Showing results by narrator "Penelope Rawlins" in All Categories

Two quirky and hilarious stories from the best-selling Diana Wynne Jones. Two groups of children learn that while you can choose your friends, dealing with your family can make you wish you could choose a different one….

Imagine being married for 28 years with three children, a lovely house and a husband who travels a lot - but you still love each other. Or: imagine being happily married for 17 years. You have one daughter and your husband travels a lot. One day you get a call that turns your world upside down: your husband is dead. You go to the funeral…and meet his other widow…

When the body of FBI agent Jean Transom is found on the frozen slopes of Quandary Peak, the nearby town of Breckenridge, Colorado, becomes the focus of a major investigation. A quiet, dedicated agent on the surface, it soon becomes clear that there was another side to Jean Transom. And who better to uncover it than Special Agent Ren Bryce, an expert in violent crime and a woman with secrets of her own; secrets that could compromise the entire investigation and put an end to her distinguished career.

When Arch turns up at St Grizzle’s, Dani is delighted to introduce her best friend to her new classmates. But she soon discovers that mixing her old life with her new one isn’t quite as easy as she’d imagined. And Arch isn’t the only new pupil - there’s also super-smart Boudicca, who barely says a word to anyone. It’s only when she meets Arch that she perks up and takes to following him everywhere he goes. Then she disappears. With the help of Granny Viv, it’s up to Dani and Arch to find Boudicca...and unravel the truth about this shy tag-along zombie.

There's a saying about all work and no play—but there's never a dull moment for Caroline working at Holly Walk Mall, especially at Christmas. When she's not dealing with orders from Ian, 'the manager who can’t manage' as her friend Rachel puts it, she's overseeing the usual late-night shopping sessions, Santa's grotto construction and, most importantly, the sampling of many delicious festive treats at the Italian café her friends Nina and Marco own. 

Mire House is dreary, dark, cold, and infested with midges. But when Emma Dean inherits it from a distant relation, she immediately feels a sense of belonging. It isn't long before Charlie Mitchell, grandson of the original owner, appears claiming that he wants to seek out his family. But Emma suspects he's more interested in the house than his long-lost relations. And when she starts seeing ghostly figures, Emma begins to wonder: Is Charlie trying to scare her away? Or are there darker secrets lurking in the corners of Mire House?

When local schools are asked to make a film showcasing the surrounding area, Dani and the rest of St Grizzle's set to work. But Spencer and his mates at the village school are determined to sabotage the work of the smelly Grizzlers. Help arrives in the form of Granny Viv, who has secretly taken up residence in the school's tree house. Together they come up with the perfect ghostly video. But will Granny Viv be able to stay once the competition's over? 

Daisy Miller is a young American girl travelling Europe with her mother and younger brother. While in Vevey, Switzerland, she becomes acquainted with Frederick Winterbourne, an idle expatriate, of well-to-do Americans. Winterbourne, who observes and critiques young Daisy through their brief acquaintanceship, is infatuated with her irreverent behavior. Daisy flaunts society's rules and uncompromising standards; she is charming, spontaneous, and unpretentious, and her audacity shocks the Europeans, who consider her an uncultivated flirt. The sophisticated Winterbourne remains smitten with Daisy, but his classical values stand in his way.

Charlotte the Royal Princess Fairy helps make sure that all royal babies are happy, comfortable and snug in their cribs. But when Jack Frost steals her magical lion soft toy, babies everywhere are up all night crying! Can Kirsty and Rachel help get it back and stop the palace pandemonium?

Elizabeth the Jubilee Fairy is in charge of making every jubilee perfect! But when Jack Frost steals Elizabeth's Diamond Sceptre, both fairy and human celebrations are headed for catastrophe. Can Kirsty and Rachel help Elizabeth find the sceptre so kings and queens everywhere can celebrate in style?

Frances the Royal Family Fairy makes sure all royal brothers and sisters get along well with each other. But when naughty Jack Frost steals her magical object, everything starts to fall apart! Can Kirsty and Rachel help Frances restore harmony in all royal families and their kingdoms?

In 1922, Christian, a young artist, travels to Weimar to begin his studies at the Bauhaus, where the avant-garde confronts conservative elements around it. With postwar Germany in turmoil, while the Bauhaus attempts to explore radical ways of thinking and living, Christian finds that love will change him forever. And in 1970s London Duncan uses his inheritance to establish the country's first gay bookshop in the face of opposition from the neighbours and victimisation by the police.

You shared your life online. Now how will you get it back? Twitter. Facebook. WhatsApp. Google Maps. Every day you share everything about yourself - where you go, what you eat, what you buy, what you think - online. Sometimes you do it on purpose. Usually you do it without even realising it. At the end of the day, everything from your shoe size to your credit limit is out there. Your greatest joys, your darkest moments. Your deepest secrets. If people want to know everything about you, all they have to do is look. But what happens when someone starts spilling state secrets?

Most of us have plans. Somewhere to go if something awful happens. Pilgrim Jones doesn't. She looks up at a departures board and takes the first flight. She alights on the edge of Africa. Over confessions and strong gin, she's lured into a world of mercenaries and philanthropists, delusional heroes and witchdoctors in polyester suits. But what about the beating absence, the thing she's done?

Ally arrives from England with her brothers to stay for a month in Africa - weeks of running wild on an unspoiled, untamed coast amid mangrove creeks, vast white sandy beaches, coral reefs and warm seas. But on their first walk through the forest to the beach, Ally is swamped by a sense of an unseen presence close to her of being spoken to. The feeling increases as a local teenager, Leli, enthusiastically sweeps her into the world of his village and their offshore island (Kisiri - the place of secrets). 

Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she’d want to fail a test - that is, until she finds herself staring at a piece of plastic with two solid pink lines. With a college-bound future now disappearing before her eyes, Veronica considers a decision she never imagined she'd have to make: an abortion. 

When Special Agent Ren Bryce is called to Tate, Oregon, to investigate the disappearance of 12-year-old Caleb Veir, she finds a town already in mourning. Two other young boys have died recently, although in very different circumstances. As Ren digs deeper, she discovers that all is not as it seems in the Veir household - and that Tate is a small town with a big secret. Can Ren uncover the truth before more children are harmed?

Patsy Cline is becoming best friends with another girl! It looks like Penelope is going to lose Patsy to Vera Bogg...forever. So Penelope starts a secret museum full of things that remind her of the people she loves, in case she loses them, too. Lizzie Maple, who loves adventures, is on board to help.But other people seem to think 'taking their things for a museum' is the same as 'stealing'... and Penelope is suddenly in a whole lot of trouble!

Discover the inspiring story of Marie Curie—the scientist who made more than one world-changing discovery, and the first woman to win a Nobel prize—in this fascinating kids' biography. Born to poor school teachers at a time when women could not attend university in her home country of Poland, Marie Curie sought out an underground university and worked hard to save money for further study in Paris. She made it to France, and continued to dedicate herself to science once she had graduated.

Virtually every industry is making lasting changes that will open doors to a more flexible working week. So how do we adjust, thrive and excel in an environment where glitchy daily video conferences are the norm? By turns fierce, funny and highly practical, Harriet Minter will show you the skills to be effective and creative during the day-to-day. Harriet breaks down how to be an inspiring and energising manager, how to create and thrive in a high-trust culture and most importantly how to achieve your ambition and propel your career forwards.