The unforgettable tale of an orphan in Victorian London, based on the boy whose plight inspired Dr Barnardo to found his famous children’s homes.When his mother dies, Jim Jarvis is left all alone in London. He is sent to the workhouse but quickly escapes, choosing a hard life on the streets of the city over the confines of the workhouse walls.Struggling to survive, Jim finally finds some friends… only to be snatched away and made to work for the remorselessly cruel Grimy Ni...

The sisters of STREET CHILD tell their story…A companion novel to bestselling story of Victorian orphan Jim Jarvis based on the founding of Dr Barnardo’s homes for children.When Jim Jarvis is separated from his sisters, Lizzie and Emily, he thinks he will never see them again. Now for the first time, the bestselling author of STREET CHILD reveals what happened to his orphaned sisters.In Victorian London, Lizzie and Emily are left in the care of a cook but their stor...

Adventure, friendship, treason and betrayal. A dazzling historical novel from the award-winning Berlie Doherty.Will Montague is a page to Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII. As the King's favourite, Will gains many enemies in Court. His enemies convince the King that Will's father has committed treason and he is thrown into Newgate Prison. Will flees Hampton Court and goes into hiding in the back streets of London. Lost and in mortal danger, he is rescued by a p...

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right levelCatrin lives in Wales, and prefers drawing animals to spending time with friends. One night, she hears an eerie howl from the nearby mountain – a wild cat. Can she confront her shyness and go in search of this rare animal? This sensitive story by award-winning author Berlie Doherty shows that courage and friendship can come from unexpected places.Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a compl...

It was a seascape, moody with rocks and cliffs and wild showers of spray. Ellie’s own reflection was drawn into it, like a ghost image among the lights and shadows.‘That’s our island*,’ Morag said.*‘It looks mysterious.’‘It is. That’s where we’re going tomorrow.’Ellie is excited to be going with Morag’s family to their beautiful island, but when she finds herself abandoned there, things begin to change. Footsteps, shadows, st...

The only life Gioga has ever known is that of a fisherman's daughter on remote Hamna Voe. But as a baby she was a gift of the sea to childless Munroe and Jannet, and now the Lord of the Oceans wants her back.Torn between her love for her adopted parents and her strange attraction to the seal people, which will she choose - the sea or the land?From the traditional folk-tale of the selkie, award-winning author Berlie Doherty has created her own lyrical and timeless story of a ...

Magic beans. Sow them. Plant them. Watch children grow.'If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!' - Shel Silverstein, PoetEach and every one of the stories in this anthology is a magic bean: a wondrous tale that will capture your imagination. Prepare to be dazzled by Rapunzel's golden tresses. Prepare ...

The moving and very real story of two teenagers and an unplanned pregnancy. It is told from two viewpoints - that of Helen as she writes her thoughts in a series of letters to the unborn baby, the Dear Nobody of the title, and of Chris as he reads the letters and relives events as Helen is in labour.

First the fairies took Tam's little sister, Blue. Then they took his Great-Grandpa Toby. Now Tam has to keep a great secret - not only is Great-Grandpa still in Faery as King, but the old King of the fairies, Oban, is now in Tam's world disguised as a boy Tam's age!At first, it's lots of fun having Oban and his magic around. He manages to charm everybody - even Tam's teacher at school. But then things start to go wrong . . .When Tam finds the magical Windspinner that Great-...

1914: war has broken out across Europe and beyond. Nothing will ever be the same again for those caught up in the conflict.This collection of short stories explores how the First World War changed and shaped the lives of women forever. A courageous nurse risks her life on the Front Line; a young woman uncovers a spy in wartime London; and a grief-stricken sister comes to understand the heroism and sacrifice of the forgotten Indian soldiers.Through these and other tales, W...

Follow Tam on three exciting adventures to the land of Faery - where he'll battle castle nightmares, evil creatures and mischevious fairies!THE STARBURSTERAt first, Tam isn't at all keen on his baby sister, Blue. But with a little inventive persuasion from Great-grandpa, Tam changes his mind. One terrible night, Blue is stolen - and an ugly fairy changeling is left in her place! It falls to Tam to journey to the magical land of Faery, return the changeling a...

"Be strong, my Abela."These are the last words of Abela's mother in their HIV/Aids stricken African village, where it seems that to live or to die, to be sick or to be healthy, is just a matter of chance. It takes all Abela's strength to survive her Uncle Thomas's scheming to get to Europe, but what will be her fate as an illegal immigrant?"I don't want a sister or brother," thinks Rosa in England, when her mother tells her that she wants to adopt a child. Could these two gir...