The Sterling Classics series offers something most comparable series don't—uniformity. Each handsome hardcover volume is lightly illustrated in black and white by Scott McKowen, with full-color dust jacket art by the same. Thick pages with clearly printed text make these excellent books for kids, able to withstand years of use by multiple young readers.
Each classic text is unabridged, so you don't need to worry whether your children are getting the "whole story." Attractive "Ex Libris" pages allow kids (or their parents) to personalize their copy. Because these books are affordable and pleasing to the eye, we're hoping to make them a standard choice for those wanting to collect a quality children's library.
None of the content is particularly objectionable in any of these titles, though philosophically and thematically some of them will be over most kids' heads (particularly Frankenstein and Dracula). Also, while McKowen's artwork is surprisingly adaptable, there are titles for which it seems less well-suited—the volume of stories by Poe, for instance.
Despite these (minor) drawbacks, this is unreservedly one of the best children's classics series we've seen. Each volume is durable and attractive (both to kids and their parents) and surprisingly affordable. We also appreciate the publishers have chosen not to dilute the offerings with non-classic or substandard material the way many other publishers have. Sterling Classics are highly recommended, and—if you buy all of them at once—are 25% off!
This set includes the following titles:
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