This revised and updated edition provides children's and young adult librarians, teachers, literature classes, and library school classes with an authoritative history and analysis of the best British and American children's literature through 1994, with a new 2003 postscript including such recent phenomenons as J.K.Rowling and Philip Pullman. Written for Children traces the development of children's literature from its origins through the beginnings of the multimedia revolution. ...

The inhabitants of Halcyon Island are ruled by the laws of the Deliverer and follow the same customs and traditions that have prevailed for hundreds of years. The laws state 'No incomers', but when Thomas and Molly find a shipwrecked canoe with a boy and girl, barely alive, inside they are determined not to reject them outright. New blood on the island is bound to cause a disturbance, but the effects the incomers have on the close-knit community are beyond anyone's predictions.

All children love solving puzzles and mysteries. In The Casebook of Inspector Sniffabout, their brains will be put to the test, as the great bloodhound detective Inspector Sniffabout is called on to unravel all kinds of strange events and happenings.The book is designed to undertake two important experiences in children's development. First, it encourages young children to read, but in an entertaining and fun way. Second, it allows them to use their powers of deduction, as they try to work...

Little Stories for Little People is a pre-school children’s book consisting of twelve short stories. This delightful book encourages young children to use their minds to solve a problem or a mystery. The aim is to introduce children to reading, but in a fun and entertaining way. Each story is wonderfully illustrated with colourful drawings to help them understand each story’s narrative. The stories are not only designed for young children to read on their own, but also for parents, teacher...

A gripping collection of elaborate thefts, confidence tricks and impossible missions, including the Hatton Garden heistEight of the best heist stories packed with suspense, ingenuity, humour and deception, these fantastic productions will have you gripped from start to finish.In the audacious Mountain of Light by Simon Bovey, it’s 1851 and London buzzes with the wonders at The Great Exhibition. To housebreaker John Rayverne, it's harvest ti...

An immersive drama series exploring six turning-points in the career of the legendary statesmanWinston Churchill has gone down in history as the man who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. But his legacy was not always guaranteed, and his path to greatness was a rocky one. This fascinating series charts six watershed moments that shaped his destiny – from his youth, growing up in the shadow of his famous father, to his finest hour, when he returned from...

A full-cast three-part adaptation of the Medieval Mystery Plays, introduced by David BuckDuring medieval religious holidays in certain English towns and cities, members of the various guilds would gather in the streets to re-enact Bible stories, from the Creation to the Last Judgment. Often staged from dawn to dusk on a single day, they were performed on a procession of pageant wagons, and the actors created all the music and effects themselves. In The Image of...

Towards the end of his unique career, movie star Peter Lorre found himself at the centre of an unusual legal case. Incorporating verbatim extracts from the court transcripts, Michael Butt's play wonders what was going through Lorre's troubled mind as he fought to protect his name and identity. Features a cast including Stephen Greif as Peter Lorre, Peter Marinker as Lester Salkow, Kerry Shale as Robert Shutan and John Chancer as Curtis Gemmil. Also starring Helen Longworth, Kenneth Collard...

A sweeping adaptation of Olivia Manning's classic war novels, starring Joanna Lumley and Honeysuckle Weeks'A rare and many-layered pleasure' Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph1939, and naive young newlywed Harriet Pringle arrives in Bucharest with her husband, Guy - just as Europe is about to rip itself apart. She believes she knows everything about the man she has married, but soon realises she knows nothing.Guy is o...

"She’ll never be a racehorse,” murmurs the crowd as Black Minx is led into the sales ring. But Alec Ramsay thinks differently and buys the Black’s first filly to train her for the Kentucky Derby. But Black Minx, like her sire, has a mind of her own. This fast-paced racing story follows a great horse’s journey through training and preliminary races to the opening gate at America’s most famous racetrack: Churchill Downs.

A collection of RD Wingfield’s finest thrillers from the Sixties, Seventies and EightiesBest known for his ‘Inspector Jack Frost’ series of novels, RD Wingfield also penned a string of gripping thrillers for BBC Radio. Initially thought lost, many of the 14 dramas in this collection were recovered and restored by Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle, and thanks to their careful preservation, are now available to enjoy once more.Credit Risk

A superlative collection of Jacobean comedies and tragedies from 'our other Shakespeare', Thomas MiddletonOne of the most prolific playwrights of the Jacobean era, Thomas Middleton achieved great success with his cynically satirical comedies and bloodthirsty tragedies. Considered the only true rival to Shakespeare, Middleton is widely believed to have collaborated with the Bard on several plays, including Timon of Athens. This dazzling collection comprises...