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Linda Newbery always wanted to be a writer, filling exercise books with stories which she hid in her wardrobe, but only began submitting her work once she became a secondary school teacher. She had her first novel published in 1988 and is now a full-time writer. Linda writes for various age groups and has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, for The Shell House and Sisterland and in 2006 won the Costa Children’s Book Award for Set in Stone.
Linda lives in a Northamptonshire village with her husband and three cats. She is an active member of the SAS and on the committee of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group of the Society of Authors.
Linda on Linda
When I was a child, dreaming that one day I might be an author, I used to gaze longingly at the N shelves in bookshops and libraries, and imagine my own books parked next to E. Nesbit’s. She’s still there, with her classic stories The Railway Children, Five Children and It, and others. Philip Pullman, nearby, takes up an awful lot of space, but sometimes there’s room for me between them.
As a child I used to do a lot of secret writing in my bedroom. I rarely showed anyone, and certainly not my teachers. At that time I was rather unwisely trying to write complete novels. Later, when exams got in the way, I began writing poetry - because poems could be short!
When I was a teenager, there was no such thing as teenage fiction – you went straight from children’s books to adult books. It wasn’t until much later, when I was training to be an English teacher, that I came across teenage fiction, and excellent writers such as K. M. Peyton, Aidan Chambers and Jill Paton Walsh. Before long I wanted to have a go.
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | Grace is intrigued by the idea of spending the summer in the ancient house that is an important part of her family history. As she learns to heal herself following a life-changing accident and a family breakdown, Grace finds she is also able to help new friends. Like the original Flambards books, this offers at several levels from great story to psychological insights.
Engaging characters handle some very difficult personal issues in a setting that may be familiar to some.
Brings the past brilliantly to life and introduces inspirational women to today's girls. Historically strong, this is a dramatic story with a real sense of atmosphere which in turn sheds an impressively wide light on the social and economic picture of its time. Girls for the Vote was originally published as Polly's March.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 13 | In a nutshell: inspiring story about women winning the vote | It’s summer 1914 and Lizzy is enjoying a new freedom: she’s saved the wages from her job as an office junior in an insurance company and bought a bicycle. The job and her new bike lead Lizzy indirectly to a meeting of the Women’s Social and Political Union, and more freedoms: inspired by what she hears she joins the Suffragettes, willing – even proud – to be imprisoned for her cause. Linda Newbery brings the suffragette movement to life through the eyes of one vividly drawn young woman, making us all aware of our continuing responsibility to stand up for what we believe, and to use our votes. It’s worth checking out the story of the cover too, specially created by artist Stewart Eaton. Readers will also enjoy Anna Carey’s longer novel The Making of Mollie and Opal Plumstead by Jacqueline Wilson, which also feature Suffragettes. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range. ***If you like historical fiction you might also be interested in Tilt by Mary Hoffman, a novel set in the Romantic era in Pisa, Italy and the puzzle of the leaning tower.
Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2006. Set at the end of the 19th century, Linda Newbery has cleverly carved out an incredible mystery that’s full of clever twists and entwined with drama, all manner of emotions and mind-blowingly powerful multi-dimensional characters, that you’ll find impossible to put down and one that is likely to haunt you long after you’ve read it. There aren’t many books that you can safely say that you’ll enjoy even more by reading it a second time but this is certainly one of them. A tour de force. The Judges said..."A novel of intrigue and deception. Newbery's landscape is a joy to walk into.
One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2014 - Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+ Award-winning Linda Newbery gives a fresh insight into the First World War in this deeply touching story. Village sweethearts Tilly and Harry are both willing to do what they can to help win the war. Harry joins up to serve in France and Tilly trains as a nurse stationed first near home and later in France. Despite their best intentions each of them finds themselves unable to keep promises made in the course of action. Can they still trust themselves? Can they trust each other? Linda Newbery sensitively charts the wider ripples of the war and its effect. A Piece of Passion from the Editor, Ruth Williams ‘I loved working on Tilly's Promise. Tilly's such an appealing narrator – sympathetic, yet matter-of-fact and totally lacking in self-pity. Tilly's own experiences as a nurse are moving enough, but particularly distressing are her concerns for her brother Georgie who has learning difficulties – I'd never before thought about what happened to men who were fit enough to fight, but couldn't understand what was going on.’ Tilly’s Promise is the story of a young volunteer nurse. For more information on nurses and medical care during the War and how the War affected those at home visit www.readingwar.co.uk. There is a wealth of fascinating information plus an introduction to the book from Linda Newbery.
Prize-winning author Linda Newbery has written a lyrical and imaginative story about the power of believing in the unknown. Lucy loves spending time with her grandfather as he potters around his garden. He introduces her to Lob, his mysterious helper in the garden. Is he real or not? Grannie Annie scoffs at the idea of the hidden green man but Lucy believes and, when things begin to go wrong, she knows she can turn to the mysterious Lob for comfort.
Join Barney the Boat Dog – the little dog with a big heart and even bigger adventures in Linda Newbery’s heart-warming series set on the canals. Little dog Barney lives on a narrowboat with his owner, Jim. The pair are inseparable until they get separated. Barney loves his life on the canals but the one thing he's frightened of is tunnels. So when Jim sets off into a tunnel without him, Barney is distraught. In their efforts to be reunited, man and dog just keep missing each other until poor Barney is completely worn out. However, finally brave dog Barney has to overcome his fear and enter the nasty tunnel - alone. Click here for the next in the series.
Jim and Barney are in trouble on their narrow boat. The boat's engine won't start and they've got to get to Jim's grandson's birthday party, so they get a big, strong horse named Puzzle to give them a tow. Barney and Puzzle become firm friends, with Puzzle trusting Barney to help him along the way until that is Puzzle is spooked by some pigs and runs away. Can he be found and caught in time to save the birthday party? Click here for the first in the series.
A beautiful observation of the many different moods and behaviours of an irresistibly attractive kitten. Told in a simple rhyming text matched by wonderful expressive illustrations Posy is shown in all her different poses as ‘Playful wrangler, knitting tangler’, ‘Mirror puzzler, ice-cream guzzler’ and many more. A must for cat lovers everywhere. Click here written by Linda Newbery. Click here to see more books by Author / Illustrator Catherine Rayner.
Thoughtful and touching, Flightsend delicately traces the complex emotions that surround 16 year old Charlie. Linda Newbery is especially good at capturing the heightened intensity of teenager’s feelings as Charlie sifts through what she feels about her mother’s former boyfriend, the rather creepy teacher who she at first finds attractive and then dismisses as well as her relationships with her friends. To view other novels by award-winning Linda Newbery click here.
This is a gripping, fast-paced and at times heart-stopping read about a 13 year old boy's search for identity by the winner of the 2006 Costa Children's Book Award. Hal's exclusion from school leads him to a period of discovery and reflection down on the coast with a great aunt. Here his anger subsides and his thoughts are for his father he's never met. Down on the beach he hears voices and is sure he sees someone - he's certain it's his father, but is it? Newbery is an incredibly accomplished children's novelist and this one, written with sparing prose brilliantly captures the highs and lows of a boy leading into adolescence. That said, girls will devour it too. Be sure to check out Nevermore by the same author and for younger readers (7+)her terrific Cat Tales titles.
Early readers will enjoy Linda Newbery’s Cat Tales series. In Smoke Cat, Blue is a shadowy cat who seems to vanish into a puff of smoke whenever he is called. The old lady who is his owner is mysterious, too. Simon enjoys the detective work of finding out just what is going on. In her Cat Tales titles Linda Newbery gives her cats strong roles and real personalities. Why not check out Shop Cat as well.
Early readers will enjoy Linda Newbery’s Cat Tales series. In Shop Cat, Hattie has a strange feeling that it is the cat Twister who is bringing success to her uncle’s toyshop. Can a cat really a make a toyshop work? In her Cat Tales titles Linda Newbery gives her cats strong roles and real personalities. Why not check out Smoke Cat as well.
When Tizzie’s mum takes a new job in a mysterious house in the middle of the country, Tizzie finds herself far from her friends and everything she’s known before. Lonely and bored, Tizzie begins asking questions about the house. Why is empty? And what will happen to it next? An exciting story about its past – and her own past unfolds. This is a totally up-to-the-minute story, in the spirit of the highly-acclaimed CATCALL and as atmospheric as Linda's acclaimed teen fiction. And like many of Linda Newbery's novels, it reaches into the past to complete the patchwork of her richly-drawn characters' lives. Other titles by Linda Newbery include Nevermore, Catcall, Set in Stone, and Lost Boy.
When Tizzie’s mum takes a new job in a mysterious house in the middle of the country, Tizzie finds herself far from her friends and everything she’s known before. Lonely and bored, Tizzie begins asking questions about the house. Why is empty? And what will happen to it next? An exciting story about its past – and her own past unfolds. Be sure to check out The Sandfather by the same author.
Winner of the 9-11 Nestle Silver Award 2007. This is a gripping and beautifully told atmospheric novel full of psychological tension and fast-paced action. It’s Linda Newbery, who is also the winner of the Costa Book Award with Set in Stone, at her most compelling and insightful. You’re in for a treat. Other titles by Linda Newbery include Nevermore and Lost Boy.
The Historical House is a unique collection of six intertwining novels by three highly regarded, award-winning authors. Each novel charts the life and times of the house at 6 Chelsea Walk, London, and the girls who lived there through some very different but fascinating and important periods of history. Historically strong, these are also dramatic stories with a real sense of atmosphere. Each novel sheds an impressively wide light on the social and economic picture of their time and each one stands alone but girls from 8 through to 11 or 12 will I feel want to read them all given the experience of my girls as together they create a powerful tour de force. The three new titles in the series, out now in addition to Andie’s Moon, which is set in 1969 are Cecily’s Portrait, set in 1895 and Mary Ann and Miss Mozart, which is set in 1764. The three backlist titles published a couple of years ago and reissued now to coincide with the new titles are equally inspiring are a girl’s desire to be a gardener at Kew around the time of its opening, Lizzie’s Wish, Polly’s March picks up on the suffragette movement in the early 20th century, whilst Josie under Fire features a girl caught up in the Blitz in 1941.
Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2006. Set at the end of the 19th century, Linda Newbery has cleverly carved out an incredible mystery that’s full of clever twists and entwined with drama, all manner of emotions and mind-blowingly powerful multi-dimensional characters, that you’ll find impossible to put down and one that is likely to haunt you long after you’ve read it. There aren’t many books that you can safely say that you’ll enjoy even more by reading it a second time but this is certainly one of them. A tour de force. The Judges said..."A novel of intrigue and deception. Newbery's landscape is a joy to walk into." Other titles by Linda Newbery include Nevermore, Catcall, and Lost Boy.
A cleverly wrought mystery that entwines the past and the present together in a moving and completely compelling way. The hook for the story – a roadside memorial cross – provides a contemporary and realistic feel to the story alongside some well drawn characters. Sometimes frightening but always completely gripping you’ll soon realise what a good writer Linda Newbery is. Other titles by Linda Newbery include Nevermore, Catcall, and Set in Stone.
Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2006. Set at the end of the 19th century, Linda Newbery has cleverly carved out an incredible mystery that’s full of clever twists and entwined with drama, all manner of emotions and mind-blowingly powerful multi-dimensional characters, that you’ll find impossible to put down and one that is likely to haunt you long after you’ve read it. There aren’t many books that you can safely say that you’ll enjoy even more by reading it a second time but this is certainly one of them. A tour de force.The Judges said: "A novel of intrigue and deception. Newbery's landscape is a joy to walk into." Other titles by Linda Newbery include Nevermore, Catcall, and Lost Boy.
The Historical House is a unique collection of six intertwining novels by three highly regarded, award-winning authors. Each novel charts the life and times of the house at 6 Chelsea Walk, London, and the girls who lived there through some very different but fascinating and important periods of history. Historically strong, these are also dramatic stories with a real sense of atmosphere. Each novel sheds an impressively wide light on the social and economic picture of their time and each one stands alone but girls from 8 through to 11 or 12 will I feel want to read them all given the experience of my girls as together they create a powerful tour de force. The three new titles in the series, out now are Andie’s Moon, which is set in 1969, Cecily’s Portrait, set in 1895 and Mary Ann and Miss Mozart, which is set in 1764. The three backlist titles published a couple of years ago and reissued now to coincide with the new titles are equally inspiring are a girl’s desire to be a gardener at Kew around the time of its opening, Lizzie’s Wish, Polly’s March picks up on the suffragette movement in the early 20th century, whilst Josie under Fire features a girl caught up in the Blitz in 1941.
Award-winning Linda Newbery uses the ruins of an old house as a way of unifying two stories about two young men in a thought-provoking view of World War 1. Contemporary Greg comes across the Shell House on a bicycle ride and wonders about the story behind it. Increasingly drawn to it, within its history he uncovers the tragic story of Edmund. The son of the house, Edmund, is scarred by his experiences at the front in World War 1 the horrors of which are made worse by the disjunction between the reality of the conditions endured by the soldiers and the smug and ignorant attitudes of his family and their friends. Greg unravels Edmund’s story bringing his own contemporary views of the war into the frame while also identifying with Edmund as both search for their acceptance of their identity.
Linda Newbery brings K.M. Peyton's legendary Flambards series into the present day. Fourteen-year-old Grace, recovering from a life-changing accident and her parents' divorce, reluctantly spends the summer at Flambards, a remote country house. Despite herself, she befriends two local boys: Jamie, who is friendly and obsessed with wildlife, and Marcus, who is struggling to deal with his moody, potentially violent father. In this beautiful but threatened landscape, Grace unearths her own extraordinary ties to the house and - importantly - discovers her own place in the world.
Andie dreams of becoming an artist. Her best paintings are inspired by the moon, and she's excited to watch the first moon landing. She loves staying in Chelsea, with its fashion, music and art galleries. There's even a real artist living in the flat downstairs. But does Andie dare to show him her work - or might it shatter her dreams? This book was previously published as Historical House: Andie's Moon.
Grace Russell, at fourteen, has already had to adjust to a devastating accident from which she'll never recover. Now she and her newly-single mother are leaving their suburban home for Flambards house, out in the Essex countryside. The house has a long history, and Grace's mother is to work there for the summer - an exciting new opportunity. But, for Grace, everything feels wrong. She's doesn't want yet another change. However, in spite of herself, she finds herself becoming involved with two boys: Jamie, who leads her down a path of thrilling freedom, and the deeply troubled Marcus, who is dealing with his difficult, potentially violent father. Over time, Grace discovers her own links to the house and landscape she has just arrived in, and in turn, her own place in the world.
When thirteen-year-old Polly befriends two suffragettes in the top floor flat at 6 Chelsea Walk, she finds herself questioning the views of those around her. The Votes for Women campaign strikes a chord with Polly and she becomes determined to join the suffragettes' protest march, even if it means clashing with her family...
A hundred years ago, women didn't have the vote. When Lizzy Frost becomes involved with the fledgling Suffragette movement, it expands her horizons in ways she never could have imagined. From time spent in prison for the cause, to new relationships with fellow campaigners, Lizzy's struggle for votes for women sets her heart on fire. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+
Tomas wants to be like his father - strong, brave and fearless. Pappi is a mountain guide, often away from home. He has taught Tomas to love the mountains, but also to fear their dangers - the winds and blizzards, the treacherous paths, the giddying slopes. Above all, Tomas fears the Brockenspectre - a huge, shadowy creature that lives alone in the heights, waiting for unwary climbers. Its looming figure haunts his thoughts and his dreams. When Pappi goes out one day and fails to return, Tomas knows it's up to him to search - up on the high mountain passes, where dangers await. Will Tomas find his father . . . or will the Brockenspectre find him?
When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at Fourwinds, their majestic home, little does he expect to come across such a web of secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as chalk and cheese - the beautiful younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, controlled and sad. With their governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly the horrifying truth behind Juliana's sadness and Marianne's emotional fragility. Their discoveries change their perception of life at Fourwinds for ever and none of their lives will ever be the same again. With her usual brilliance and ease, Linda Newbery has written a haunting and faultlessly plotted novel with characters that leap of the page and stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.
Flightsend is Charlie's new home, whether she likes it or not. Her mother sees it as an end to all that's gone so tragically wrong, but for Charlie it's the end of her family, not to mention her social life. They had been a proper family. Mum, Sean and Charlie, with a new baby sister on the way. But the baby died before she was born and everything changed. Gradually, her mother pushed Sean away, before resigning from her job and selling the house, forcing Sean to find somewhere else to live.Although Charlie believes her mother is making a terrible mistake, she can only offer support - but who will support Charlie, with Sean cut out of their lives? She's certain that the move to a ramshackle cottage, miles from anywhere, can only make things worse. She couldn't be more wrong. This first summer at Flightsend proves to be a turning point for them both. For Charlie's mum there's a new business and the fresh start that she knew she needed. And for Charlie there's a new job, new friends, a newly discovered talent for art and new feelings for two very different men. It's a summer of beginnings, not ends; a summer that Charlie will never forget.
He's older than anyone can tell. Older than the trees. Older than anybody. For as long as she can remember, Lucy has wanted to catch a glimpse of the mysterious green man who lives in Grandpa Will's garden: Lob. You have to be very special to see him; that's what Grandpa says. Lucy's parents think Lob's just imaginary, but Lucy knows he exists. And she can't believe it when she finally spots Lob in the gooseberry bushes. But Lucy's world is about to be shattered by a terrible event. What will happen to Lob now - and will she ever see him again? Linda Newbery, with the vivid embroidery of Pam Smy's illustrations, has conjured a real green man right out of the woods and stories of legend.
A beautiful and timeless story about the uncertainty and destruction caused by war. Tilly is a young nurse doing her best to help in the war effort. When she hears her brother Georgie must go to the front line in France she is devastated. Georgie isn't like other people - he has learning difficulties and doesn't understand what the war means. Tilly asks her sweetheart Harry to keep Georgie safe. But they soon learn that the nature of war makes any promise hard to keep - Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+
Flightsend is Charlie's new home, whether she likes it or not. Her mother sees it as an end to all that's gone so tragically wrong, but for Charlie it's the end of her family, not to mention her social life. They had been a proper family. Mum, Sean and Charlie, with a new baby sister on the way. But the baby died before she was born and everything changed. Gradually, her mother pushed Sean away, before resigning from her job and selling the house, forcing Sean to find somewhere else to live. Although Charlie believes her mother is making a terrible mistake, she can only offer support - but who will support Charlie, with Sean cut out of their lives? She's certain that the move to a ramshackle cottage, miles from anywhere, can only make things worse. She couldn't be more wrong. This first summer at Flightsend proves to be a turning point for them both. For Charlie's mum there's a new business and the fresh start that she knew she needed. And for Charlie there's a new job, new friends, a newly discovered talent for art and new feelings for two very different men. It's a summer of beginnings, not ends; a summer that Charlie will never forget.
When Nina's mother, Miranda, mysteriously disappears, Nina's father goes to look for her, leaving Nina with her two eccentric aunts who run a charity shop in town. Nina soon discovers that working in the shop can be funny, intriguing and rewarding as she takes in weird and wonderful donations, makes new friends and uncovers strange secrets! But Nina is determined to solve the mysteries that have taken over her life - where has her mother gone? Why did she leave so suddenly? And just what is the secret she's been hiding? Award-winning author Linda Newbery grips and entertains readers in her usual mesmerising way with this intriguing new mystery.
When Nina's mother, Miranda, mysteriously disappears, Nina's father goes to look for her, leaving Nina with her two eccentric aunts who run a charity shop in town. Nina soon discovers that working in the shop can be funny, intriguing and rewarding as she takes in weird and wonderful donations, makes new friends and uncovers strange secrets! But Nina is determined to solve the mysteries that have taken over her life - where has her mother gone? Why did she leave so suddenly? And just what is the secret she's been hiding? Award-winning author Linda Newbery grips and entertains readers in her usual mesmerising way with this intriguing new mystery.
The moving tale of a little mermaid, who was prepared to sacrifice everything for the love of a prince. This mesmerizing classic is one of the greatest love stories of all time. This story is a magic bean. It may not look much like a bean, but I can promise you that it is. For if you plant it in a young mind, it will grow into a love of story and reading. These beans are favourite fairytales and legends that will delight, thrill and thoroughly entertain. Each story has been brilliantly crafted by one of the best-loved writers for children. This story was published by David Fickling Books as part of the Magic Beans anthology. The complete anthology is available in hardback and in ebook format.
He's older than anyone can tell. Older than the trees. Older than anybody. For as long as she can remember, Lucy has wanted to catch a glimpse of the mysterious green man who lives in Grandpa Will's garden: Lob. You have to be very special to see him; that's what Grandpa says. Lucy's parents think Lob's just imaginary, but Lucy knows he exists. And she can't believe it when she finally spots Lob in the gooseberry bushes. But Lucy's world is about to be shattered by a terrible event. What will happen to Lob now - and will she ever see him again? Linda Newbury, with the vivid embroidery of Pam Smy's illustrations, has conjured a real green man right out of the woods and stories of legend.
Little dog Barney lives on a narrowboat with his owner, Jim. The pair are inseparable - until they get separated. Barney loves his life on the canals but the one thing he's frightened of is tunnels. So when Jim sets off into a tunnel without him, Barney is distraught. Luckily, another boat owner gives him a ride through the tunnel. When he gets to the other end Jim's boat is moored up - but Jim isn't on it! And in their efforts to be reunited, man and dog just keep missing each other until poor Barney is completely worn out. However, finally brave dog Barney has to overcome his fear and enter the nasty tunnel - alone.
Jim and Barney are in trouble. The boat's engine won't start and they've got to get to Jim's grandson's birthday party, so they get a big, strong horse named Puzzle to give them a tow. Barney and Puzzle become firm friends, with Puzzle trusting Barney to help him along the way. Although Jim finds Puzzle a bit of a handful, all goes well until the horse is frightened by some pigs and gallops away. It's up to Barney to find Puzzle and make sure they get to the birthday celebrations -
Everything you know is wrong - the truth starts here... Have you ever imagined how the world could be different? Ever wondered what might have been? Here, eight award-winning authors explore alternative past, presents and futures - and their stories show just how easily everything we take for granted could slip away...
This book contains purrfect tales about fab furry felines from celebrated author Linda Newbery. It's snowing outside, and Tom's neighbour Gary is building a snowman with his dad. Tom's own dad is ill, upstairs in bed again. He isn't strong and boisterous, like dads ought to be. So Tom builds his own snow creation: a cold, snarling ice cat. It's strange...he didn't mean to build an ice cat. It just kind of forced its way out of the snow, rather like the animal sculptures his dad carves when he's well. But Tom's mum says his dad will never be fully well again, and inside, this turns Tom's heart to ice. He even begins to imagine he sees his vicious ice cat, prowling in the night. One morning, in a fit of rage and frustration, Tom destroys Gary's snowman and his own ice cat. It takes a frank conversation with his dad before he is able to build a new, friendlier snow cat with Gary, and finally feel the ice inside him melt... Curl up with Cats Tales , a charming collection of stand-alone stories, at turns magical, mysterious, comic and touching.
This book contains purrfect tales about fab furry felines from celebrated author Linda Newbery. Vincent loves painting, but recently, his pictures - and his life - have been missing something...So when Vincent sees a flash of white in his garden, he is overjoyed. Could it really be Snow, his beloved cat? But Snow died a year ago, and he sadly realizes that this new white cat is his neighbours' pet, Skitter. Haunted by sad dreams of Snow, Vincent doesn't feel like painting at all any more. He starts to feel better when he is asked to look after Skitter during his neighbours' holiday, but then disaster strikes when Skitter escapes! However, it's when Vincent sets out to track down the errant cat that he also discovers the secret to improving his paintings - new paintings - with just the right hint of purriness... Curl up with Cats Tales is a charming collection of stand-alone stories, at turns magical, mysterious, comic and touching.
Hal's life is in upheaval: trouble at school; problems at home; a quarrel with friends. Then Hal is sent to his grandfather's seaside home. Soon, his anger is absorbed by the pull of the crashing waves, buffeted by the tides, smoothed by the endless sands. Yet thoughts of the father he has never known won't go away. In fact, soon his dad seems to be everywhere: in the sand figures Hal makes on the beach; in his dreams; in the shape of Wesley Prince, his mother's old boyfriend. Since no one will tell him the truth, Hal is determined to find out for himself. Will his elusive father ever come into his life? Or is he no more substantial than the sandfather, blurred and dissolved by the incoming tide?
Tizzie is lonely when she and her mum move to Roven Mere, a mysterious, rambling mansion deep in the countryside. She's eager to meet Lord Rupert and his daughter, Greta, but no one knows when they will come home. The house seems like a museum, and as Tizzie explores the rooms and passageways, she makes a startling discovery about why she's been brought to Roven Mere...
Tizzie's unpredictable lifestyle with her feckless mother has brought her to Roven Mere, a mysterious, rambling, isolated, lonely house. She and her mother are expecting to be greeted by Lord Rupert and his daughter, Greta (whom Tizzie thinks will be a longed-for friend). But when they arrive only the staff are in residence. Tizzie presses the reclusive Finnigan for clues as to Greta's whereabouts, but he only answers in riddles. Gradually, however, Tizzie unscrambles the clues and learns all about the history of the house and its inhabitants - and with it, the astonishing truth as to why she has been brought to Roven Mere. This is a totally up-to-the-minute story, in the spirit of the highly-acclaimed CATCALL and as atmospheric as Linda's acclaimed teen fiction. And like many of Linda Newbery's novels, it reaches into the past to complete the patchwork of her richly-drawn characters' lives.
It's a time of change for Josh. He has a relatively new stepdad and a brand new baby sister. But for Josh's younger brother, Jamie, the family upheaval has deeply disturbing consequences: he refuses to speak, and after a vivid, frightening dream develops an obsession with wild cats. With his parents so preoccupied, it's up to Josh - who's always been the quiet one - to keep the family together and find a cure for his brother's strange behaviour. And in helping Jamie to recover his voice, Josh discovers an unexpectedly resonant one of his own. CATCALL is a tense, gripping and atmospheric novel, full of powerful ideas, and blending deep psychological tension with fast-paced action - highly-acclaimed author Linda Newbery at her most compelling and insightful.
When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at Fourwinds, their majestic home, little does he expect to come across such a web of secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as chalk and cheese - the beautiful younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, controlled and sad. With their governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly the horrifying truth behind Juliana's sadness and Marianne's emotional fragility. Their discoveries change their perception of life at Fourwinds for ever and none of their lives will ever be the same again. With her usual brilliance and ease, Linda Newbery has written a haunting and faultlessly plotted novel with characters that leap of the page and stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.
A story set in London during the Blitz. With Gernan planes blitzing London, the wreckage can be an exciting place to play after the fear of the night has died down. Whilst exploring a bombed house one day, a lonely boy makes a friend whose father is an RAF pilot - much more exciting than his own air-raid warden dad. But it takes genuine danger to make him realise the difference between the heroism of fantasy and what people do when their courage is needed for real.
When Samuel Godwin, a young and naive art tutor, accepts a job with the Farrow family at their majestic home, little does he expect to come across such a web of secrets and lies. His two tutees are as different as chalk and cheese - the beautiful younger sister Marianne, full of flightiness and nervous imagination, and Juliana, oddly sensible and controlled. Assisted by their elusive governess, Charlotte Agnew, Samuel begins to uncover slowly why Marianne is so emotionally fragile. But his discoveries lead to revenge and betrayal - and lives all around are turned upside down as life and death combat each other for supremacy. Linda Newbery has written a novel in diary style, combining different voices and a different century with her usual brilliance and ease. These are characters full of the same passions as our own today, while living in a less familiar and fascinating time.
New house, new school, new friends - but Matt Lanchester knows it won't all be that easy when he moves from Milton Keynes to Hay-on-Wye. Almost as soon as he arrives he is drawn into a mystery when he sees a roadside memorial marked by a little wooden cross with the initials M.L carved into it. His initials! Then he meets Robbo and Tig and Old Wil Jones and his wife, Gwynnie. There's history here and a well kept village secret - and Matt is desperate to find out more. His new acquaintances are keener on taunting Wil - Wil, the murderer. But that's not Matt' s style. Befriending Wil, and with a sense of a shadowy figure always close by, he learns about a tragedy in the past, helps set the record straight and finally lay to rest the ghost of boy he feels he's come to know. Linda Newbery effortlessly mixes the old with the new, the past with the present, tragedy with triumph as she writes about communities and individuals, facing challenges and being accepted.
Following the success of The Shell House, Linda Newbery again demonstrates her brilliance at weaving thought-provoking subjects into a wholly satisfying and sensitively drawn novel. Hilly's German grandmother, HeidiGran, comes to live with her family after she gets Alzheimer's disease; but as her mind becomes more muddled, secrets from her memories of life during the Second World War start to emerge. Why does HeidiGran keep talking about a girl called Rachel? And why does she make racist remarks about Hilly's friend, Reuben? As Hilly struggles to cope with revelations about her family's past, she encounters racism and prejudice for herself when a friend becomes the victim of a mindless attack. She also falls in love for the first time. This is a wonderfully evocative novel exploring the recurring prejudices that affect every generation.
The Shell House is a beautifully written and sensitive portrayal of love, sexuality and spirituality over two generations. Greg's casual interest in the history of a ruined mansion becomes more personal as he slowly discovers the tragic events that overwhelmed its last inhabitants. Set against a background of the modern day and the First World War, Greg's contemporary beliefs become intertwined with those of Edmund, a foot soldier whose confusion about his sexuality and identity mirrors Greg's own feelings of insecurity. This is a complex and thought-provoking book, written with elegance and subtlety. It will change the way you think.
Following the success of The Shell House, Linda Newbery again demonstrates her brilliance at weaving thought-provoking subjects into a wholly satisfying and sensitively drawn novel. Hilly's German grandmother, HeidiGran, comes to live with her family after she gets Alzheimer's disease; but as her mind becomes more muddled, secrets buried in her past start to emerge. Why does HeidiGran keep talking about a girl called Rachel? And why does she make racist remarks about Hilly's friend, Reuben? As Hilly struggles to cope with revelations about her family's past, she encounters racism and prejudice for herself when a friend becomes the victim of a mindless attack; she also falls in love for the first time. This is a wonderfully evocative novel exploring the recurring prejudices that affect every generation.
Life changes completely for twins Alice and Jack when the First World War breaks out. Jack leaves the stables to fight and Alice becomes a nurse. In the four years of war they mature, maintaining their courage, sense of purpose and capacity for love.
The stories in the World War II Flashbacks series draw the reader into the experiences and emotions of a young person's life, caught against a period backdrop of historical upheaval. The child reader can also absorb important historical details that might otherwise be taught only as dry facts.
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