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The Dribblesome Teapots and Other Incredible Stories
by Norman HunterFull of fantastical places like Kumdown Upwardz, Gadzooks and Urgburg-under-Ug, eccentric kings and queens, lessons in kindness, peace and even royal thriftiness, wrapped up in more than a smattering of nonsense, The Dribblesome Teapots brings together ten modern fairy tales to be enjoyed by generation after generation of young readers.Including original illustrations by Fritz Wegner, this is a charming classic of the future.
Medusa's Butterfly
by Simon RaeA box is left on Marcus’s doorstep in the rain. Fussy Aunt Hester has told Marcus not to open the front door under any circumstances. But she’s out – and just this once can’t hurt . . . can it?Except the parcel isn’t embroidery supplies for Aunt Hester. Or fishing tackle for Uncle Frank. Whatever is in there, it’s alive. And it’s ANGRY. The thing in the box sends Marcus’s life spinning horrifyingly out of control – controlling his mind and testing his will so that every moment is deadly. Can Marcus overcome the pull of the Gorgon’s gaze, and use her power for good? Because he received that box for a reason – but he must find out what it is, before the terrible, beautiful Medusa turns everyone he holds dear to stone . . . and then comes for him. Laced with myth, this modern story positively writhes with horror and suspense. A terrifying, unputdownable read for fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter.
The Little Book of Lunch
by Caroline Craig Sophie MissingNew to making your lunch at home? Staring into your fridge in despair? The Little Book of Lunch is for you! Filled with delicious and simple recipes, The Little Book of Lunch has clever approaches to classics making them easy for working from home, meals that taste delicious at room temperature, quickly assembled dishes for when you barely have five minutes and recipes for when the cupboards are bare. It includes: -Wholesome and healthy salads like tabouleh -Indulgent and decadent dining like grilled halloumi, vegetable and avocado couscous -Sandwiches for when you are chained to your desk like guacamole and tomato salsa on rye -Store-cupboard snacks like spicy lentil and coconut soup -Sweet treats to brighten up the day like salted caramel brownies‘Packed full of food you can really get excited by, it's a much-needed rallying call to reclaim the lunch hour!’ Felicity Cloake
The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston LerouxDiscover the classic Gothic horror novel of haunted cellars, opera, murder and unrequited love that inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running west end hit.Christine is a beautiful young singer at the Paris Opera. She is watched by the Opera's 'phantom' - a mysterious masked figure who terrorises the Opera's management and players. With the Phantom's help, Christine rises to become the Opera's star performer, but when the Phantom demands her heart in return, Christine is torn between gratitude and pity for her strange benefactor, and love for her childhood sweetheart, Raoul.
On the Road Bike: The Search For a Nation’s Cycling Soul
by Ned Boulting‘British cyclist. It used to be an oxymoron, a sort of silliness. Like French Cricket’ Ned Boulting has noticed something. It’s to do with bikes. They’re everywhere. And so are their riders. Some of these riders seem to be sporting sideburns and a few of them are winning things. Big things. Now Ned wants to know how on earth it came to this. And what, exactly is 'this'. In On the Road Bike, Ned Boulting asks how Britain became so obsessed with cycling. His journey takes him from the velodrome at Herne Hill to the Tour of Britain at Stoke-on-Trent via Bradley Wiggins, Chris Boardman, David Millar (and David’s mum), Ken Livingstone, both Tommy Godwins, Gary Kemp (yes, him from Spandau Ballet) and many, many more. The result is an amusing and personal exploration of the austere, nutty soul of British cycling.'Funny, fascinating and frequently touching ... will be enjoyed by anyone with even a passing interest in cycling. No bib shorts required' Guardian
The Little Book of Pies: Sweet and Savoury Pies and Tarts For All Year Round
by Marika GauciWant to know how to make a pie? This little book of pie recipes packs a big punch in flavour and baking know-how. Comprehensive guidelines show how to make pastry - shortcrust, rough puff, tartlet and flaky; how to crimp, lattice or plait your pie for a perfect finish; and how to store and reheat your pies so that not a crumb of your pie making goes to waste.Savoury recipes include classics like Steak & Guinness Pie and Chicken, Leek & Bacon; seasonal treats like Waldorf Salad, Minute Picnic Pasties and Porky Pies; plus Mediterranean-inspired twists such as Italian Sausage & Pesto, French Onion Soup Pie, Lamb, Lemon & Oregano and Turkish Breakfast Pie.Indulgent sweet pie and tartlet recipes include classic Twin Peaks Cherry and Apple pies plus unique Honey & Walnut 3-Bite Pies and Chocolate, Date & Ginger Tart.Pies rule! They look good, taste good, and pie-maker Marika Gauci (who also runs the only Pie making workshops in London) shows just how to get glorious golden pies baking in your oven.
Imagining Alexandria
by Louis de BernieresPoetry was Louis de Bernières’ first literary love and Imagining Alexandria is his debut poetry collection. Here the author of the much-loved Captain Corelli’s Mandolin returns us to the vivid Mediterranean landscape of his fiction.De Bernières was introduced to Greek poetry while in Corfu in 1983, and since then he has always travelled with a book of Cavafy's poetry in his pocket. Not surprisingly, his own poems about the distant past, the erotic and the philosophical owe much to the influence of the great Alexandrian poet.Beautifully illustrated with line drawings by Donald Sammut, this is a collection rich in sensuality, nostalgia, and music.
Roule Britannia: Great Britain and the Tour de France
by William FotheringhamHow did Great Britain conquer the Tour de France?In 2012 Bradley Wiggins made history by becoming the first Briton ever to win the Tour de France. Since that moment the UK has been living through the golden era in the world's greatest bike race, with four overall titles for Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas winning for Wales in 2018, and Manxman Mark Cavendish proving the race's most prolific sprinter. In Roule Britannia, number one bestselling author William Fotheringham, charts British cycling's rise to the top and provides us with the definitive account of the nation’s Tour de France achievements through exclusive interviews with and profiles of cycling champions - from the early days of Brian Robinson to Bradley Wiggins's dominant ride via Tom Simpson, Robert Millar, Chris Boardman and many others, Roule Britannia celebrates a nation's love affair with the greatest race of all.‘Brilliant...tells each story with passion and sensitivity’ Sunday Times
Back in Blighty: The British at Home in World War One
by Gerard DeGrootWorld War One had a devastating, cataclysmic impact on the world and the British people. As its reverberations were so long-lasting and significant, it is easy to assume that the social consequences were as profound. In this highly readable and moving survey of life back at home during the First World War, Gerard DeGroot challenges this assumption, finding pre-war social structures were surprisingly resilient. Despite economic and technological changes, the British peoplemanaged to cling onto their usual ways of life as much as possible in this new world. Back in Blighty has been fully revised to take into account new scholarship and historical perspectives, and is full of fascinating glimpses into everyday life during the war. The lives of ordinary people are illuminated and given historical significance in this powerful portrait of the British people and their culture.
The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (A\puffin Book Ser. #7)
by Norman HunterRediscover Professor Branestawm this Christmas – soon to become a brand new drama on BBC ONE written by Charlie Higson and starring Harry Hill‘Once you started anything in Professor Branestawm’s house you never knew when it might finish or even if it ever would’Poor Mrs Flittersnoop! It’s not easy being Professor Branestawm’s housekeeper. People may say he’s a genius, but all his inventions always make life more complicated, alarming and extraordinary than it was before. An innocent bottle of old cough mixture turns out to be an elixir that makes all the waste paper in the bin come to life, the burglar-catcher and the pancake-maker operate just a little too efficiently, and about the spring-cleaning machine, the less said the better. You could write a book about it, but nobody would believe it.Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out about accidental inventions that changed our lives and try a few experiments of your own! Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling'Hear and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was'Have you ever enquired why the elephant has such an enormously elongated nose? Are you confused by a cat's contrary nature? Have you ruminated on the wrinkles of a rhinocerous? Or speculated on a leopard's spots? Rudyard Kipling wondered about all these things too, and in this marvellous collection of stories he imagines how the animals became 'just so'.Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out why Just So Stories is one of Philip Pullman’s favourite books and discover wacky facts about wild animals!Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Dracula
by Bram Stoker‘I am Dracula. And I bid you welcome to my house’He is deathly pale. His fingernails are cut to sharp points. His teeth protrude menacingly from his mouth in clouds of rancid breath… Yet even Count Dracula’s unnerving appearance and the frightened reaction of the local peasants fail to warn Jonathan Harker, a young man from England, about his host. Little does Jonathan know that this is a land where babies are snatched for their blood and wolves howl menacingly from the forest, where reality is far more frightening than superstition. What’s more, it’s going to be up to him to stop the world’s most bloodthirsty predator…Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can learn all about the strengths and weaknesses of vampires! Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
The Call of the Wild and White Fang
by Jack London‘Mush on!’ Buck does not read the newspapers. If he had, he’d have known that for good strong dogs like himself trouble is brewing. Man has found gold and because of that Buck is kidnapped and dragged away from his sunny home to become a sledge dog in the harsh and freezing North. With strength, imagination and cunning on his side Buck must fight for survival. But will he ever trust Man again? This book also includes White Fang a story about a wild young cub, part dog and part wolf. Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out if you’re a wild wolf or a faithful dog and learn more about the Arctic gold rush! Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens‘Look here! Here’s a jolly life! What’s the odds where it comes from?’Meet the Artful Dodger, as roistering and swaggering a young gentleman as ever stood four foot six. With him, you’ll run down the dirty backstreets of London to be entertained by the Respectable Old Gentleman and his brood of thieves and pickpockets. Fagin will bring you to ‘the trade’, and make something of you, something profitable.But there’s something about the young orphan Oliver that’s too good for this dark and dangerous world – can he ever escape its clutches?Includes exclusive material: In ‘The Backstory’ you can learn more about Oliver Twist’s London!Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Anne of Green Gables
by L. M. Montgomery‘It’s a million times nicer to be Anne of Green Gables than Anne of nowhere in particular, isn’t it?’My dislikes: Being an orphan, having red hair, being called ‘carrots’ by Gilbert Blythe.My likes: Living at the Green Gables with Marilla and Matthew, my bosom-friend Diana, dresses with puff sleeves.My regrets: Dying my hair green. Smashing a slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head.My dream: To tame my temper. To be good (this is an uphill struggle). To grow up to have auburn hair!Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out about the real Green Gables, the plucky author and more!Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Anne of Avonlea
by L. M. MontgomeryYou might think I'd have grown out of getting myself into scrapes now that I'm half past sixteen. But between being vexed by my freckles, taunted by a brazen Jersey cow and kept on my toes by the new twins, Dora and Davy, life at Green Gables is just as eventful as ever.I do try to be a little more grown-up now that I'm a school teacher. The other day I asked the class, 'If you had three candies in one hand and two in the other, how many would you have altogether?' One of my pupil's piped up, 'A mouthful.' Could you have kept a straight face?!Includes exclusive material: In ‘The Backstory’ you can find out about going to school in Avonlea and learn all about the real Green Gables Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
by Arthur Conan Doyle‘On the contrary, my dear Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see’Herein lie the problems: a stolen jewel, the inexplicable death of a young woman, the disappearance of one of the most remarkable racehorses in England, a missing butler, the curious symbols of dancing men, a broken bust of Napoleon, a possible kidnapping and the bad business of a coachman shot through the heart.The solution? Elementary my dear friend. Call the super sleuth famed for his rapid deductions, his swift intuitions and ingenious solutions - Sherlock Holmes of 221b Baker Street. Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can test your powers of observation and deduction, learn about the author and brush up on your detective skills! Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
The Riddle of the Sands
by Erskine ChildersThe first modern spy novel and a must-read for espionage junkies and fans of James Bond and John Le Carré. When Carruthers receives a letter from his friend Davies suggesting a Baltic sailing trip, the vision of a manned yacht, A1 scenery and excellent duck shooting quickly works its charm. But Carruthers hopes for a holiday are quickly dashed. There has been suspicious German activity along the coast. The Medusa, manned by the sinister Dollman, has already tried to destroy Davies. What are the Germans up to? Nothing less than a plot to invade Britain. And only these two courageous Englishmen can stop them.Published in 1903, The Riddle of the Sands is considered the first modern spy novel.
Freemasonry
by Alexander PiatigorskyThis study considers the institution of Freemasonry from the point of view of both masons and their critics, as well as from the author's own. In the first section, it gives an outline of masonic history, from the foundation of the Grand Lodge in Covent Garden in 1717 through its major role in Enlightenment Europe and the American War of Independence, its many tribulations and schisms in the 19th century to the present day. The book looks at one of the main sources of masonic history, Anderson's "Constitutions", which documents masonic practice and the masons' mythical history back to Hiram Abiff, the first Master Mason in the reign of King Solomon.
A Dancer in Wartime: The touching true story of a young girl's journey from the Blitz to the Bright Lights
by Gillian LynneLondon during the Blitz was a time of hardship, heroism and hope.For Gillian Lynne – a budding ballerina – it was also a time of great change as she was evacuated from war-torn London to a crumbling mansion, where dance classes took place in the faded ballroom.Life was hard, but her talent and dedication shone through and an astonishing journey ensued, which saw Gillian dancing a triumphant debut in Swan Lake, performing in the West End with doodlebugs falling and touring a devastated Europe entertaining the troops.A Dancer in Wartime paints a vivid and moving picture of what life was really like during the hard years of the Blitz and brings to life a lost world.
Campbell Bunk: The Worst Street in North London Between the Wars
by Jerry WhiteFrom the 1880s to the Second World War, Campbell Road, Finsbury Park (known as Campbell Bunk), had a notorious reputation for violence, for breeding thieves and prostitutes, and for an enthusiastic disregard for law and order. It was the object of reform by church, magistrates, local authorities, and social scientists, who left many traces of their attempts to improve what became known as 'the worst street in North London'. Jerry White offers insight into the realities of life in a 'slum' community, showing how it changed over a 90-year period. Using extensive oral history to describe in detail the years between the wars, White reveals the complex tensions between the new world opening up and the street's traditional culture of economic individualism, crime, street theatre, and domestic violence.
Nicholas Nickleby
by Charles Dickens'The novel has everything: absorbing melodrama, with a supporting cast of heroes, villains and eccentrics' The TimesWhen Nicholas's father dies he, his mother and sister are left penniless. To earn his keep, Nicholas becomes a tutor at Dotheboys Hall but soon discovers that the headmaster, Wackford Squeers, is a one-eyed tyrant who insists on a harsh regime. Nicholas embarks on an adventure that takes him from loathsome boarding schools to the London stage. Dickens confronts issues of neglect and cruelty in this blackly comic masterpiece.
Dombey and Son
by Charles DickensPaul Dombey is an ambitious London merchant. He pins all his hopes for the future of his shipping firm on his fragile son whilst his daughter, Florence, goes unnoticed and neglected. It is only when the firm faces ruin, and Dombey is staring at a life of desolate solitude that Florence may finally be valued. Can this heartless businessman be redeemed? Dombey and Son is a delicious and lively satire about pride and its downfall.
Memory
by A S Byatt Harriet Harvey WoodThis fascinating anthology introduces us to a wide range of arguments on the subject of memory, the thread that holds our lives, and our history, together. Arranged in themed sections, the book includes specially commissioned essays by the editors and by writers with expertise in different fields - from 'Memory and Evolution' by Patrick Bateson to 'Memory and Forgetting' by the biographer Richard Holmes, and an account of the chemistry of the brain by Steven Rose. Complementing the essays are a rich selection of extracts from writers and thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle, Montaigne and Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Proust, Jorge Luis Borges and Haruki Murakami. Stimulating, provocative, funny or profoundly moving, Memory is a book to treasure - and remember.
The Pankhursts: The History of One Radical Family
by Martin PughThe suffragettes outraged Victorian society but their personal lives were just as dramatic as their public actions. In this gripping and incisive account of the Pankhursts, Martin Pugh reveals the full story behind this unique family: Emmeline, the domineering mother; Christabel, the favourite daughter, who became an Adventist and admirer of Mussolini; Sylvia, the 'scarlet woman'; adn Adela, banished to Australia after a bitter rift.The result is a narrative that reads like a novel, and a brilliant insight into the history of a family that changed the face of British society for ever.