The great myths of Ancient Greece have inspired mankind for centuries. Each of the heroes has to undergo trials of strength and courage to prove his valour against a host of monsters - the Minotaur, half man, half bull; Hydra, the many-headed serpent; Medusa the Gorgon. Meanwhile, the gods, lead by Zeus the Thunderer from his seat on Mount Olympus, watch, encourage, help - and sometimes hinder. In this new retelling, the tales come alive more vividly than ever with the added drama of popular music by Holst, Wagner and others.
Bellerophon and the winged horse Pegasus launch into the blue sky in search of the dreaded three-headed Chimera, but will success go to the hero's head? Orpheus, devastated by the death of his wife, Eurydice, dares the dangers of the Kingdom of the Dead in an attempt to bring her back to life. Echo loves Narcissus but he only loves himself: a story that can only end in sadness. These and other colourful legends from Ancient Greece are retold in lively form by Benjamin Soames, with classical music providing further excitement.
There was once a time, nearly four thousand years ago, when the tall towers of a city called Troy reached gleaming into the sky; when its proud king fought against an invading army in a desperate siege. The Tale of Troy was so important to the ancient Greeks that its author, Homer, became a kind of hero. Long after his death artists, thinkers and ordinary people still look to his tale for inspiration. This exciting version of the famous story is retold especially for eight- to thirteen-year-olds.
Five tales which range from the jungles of India to the frozen emptiness of the North... In all of them, Kipling's extraordinary powers of description and ability to identify with human aspiration and animal survival are vividly shown. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi must battle with Nag, the cobra, in his territory; Toomai has a unique glimpse of the elephant world; Kotick, the White Seal, searches for sanctuary, while Kotuko has to find food for his starving Eskimo village. Above all, Kipling's love of life in all its variety shines through.
Filled with wit and humour, Nesbit's 1902 fantasy tells the adventure of five siblings sent to spend the summer with their uncle. One day, when the children wander from the strange house by the sea to play in old gravel pits, they uncover 'It' - a prehistoric Sand-fairy. Psammead (pronounced Sammyadd) was an odd-looking creature with eyes on long horns which, like those of a snail, moved in and out like telescopes; ears like that of a bat; its tubby body shaped like a spider's, covered with thick soft fur; and at the base of its furry arms and legs were hands and feet resembling a monkey's. The unusual Sand-fairy grants the children one wish a day, each lasting until sunset. Though wishes can come true, they are not always as pleasant as they might seem, which the children soon discover.
This sequel to Five Children and It sees the four children finding a carpet - and then being told by a phoenix that it is a magic carpet. It means a series of adventures. Anna Bentinck reads the tale with great charm. With delightful music of the period.
The trilogy of Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet, all involve the same family and their encounters with the magical being the Psammead. The adventures of the five children proved one of the most popular of Nesbit's creations. The Story of the Amulet centres around the purchase of an ancient Amulet which can grant them their heart's desire - the return of their parents - but which first sets them on a journey through time to ancient Babylon, Egypt, and Atlantis. But it begins in an old shop next to the British Museum...
Three children - Jerry (bossy), Jimmy (hungry) and Kathleen (sensible) - find themselves standing in front of a bejewelled princess in the garden of an enchanted castle. It is the first day of their summer holidays. Is she really a princess? And if she isn't, what about her ring which makes the wearer invisible? This ring, combined with the children's appetite for exploring, sparks a tale full of vivid adventures and extraordinary characters. With 'ugly-wugglies' on the loose, statues alive in the moonlight and crimes needing to be solved, there is never a dull moment. Imagination is powerful; magic is possible.
Six children decide that the only way to restore the fortunes of their family is to go out and do it themselves. They produce a series of madcap schemes and one after another try them out with varying degrees of success, most resulting in trouble rather than riches. But then one scheme begins to look more promising than the rest...
The Wouldbegoods, a sequel to The Treasure Seekers, reacquaints us with the six Bastable children: Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Alice, Noel and H. O. Again, the story is told by you-may-not-know-who, and the children find all sorts of ways in which to amuse themselves in the country during the summer holidays. 'Children are like jam,' says the Indian uncle, 'all very well in the proper place, but you can't stand them all over the shop - eh, what?' Well, the children do their best, but they do get themselves into trouble - right from the beginning, when their latest brainwave is to create a jungle in the garden...
When Pollyanna Whittier becomes orphaned, she goes to live with her rather strict Aunt Polly. And Aunt Polly is not at all prepared for Pollyanna! With her infectious energy and her determination to see the best in every situation, Pollyanna brings sunshine into the lives of everyone around her. But not everyone wants it - and she has a lot of work to do to persuade some of them that there is a good side to everything. But will being glad be enough for Pollyanna herself when she faces the biggest struggle of her life? This irrepressible book, first published in 1913, has entertained and absorbed each generation of girls since, and was the subject of a famous 1960 film with Hayley Mills in the title role. But it was also done as a silent film in 1920 starring Mary Pickford, and a TV film in 2003 - further evidence of its continuing popularity.
Here are the stories of nine people whose energy, imagination, courage and determination changed the world. From Christopher Columbus, who set off into unknown seas in a small ship in the fifteenth century, to a young girl, Anne Frank, caught in the turmoil of the twentieth, who wrote a remarkable diary while in hiding in Amsterdam during the Second World War. Their personalities and their achievements make them heroes and heroines for our time also.
