{"title":"Thomas Hudson","description":"Victor Appleton II (and his predecessor, Victor Appleton) is the blanket pen name for a group of authors-for-hire who wrote all the Tom Swift novels starting back in 1910. The V.A. II for this Tom Swift Invention Series is a single author who grew up entranced by the world of Tom Swift Jr. He is now quite a long way from being a young reader, but still still remembers the thrill of reading about the famous teen inventor who could do anything from rocketing into space, building robots, communicating with aliens, and creating a road that could float in the air. He now lives in the Pacific Northwest-the author, not Tom!-where his time is divided between writing and being a lazy retired guy. While he hopes that both old and new readers will enjoy the stories, he offers a word of caution: The innocence and naiveté of the original Tom Jr, along with some of the lesser characters, do not appear in these books. Some have been replaced by \"stronger\" individuals. There are a few people with similar names but this series is not just an add-on to the 1954-1971 books. It takes place in the near future to today that sees our hero more involved in issues concerning all of mankind rather than just building stuff. They are still meant to be enjoyed by readers as young as 8-9 who possess good reading skills, and can be enjoyed by people the author's own age bracket, that being below, at or above the 60-year mark. A total of at least 20 books are planned with the first 12 written as of December 2013.","products":[{"product_id":"tom-swift-and-the-galaxy-ghosts-paperback","title":"Tom Swift and the Galaxy Ghosts - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this 8th in the new Tom Swift Invention Series, Tom Swift finds himself involved in a galactic mystery. Something very much like a black hole has been discovered a dozen light years away, but nobody can say for certain what it really is... or if it will affect the Earth. The thing about black holes is they suck in light so they can't really be seen.Tom wants to go investigate. Even his quickest unmanned rockets can't carry enough fuel for such a trip. So a shortcut seems to be the only chance. His knowledge tells him that wormholes are more than a science fiction hypothesis, but how the heck can he go about locating one? Even if he finds one, how can he determine where it might exit? When an old video surfaces showing proof to and open and willing mind that wormholes exist and can be opened for brief periods, he also finds it takes the power of a nuclear bomb to do so. If he overcomes all issues, he and Bud may be on a one way trip. They encounter the anomaly-and it's a doozy-but they also find themselves face-to- uhhh, hands? Giant ghostly hands beckon them, but what can it all mean? With little air and no fuel, what can Tom do?NOTE: Although this book shares a common title with one of the Tom Swift Jr. books published in late 1971, it IS NOT that book. Nor is it that story.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51438227816671,"sku":"9781499562927","price":17.53,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/vPW43h2TZt9781499562927.webp?v=1790093561"},{"product_id":"the-rocket-book-the-slant-book-two-classic-books-in-rhyme-for-children-paperback","title":"The Rocket Book \u0026 The Slant Book: Two classic books in rhyme for children - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the early 1900s, author Peter Newell wrote tow special books for children to enjoy along with their parents. For the youngest, these were a \"read to me\" books. For children with a few years of experience, they could be read privately and enjoyed. Every page of story is accompanied by an illustration showing exactly what Newell pictured happening as he wrote the story. But, each book had something very special about it. For THE ROCKET BOOK, right in the middle of the text, from page to page, special pictures showed how the hole being made by the errant rocket grew and grew! For THE SLANT BOOK, Newell had everything set at an angle. Even the book was trimmed at an angle so the outside matched the inside. We are uncertain if these ever were published together (it is doubtful) but here they are. Together. To enjoy. Please note that because of their age, these stories are in the Public Domain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51446598729951,"sku":"9781500705152","price":8.08,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/v_QBx-RO1U9781500705152.webp?v=1790232814"},{"product_id":"brains-and-jimmy-the-mrs-periwinkle-case-a-young-reader-version-of-a-brains-benton-mystery-paperback","title":"Brains and Jimmy: The Mrs. Periwinkle Case: A Young Reader Version of a Brains Benton Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn what might be a publishing first, a teen reader\/adult mystery story has been rewritten specifically for young readers, as young as 3rd grade for some advanced readers. It may be read by children with or without help, and can be thoroughly enjoyed as a read-along where a parent is reading the original version of the book (\"Brains Benton: The Case of The Insane Woman Down Memory Lane\") at the same time. Brains and his best friend Jimmy have started a detective agency to take on cases the police just won't take seriously. And, being not-quite-teens themselves, the police do not take them seriously either. But they have a few early successes and it is only when Jimmy's older sister, Ann, asks them to look in on a favorite old teacher of hers who had been fired and sent to a mental institution, that the real mystery begins. Can it really be true that aliens from outer space are out to get her? What the boys learn for certain is that sometimes the best way into a crazy person's house is by climbing up a wall, and that water in a basement isn't at all a good thing! PARENTS NOTE: Brains and Jimmy are very good role models for children showing bravery, intelligence, and a mature attitude toward the main character and her daughter. This book has been rewritten in third person rather than the fist person narrative of the original book to make it easier for younger readers to follow along.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51446924148959,"sku":"9781530580316","price":8.08,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/RkzjCJ4JH49781530580316.webp?v=1790236463"},{"product_id":"tom-swift-and-the-reconstructed-planet-paperback","title":"TOM SWIFT and the Reconstructed Planet - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eBook 16 in this new series sees the young inventor presented with a problem that may or may not happen in a locale so far away it could be meaningless.Or, it could turn deadly!Haley's Comet is swinging back in for its next appearance, only this time it will pass very close to a newly identified planet far outside the orbit of Pluto. Eris is larger than Pluto and even possesses a small moon. So, with the possibility that Eris could influence Haley's trajectory, and if it goes one way it will come too close to the Earth on its pass in a few years, Tom must find a way to get out that far, and fairly quickly.His solution. Simple. Harness a black hole, ride it out past the edge of the solar system and see what happens.Only themission becomes much more diffecult when Haley's smashes into Eris and the planet begins to break up.Now, there will be far more potential deadly pieces of the former planet to deal with unless Tom and his crew can find a way to rebuild it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67576624251103,"sku":"9781530929573","price":17.53,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/nADGwSrNv49781530929573.webp?v=1790384120"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/thomas-hudson.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}