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Find out moreThe Classics never go out of fashion. Find new editions of old favourites, plus some abridged and re-told tales in this section.
This is a classic of all classics. Melvin Burgess has written an Introduction that will make the reader realise if they haven’t already that we, the human race, are on the cusp of changing nature and therefore the planet forever. The magical quality in The Call of the Wild lays in the story of Buck the ever-loyal dog to his master, who together lived a comfortable existence until Buck is kidnapped and forced to become a sledge dog in the frozen north. Experiencing violence and brutality, Buck’s natural wolf instincts begin to take over in the wilderness between man and beast. In this terrific pocket size Puffin edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in The Call of the Wild plus many related activities to do beyond the book.
Laugh and cry with the March family. Meg, the sweet-tempered one, Jo, the smart one, Beth, the shy one and Amy, the sassy one. Despite their lack of money they have a great deal of fun, have sisterly squabbles, have happy times and sad times and join them as they grow up and follow four very different paths and discover that growing up is sometimes very hard to do. With an Introduction by bestselling novelist Louise Rennison (well her erstwhile heroine in fact – Georgia Nicolson), who urges you to enter into the spirit of a different time and a different place for teenagers. Growing up is tough now but it was possibly even tougher during the American Civil War. In this terrific pocket size Puffin Classics edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in Little Women plus many related activities to do beyond the book. An unabridged audio is also available of this title from Puffin. What Jacqueline Wilson says of one of her all-time favourite books: 'I read this wonderful story of four 19th century American sisters over and over again, particularly identifying with Jo, the tomboy sister who is desperate to be a writer.'
A classic for all horse lovers. From his simple beginnings as a foal in a meadow through the ups and downs of his life including being a riding horse on a country estate and a cab horse on the busy streets of London, Black Beauty tells his own story. Just click here to view our range of Children’s Classics, then click on the Hardback tab to view all the Oxford Children’s Classics.
The extraordinary story of a boy called Wart – ignored by everyone except his tutor, Merlyn – who goes on to become King Arthur. Collins Modern Classics are re-launched with gorgeous new covers bringing these timeless story to a new generation. Lovereading Review to follow..
A book that’s chock full of great conversations between Alice and some extraordinary animals, ranging from the pipe-smoking caterpillar and the Mad Hatter, to the March Hare and the sneezing Duchess. For Chris Riddell, who has written the Introduction to this classic his favourite conversation is the one Alice has with a tearful Mock Turtle. But just as good as the conversations, he says, ‘are the original illustrations drawn by a famous political cartoonist, which bring the world of Wonderland vividly to life’. This terrific pocket size Puffin Classics edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland plus many related activities to do beyond the book. An unabridged audio of this title is also available from Puffin. From Philip Pullman: "Indispensable. The great classic beginning of English children's literature."
Chosen by Michael Morpurgo. Enchanting and funny, these fantastical stories of whales and cats, of kangaroos and crabs as well as many others, will take you on a journey to the boundaries of reality and beyond. With a superb introduction by Jonathan Stroud who tells us how he came to love these stories and why they remain so special in his mind. In this terrific pocket size Puffin edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in the Just So Stories plus many activities beyond the book.
This is a book that fires the imagination with its bewitching and magical qualities and one that every young girl will absolutely love. There’s an Introduction by Sophie Dahl who at the age of nine (the same age as Mary, the heroine in the story) relished secret places just as Mary did. Sophie’s secret places were the airing cupboard and behind the compost heap in the garden. In this terrific pocket size Puffin edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in The Secret Garden plus many related activities to do beyond the book. From Michael Morpurgo: "I love this story of a girl's life being changed by nature."
March 2010 Guest Editor Michael Foreman remembers: "One of our teachers, Oscar Outlaw, realised that most of the class had no books at home. He started bringing in his own books and reading to us on Friday afternoons if it was too wet for games. First he read The Wind in the Willows. And then, Treasure Island. What a treat! We looked forward to rain." LoveReading4Kids adds: An absolutely delightful tale of four animals that become the firmest of friends and beat the wretched and wicked weasels; but not before the friends have to rescue the devil-may-care Toad time and time again from his misadventures. Brian Jacques, whose love of the story shines through in a marvellous Introduction to the book, believes it possesses that quintessential English charm and fascination that children of all ages love. And as for Toad, well he’s ‘Billy Bunter, Just William and Dick Turpin with a dash of Bertie Wooster thrown in’ says Jacques. In this terrific pocket size Puffin edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in The Wind in the Willows plus many related activities to do beyond the book. An unabridged audio is also available of this title from Puffin.
This is a much-loved favourite classic - and here are the thoughts of no less than four of our favourite authors, who all selected it ! June 2011 Guest Editor Michael Morpurgo remembers: 'A terrifically exciting tale of a dead man’s map, mutinous pirates, skulduggery and buried treasure that will be thoroughly enjoyed by a child if read aloud to them from the age of 5 upwards. It’s such a gripping adventure that children are sure to pick it up again to read alone when they’re a little older. It’s the story of Jim Hawkins who discovers a map in an old sea chest but little does he know of the danger and excitement which lie ahead when sets sail for Treasure Island in search of treasure. 'This was the first proper book I read for myself. Jim Hawkins was the first character in a book I identified with totally. I was Jim Hawkins. I lived Treasure Island as I read it. And I loved it. Still do. I wish I'd written it.' Tim Bowler, February 2011 Guest Editor: "All right, another sea story, but it's one of the best ever. I first read it at the age of ten and I've read it countless times since. It's a book I would love to have written myself. It's got everything – pirates, treasure, a sea voyage, a desert island, danger, treachery, courage, comradeship, humour, and a cast that includes some of the most memorable characters in fiction: Jim Hawkins, Squire Trelawney, Ben Gunn and Long John Silver. Every time I read this novel, it gets better. There are very few books you can say that about." March 2010 Guest Editor Michael Foreman's special memories of this book: "One of our teachers, Oscar Outlaw, realised that most of the class had no books at home. He started bringing in his own books and reading to us on Friday afternoons if it was too wet for games. First he read The Wind in the Willows. And then, Treasure Island. What a treat! We looked forward to rain." Marcus Sedgwick, July 2010 Guest Editor, says: "I continually list this book in my top five, because it's my belief that most people haven't actually read it, and know it only from bowdlerised abridgements, which is a shame because the real thing is powerful, dark and above all, scary." Treasure Island in a nutshell: Black spot moment. Sea dog dies. Jim finds map. Ship sets sail. Pirates on board. Island is found. Madman in cave. Two rival camps. Battle for map. Dig up chest. Treasure is gone. Gunn has gold. Head back home. Silver runs off. Jim writes book.
Chosen by Michael Morpurgo. As famous lines go in literature, ‘Please sir, I want some more’ is one that not many children are unaware of but have they read the book from which it came? If not, then Oliver Twist, the book is here. A den of villains and thieves awaits the reader determined to drag Oliver back to his life of crime on the streets of London but can Oliver’s native honesty, strength and goodness enable him to resist? Garth Nix has written a terrific Introduction in this Puffin Classics edition. He says, ‘I first read Oliver twist when I was about 12 or 13...the story is so good that you can skim along the surface and enjoy the ride – you don’t have to dip beneath and get into the deeper stuff that lies below...or you can read it more deeply and experience the adventure and at the same time absorb the historical detail and social criticism that is the foundation of the story’. In this terrific pocket size Puffin edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in Oliver Twist plus many related activities to do beyond the book.
This is a wonderful adventure of three boys from very different worlds. At the heart of the story is the relationship between Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, white and advantaged in America’s south and a slave named Jim. Their adventures together are masterfully imagined and brilliantly portrayed – you can’t fail as a reader to be transported into America’s deep south of the 19th century. As Darren Shan says in his Introduction, ‘It’s the trip of a lifetime. Millions have made it before you, and millions will after you... Enjoy the ride’. In this terrific pocket size Puffin Classics edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn plus many related activities to do beyond the book. PLEASE BE AWARE THIS IS AN UNABRIDGED VERSION OF ONE OF THE GREATEST CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE 20TH CENTURY BUT GIVEN THERE ARE SOME RACIAL UNDERTONES IT MAY BE CONSIDERED UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN TO READ ALONE BUT INSTEAD BE OPEN TO DISCUSSION WITH AN ADULT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A SIMPLIFIED AND SHORTENED VERSION OF THE STORY THEN CLICK HERE.
Chosen by Jacqueline Wilson. Step into the shoes of Sara, a girl with a lively imagination who although well-mannered is absolutely no angel, as fate determines her fortune. Transformed from princess to pauper join Sara in her battle to assuage her fears and conquer her hardships? It’s a story where triumph finally over adversity and is proof that if a character such as Sara can triumph then anything is possible for the reader. For Adeline Yen Mah, The Little Princess was a book that changed her life and had a profound effect upon her, both through stimulating her imagination but also on a personal level for she encountered similar hardships as she grew up, but in a very different world. In this terrific pocket size Puffin Classics edition there’s lots of additional material at the end of the book including an author profile, a guide to who’s who in The Little Princess plus many related activities to do beyond the book.
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