Before Austen Comes Aesop presents an in-depth examination of the Children's Great Books, that is, the literature that has made the most profound impact on the lives of children throughout Western history...The book's premise is that children often do not spend enough time with literature written or adapted for them before diving into adult works.

Chris loves rockets and planets and pretending he's a brave astronaut, exploring the universe. Only one problem -- at night, Chris doesn't feel so brave. He's afraid of the dark. But when he watches the groundbreaking moon landing on TV, he realizes that space is the darkest dark there is -- and the dark is beautiful and exciting, especially when you have big dreams to keep you company. (Inspired by the childhood of real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield.)...