The Orient Blackswan Easy Readers introduce the child to the enchanting world of reading, which encourage him/her to read with little or no external help. These well-illustrated books are carefully graded into seven levels. The series begins at Level 1 and is meant for beginners in the age group of 5 years. The other levels are: Level 2: 6–8 years, Level 3: 7–9 years, Level 4: 9–11 years, Level 5: 10–12 years, Level 6: 11–14 years and Level 7: 15 years and above. This careful grading, based on age-appropriate vocabulary and structure enables the reader to progress through the successive levels. The current titles mainly include the classics and also have those that suit modern tastes and interests.

Daniel Defoe(1660?-1731) born in London about 1660-both the date the place of his birth are unknown-was the son of a candle merchant named Foe. He was educated for the Presbyterian ministry but decided in1685 to go into business.

Defoe was one of the first to write stories about believable characters in realistic situations using simple prose. Before his time stories were usually written as long poems or dramas. Along with Samuel Richardson, Defoe is considered the founder of the English novel.