Alone in a new country, wealthy Sara Crewe tries to makefriends at boarding school and settle in. But when she learns thatshe'll never see her beloved father again, her life is turnedupside down. Transformed from princess to pauper, she must swapdancing lessons and luxury for drudgery and a room in the attic.Will she find that kindness and generosity are all the riches shetruly needs? With deeply poignant introduction written bybestselling author of "Chinese Cinderella", "A Little Princess" isone of the twelve wonderful classic stories being relaunched in"Puffin Classics" in March 2008.
Following a wild and raging storm, the Swiss family Robinson arestranded at sea. But the thundering waves have swept them off to atropical island, where a new life awaits them. Their ship is ladenwith supplies and the island is packed with treasures, so they soonadapt and discover new dangers and delights every day ...This titleoffers an inspiring introduction by American author and America'sfirst children's laureate Jon Scieszka.
Jonathan Harker is travelling to Castle Dracula to see theTransylvanian noble, Count Dracula. He is begged by locals not togo there, because on the eve of St George's Day, when the clockstrikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will come fullsway. But business must be done, so Jonathan makes his way to theCastle - and then his nightmare begins. His beloved wife Meena andother lost souls have fallen under the Count's horrifying spell.Dracula must be destroyed. This title is presented with an excitingintroduction by Holly Black, bestselling author of "The SpiderwickChronicles".
Gangly, quick-tempered Katy always means to be beautiful,beloved, and as good as an angel one day, but somehow herresolutions get forgotten or go horribly wrong. When an accidentalfall from a swing seems to threaten her hopes for the future, Katystruggles to overcome her difficulties with the vitality and goodhumor she admires in her cousin Helen.
Young David Balfour, left in poverty when his father dies,goes to his uncle, Ebenezer, for assistance. He soon finds himselfkidnapped and on board a ship, headed for a life of slavery. Withthe help of daring rebel Alan Breck, David escapes, only to getmixed up in a desperate adventure— suspected of murder and huntedacross the Scottish moors.
The last thing Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their babybrother expect to find while digging in the sand is a Psammead—anancient Sand-fairy! Having a Sand-fairy for a pet means having onewish granted each day. But the fivesome doesn’t realize all of thetrouble that wishes can cause.
Rediscover the Puffin Classics! An entirely new package,including Introductions from some of today's most popular authors,bringing the best-loved classics to a new generation.
This collection brings the world of Ancient Egypt to life withtales of journey and discovery. Among the many stories are thegreat myth of Amen-Ra, who formed all the creatures in the world;the entrancing tale of Isis, who searched the waters for her deadhusband Osiris; and the miraculous story of the girl with therose-red slippers, considered the first-ever Cinderella tale.Entertaining and enchanting, this is a timeless collection of theoldest stories in the world.
The famous, funny, and inspiring stories of creation asreaders have never heard them before. From the tale of how theleopard got his spots to the crab who played with the sea, from theingenious invention of the alphabet to how the rhinoceros got hiswrinkled skin, these stories of strange happenings in the High andFar-Off Times brim with life, humor, and magic.
This enchanting collection, retold by writer and critic NaomiLewis, contains twelve of Hans Christian Andersen's magnificentstories. It includes Thumbelina, a little girl no more than athumb-joint high, "The Emperor's New Clothes", the tale of a manwho cares only for his appearance and The Little Mermaid, who longsto one day marry a human prince. It includes a wonderful coverillustration and new introduction by award-winning picture-bookcreator Jan Pienkowski.
Heathcliff, an orphan, is raised by Mr. Earnshaw as one of hisown children. Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw’s son, despises him, but hissister, wild Cathy, becomes Heathcliff’s constant companion, and hefalls violently in love with her. When Cathy will not marryHeathcliff, his terrible vengeance ruins them all and carries overto a second generation— but still their love will not die.
After losing her parents, young Mary Lennox is sent from Indiato live in her uncle's gloomy mansion on the wild English moors.She is lonely and has no one to play with, but one day she learnsof a secret garden somewhere in the grounds that no one is allowedto enter. Then Mary uncovers an old key in a flowerbed - and a gustof magic leads her to the hidden door. Slowly she turns the key andenters a world she could never have imagined. With a heartwarmingintroduction by Sophie Dahl, "The Secret Garden" is one of thetwelve best-loved classic stories being launched in thenewly-branded Puffin Classics series in March 2008.
In the desolate, frozen wilds of northwest Canada, a wolf cubsoon finds himself the sole survivor of the litter. Son ofKiche—half-wolf, half-dog—and the aging wolf One Eye, he is thrustinto a savage world where each day becomes a fight to stayalive.
From the strange case of 'The Red-Headed League' to theextraordinary tale of 'The Engineer's Thumb', Sherlock Holmes andhis assistant Dr Watson grapple with treachery, murder, andingenious crimes of all kinds. But no case is too challenging forthe immortal detective's unique power of deduction.
Black Beauty is a handsome, sweet-tempered colt with a strongspirit. As a young colt he is free to gallop in the fresh greenmeadows with his beloved mother, Duchess, and their kind master.But when his owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty goes froma life of comfort and kindness to one of hard labour and cruelty.Bravely he works as hard as he can, suffering at the hands of menwho treat animals badly. But Black Beauty has an unbreakable spiritand will, and is determined to survive...With a wonderfulintroduction by award-winning author Meg Rosoff, "Black Beauty" isone of the twelve best-loved classic stories being launched in thenewly branded "Puffin Classics" series in March 2008.
These fairy tales, which Oscar Wilde made up for his own sons,include “The Happy Prince,” who was not as happy as he seemed, “TheSelfish Giant,” who learned to love little children, and “The StarChild,” who suffered bitter trials when he rejected his parents.Often whimsical and sometimes sad, they all shine with poetry andmagic.
From the land of fantastical castles, vast lakes and deepforests, the Brothers Grimm collected a treasury of enchanting folkand fairy stories full of giants and dwarfs, witches andprincesses, magical beasts and cunning children. From classics suchas "The Frog-Prince" and "Hansel and Grettel" to the delights of"Ashputtel" or "Old Sultan", all hold a timeless magic which hasenthralled children for centuries.
