Books

An adapted and illustrated edition of Jane Austen's romantic classic - at an easy-to-read level for all ages.

Laura has lived a fairy-tale life until a stranger knocks on her cottage door. Then her adventures and her troubles begin. In dramatic letters, Laura tells of heartless fathers and runaway children, long-lost grandfathers and thieving cousins. Hers is a story of doomed love, fierce friendship, and the unexpected dangers of fainting.

All Catherine wants is to be like the heroines in the books she reads. On her first trip away from home, she finally gets her chance. A new friendship and a growing love lead her to the spooky Northanger Abbey. There Catherine will find that a little imagination can cause a lot of trouble.

A beautifully illustrated adapted classic that will introduce children to the works of Jane Austen.

Persuasion is Jane Austen's last completed novel. She began it soon after she had finished Emma, completing it in August 1816. She died, aged 41, in 1817; Persuasion was published in December that year (but dated 1818). Persuasion is linked to Northanger Abbey not only by the fact that the two books were originally bound up in one volume and published together, but also because both stories are set partly in Bath, a fashionable city with which Austen was well acquainted, having lived there from 1801 to 1805. Besides the theme of persuasion, the novel evokes other topics, such as the Royal Navy, in which two of Jane Austen's brothers ultimately rose to the rank of admiral. As in Northanger Abbey, the superficial social life of Bath-well known to Austen, who spent several relatively unhappy and unproductive years there-is portrayed extensively and serves as a setting for the second half of the book. In many respects Persuasion marks a break with Austen's previous works, both in the more biting, even irritable satire directed at some of the novel's characters and in the regretful, resigned outlook of its otherwise admirable heroine, Anne Elliot, in the first part of the story. Against this is set the energy and appeal of the Royal Navy, which symbolises for Anne and the reader the possibility of a more outgoing, engaged, and fulfilling life, and it is this worldview which triumphs for the most part at the end of the novel.

Titles in This Set:

1. No Ordinary Boy
2. The Dark Sorceress
3. The Sword in the Stone
4. Twelve Rebel Kings
5. Gawain and the Green Knight
6. Tristan and Isolde
7. Lancelot
8. The Quest for the Holy Grail
9. The Death of Merlin
10. The Fall of Camelot

Description:

No Ordinary Boy
All Merlin knows is the village where he mixes potions for wary customers, and dreams strange dreams that sometimes come true. Then a mysterious hooded man appears, seeking a boy with no mortal father, and Merlin is taken far away, to a crumbling tower and a ruthless king. To a place where his is not the only magic.

The Dark Sorceress
Morgan’s happy childhood ends when King Uther declares war on her father. Sent from her beloved home of Tintagel, she spends the next eight years in a nunnery. There Morgan’s dark powers grow alongside her hatred, restrained only by the teachings of the secretive Iona. Until a surprising letter arrives, and with it the chance for revenge.

The Sword in the Stone
When two boys save an old man from robbers, they learn of a competition in Londinium to decide the next king of Britain. The elder, Kay, is determined to prove himself worthy as a knight or a king. The younger is Arthur, a farm boy through and through – until he sees the sword in the stone.

Twelve Rebel Kings
Arthur Pendragon must defend his crown against the many other kings who would take it. For that he needs a new sword and a magical scabbard from the Lady of the Lake. If he wins, will the beautiful Guinevere return to Camelot with him as his bride? And who will sit at the Round Table?

Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain is impatient to prove himself worthy of his seat at the Round Table, and the arrival of a giant provides the perfect opportunity – or so it seems. But the result is not the glorious quest Gawain had hoped for. It is a seemingly doomed one that will test his honour as a knight to the hilt.

Tristan and Isolde
Sir Tristan leaves Camelot to defend Tintagel against an Irish invader. In doing so he receives a wound that can only be healed by going to Ireland himself. There he meets Isolde the Fair, doomed to become Tristan’s true love. ‘Doomed’ because not all love stories have a happy ending. Especially when poison and potions are involved.

Lancelot
Determined to overcome his love for Queen Guinevere, Lancelot leaves Camelot on a quest for distraction. He finds it in the form of a fearsome knight in black armour, and an impossible choice set by a sorceress. Can Lancelot escape Morgan le Fay’s trap? And can he bear to return to Camelot and King Arthur even if he does?

The Quest for the Holy Grail
When Galahad arrives in Camelot, the last seat at the Round Table is finally filled. Then a vision of the Holy Grail appears and one by one King Arthur’s knights set out to prove themselves worthy of it. Little do they know that it is not their strength or skills that will be tested. It is their souls …

The Death of Merlin
All his life, Merlin has seen visions of other people’s fates. Never his own. That changes shortly before he meets Nimue. While his nights are plagued by confusing dreams, his days are spent falling in love and sharing his powers. Until the time comes when he must face his future – and his past.

The Fall of Camelot
Guinevere has been kidnapped! King Arthur is determined to rescue her and so is Lancelot. Camelot’s favourite knight has hidden his forbidden love for their queen for years, but it will soon become known to everyone. Then Morgan le Fay will finally make her move to take everything that Arthur holds dear. Will she succeed?

Packed with battles, forbidden love and what it was like to live in medieval times, the retelling of legends about the boy who would be king is a great way to introduce young readers to folk tales in modern literature. Each one has a plot that includes every last detail to make these compelling tales, keeping readers gripped throughout. There is an array of characters, whether it’s the queen or a powerful king and plenty of twists and turns. From kidnapping to romance and even magic, every one of these 10 books presents its own challenge, leaving readers guessing what will happen next. These books can be enjoyed by reading aloud to really bring the characters to life, complete with an accent if children are feeling brave enough, or to encourage independent reading as children become more confident in chapter books. Readers can choose to work their way through in any particular order, the only difficulty is deciding which one to pick first!

Filled with rusting relics and tattered treasure maps, The Old Curiosity Shop is Nell Trent’s favourite place in the whole world. This is lucky, because it’s also her home.

Both the experienced detective, Mr Lestrade, and consulting expert, Mr Sherlock Holmes, have concluded that this horrible series of events is the work of a MADMAN, not a common criminal. No other explanation makes sense.

I am perfectly willing to act as business manager for the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, at a minimum salary of £500 – Mr Hall Pycroft.

A children’s retelling of The Legends of King Arthur - with a QR code for the free audiobook!

All Merlin knows is the village where he mixes potions for wary customers, and dreams strange dreams that sometimes come true. Then a mysterious hooded man appears, seeking a boy with no mortal father, and Merlin is taken far away, to a crumbling tower and a ruthless king. To a place where his is not the only magic.

About The Legends of King Arthur Series Epic battles, thrilling quests and forbidden love combine in the medieval story of the boy who would be king. A retelling of the Arthurian legends, adapted and illustrated to introduce children aged 7+ to classic folklore. Great to share aloud, just like the original tales.

When a young governess, unemployed and desperate for a position, accepts a job with a couple living in a remote country home, her positive first impressions of the man and his family begin to change. With a mixture of fear and uncertainty, she asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the increasingly disturbing events that have begun to unfold around her.

An illustrated adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes mystery – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages! Also includes a QR code for the free audiobook!

The police are no closer to solving the murder of horse trainer, John Straker. He was killed on Monday night, 22nd October. The famous racehorse, Silver Blaze, has been missing since the night of the attack.

The country’s most famous racehorse has mysteriously disappeared. What’s worse, his trainer has been murdered! All eyes turn to Sherlock Holmes to unravel this strange mystery, find the murderer and return Silver Blaze to safety – all before the Wessex Cup race.