Written for Learners of English by John EscottWhat does the name Agatha Christie mean? To many people, it means a book about a murder mystery a whodunnit. Im reading an Agatha Christie, people say. Im not sure who the murderer is I think its . . . But they are usually wrong, because it is not easy to guess the murderers name before the end of the book.But who was Agatha Christie? What was she like? Was her life quiet and unexciting, or was it full of interest and adventure? W...

The year is 1717. It is a bad time to be the captain of a ship in the Caribbean because of pirates. The most frightening pirate on the sea is Edward Teach, or 'Blackbeard'. 'The Governor of Virginia wants us all dead!' Blackbeard thinks. 'But can he kill me - the most famous pirate in the Caribbean? No!'

Nick Lortz is sitting outside a café in Whistler, a village in the Canadian mountains, when a stranger comes and sits next to him. She’s young, pretty, and has a beautiful smile. Nick is happy to sit and talk with her. But why does she call Nick ‘Mr Hollywood’? Why does she give him a big kiss when she leaves? And who is the man at the next table – the man with short white hair? Nick learns the answers to these questions three long days later – in a police station on Vancouver Island.

Greg is a porter at the Shepton Hotel in New York. When a girl with beautiful green eyes asks him for help, Greg can’t say no. The girl’s name is Cassie, and she says she is an artist. She tells Greg that her stepfather has her sketchbooks, and now she wants them back. Cassie also says her stepfather is staying at Greg’s hotel . . . so what could go wrong?

A level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library graded reader. This version includes an audio book: listen to the story as you read. Written for Learners of English by John Escott. Nick Lortz is sitting outside a café in Whistler, a village in the Canadian mountains, when a stranger comes and sits next to him. She’s young, pretty, and has a beautiful smile. Nick is happy to sit and talk with her. But why does she call Nick ‘Mr Hollywood’? Why does she give him a big kiss when she leaves? And who is the...

'Give me the money,' says the robber to the Los Angeles security guard. The guard looks at the gun and hands over the money. The robber has long blond hair and rides a motorcycle - and a girl with long blond hair arrives at Kenny's motel - on a motorcycle. Is she the robber?

Zoe Baker works in a bookstore. She also likes acting, and she has a part in the play Romeo and Juliet. Mike Morrison writes about the play for the newspaper. What does he write about Zoe? Is Zoe a good actress... or is she just 'a pretty face'? What does Zoe think when she reads the newspaper? What does she do?

Mr Ross lives on an island where no visitors come. He stops people from taking photographs of him. He is young and rich, but he looks sad. And there is one room in his house which is always locked. Carol Sanders and her mother come to the island to work for Mr Ross. Carol soon decides that there is something very strange about Mr Ross. Where did he get his money from? How can a young man buy an island? So she watches, and she listens - and one night she learns what is behind the locked doo...

The men and the women in this book – William Tell, Tom Blood, Lord Bao, King Matthias, Johnny Appleseed, and Lady Godiva – are all real people from history. But every time someone tells an old story, they change things in it, to make them bigger, better, and more exciting. So what is true in this book and what is not? Read all six of the stories, and see what you think.

‘Give me the money,’ says the robber to the Los Angeles security guard. The guard looks at the gun and hands over the money. The robber has long blond hair and rides a motorcycle – and a girl with long blond hair arrives at Kenny’s motel – on a motorcycle. Is she the robber?

‘Bring me something new and exciting. Bring me a BIG story!’ says Rosie’s editor at The Record newspaper. And, when she leaves the office, Rosie does find a story. A story that is bigger than she expects. A story that takes her across Europe, into a dangerous world of art and art thieves.

Bring me something new and exciting. Bring me a BIG story!' says Rosie's editor at The Record newspaper. And, when she leaves the office, Rosie does find a story. A story that is bigger than she expects. A story that takes her across Europe, into a dangerous world of art and art thieves.