Includes the nine quirky tales: Sneeze 'n Coffin Santa Claws A Dozen Bloomin' Roses Tonsil Eye 'Tis Unhappily Ever After Spooks Incorporated The Copy Stuffed No is Yes

    Getting into trouble is much easier that getting out of it in George Layton's bestselling collection of funny, bittersweet stories about growing up in the Fifties.

    One of a series of top-quality fiction for schools, this is a collection of stories of a Lancashire childhood, of football in the streets, fishing, fighting and school, of growing up and looking for work, and of characters such as Spit Nolan the champion trolley-rider, and Sam Dalt the goalkeeper.

    Twins Nicola and Lawrie arrive at their new school determined to do even better than their distinguished elder sisters, but things don't turn out quite as planned.

    But all Halinka has is herself, a blanket from her beloved Aunt Lou, and a secret notebook where she holds her sayings. Just as she is losing hope of ever finding a home, and forgetting all she once loved, Halinka sees something that reminds her that everyone needs some beauty in their lives, like they need air, or food . . . and maybe a friend. But for that, Halinka would have to share her thoughts, secrets, and maybe even her memories. And she's not sure if she can afford to lose that much.

    Ten-year-old Jenny's new foster mother dosen't live up to her expectations until Jenny discovers that there are more important things in life than lavish gifts and fancy homes.

    This story is for children aged six to ninety plus.

    Orphaned by an automobile accident in Australia, fifteen-year-old Megan returns to her family's native Wales where, with the help of a new friend, she discovers her true destiny and the meaning of her terrifying dreams.

    Set in 1917 and the years following, Days of Terror tells the story of ten-year-old Peter Neufeld and his family. Sickened by the horrors of anarchy, famine and the Russian revolution, the Neufelds decide to join the mass exodus of Mennonites to North America. But will they survive the journey?

    Unimaginably rich, invariably swathed in a magnificent purple dressing-gown, Uncle oversees a vast ramshackle castle full of friendly kooks while struggling to fend off the sneak attacks of the incorrigible (and ridiculous) Badfort Crowd. Each Uncle story introduces a new character from Uncle’s madcap world: Signor Guzman, careless keeper of the oil lakes; Noddy Ninety, an elderly train conductor and the oldest student of Dr. Lyre’s Select School for Young Gentlemen; the proprietors of Cheapman’s Store (where motorbikes are a halfpenny each) and Dearman’s Store (where the price of an old milk jug goes up daily); along with many others. But for every delightful friend of Uncle, there is a foe who is no less deliriously wicked. Luckily the misbegotten schemes of the Badfort Crowd are no match for Uncle’s superior wits. Quentin Blake’s quirky illustrations are the perfect complement to J.P. Martin’s stories, each one of a perfect length for bedtime reading. Lovers of Roald Dahl and William Steig will rejoice in Uncle’s wonderfully bizarre and happy world, where the good guys always come out on top, and once a year, everybody, good and bad, sits down together for an enormous Christmas feast.

    Doors crash open, and strange signs appear, written in an archaic hand. James finds that the ghost is the spirit of Thomas Kempe.

    Unrest is spreading among the peasants of Southern England, who are tired of the injustice they suffer at the hands of landlords. Rebellion is in the air, and life is about to change for man and dog.

    The Parker children's home becomes a battlefield because they want a pet while their mother declares that she will have no gerbils in her house.

    He'd cost Mother a shilling, but somehow his great naughtiness and cleverness kept Poll and Theo cheerful, even though it was one of the most difficult years of their lives.

    But why is she so strange? For a start, she just appeared, grinning, on the doorstep, as if from nowhere. Why have Mum and Dad never mentioned her before—after all, she is supposed to be Granny's sister, isn't she?Soon Tim and Beth start noticing more and more odd things about the great-aunt they've nicknamed 'Grinny.' And before long, they make a horrifying discovery. She isn't even human, she's as dangerous as a time-bomb and she has a fearful task to perform which involves them…