter and Tom Brown's School Days, which both depict growing up in English private schools. Only a century separates the stories but both address the issue of bullying. Harry has Draco Malfoy as his nemesis while Tom has Flashman. In Harry Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is where the action happens, while it is at Rugby where you meet Tom and his nemesis. Tom and his classmates are introduced to the games of football and rugby, while it is in the very fast game of Quidditch where Draco takes on Harry.

As you read on, more similarities between the two books will come to light. We look forward to receiving your input on one of our latest additions to the Sharing-Books Classics Library.

Labels: bullying, classics, e-books, ebooks, Harry Potter, Hogwarts, School Days, teacher resources, Tom Brown

Sometimes people ask what the significance of classic literature is. Why not just focus on the up and coming works?

Classic literature remains alive today, in part, because it touches on the universal themes that affect us all, no matter what part of the world we live in. A child in Australia can read about bullying in Tom Brown’s School Days set in 19th century England, and suddenly know that they are not alone in this experience. A pre-teen in India can read Persuasion by Jane Austen and may share in the lament of caring for someone outside of their caste. Whether we are experiencing love or dangerous times, classic literature gives us a safe place in which to understand the inner workings of humanity that are so often missed in the glare of the day. Of course classic literature is not all serious, as adults who recall Mother Goose rhymes can testify by their giggle upon review of a political cartoon in the morning’s paper.

Classic literature flavours our world, giving us quiet companionship and a safe place to explore worlds unknown. It allows us to transcend our daily experience, perhaps dream of traveling while teaching us of foreign peoples, real or imagined.

As a French Canadian illustrator, Michele Lemieux did not grow up with the English writer Edward Lear and his stories, but as a child at heart, she has no problem laughing over his zany fictitious characters. Over the weekend, we had a chance to catch up with Canadian illustrator who illustrated the 1994 edition of Edward Lear’s poetry in There Was An Old Man… A Collection of Limericks. She was one of the guest speakers for Serendipity 2009, an annual event hosted by the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable. Ms. Lemieux was delighted to see his original illustrations. Now, Sharing-Books readers too have a chance to share her delight in our recent re-release of his 1888 edition.

Here at Sharing-Books, you will find some of your favourite stories and discover new ones. This week, illustrator E.R. Stanton shares her wonderful watercolour that illustrates Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, “To the Seaside.” Doesn’t it dispel a gray day and make you long for summer by the beach?

Labels: classics, ebooks, Lear, Lemieux, limericks