编辑推荐
适读人群 :8-12岁 Cleary provides a warm, autobiographical introduction to this excellent adaptation of her first book, which was originally published in 1950. Actor Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.) has enthusiasm to spare in his lively take on Cleary's endearing and humorous work. Third-grader Henry Huggins, who has hair that "looks like a scrubbing brush," is a pretty ordinary kid a little too ordinary in his opinion. Henry wants some excitement in his life. One day, excitement arrives in the form of a skinny stray dog that befriends Henry at the drugstore. Boy and pooch bond instantly when Henry offers his ice cream cone to the dog, who downs it in one gulp. Henry calls his four-legged pal Ribsy, for obvious reasons, and with more than a little effort and confusion, brings the lovable pet home to his family's house on Klickitat Street via city bus and then police car. Harris proves a versatile performer taking on a whole community of friendly voices, including Henry's exasperated but supportive parents and memorable neighbors Beezus and Ramona. He nails Henry's sense of innocent wonder and his sweet, honest demeanor in every scene, employing an authentic boyish delivery that can amuse as well as tug at the heart just like Cleary's writing.
Gr 2-5-Actor Neil Patrick Harris reads Beverly Cleary's novel (Morrow, 2000) with verve and expression in this excellent book-on-tape production of the 50th Anniversary edition of the book. Henry's discovery of a stray dog, Ribsy, is just the beginning of a year of excitement and fun. He hunts night-crawlers, raises gallons of guppies, is stuck with a horrible part in the school operetta, and nearly loses Ribsy in this delightful, classic children's book. Harris creates different voices for each character. He particularly gets into the chapter on the school play, making that section especially hilarious. At the beginning and end of the tape, there is an interview with Cleary that provides interesting insights into what inspires her and her views on the writing process. This exceptional production will delight listeners.
内容简介
Henry Huggins feels that nothing very interesting ever happens to him. But from the moment a stray dog in the drugstore begs for a taste of his ice-cream cone and downs it in one gulp, everything is different. Henry names the dog Ribsy and decides to keep him. Before Henry even reaches home with Ribsy he spends all of his money, gets kicked off three buses, and enjoys a hair-raising ride in a police car. And that's only the beginning of Henry's exciting new life!
作者简介
Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon, and until she was old enough to attend school she lived on a farm in Yamhill, a town so small it had no library. Her mother arranged to have books sent to their tiny town from the state library and acted as a librarian in a room over a bank. It was there that Mrs. Cleary learned to love books. Generations of children have grown up with Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Ralph Mouse, and all of their friends, families, and assorted pets. Beverly Cleary continues to capture the hearts and imaginations of children of all ages throughout the world.
精彩书摘
Chapter One
Henry and Ribs
Henry Huggins was in the third grade. His hair looked like a scrubbing brush and most of his grown-up front teeth were in. He lived with his mother and father in a square white house on Klickitat Street. Except for having his tonsils out when he was six and breaking his arm falling out of a cherry tree when he was seven, nothing much happened to Henry.
I wish something exciting would happen, Henry often thought.
But nothing very interesting ever happened to Henry, at least not until one Wednesday afternoon in March. Every Wednesday after school Henry rode downtown on the bus to go swimming at the Y.M.C.A. After he swam for an hour, he got on the bus again and rode home just in time for dinner. It was fun but not really exciting.
When Henry left the Y.M.C.A. on this particular Wednesday, he stopped to watch a man tear down a circus poster. Then, with three nickels and one dime in his pocket, he went to the corner drugstore to buy a chocolate ice cream cone. He thought he would eat the ice cream cone, get on the bus, drop his dime in the slot, and ride home.
That is not what happened.
He bought the ice cream cone and paid for it with one of his nickels. On his way out of the drugstore he stopped to look at funny books. It was a free look, because he had only two nickels left.
He stood there licking his chocolate ice cream cone and reading one of the funny books when he heard a thump, thump, thump. Henry turned, and there behind him was a dog. The dog was scratching himself. He wasn't any special kind of dog. He was too small to be a big dog but, on the other hand, he was much too big to be a little dog. He wasn't a white dog, because parts of him were brown and other parts were black and in between there were yellowish patches. His ears stood up and his tail was long and thin.
The dog was hungry. When Henry licked, he licked. When Henry swallowed, he swallowed.
Hello, you old dog, Henry said. You can't have my ice cream cone.
Swish, swish, swish went the tail. Just one bite, the dog's brown eyes seemed to say.
Go away, ordered Henry. He wasn't very firm about it. He patted the dog's head.
The tail wagged harder. Henry took one last lick. Oh, all right, he said. If you're that hungry, you might as well have it.
The ice cream cone disappeared in one gulp.
Now go away, Henry told the dog. I have to catch a bus for home.
He started for the door. The dog started, too.
Go away, you skinny old dog. Henry didn't say it very loudly. Go on home.The dog sat down at Henry's feet. Henry looked at the dog and the dog looked at Henry.
I don't think you've got a home. You're awful thin. Your ribs show right through your skin.
Thump, thump, thump replied the tail.
And you haven't got a collar, said Henry.
He began to think. If only he could keep the dog! He had always wanted a dog of his very own and now he had found a dog that wanted him. He couldn't go home and leave a hungry dog on the street corner. If only he knew what his mother and father would say! He fingered the two nickels in his pocket. That was it! He would use one of the nickels to phone his mother.
Come on, Ribsy. Come on, Ribs, old boy. I'm going to call you Ribsy because you're so thin.
The dog trotted after the boy to the telephone booth in the corner of the drugstore. Henry shoved him into the booth and shut the door. He had never used a pay telephone before. He had to put the telephone book on the floor and stand on tiptoe on it to reach the mouthpiece. He gave the operator his number and dropped his nickel into the coin box.
Hello'Mom?
Why, Henry! His mother sounded surprised. Where are you?
At the drugstore near the Y.
Ribs began to scratch. Thump, thump, thump. Inside the telephone booth the thumps sounded loud and hollow.
For goodness' sake, Henry, what's that noise? his mother demanded. Ribs began to whimper and then to howl. Henry, Mrs. Huggins shouted, are you all right?
Yes, I'm all right, Henry shouted back. He never could understand why his mother always thought something had happened to him when nothing ever did. That's just Ribsy.
Ribsy? His mother was exasperated. Henry, will you please tell me what is going on?
I'm trying to, said Henry. Ribsy howled louder. People were gathering around the phone booth to see what was going on. Mother, I've found a dog. I sure wish I could keep him. He's a good dog and I'd feed him and wash him and everything. Please, Mom.
I don't know, dear, his mother said. You'll have to ask your father.
Mom! Henry wailed. That's what you always say! Henry was tired of standing on tiptoe and the phone booth was getting warm. Mom, please say yes and I'll never ask for another thing as long as I live!
Well, all right, Henry. I guess there isn't any reason why you shouldn't have a dog. But you'll have to bring him home on the bus. Your father has the car today and I can't come after you. Can you manage?
Sure! Easy.
And Henry, please don't be late. It looks as if it might rain.
All right, Mom. Thump, thump, thump.
Henry, what's that thumping noise?
前言/序言
《星际迷航:奥德赛》 作者: 艾莉森·里德 译者: 张华 出版信息: 银河系出版社,初版,2023年 页数: 480页 装帧: 精装 适读年龄: 12-16岁 --- 一个关于勇气、友谊和在浩瀚宇宙中寻找归属的故事 在遥远的未来,人类文明已经跨越了太阳系的边界,建立了庞大的星际联邦。然而,和平并非永恒的真理,在星系深处,一个被称为“虚空领主”的神秘势力正在悄然崛起,威胁着联邦的稳定和所有已知生命体的安全。 故事的主角是 凯拉·文森特,一个十七岁的年轻宇航员,她的梦想是加入星际探索队,成为一名顶尖的星舰领航员。凯拉从小在联邦最大的太空站——“新黎明号”上长大,对星际航行有着天生的直觉。她性格坚韧,思维敏捷,但内心深处隐藏着对父母失踪的谜团的强烈探求欲。她的父母曾是联邦最优秀的探险家,在一项秘密任务中神秘失踪,只留下一个加密的星图碎片和一句意味深长的话:“追随奥德赛之光。” 凯拉的搭档是 泽恩·科尔,一个来自联邦边缘殖民星球的机械天才。泽恩性格沉稳内敛,对古代遗迹和失落科技有着近乎狂热的兴趣。他拥有一艘经过深度改装的老式货运飞船——“流浪者号”,这艘飞船不仅是他的家,也是他对抗严酷宇宙的唯一武器。凯拉和泽恩的友谊建立在共同对未知的好奇心和对打破常规的渴望之上。 故事的导火索,源于一艘被发现漂浮在危险的“静默星云”边缘的古老探测器。联邦情报部门发现,该探测器携带的微弱信号指向了一个被认为已经覆灭的古老文明——“先驱者”。凯拉和泽恩,凭借着凯拉对星图碎片的解读能力,以及泽恩对古老引擎的维修知识,成功地从联邦高层的严密监控下“借用”了“流浪者号”,踏上了追寻“奥德赛之光”的征程。 他们的旅程充满了艰辛与挑战。 第一部分:遗失的坐标与背叛的阴影 凯拉和泽恩的首要目标是解密星图碎片。这引导他们前往了充斥着危险引力场的“碎裂行星带”。在这里,他们首次遭遇了“虚空领主”的巡逻舰。这些舰船不仅拥有远超联邦标准武器的火力,其驾驶员似乎对联邦的战术了如指掌。在一次惊险的逃脱中,他们意识到,有人在联邦内部为“虚空领主”提供情报。 在前往一颗被废弃的矿物星球“赫菲斯托斯-7”时,他们遇到了一个关键人物——莉拉。莉拉是一名精通信息窃取的“星际走私者”,外表冷漠,但内心深处对联邦的腐败深恶痛绝。她提供的信息证实了他们的猜测:一个被称为“九头蛇”的影子组织正在暗中运作,企图利用先驱者的技术发动一场大规模的星际政变。莉拉最初只是为了报酬与他们合作,但在目睹了“虚空领主”对无辜平民的残暴行径后,她决定彻底加入凯拉的队伍。 第二部分:先驱者的迷宫与道德的抉择 星图的下一步指向了一个被称为“创世之环”的未知星系。这个星系由一系列由古代技术维持的、能够模拟不同生态环境的巨型人造空间站组成。要通过这里,他们必须破解先驱者留下的复杂谜题,这些谜题不仅考验逻辑,更考验人性。 在“创世之环”的核心站——一个被厚厚冰层覆盖的星球上,他们找到了关于父母失踪的线索。原来,凯拉的父母并非失踪,而是自愿留下来,保护着一个足以颠覆星际权力格局的“能源核心”。这个核心能够为整个星系提供近乎无限的清洁能源,但如果落入“虚空领主”手中,足以让他们建立一个不可战胜的军事帝国。 然而,他们也发现了一个残酷的真相:先驱者文明在留下技术的同时,也留下了一个自我保护机制——一个能瞬间摧毁该星系的自毁程序。激活或禁用这个程序,需要输入“奥德赛之光”的真正含义。 在探索过程中,泽恩的技术天赋得到了淋漓尽致的展现。他需要修复一个古老的导航系统,这个系统会根据驾驶员的“心智频率”来调整航线。当泽恩面临一个艰难的维修抉择时——是选择优化飞船的防御系统以求自保,还是选择降低防御来解锁更快的路线——凯拉提醒他,真正的力量不在于武器的数量,而在于选择的正直。泽恩最终选择了更具风险但更符合道义的路线。 第三部分:光芒的真相与最终的对决 “奥德赛之光”并非一个物理坐标,而是一种精神象征——牺牲与合作的意志。凯拉意识到,只有将自己最珍视的、与父母有关的信物融入核心控制台,才能安全地解锁能源。 就在他们即将完成任务时,“九头蛇”组织的高级指挥官——马库斯·雷恩,一个曾是凯拉父亲的亲密战友,现已完全被权力腐蚀的星际舰队上将,带着一支精锐舰队出现了。雷恩的目的很简单:夺取能源,成为星系的实际掌控者,并清洗所有“不服从者”。 最终的高潮发生在能源核心的控制室。这是一场智力与情感的双重较量。莉拉利用她出色的黑客技术,在舰队的通信系统中制造了混乱,为凯拉争取时间。泽恩则驾驶着“流浪者号”进行了一次极限的太空机动,以一种反常规的方式,击毁了雷恩旗舰的引力稳定器,使其陷入瘫痪。 凯拉面对雷恩,她没有诉诸武力,而是用事实揭露了雷恩被“虚空领主”利用的真相。她展示了父母留下的最后信息,揭示了“虚空领主”只是一个傀儡,真正的威胁在于那些隐藏在光鲜制服下的野心家。 在能源核心被安全锁定的最后一刻,凯拉必须做出终极选择:是公开所有秘密,冒着引起星际恐慌的风险,还是暂时封存真相,确保能源不落入坏人之手? 故事的结局,凯拉、泽恩和莉拉成功地保护了能源核心,挫败了雷恩的阴谋。他们没有成为联邦的英雄,而是选择了低调地回归。能源核心被隐藏在一个只有他们知道坐标的“安全相位”中,等待着一个真正能够和平利用它的时代。 凯拉终于明白了父母的遗志:真正的奥德赛,是带着勇气和责任感,在无尽的黑暗中,为希望点燃一盏微弱但坚定的灯火。她和她的伙伴们,驾驶着“流浪者号”,继续在星际的边缘航行,时刻准备着迎接下一次未知的挑战。他们不再是为了寻找答案而旅行,而是为了保护他们所珍视的未来。 本书特色: 硬核科幻设定: 深入探讨了古代文明的技术、引力场物理以及星际政治的复杂性。 成长与友谊: 展现了年轻人在极端压力下如何建立不可磨灭的信任和伙伴关系。 道德困境: 故事情节穿插着关于权力、自由与牺牲的深刻思考。 快节奏的太空追逐: 紧张刺激的太空战斗和解谜环节,令人手不释卷。