Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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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.

Three brothers run away from home to live like Robin Hood and his merry men, deep in the forest of Brendon Chase. They make their camp in an ancient oak tree and live like outlaws, loving the dangers and excitements of their wild surroundings. 
Their aim is never to be caught - but how can they avoid all the people who are searching for them, including the police?

Brendon Chase

Joan Lingard

Kevin and Sadie just want to be together, but it's not that simple. Things are bad in Belfast. Soldiers walk the streets and the city is divided. No Catholic boy and Protestant girl can go out together - not without dangerous consequences . . . 
 
The second of Joan Lingard's ground-breaking Kevin and Sadie books

Across the Barricades

A Kevin and Sadie Story

S E Hinton

Greasers, Rockers, different place, different name - but wherever they are, they're outsiders; the rough, tough, long-haired boys from the other side of town, with little hope of flash cars, fine madras shirts and the good things of American life in the Sixties. Their story is told by Ponyboy, a Greaser with good reason to fear the Socs, the rich kids in Mustangs who come looking for trouble, and witness to the savage baiting that drives his best friend to manslaughter. More than a story of hatred and violence, this is also a story of loyalty and friendship as teenagers of the urban slums search for personal dignity and a place in the world.

The Outsiders

Sadie is Protestant, Kevin is Catholic - and on the tense streets of Belfast their lives collide. It starts with a dare - kids fooling around - but soon becomes something dangerous. Getting to know Sadie Jackson will change Kevin's life forever. But will the world around them change too? The first of Joan Lingard's influential Kevin and Sadie books.

The Twelfth Day of July

E Nesbit

Download E. Nesbit's timeless classic Five Children and It, read by 007 star Samantha Bond and brought to you by Puffin Audiobooks. 
 
When Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother go digging in the gravel pit, the last thing they expect to find is a Psammead - an ancient sand-fairy! Having a sand-fairy for a pet means having one wish granted each day. But the children don't realize all of the trouble wishes can cause . . .

Five Children and It

Aidan Chambers

Jacob arrives in Holland, aged 17, travelling alone for the first time.  He is there for the commemoration of the Second World War Battle of Arnhem, where his grandfather had fought. Jacob's exploration of contemporary Amsterdam and the fascinating people he meets there interweaves with the passionate story about his grandfather he learns from Geertrui, an elderly lady whose family is linked to Jacob's in a way he never suspected.  A beautiful, multi-layered novel about love, discovery and betrayal, which will enrapture young adult readers.

Postcards from No Man's Land

Robert Swindells

Martha is twelve - and very different from other kids, because of her parents. Strict members of a religious group - the Brethren - their rules dominate Martha's life. And one rule is the most important of all: she must never ever invite anyone home. If she does, their shameful secret - Abomination - could be revealed. But as Martha makes her first real friend in Scott, a new boy at school, she begins to wonder. Is she doing the right thing by helping to keep Abomination a secret? And just how far will her parents go to prevent the truth from being known?

Abomination

George Orwell

In this story, Winston Smith re-writes history for the Ministry of Truth in Oceania. Big Brother and the Thought Police watch everyone for signs of Thought Crime. But when Winston falls in love with Julia, he begins to have new ideas and hopes. Winston and Julia start to question the world that they live in - but Big Brother does not like independent thought. 
 
Our Penguin Readers books include: 
• Simple text (CEFR-levelled) 
• Pictures to help you understand the story 
• Fun exercises to help you learn and practise English 
 
With the print book, you can get even more help online: 
• Read the book online 
• Listen to the book being read out loud 
• Get lesson plans for teachers 
• Find answers to check your understanding 
 
Note: online resources not available with the eBook.

Penguin Readers Level 7: Nineteen Eighty-Four (ELT Graded Reader)

Abridged Edition

James Joyce

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Dubliners, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
In these stories, Joyce describes the lives of ordinary Dubliners. Their lives are not always easy, and they have problems with their families. They were the people who Joyce grew up with and he knew them very well.

Penguin Readers Level 6: Dubliners (ELT Graded Reader)

Jane Austen

With a foreword by Krystal Marquis, author of The Davenports and The Davenports: More Than This 
 
‘If your only choice is Henry Crawford and his red flags, spinsterhood may the way to go.’ – Krystal Marquis 
 
When Fanny Price is taken in by wealthy relatives, she finds herself abused, overlooked and thoroughly unloved. Her only solace is her friendship with their youngest son, Edmund. But they are just friends. At least for now. 
 
Soon, the arrival of Henry and Mary Crawford sets off a flurry of matchmaking and Fanny must decide who she loves and how they might all end up living happily-ever-after. 
 
Fall head over heels for First Impressions, Puffin’s boldly designed new YA Jane Austen collection. Like all the best romcoms, Austen’s novels are full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama; they are masterclasses in the lost arts of stolen glances and breath-taking gestures. 
 
With a stunning modern design and forewords from leading YA romance authors, this eye-catching six-book series is an open invitation to escape the brutal nonchalance of modern dating and embrace your inner romantic.

Mansfield Park

Louisa May Alcott

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Little Women, a Level 1 Reader, is A1 in the CEFR framework. Short sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, introducing the past simple tense and some simple modals, adverbs and gerunds. Illustrations support the text throughout, and many titles at this level are graphic novels. 
 
Little Women is the story of a poor American family in the American Civil War. The four sisters, Beth, Jo, Meg and Amy are very different. But together they work hard and help their mother and father. Sometimes their lives are very happy, and sometimes they are very sad. But the family's love always helps them.

Penguin Readers Level 1: Little Women (ELT Graded Reader)

Esther Hautzig

Esther Rudomin was ten years old when, in 1941, she and her family were arrested by the Russians for being 'capitalists' and transported to the endless steppe of Siberia. This is the very moving true story of the next five years spent in exile, of how the Rudomins kept their courage high, though they went barefoot and hungry.

The Endless Steppe

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Sense and Sensibility, a Level 5 Reader, is B1 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing present perfect continuous, past perfect, reported speech and second conditional. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly. 
 
Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are sisters. After the death of their father and losing their home and money, they have to move to a small cottage across the country. There, both their lives completely change.

Penguin Readers Level 5: Sense and Sensibility (ELT Graded Reader)

Philip Pullman

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
The fourth book in the Sally Lockhart Quartet, narrated by Adjoa Andoh. 
 
Jim Taylor, Sally's oldest friend, is engaged as bodyguard to a princess. But Crown Princess Adelaide of Razkavia is not what you'd expect. She's the slum-girl Jim has been searching for ever since she vanished 10 years ago. 
 
Now her life is in mortal danger, and together they must battle against unknown enemies in a country where no one can be trusted. 
 
 
© Philip Pullman 1994 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

The Tin Princess

With a foreword by Hannah Grace, author of Icebreaker and Wildfire 
 
‘If [Elinor] were real, I’d bet that her favourite Taylor Swift song would be This is Me Trying.’ – Hannah Grace 
 
Left destitute after their father’s death, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood must navigate love, marriage and societal expectations to ensure their security and happiness. But romance isn’t easy, and soon Elinor finds her good sense tested by her charming brother-in-law, while Marianne’s romantic sensibility brings her nothing but heartbreak. 
 
To find happiness, both sisters must learn to balance sense and sensibility. 
 
Fall head over heels for First Impressions, Puffin’s boldly designed new YA Jane Austen collection. Like all the best romcoms, Austen’s novels are full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama; they are masterclasses in the lost arts of stolen glances and breath-taking gestures. 
 
With a stunning modern design and forewords from leading YA romance authors, this eye-catching six-book series is an open invitation to escape the brutal nonchalance of modern dating and embrace your inner romantic.

Sense and Sensibility

Thomas Hardy

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Tess of the D'Urbervilles, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
When Jack and Joan Durbeyfield learn that their ancestors were the d'Urbervilles - a rich and well-known family - they hope it will make their lives better. They send their eldest daughter, Tess, to introduce herself to some "relatives". There, Tess meets Alec d'Urberville, who immediately notices her beauty. The terrible event that follows changes her life forever.

Penguin Readers Level 6: Tess of the D'Urbervilles (ELT Graded Reader)

Mark Twain

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a Level 2 Reader, is A1+ in the CEFR framework. Sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, introducing the future tenses will and going to, present continuous for future meaning, and comparatives and superlatives. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages. 
 
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) is the story of a boy in Missouri in the 1840s. Tom Sawyer's parents are dead and he lives with his aunt in a small village next to the long Mississippi river. One night, Tom and his friend, Huckleberry Finn see Injun Joe kill Dr Robinson. "We can't say anything about it. Or we will die," says Tom. But then the wrong man goes to prison...

Penguin Readers Level 2: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (ELT Graded Reader)

Dodie Smith

Ngadi Smart

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain and her family live in a beautiful, ramshackle castle - but sadly that's not quite as exciting as it sounds when you're having to use the barn door as a kitchen table, and new clothes are literally made out of old curtains . . . 
 
Determined to forge her own path, Cassandra practices her writing skills by keeping a diary - observing the eccentric comings and goings of her beloved-but exasperating family, and pondering what life may have in store for her. But things are about to get delightfully more dramatic with the arrival of two glamorous Americans - and soon the Mortmain's lives will never be the same again.

I Capture the Castle

John Steinbeck

Young Jody Tiflin lives on his father's California ranch. He is thrilled when his father gives him a red pony, and later promises him the colt of a bay mare. Both these gifts bring joy to Jodi's life - but tragedy soon follows. As Jodi begins to learn the harsh lessons of life and death, he starts to understand what growing-up and becoming an adult really means.

The Red Pony

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

‘We are now about to visit the most marvellous places and see the most wonderful things!’ 
 
This beautiful edition of James and the Giant Peach, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new. 
 
So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . . 
 
The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl’s books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.

James and the Giant Peach

Charles Dickens

In this story, Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas. He is angry that people are not working. Then, he meets the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley. Can Scrooge be a good person before it is too late? 
 
Our Penguin Readers books include: 
• Simple text (CEFR-levelled) 
• Pictures to help you understand the story 
• Fun exercises to help you learn and practise English 
 
With the print book, you can get even more help online: 
• Read the book online 
• Listen to the book being read out loud 
• Get lesson plans for teachers 
• Find answers to check your understanding 
 
Note: online resources not available with the eBook.

Penguin Readers Level 1: A Christmas Carol (ELT Graded Reader)

Graphic Novel

M. R. James

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Ghost Stories, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages. 
 
A strange whistle, a dangerous curse, a buried crown and a hotel without a room 13. Don't read these four frightening ghost stories by M.R. James late at night!

Penguin Readers Level 3: Ghost Stories (ELT Graded Reader)

William Shakespeare

Hamlet, prince of Denmark, meets with his father's ghost, who alleges that his own brother, now married to his widow, murdered him. The prince devises a scheme to test the truth of the ghost's accusation, pretending madness while plotting a brutal revenge. But his apparent insanity soon begins to wreak havoc on innocent and guilty alike.

HAMLET (Spinebreakers)

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
Lambeth, South London, 1894. Meet the New Cut Gang - Sharky Bob, Benny, Thunderbolt, Bridie and the Peretti twins: the greatest detectives since Sexton Blake. 
 
They inhabit the streets around Lambeth Walk and the New Cut in 1894, a place bristling with gangsters, bookies, pickpockets, horse thieves and the occasional policeman. But who's passing counterfeit coins 'round Lambeth? Surely not Thunderbolt's dad, who's just been arrested... 
 
© Philip Pullman 1994 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Thunderbolt's Waxwork

With a foreword by Lauren Asher, author of The Fine Print and Love Redesigned 
 
‘I dare you to read the first chapter … chances are you won’t be able to stop once you start.’ – Lauren Asher 
 
Craving adventure, seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland leaps at the opportunity to step into the dizzying world of British high society in the resort town of Bath. 
 
Adventure arrives in the form of handsome clergyman Henry Tilney, and the ominous promise of his family home: Northanger Abbey. But for romance to blossom, Catherine must find answers to her dark suspicious about the abbey and face that most terrifying of enemies: money-minded social climbers. 
 
Fall head over heels for First Impressions, Puffin’s boldly designed new YA Jane Austen collection. Like all the best romcoms, Austen’s novels are full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama; they are masterclasses in the lost arts of stolen glances and breath-taking gestures. 
 
With a stunning modern design and forewords from leading YA romance authors, this eye-catching six-book series is an open invitation to escape the brutal nonchalance of modern dating and embrace your inner romantic.

Northanger Abbey

‘O time, thou must untangle this, not I.’ 
 
Rediscover Shakespeare’s tale of crossed loves and mistaken identities. 
 
Love gets complicated. 
 
After a catastrophic shipwreck, identical twins Viola and Sebastian are separated, each believing that the other is dead. To get her life back on track, Viola begins dressing as a man and working for Duke Orsino – mostly passing love letters to his beau, Countess Olivia. Unfortunately, Viola fancies the Duke for herself, and Olivia has fallen for Viola! 
 
All it would take was another Viola in play to set the whole thing unravelling … 
 
Offering the complete and unabridged text, set in a dyslexic-friendly font and introduced by renowned YA authors, this beautifully designed collection is the perfect way to introduce YA readers to Shakespeare's most iconic stories.

Twelfth Night

Staged: the origins of YA’s greatest tropes

Kate Harper

L. M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables, one of the most widely read and best-loved stories in the world, is brought to life on this abridged, downloadable audiobook edition by actress Kate Harper. 
 
The Cuthberts are in for a shock. They are expecting an orphan boy to help with the work at Green Gables - but a skinny red-haired girl turns up instead. Highly spirited Anne Shirley charms her way into the Cuthberts' affection with her vivid imagination and constant chatter, and soon it's impossible to imagine life without her.

Anne of Green Gables

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Pride and Prejudice, a Level 4 Reader, is A2+ in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing more complex uses of present perfect simple, passives, phrasal verbs and simple relative clauses. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly. 
 
Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of an English country gentleman, meets Mr Darcy, a rich man who owns land. At first, Elizabeth hates him and thinks he is proud, but slowly her feelings start to change. Can she fight her own pride and find happiness?

Penguin Readers Level 4: Pride and Prejudice (ELT Graded Reader)

Charlotte Brontë

Orphaned Jane Eyre endures an unhappy childhood, hated by her aunt and cousins and then sent to comfortless Lowood School. But life there improves and Jane stays on as a teacher, though she still longs for love and friendship. At Mr Rochester's house, where she goes to work as a governess, she hopes she might have found them - until she learns the terrible secret of the attic.

Jane Eyre

The Sisterhood

Last week, something very funny happened to the Gregg family. 
 
 
This beautiful edition of The Magic Finger, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new. 
 
So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . . 
 
The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl’s books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.

The Magic Finger

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