Herdon, Tim. creator Gurr, Simon. text enk Oxford Oxford University Press c2010 2010 monographic eng

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67 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. Left penniless by the death of his improvident father, young Nicholas Nickleby assumes responsibility for his mother and sister and seeks help from his Scrooge-like Uncle Ralph. Instantly disliking Nicholas, Ralph sends him to teach in a school run by the stupidly sadistic Wackford Squeers. Nicholas decides to escape, taking with him the orphan Smike, one of Squeers's most abused young charges, and the two embark on a series of adventurous encounters with an array of humanity's worst and best -- greedy fools, corrupt lechers, cheery innocents, and selfless benefactors. Though one of Dickens's earliest works, Nicholas Nickleby features many of his familiar trademarks : a long, complex plot full of surprising twists, unexpected revelations, and jaw-dropping coincidences; a crowded cast of colorful (and memorably named) characters, among them Vincent Crummles, Newman Noggs, and Sir Mulberry Hawk; and an emotionally potent mix of wildly exuberant comedy, deeply moving melodrama, and passionate social criticism fueled by Dickens's own childhood experiences of poverty and injustice. Reading grade level: 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th grades. Charles Dickens ; text adaptation by Tim Herdon ; illustrated by Simon Gurr. Dickens, Charles 1812-1870 Adaptations 823/.8 Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 Level two 9780194248860 (pbk.) 0194248860 (pbk.) NLE 100125 506256797