Lydia, Christopher and Natalie are used to domestic turmoil. Their parents' divorce has not made family life any easier in either home. The children bounce to and fro between their volatile mother, Miranda, and Daniel, their out-of-work actor father. Then Miranda advertises for a cleaning lady who will supervise the children after school - and Daniel gets the job, disguised as Madame Doubtfire. This is a bittersweet, touching and extremely funny book.
"Miranda Hilliard does not live with her husband, Daniel. He wants to see the children more often, but they live with Miranda. One day Madame Doubtfire comes to work for Miranda and help with the children. But Madame Doubtfire seems strange, more like a man than a woman ..."--Cover.
It's a dog's life for Anthony. Not only is he lacking the respect he deserves from the neighbourhood dogs and cats, but suddenly all he can do is scratch, scratch, scratch. And now bits of him are dropping off - yeuch! Just when Anthony thinks things can't get any worse, he finds himself on the vet's table. What she has in mind is about to destroy the tiny shred of street cred he has left...
In school, Yuri is taught that the revolution liberated his country. He learns how the new leaders are always working for the greater good. But the truth is that life for his family and those around him is a brutal, poverty-stricken struggle. The government does nothing except punish those who protest. And one day, to his shock and horror, Yuri himself is branded an “enemy of the state” simply for dropping a few careless words. In an author’s note, Anne Fine describes The Road of Bones as an adventure-escape story set in “a sort-of Russia, in a sort-of 1930s, under a Stalin-type leader.” This chilling political thriller follows the frantic footsteps of a teenager on the run, a criminal who hasn’t committed a crime, a young man on a path to discovering the truth about how far he will go in order to survive.
Everyone knows the story of Christmas. Decking the halls with boughs of holly. Hanging stockings by the chimney with care. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Then there's the true story of Christmas. And Ralph Mountfield is smack in the middle of it. Great Granny's crustier than ever. Grandpa's singing to the dog. Great Aunt Ida is completely crackers. Uncle Tristam's giving out bricks. The cousins are whining and throwing tantrums. Mum's looking for Dad. Dad's looking for aspirin. And Ralph is looking to stay out of trouble. But when a Christmas Quiz brings out some hidden truths, trouble is exactly what Ralph finds. It's anything but a silent, holy night for the Mountfield family! "From the Hardcover edition.
Every old object can find a new home in this cheerful tale about reusing and recycling, from award-winning author Anne Fine. Mr Frost's classroom is always in a mess, and now his class are on a mission to send all the things they don't need off to a charity shop - including the rubbish bin that falls over at the slightest touch! From books to old toys, they bring in all sorts of items to send away in the bin, but little do they know that what one person doesn't want might be just the thing someone else has been looking for. A fun and quirky tale on the wonders of recycling! Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+
Kitty Killin is not only a good storyteller, but also the World's Greatest Expert when it comes to mothers having new and unwanted boyfriends. Particularly when there's a danger they might turn into new and unwanted stepfathers...
Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series. Please note that the eBook edition does NOT include access to the audio edition and digital book. Written for learners of English as a foreign language, each title includes carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. Wuthering Heights, a Level 5 Reader, is B1 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing present perfect continuous, past perfect, reported speech and second conditional. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly. It is winter in Yorkshire, England. A man rides through the snow to visit a house called Wuthering Heights. While there, the man learns about Catherine, who lived in the house years before. Catherine's story of love and sadness still affects the lives of those in the present. Visit the Penguin Readers website Register to access online resources including tests, worksheets and answer keys. Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock a digital book and audio edition (not available with the eBook).
"Nobody, not even his former wife Margaret, has ever treated Ian Laidlaw in a natural way. Presented with his hideous facial scars, everyone he meets reliably falls back on cast-iron, distant courtesy to hide pity or disgust or shock. But then Alicia Davie, a careless young student, breaks the rules totally by laughing in his face. Alicia goes on to infiltrate the hidden man, exposing the obsessive, destructive passions that lurk beneath his primly cordial manner, never realizing that she is playing with fire..."
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up is the perfect introduction to the very best books of childhood: those books that have a special place in the heart of every reader. It introduces a wonderfully rich world of literature to parents and their children, offering both new titles and much-loved classics that many generations have read and enjoyed. From wordless picture books and books introducing the first words and sounds of the alphabet through to hard-hitting and edgy teenage fiction, the titles featured in this book reflect the wealth of reading opportunities for children.Browsing the titles in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up will take you on a journey of discovery into fantasy, adventure, history, contermporary life, and much more. These books will enable you to travel to some of the most famous imaginary worlds such as Narnia, Middle Earth, and Hogwart's School. And the route taken may be pretty strange, too. You may fall down a rabbit hole, as Alice does on her way to Wonderland, or go through the back of a wardrobe to reach the snowy wastes of Narnia.
