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Joan Aiken (1924 - 2004) spent part of her childhood living in a haunted house. After leaving school, she worked at the BBC, the United Nations, and in the editorial department of a magazine. All this time, she had been writing stories and after her first major novel was published in 1961, Joan left her job to write full-time. She has now written almost 100 books for adults and children, Including the hugely popular The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase and Black Hearts In Battersea.
A wonderful adventure as two children flee from the yranny of their wicked guardian and bravely set out on the road to London. Miss Slighcarp is as chilling as her words sound and she is now in charge of Bonnie and Sylvia. How will they ever escape from her clutches? It would be hard in any circumstances but it is especially hard since the snow lies thick on the ground around Willoughby Chase and the wolves are snapping closer and closer. It’s scary enough, but Bonnie and Sylvia are a determined pair and nothing, not even the wolves are going to stop them from getting back to London and Aunt Jane. Helped on their way by Simon and the flock of geese he is taking to market, Bonnie and Sylvia’s journey is a thrilling adventure – and not for the faint hearted!
A wonderful adventure as two children flee from the yranny of their wicked guardian and bravely set out on the road to London. Miss Slighcarp is as chilling as her words sound and she is now in charge of Bonnie and Sylvia. How will they ever escape from her clutches? It would be hard in any circumstances but it is especially hard since the snow lies thick on the ground around Willoughby Chase and the wolves are snapping closer and closer. It’s scary enough, but Bonnie and Sylvia are a determined pair and nothing, not even the wolves are going to stop them from getting back to London and Aunt Jane. Helped on their way by Simon and the flock of geese he is taking to market, Bonnie and Sylvia’s journey is a thrilling adventure – and not for the faint hearted! This edition is part of the Vintage Children's Classics series which is aimed at and shaped by 8-12 year olds, and the adults in their lives. It is a broad, affordable selection of books that will inspire a life-long love of reading; these stories that have secured a place in the hearts of thousands. They are all unabridged. To view all the Vintage Children's Classics titles click here. They are books to be given as gifts, and passed down the generations. In addition, story hungry children often don't want the adventure to end, so why not take a look at the fully interactive website - World of Stories - which contains lots of extra material - the backstory: with quizzes, activities and fascinating facts about the books and their authors.
A wonderful adventure as two children flee from the yranny of their wicked guardian and bravely set out on the road to London. Miss Slighcarp is as chilling as her words sound and she is now in charge of Bonnie and Sylvia. How will they ever escape from her clutches? It would be hard in any circumstances but it is especially hard since the snow lies thick on the ground around Willoughby Chase and the wolves are snapping closer and closer. It’s scary enough, but Bonnie and Sylvia are a determined pair and nothing, not even the wolves are going to stop them from getting back to London and Aunt Jane. Helped on their way by Simon and the flock of geese he is taking to market, Bonnie and Sylvia’s journey is a thrilling adventure – and not for the faint hearted!
A favourite book chosen by Philip Pullman: "If Ransome was Mozart, Aiken was Rossini. Unforced effervescence."
A tale of adventure, attack, deceit, bravery, murder, abduction and high glory set in a small Welsh town. This book was also the winner of the prestigious Guardian fiction award. What Ali Sparkes, author of Dark Summer and also the Shapeshifter series says of the title and its author: JOAN AIKEN - Most people know Joan Aiken for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase but for me her best was The Whispering Mountain, featuring the wonderfully bookish Owen, unloved grandson of a Welsh museum curator, caught up in a dark plot involving an ancient harp, dodgy Cockneys, a girl with a pet hawk and a travelling poet – to say nothing of the school bullies he has to enlist to help save the day. Joan inspired me so much, I know my stories bear her mark! Sadly, this title is currently out of print so we’re unable to get a copy for you. However, you may be able to get one through second hand bookstores. To see Ali Sparkes’ 5 favourite children’s books click here
A brilliant collection of spine-chilling tales by Joan Aiken, author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. From a mysterious traveller who leaves an injured horse with a stranger, to a garden plant that slowly creeps into a house during a thunderstorm and a man who comes across two angry forces in the middle of a forest, this chilling collection of stories will have readers jumping at bumps in the night. Much-loved author Joan Aiken is best known for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and the Arabel and Mortimer books. This brilliant collection has spooky black-and-white illustrations by Masha Ukhova and is perfect for children who are developing as readers. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with brilliant books to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2, with book-banded stories by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence, covering a wide range of genres and topics. With charming illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for reading both in the classroom and at home. For more information visit www.bloomsburyguidedreading.com. Book Band: Dark Blue Ideal for ages 9+
Arabel and her notorious pet raven Mortimer make a welcome return to Penguin Random House Children's Books When Arabel's father, Ebenezer Jones, drives his taxi home late one night he comes across 'a large black bird, with a hairy fringe around its beak.' He takes it home and, from that moment on, life is never the same again for the Jones family. Arabel's raven is called Mortimer - and he's one in a million. 'Nevermore!' he cries when astonished or upset, 'Down the hatch' he thinks before gobbling bowler hats, stairs, telephones. He dislikes flying except in emergencies, and with disaster-prone Mortimer around there are plenty of those. There are 7 hilarious escapades in this collection, brought to life by Quentin Blake's wonderfully animated illustrations: THE MYSTERY OF MR JONES'S DISAPPEARING TAXI; MORTIMER'S PORTRAIT ON GLASS; MORTIMER'S CROSS; MORTIMER SAYS NOTHING; A CALL FROM THE JONESES; MR JONES'S REST CURE and ARABEL'S BIRTHDAY.
Arabel and her notorious raven Mortimer make a welcome return to the Puffin nest! When Arabel's father, Ebenezer Jones, drives his taxi home late one night he comes across 'a large black bird, with a hairy fringe around its beak.' He takes it home and from that moment on, life is never the same again for the Jones family. Arabel's raven is called Mortimer - and he's one in a million. 'Nevermore!' he cries when astonished or upset, 'Down the hatch' he thinks before gobbling bowler hats, stairs, telephones. He dislikes flying except in emergencies, and with disaster-prone Mortimer around there are plenty of those. There are six hilarious stories in this classic collection by the much-loved storyteller Joan Aiken and renowned illustrator Quentin Blake. Including: ARABEL'S RAVEN; THE ESCAPED BLACK MAMBA; THE BREAD BIN; MORTIMER'S TIE; MORTIMER AND THE SWORD EXCALILBUR and THE SPIRAL STAIR.
A lonely boy haunted by an ancient family curse, The Shadow Guests is a classic supernatural mystery from the master-storyteller, Joan Aiken. After the strange disappearance of his mother and older brother, Cosmo is sent from Australia to live with his cousin in England. Lost and lonely at his new school, Cosmo escapes at weekends to the peace of his cousin's ancient mill house, and the shadowy companions only he can see. When he learns about the family curse, he realises his ghostly visitors from the past have a message for him - but are these new companions friends or enemies? 'What a marvellous writer Joan Aiken is!' - Leon Garfield
Prize winning WOLVES CHRONICLES PREQUEL reissued in A Puffin Book - All 12 Wolves books now in print for the first time ever. In THE WHISPERING MOUNTAIN by Joan Aiken, the small town of Pennygaff, the legendary Harp of Teirtu is found - and lost again. For young Owen Hughes and his friend Arabis, it is the start of a hair-raising race to save the harp from sinister Lord Malyn. As they struggle to keep it out of his hands, they are plunged into a wild adventure involving murder, kidnapping, underground worlds, savage beasts, floods, avalanche, the mysterious children of the Pit - and above all, a man who will stop at nothing to get the harp back again. Winner of the 1969 Guardian Fiction Award.
Here are eight gloriously imaginative stories for eight satisfying sessions of bedtime reading. Theres a flying apple pie, a cat thats bigger than an elephant, a house that lays an egg, storybook animals that leap out of their books at night, and a wealth of other wonderful characters and ideas, all with the colorful, dreamlike quality of the very best fairy tales.Joan Aikens delicious prose is a joy to read aloud to very young listeners yet simple enough for the independent reader to savor on his or her own. Kevin Hawkess illustrations nearly 60 of them capture with great flair and fun the magical adventures and the triumph of the good over the bad.
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