Along with three older brothers who are currently away at school, dreamy, untidy Kit has been raised by their young, energetic cousin Laura. Ever since the death of Professor Haverard s wife, Laura has given herself to maintaining an ordered life for her uncle, conscientiously caring for his children, but also jealously protecting him from the day to day affairs of the household.Though Kit is a frustration to her orderly cousin, a stranger to her father and a puzzle to herself, she finds comfort in the realm of make-believe in books and in time shared with her close friends Pony and Helen. Her world begins to expand when, after an illness, she goes to stay with members of her mother's family whom she has never met. To her own amazement, Kit discovers within herself a deep love for music and as a person and as a singer she begins to raise her voice.

    She's always getting her spells wrong and she can't even ride a broomstick without crashing it. Will she ever make a real witch?

    Puck of Pook's Hill is a fantasy book by Rudyard Kipling, published in 1906, containing a series of short stories set in different periods of English history.

    Swallows and Amazons introduces the lovable Walker family, the camp on Wild Cat island, the able-bodied catboat Swallow, and the two intrepid Amazons, Nancy and Peggy Blackett.

    As he makes his way to London, he meets Kit, another runaway, and the two decide to stick together. With luck on their side, they find jobs as apprentices to William Shakespeare, but a chance discovery endangers their lives once more. Soon Peter finds himself on an adventure that takes in murderous plots, secrets and even treason, and will test his bravery to its very limits. Set in the turbulent days of Elizabeth I, this classic story of danger and intrigue conjures up a magical world of mystery, twists and turns and thrilling action.

    Escaping over the orphanage wall to explore the outside world, Mandy discovers a tiny deserted cottage in the woods. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Mandy works to make it truly hers. Sometimes she "borrows" things she needs from the orphanage. Sometimes, to guard her secret, she even lies. Then, one stormy night at the cottage, Mandy gets sick, and no one knows how to find her--except a special friend she didn't know she had.

    The kindly priest secured work for Franz at near-by St. Bernard Hospice, helping a gentle giant of a man who made it possible for him to keep his beloved Alpine mastiff, Caesar, although the huge animal refused to earn his keep, even by turning the spit. When the scarcity of food forced Caesar's reluctant banishment, Franz--who had joined the monks in their daily patrol of the dangerous passes--proved that where even he, with all his rare knowledge of the ways of the blizzards, might fail, a dog could detect a man buried under an avalanche! So Franz and his brave helper initiated the rescue work of the St. Bernard dogs that was to become famous throughout the world.

    But when circumstances change, he learns that not all humans are so kind. Passed from hand to hand, Black Beauty witnesses love and cruelty, wealth and poverty, friendship and hardship . . . Will the handsome horse ever find a happy and lasting home? Carefully retold in clear contemporary language, and presented with delightful illustrations, these favorite classic stories capture the heart and imagination of young readers. By retelling the story in a shorter, simpler form, these books become highly engaging for children, and the color illustrations help with both comprehension and interest level. Black Beauty is part of a collectible series that has strong gift appeal.

    Narrator Lady Grace, 13, youngest lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, chooses between three suitors at a glittering ball. But murder descends on the Tudor court. Grace must use her intelligence, stealth, curious nature, and best friends - laundrymaid Ellie, acrobat Masou - to solve the threat to their Queen.

    When she returns in 1945, she finds a country and a family she neither understands nor likes, and vice versa.

    M. Boston's thrilling and chilling tales of Green Knowe, a haunted manor deep in an overgrown garden in the English countryside, have been entertaining readers for half a century.There are three children: Toby, who rides the majestic horse Feste; his mischievous little sister, Linnet; and their brother, Alexander, who plays the flute. The children warmly welcome Tolly to Green Knowe... even though they've been dead for centuries.But that's how everything is at Green Knowe. The ancient manor hides as many stories as it does dusty old rooms.And the master of the house is great-grandmother Oldknow, whose storytelling mixes present and past with the oldest magic in the world.

    With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?

    In Elizabethan England, eleven-year-old Hugh Copplestone runs away from the home of his cruel aunt to seek his fortune in the company of strolling players who travel throughout the countryside.

    The father is a dustman and the mother a washerwoman, but because they are poor the children find even greater opportunities for adventure in their ordinary lives.

     Ideal for reading aloud, or for children from about 7 years old to read alone. From sandcastles at the beach to enchanted ice-creams, step into the summer with these delightful characters. Adventure, fun and magic can all be found on holiday with Enid Blyton, who has been delighting readers for more than seventy years.The stories previously appeared in magazines and anthologies from the 40s and 60s. This collection contains the original texts and is unillustrated.The collection contains:At Seaside CottageThe Magic Ice CreamWagger Goes to the ShowA Surprise for JimmyThe Twins Get in a FixThe Enchanted CloakAdventure Up a TreeJohn's HankyThe Magic Watering CanPeppermint RockThe Donkey on the SandsIn the Middle of the NightA Bit of Blue SkyThe Smugglers' CavesMr Gobo's Green GrassSmokey and the SeagullAdventures Under the SeaAn Exciting AfternoonLazy lennyPink Paint for a PixieShut The GateLook Out for the Elephant!Stayinh with Auntie SueA Puppy in WonderlandThe Three SailorsThe Magic Seaweed