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Reading lists

Books to read if you love Cruel Summer

The Tulip Touch

Reissued for the Originals series of powerful teen fiction. 
 
Nobody wants Tulip in their gang. 
 
She skives off school, cheeks the teachers and makes herself unpopular with her classmates by telling awful lies. 
 
None of this matters to Natalie who finds Tulip exciting. 
 
At first she doesn't care that other people are upset and unnerved by Tulip's bizarre games, but as the games become increasingly sinister and dangerous, Natalie realises that Tulip is going too far. 
 
Much too far. 
 
Racing, in fact, to the novel's shocking ending.

This novel will make children aged between 11 and 14 think about the dangers of peer pressure and the collective responsibility of society for unhappy children. As always, Fine teaches her lessons by making her readers feel.

Tulip is the violent child about to crack, the child who echoes famous cases in our recent news. What elevates this subtle telling is that Fine manages to convey sympathetically the probable reasons why Tulip is the way she is.

Anne Fine read Politics and History at Warwick and then became a teacher. Her first novel was published in 1975 and today she is one of the UK's most successful children's writers. She has won many awards including two Carnegie Medals, the Guardian Fiction Prize and the Whitbread Prize. GOGGLE-EYES was serialised on TV and MADAME DOUBTFIRE was made into a hit Hollywood movie. Anne lives in County Durham.

Nobody wants Tulip in their gang. She skives off school, cheeks the teachers and makes herself unpopular with her classmates by telling awful lies. None of this matters to Natalie who finds Tulip exciting. At first she doesn't care that other people are upset and unnerved by Tulip's bizarre games, but as the games become increasingly sinister and dangerous, Natalie realises that Tulip is going too far, much too far, racing, in fact, to the novel's shocking ending.

Our Precious Lulu

A sharp and witty tale of sibling rivalry, bitterness and revenge from this highly-acclaimed author.

Sharp and black ... Fine's depiction of a cunning and manipulative character is masterful, and the conclusion is horribly satisfying.

Fine writes in dignified and clear prose that does ring true.

This wickedly entertaining novel ... is not one to miss

Few writers can convey better than Anne Fine the dangerous currents that ripple through an unhappy family.

Fine untangles all these threads with great psychological intelligence, and a merciless sense of comedy.

Our Precious Lulu is Anne Fine's eighth novel. Her first was the critically acclaimed The Killjoy, which was runner up for the David Higham Prize for Fiction. Taking the Devil's Advice and Telling Liddy have both been adapted for radio. Anne Fine's work has been translated into over thirty languages. She has two grown-up daughters and lives in County Durham.

Lulu has always been intolerable. From spending every childhood moment worming her way into the affections of her stepmother (spitefully undermining poor Geraldine, her dumpy and hardworking stepsister, along the way) to growing into a sexy, long-legged and ruthless adult. Jobs, lovers, fashionable clothes: Lulu picks them up at whim and drops them with equal ease, confident that Geraldine and her faithfully supportive husband, Robert, will bail her out of every passing problem. 
 
But not even watchful Robert has realized quite how much Geraldine's exemplary patience has rested on one simple but long-lasting assumption about her own family. 
 
Could everything finally be about to change ...?

Flour Babies

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

Flour Babies by Anne Fine, won the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Award in 1992. When the annual school science fair comes round, Mr Cartwright's class don't get to work on the Soap Factory, the Maggot Farm or the Exploding Custard Tins. To their intense disgust they get the Flour Babies - sweet little six-pound bags of flour that must be cared for at all times. 
Funny and poignant, Flour Babies is a brilliant depiction of secondary school life.

Anne Fine has written numerous highly acclaimed and prize-winning books for children and adults. The Tulip Touch won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award; Goggle-Eyes won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal; Flour Babies won the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year; and Bill's New Frock won a Smarties Prize. Anne Fine was named Children's Laureate in 2001 and was awarded an OBE in 2003.

Let it be flour babies. Let chaos reign. 
 
When the annual school science fair comes round, Mr Cartwright's class don't get to work on the Soap Factory, the Maggot Farm or the Exploding Custard Tins. To their intense disgust they get the Flour Babies - sweet little six-pound bags of flour that must be cared for at all times. 
 
Funny and poignant, Flour Babies is a brilliant depiction of secondary school life.

Raking The Ashes

A coruscating comedy about the ties that bind more savagely than any other - those of families.

'So savage and sharp in its insights that it cuts, this is a brilliantly compulsive, forensic dissection of a relationship built on ironies and evasions'

'A fearless novelist . . . also a constantly amusing writer. The result is an unsettling, sometimes angry but always engrossing story'

'[A] remarkable novel...there is something terrifyingly recognisable in each of the characters that will have readers looking deep inside their souls'

'Admirably acute observations of the trivialities of domestic life'

'Displays her familiar cool, unfussy style'

'Searing black comedy...a clear-eyed and fearless look at the role of honesty within relationships'

'Family relationships are rarely analysed with the depth of black humour that Anne Fine can bring to bear'

An enjoyably black and bracingly unsentimental novel

Raking the Ashes is Anne Fine's sixth novel for adults. Her first was the critically acclaimed The Killjoy. Taking the Devil's Advice and Telling Liddy have both been adapted for the radio. She is also a distinguished writer for young people, and has won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Whitbread Children's Award twice, the Guardian Children's Literature Award and a Smarties Prize. An adaptation of her novel Goggle-Eyes has been shown by the BBC, and Twentieth-Century Fox filmed her novel Madame Doubtfire as Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams. Her books have been translated into twenty-six languages. Between 2001 and 2003 she was the second Children's Laureate. Anne Fine has two grown-up daughters and lives in County Durham.

Lovers, colleagues, family - Tilly has always been brilliant at pushing people in and out of her life exactly as it suits her. Then along comes Geoffrey, gentle, compassionate, generous to a fault, with his miserable little children and his manipulative ex-wife. 
 
Tilly's own expertise in the arts of deception and avoidance should be enough to make sure she's always one step ahead of Geoffrey's disastrous, crumbling family. But time and again she finds herself staying, brought down by their cowardly backsliding and their barefaced lies. 
 
How has she managed to stay so long in a relationship she knows perfectly well has to be doomed? More importantly, how can Tilly plan her permanent escape?

Madame Doubtfire

Madame Doubtfire by bestselling author Anne Fine is a wonderfully funny, punchy story about family life. Lydia, Christopher and Natalie are used to domestic turmoil. Their parents' divorce has not made family life any easier in either home. The children bounce to and from their volatile mother, Miranda, and their out-of-work actor father, Daniel. Then Miranda advertises for a cleaning lady who will look mind the children after work - and Daniel gets the job, disguised as Madame Doubtfire. 
 
This bittersweet, touching and extremely funny book inspired the highly successful film Mrs Doubtfire, starring the late Robin Williams. 
 
Madame Doubtfire is reissued in 'A Puffin Book' series of Puffin modern classics.

Lydia, Christopher and Natalie are used to domestic turmoil. Their parents' divorce has not made family life any easier in either home. The children bounce to and from their volatile mother, Miranda, and their out-of-work actor father, Daniel. Then Miranda advertises for a cleaning lady who will look mind the children after work - and Daniel gets the job, disguised as Madame Doubtfire. 
 
This bittersweet, touching and extremely funny book inspired the highly successful film Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams.

Blue Moon Day

An original, unusual and fascinating collection of short stories from multi-award winning author, Anne Fine.

These ten stories are engaging and funny, written in brisk, uncomplicated prose that will appeal to any reader

The writing is elegant and crisp throughout. Heartstrings are pulled with no trace of sentimentality. I think readers of this book, whether they go to boarding school or not, will love it for the light it sheds on an experience which can be painful for many children

Anne Fine is one of our most distinguished writers for children. She has written over fifty highly acclaimed books and has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and both the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year and the Carnegie Medal twice over.  Anne was appointed the Children’s Laureate from 2001-3, and her work has been translated into over forty languages. In 2003 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Anne lives in County Durham.

Everyone thinks they know what it's like, going to school. But have you ever wondered what life must be like at a boarding school? A school for young offenders? A school for the blind? With her trademark humour, insight, sensitivity and razor-sharp wit, Anne Fine explores these different worlds in a short story collection that will fascinate young readers.

The Book Of The Banshee

An acute observation of the explosive nature of adolescence, from multi award-winning author Anne Fine.

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid l970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. The Children's Laureate from 2001-2003, Anne is also very funny and young readers love her lack of hypocrisy about the family and her honesty about how people can behave. She lives in the North-East. 
 
'One of the sharpest and most humorous observers of the human condition writing today for the young' School Librarian 
 
'She is translated into 26 languages and has regularly won every major children's literary award in the land, including the Carnegie Medal twice and the Whitbread Children's Novel award twice . . . There are few more influential, or more unfailingly intelligent, authors at work' Scotsman 
 
'A subversively wicked gift for exploring family tensions' Independent

It's war in the Flowers household. Will's sister Estelle has turned overnight into a screaming, screeching banshee whose moods explode throughout the household. Mum and Dad have surrendered. Inspired by an author visit to his school, Will decides to keep a record of his life on the front line . . .

The Killer Cat Runs Away

The brilliantly funny new adventure starring one of Anne Fine's most well-loved characters: the Killer Cat.

Former children’s laureate Anne Fine has been entertaining children with the Killer Cat books for years

A terrifically sharp-clawed story . . . Tuffy's view of the world is distinctly feline and very funny

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid 1970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. Anne was appointed the Children's Laureate from 2001-2003.

Tuffy doesn't feel wanted at home any more. His owners just don't appreciate him. So what if he broke the new TV? Got fur on all Dad's clean clothes? Ate Tinkerbell the kitten's special kitten-food? All accidents! But they're making such a fuss! 
 
So Tuffy decides to make a break for it. He bids farewell to the gang - Snowball, Tiger and Bella - and runs away. But starting a new life isn't easy, and soon Tuffy starts to wonder if he's made a terrible mistake . . .

Blood Family

Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, this is the dark and gripping tale of a young boy's struggle to escape the horrors of his childhood - and the violent destiny he fears must await him.

Strong stuff from a writer who is never afraid to be outspoken

Reading Anne Fine’s work is always a challenge as well as a delight. She’s like a difficult relative who appears at family events and tells everyone a few home truths, yet gets away with it because she has such a wickedly witty turn of phrase

Once again Fine proves why she is such a prolific author with this dangerous and dark new book . . . Evocative, emotional and beautifully imagined

Written with clear sight, understanding and elegance . . . Blood Family covers the age-old debate between nature and nurture. It asks if our past can ever be banished. It's about guilt, grief, and anger. But it's also about redemption. It's beautifully, carefully, written. And it feels very, very truthful. I believed every single word - from the degradation of Edward's early life, through the biddable but disassociated child in the early aftermath and the often crass actions of social services, right to the inevitable breakdown in Edward's adolescence. It's the best story in the kitchen sink style I've read in a long time. And I think it'll win prizes

To me Blood Family felt like a totally different Anne Fine from what I've read before. It is well written, and draws you in from the beginning. (This book) is less about the importance of blood families, and more about how things can go right – or wrong – for anyone, at any time. It’s worth remembering. Things can easily go right. Things don’t have to be all disastrous and wrong. No matter what kind of start to life you had, it can become good

I was completely and utterly drawn in by this book and finished it in one sitting . . . A fantastically dark and insightful read which I would highly recommend

Anne Fine is one of our most distinguished writers for children. She has written over fifty highly acclaimed books and has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and both the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year and the Carnegie Medal twice over. Anne was appointed the Children’s Laureate from 2001-3, and her work has been translated into over forty languages. In 2003 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Anne lives in County Durham.

Edward is four years old when he is locked away with his mother by her abusive, alcoholic partner, Harris. By the time an elderly neighbour spots his pale face peering through a crack in the boarded-up window and raises the alarm, he is seven. 
 
Rescue comes, but lasting damage has been done. Sent to live with a kindly foster family, and then adopted, Edward struggles to adapt to normal life. Even as a teenager it’s still clear to his new family and schoolmates there’s something odd about him. 
 
Then one fateful day, Edward catches a glimpse of himself in a photograph. What he sees shocks him to the core – a vision of Harris. Was this monster his father all along? And does that mean that, deep down, another Harris is waiting to break out? 
 
Every step of progress Edward has made swiftly begins to unravel, and he has to decide whether his blood will determine his future.

The Killer Cat's Christmas

The Killer Cat is back for Christmas! A much-loved classic by Anne Fine. 
 
So go on, ask me. 'Dear, dear Tuffy. Why was your Christmas so horrible?' 
 
Well. I couldn't climb the tree. 
I couldn't touch the dangly decorations. 
 
And Ellie made me part of her sing-along Christmas performance. 
Horrible, horrible, horrible! 
 
But I showed them. I was Tuffy the Acting Cat, superstar. How was I supposed to know things would get so . . . messy? 
 
Anne Fine has written numerous highly acclaimed and prize-winning books for children and adults. The Tulip Touch won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award; Goggle-Eyes won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal; Flour Babies won the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year; and Bill's New Frock won a Smarties Prize. Anne Fine was named Children's Laureate in 2001 and was awarded an OBE in 2003.

A brilliant tale of catastrophe and pussy pandemonium

Anne Fine has written numerous highly acclaimed and prize-winning books for children and adults. The Tulip Touch won the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award; Goggle-Eyes won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal; Flour Babies won the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year; and Bill's New Frock won a Smarties Prize. Anne Fine was named Children's Laureate in 2001 and was awarded an OBE in 2003.

So go on, ask me. 'Dear, dear Tuffy. Why was your Christmas so horrible?' 
 
Well. I couldn't climb the tree. 
I couldn't touch the dangly decorations. 
 
And Ellie made me part of her sing-along Christmas performance. 
Horrible, horrible, horrible! 
 
But I showed them. I was Tuffy the Acting Cat, superstar. How was I supposed to know things would get so . . . messy?

Trouble in Toadpool

A hilarious tale of family fun from multi award-winning author Anne Fine.

An enjoyable blend of adult knowingness and subversive silliness, enhanced by expert illustrations by Kate Aldous that fit the story scrupulously

This latest rip-roaring story from Anne Fine will have young readers laughing aloud . . . This is comic writing at its best from an established and successful children’s author

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid 1970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. Anne was appointed the Children's Laureate from 2001-2003. She lives in the North-East.

Bliss! A lovely, quiet, nothing-to-do and nothing-on-the-calendar Sunday . . . 
 
Well, that's until bossy Aunt Susan - an unstoppable force - is on the phone insisting that Harry and his family come down to help her a local event she's promised to organise: the Great Toadpool Show. 
 
It means swinging from a trapeze. Or walking on stilts. Or riding a unicycle . . . And that's not counting the fortune-telling tent, the tombola, or the choir singalong. 
 
Aunt Susan has no idea of the mayhem she's about to unleash.

A Shame To Miss Poetry Collection 3

An irresistible collection of poetry for young adults, put together by Children's Laureate Anne Fine.

These little collections not only abound with wonders but are inviting and interactive.Parents and teachers should pounce on them.

These three collections represent a stupendous act of rummaging.Her choices are quirky and rather canny

For younger readers there's an excellent trio of anthologies

Anne Fine was born in Leicester. She went to Wallisdean County Primary School in Fareham, Hampshire, and then to Northampton High School for Girls. She read Politics and History at the University of Warwick and then worked as an information officer for Oxfam before teaching (very briefly!) in a Scottish prison. She started her first book during a blizzard that stopped her getting to Edinburgh City Library and has been writing ever since. 
 
Anne Fine is now a hugely popular and celebrated author. Among the many awards she has won are the Carnegie Medal (twice), the Whitbread Children's Novel Award (twice), the Guardian Children's Literature Award and a Smarties Prize. She has twice been voted Children's Writer of the Year at the British Book Awards and was the Children's Laureate for 2001-2003. 
 
She has written over forty books for young people, including Goggle-Eyes, Flour Babies, Bill's New Frock, The Tulip Touch and Madame Doubtfire. She has also written a number of titles for adult readers, and has edited three poetry collections. 
 
Anne Fine lives in County Durham and has two daughters and a large hairy dog called Harvey.

Selected personally by multi-award-winning author and 2001-3 Children's Laureate, Anne Fine, this is a super collection of poetry that shouldn't be missed by any teen. Kingsley Amis, John Betjeman, Robet Browning, Leonard Clark, Adele Geras, Seamus Heaney, A E Housman, Philip Larkin, Pablo Neruda, Brian Patten and Derek Walcott are amongst the poets featured and there are over 100 poems in total.

A Shame To Miss Poetry Collection 2

A great collection of poetry for middle readers, from the 2001-3 Children's Laureate, Anne Fine.

Anne Fine, the 2001-3 Children's Laureate, is a life-long lover of poetry, and A SHAME TO MISS...2 is one of her three irresistible collections of poetry for young readers. 
 
Aimed at 9-11s, the collection contains a wonderful mixture of the familiar and classic (W H Auden, A E Housman, Christina Rossetti, Wordsworth and other poets) with poems from the late 20th century like Stevie Smith's 'Not Waving but Drowning' or Ted Hughes 'Full Moon and Little Frieda'. Poets from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds like John Agard and Grace Nichols are featured, alongside several other poets from non-European cultures.

A Shame to Miss Poetry Collection 1

A terrific collection of poetry chosen personally by Anne Fine, the 2001-2003 Children's Laureate.

Anne Fine, the 2001-3 Children's Laureate, has collected poetry she feels it would be a shame for any child to miss. 
 
A SHAME TO MISS . . .1 is aimed at junior readers and is a diverse mixture of classic, well-loved poetry like Lewis Carroll's 'Jabberwocky' or Tennyson's 'Break, Break, Break' alongside poems from more modern poets like Kit Wright, Brian Patten and Diana Hendry. Other poets featured include Hillaire Belloc, Walter de la Mare, Eleanor Farjeon, Robert Graves, Kipling and many others: more than 70 poems in total.

The Devil Walks

A truly terrifying horror tale from multi-award-winning author Anne Fine.

Anne Fine is right on top form in The Devil Walks, a page-turning sinister tale where the tension mounts to the very end . . . Now read on! A splendid child's introduction to the gothic

A superb and subtle writer . . . a joyful marriage of style and content . . . The Devil Walks is immediately a classic in its own right

Recommended, but not for a dark and stormy night

Crackling with suspense, The Devil Walks is a dense psychological thriller set in a richly imagined past. Moody and unsettling, it is filled with intrigue and uncertainty to keep the readers guessing until the last page

There's a real Turn of the Screw feel to this absorbing ghost tale, a genuine Gothic spinechiller and beautifully told

Chilling, creepy and utterly compelling . . . Fine creates a wonderful sense of place and the devilish captain Severin will haunt your psyche

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid 1970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. Anne was appointed the Children's Laureate from 2001-2003. 
 
She lives in the North-East.

'The devil walks . . . But the devil can make no headway if he has no help. We must invite him in . . .' 
 
Raised in secrecy by a mother everyone thinks has gone mad, Daniel's only link to his past is the intricately built model of the family home - High Gates. The dolls' house is perfect in every detail. 
 
As Daniel is reunited with the last remaining member of his family - his 'uncle' Severin, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a sinister wooden doll he has found hidden in the house, he begins to suspect that this vicious, haunted puppet of a figure has a chilling influence, bringing cruelty and spite in its wake. 
 
Now Daniel's very life is at risk as his uncle is determined to get his hands on the figure . . . 
 
The menace builds throughout in this deliciously creepy Gothic tale.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses: A Magic Beans Story

A short story from the Magic Beans series, all about a brave soldier's quest to unravel a magical mystery . . .

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book, The Summer-House Loon, was published in 1978, and has now written more than fifty books and won virtually every major award, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Smarties Prize and others. Anne Fine was the Children's Laureate from 2001-2003. Her best-known books include Madame Doubtfire (which was made into the film Mrs Doubtfire), Goggle-Eyes and Flour Babies.

The King is at his wit's end; twelve daughters and every morning their shoes are torn to ribbons! Nobody can tell him why, so he promises that whoever uncovers their secret will inherit his kingdom. The reward is huge - but the price of failure is their head. Who will risk it all for a dance with the princesses? 
 
This story is a magic bean. It may not look much like a bean, but I can promise you that it is. For if you plant it in a young mind, it will grow into a love of story and reading. These beans are favourite fairytales and legends that will delight, thrill and thoroughly entertain. Each story has been brilliantly crafted by one of the best-loved writers for children. 
 
This story was published by David Fickling Books as part of the Magic Beans anthology. The complete anthology is available in hardback and in ebook format.

Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairytales from the Storybag

Beautiful retellings of favourite fairytales by the best-loved writers for children.

An entrancing collection of classic fairtyales retold by leading storytellers such as Philip Pullman, Adele Geras, and Malorie Blackman. Elegant line drawings add to the magic

A wonderfully entertaining sampler of 14 great storytellers, who include Anne Fine, Phillip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson. It's rich retellings range from Aesops Fables to the Little Mermaid

With wonderfully told stories by brilliant writers including Alan Garner, Linda Newbery, Anne Fine, Gillian Cross, Berlie Doherty and Philip Pullman, parents will love it every bit as much as their kids

If you don't have a collection, then Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairytales from the Storybag is as good a place to start as any . . . Even bought as a reference guide to fantastic writers for your kids to explore, it'll be money well spent

With comfortable print and decorative embellishments by well-known illustrators, this rich kaleidoscope of stories is a book for keeps

Much nicer and more accessible than a traditional keepsake edition, this anthology will actually be read and enjoyed rather than resting on the shelf. The whole clutch of stories is beautifully, clearly written, and adults will relish reading them aloud to children

Brims with elegant prose, enchantment, comedy and mischief . . . It's the perfect gift but also a book to squirrel away for yourself and enjoy on a rainy afternoon

Smartly written, the tales can be enjoyed afresh, imbued with a love of words that will no doubt excite and delight your child. The new hardback collection is printed in large type so should be a good first read. It would also make a lovely gift

Each of the stories in this anthology is a magic bean: a wondrous take that will capture your imagination. Lovingly crafted by some of the finest authors and illustrators in the business . . . these 'magic beans' will delight and thoroughly entertain

All the stories give a fresh and immediate version of the often cruel but funny originals where the darkest sides of human nature are contrasted against innocent honesty; magic intervening first on one side, then the other, until virtue triumphs. Skilful writing from modern storytellers

A bright cover and good sized print are attractive but the irresistible factor is the list of 14 authors . . . Amazing, brilliant and a comparative bargain

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, Poet 
 
Each 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 to be moved by the suffering of the Little Mermaid. Prepare to laugh yourself silly as 'Mr Sultana' struggles to get the better of a little red rooster! 
 
Lovingly crafted by the finest authors and illustrators, these 'magic beans' will delight, thrill and thoroughly entertain.

All Bones And Lies

Anne Fine's perspective on the tangled web of familial relationships is hugely enjoyable, worryingly true, and disturbingly acute.

'Splendid... clever, cruel and funny... This is a heartwarming book'

Anne Fine has now written more than forty books which have been translated into twenty-six languages.Her first was the critically acclaimed The Killjoy. Taking the Devil's Advice and Telling Liddy have both been adapted for the radio. She is also a distinguished writer for young people, and has won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Whitbread Children's Award twice, the Guardian Children's Literature Award and a Smarties Prize. An adaptation of her novel Goggle-Eyes has been shown by the BBC, and Twentieth-Century Fox filmed her novel Madame Doubtfire as Mrs Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams. Her books have been translated into twenty-six languages. Between 2001 and 2003 she was the second Children's Laureate. Anne Fine has two grown-up daughters and lives in County Durham.

Colin is in many ways an ideal citizen. He holds down a responsible job for the council. He visits his aged mother Nora, shops for her, cooks for her, and listens to her grumbles. He also keeps in touch with his sister Dilys, long estranged from her mother, in a vain attempt to maintain family ties. But neither Dilys, Norah nor Colin's colleagues know about his other - much more secret - life that involves a garden shed, a circus acrobat, a much adored three-year-old charmer, and a certain Mr Haksar's increasingly disquieting penchant for squabbling with his neighbours. 
 
What Colin doesn't know is that, thanks to a house insurance policy incorrectly filled in by his mother, his two lives are set to collide, and there is nothing he can do to stop them. With her customary wit and perception, subtle yet razor sharp in her powers of observation, Anne Fine has produced another tour de force. Her portrait of the complex dynamics of family relationships is as lucid as it is uncomfortable, ending with a climax that in its wry irony and sheer unexpectedness is truly shocking.

Eating Things on Sticks

A hilarious tale of a holiday week on a remote British island - where the highlight of the week is the annual Fair with its Eating Things on Sticks competition

Anne Fine's acerbic take on life often assumes a level of sophistication in her young readers. Insights into the emotional lives of grown ups can appeal to children and the misunderstandings that surround Harry and Tristram's trip create comic situations that make the readers, for once, the knowing ones

Family relationships come under close scrutiny in this book, which is ideal for the summer holidays

A lively, witty, rain-drenched tale full of big beards, from one of our best children's writers

It's a controlled riot of invention, with a plot that embraces everything (or so it seems) from pork pies (some on sticks) to man (boy)-made floods . . . A laugh on virtually every one of its 180-odd pages

Bursting with silly situations and hilarious antics

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid 1970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. The Children's Laureate from 2001-2003, Anne is also very funny and young readers love her lack of hypocrisy about the family and her honesty about how people can behave. She lives in the North-East. 
 
'One of the sharpest and most humorous observers of the human condition writing today for the young' School Librarian 
 
'She is translated into 26 languages and has regularly won every major children's literary award in the land, including the Carnegie Medal twice and the Whitbread Children's Novel award twice . . . There are few more influential, or more unfailingly intelligent, authors at work' Scotsman 
 
'A subversively wicked gift for exploring family tensions' Independent

Harry is in trouble. He's burned down the family kitchen so now has to spend a week of his summer hols with his uncle Tristram - who's heading off to stay with a new girlfriend - Morning Glory - on a tiny British island. 
 
Harry doesn't expect it to be a lot of fun - with just a wacky competition at the end of the week to look forward to. 
He certainly didn't expect to discover all the beards. 
Or the angel on the mountain. 
Or the helicopters circling overhead all week. 
And he definitely didn't think it would be so wet . . .

The Stone Menagerie

Exciting reissue edition of a favourite Anne Fine novel that explores nonconformity and the pressures to fit in to our society

Written with clear understanding not just of children, but more importantly of their perception of the world - and that's what puts it in the top notch

Unusual, imaginative and compassionate story

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid 1970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. The Children's Laureate from 2001-2003, Anne is also very funny and young readers love her lack of hypocrisy about the family and her honesty about how people can behave. She lives in the North-East. 
 
'One of the sharpest and most humorous observers of the human condition writing today for the young' School Librarian 
 
'She is translated into 26 languages and has regularly won every major children's literary award in the land, including the Carnegie Medal twice and the Whitbread Children's Novel award twice . . . There are few more influential, or more unfailingly intelligent, authors at work' Scotsman 
 
'A subversively wicked gift for exploring family tensions' Independent

Ally really doesn't want to go with his mum on her weekly visit to his fragile aunt Chloe at the big Victorian hospital - until he discovers a hidden garden in the grounds. Here a young homeless couple have made themselves a home. Suddenly Ally begins to discover a new way of looking at the world - and to understand his aunt and some of her sensitivity. But there is another side to the coin, too, and the young couple must also be prepared to adapt to suit their changing circumstances . . .

Anne Fine

Goggle-Eyes is a winner: witty, sensitive and warm-hearted - a lovely book

This author is too much of a treasure to be reserved for children alone

Kitty Killin is not just a brilliant story-teller, but also the World's Great Expert when it comes to mothers having new and unwelcome boyfriends. So it's no surprise that she's the one chosen to sort out classmate Helly, who's gone into meltdown. Kitty decides to share her story about old Goggle-eyes - possibly one of the worst episodes in her life...

Anne Fine

Books by Anne Fine

Series by Anne Fine

The Killer Cat

Articles featuring Anne Fine

Books to read if you love Cruel Summer

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