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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'I fear nobody. But my enemies fear me . . . Without ruthlessness and savagery I would not survive even a week of the life I lead. I am the witch assassin of the Malkin clan.' 
 
Meet Grimalkin, the fearsome witch assassin, and find out how she came to take the role she now holds. 
 
This exclusive digital short story set in the world of Joseph Delaney's best-selling series The Wardstone Chronicles first appeared in the spine-tingling collection The Spook's Stories: Witches. Now available separately for the first time, and including a preview of the first chapter of I Am Grimalkin, this is perfect for existing fans and newcomers alike. The only question is, are you brave enough . . .

The Spook's Stories: Grimalkin's Tale

This haunting stand-alone story is a must have for SPOOK'S fans and a perfect introduction to Joseph Delaney's terrifying series which has sold 3 million copies sold worldwide! 
 
The Spook is away on a dangerous job, and left behind, his seventh apprentice, Will, is compelled to help a boy whose father has been kidnapped by a ruthless and bloodthirsty witch who has the body of a woman and the face of a pig. But Will has never encountered a real witch in the flesh before. And dark-fighting skills are not yet advanced enough to fight an enemy of such power . . . 
 
This story will chill your blood and frighten you to your very bones. Just remember not to read after dark. 
 
From the series that inspired the forthcoming movie Seventh Son, starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes and Julianne Moore.

Spook's: Seventh Apprentice

With her parents' bodies still warm in the ground, Alice Deane is whisked away by her aunt to be taught how to be a witch. Alice isn't happy about this - and who would be, with her aunt's brain guzzling familiar, Spig, out to get her? It soon becomes clear that one of them will have to go, and so Spig and Alice's bitter rivalry plays itself out to a gruesome end . . . 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in Spooks: Witches.

Alice and the Brain Guzzler (Storycuts)

'Someone has to stand against the dark. And you're the only one who can.' 
 
For years, the local Spook has been keeping the County safe from evil. Now his time is coming to an end, but who will take over? 
 
Many apprentices have tried . . . Some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Just one boy is left. Thomas Ward. He is the last hope. 
 
But does he stand a chance against Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the County?

Seventh Son

The Spook's Apprentice Film Tie-in

Henrietta Branford

The much-loved tale of how a brother and sister seek to escape the clutches of an evil witch and her enchanted house. But the witch is hungry and she's not willing to let them go that easily . . . 
 
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.

Hansel and Gretel: A Magic Beans Story

Adèle Geras

When six brothers are turned into swans by an evil queen, their fate falls into the hands of their younger sister. Can she save them - and herself - before it's too late? 
 
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.

The Six Swan Brothers: A Magic Beans Story

Tony Mitton

Duncan MacKinnon is an ordinary fisherman who lives in a croft by the sea. Everything is going swimmingly well for him, until one day a mysterious stranger knocks at his door . . . 
 
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.

The Seal Hunter: A Magic Beans Story

Philip Pullman

‘But the thing is,’ said Horley, ‘they didn’t know each other at all. Never heard of each other. It wasn’t about the makers. Only about the works.’ 
 
On a dark winter’s night in 1970, Horley and Grinstead huddle for warmth in the Senior Common Room of a college in Oxford. Conversation turns to the two impressive works of art that Horley has recently added to his collection. What the two men don’t know is that these pieces are connected in mysterious and improbable ways; and they are about to be caught in the cross-fire of a story which has travelled time and worlds. 
 
A His Dark Materials story.

The Collectors

His Dark Materials Story

Joan Aiken

King Richard, son of James III lies gravely ill and there are rumours that the king's enemy, the Duchess of Burgundy, is preparing an imminent invasion. The ancient crown of Alfred must be found so King Richard can pass it on to his successor. Is Simon, Duke of Battersea and friend of the king, next in line to the throne or will the evil werewolf Baron Magnus Rudh succeed in his plot to make his son, Lot, king? To add further complications, Dido Twite, held prisoner by the Baron and the Duchess, does not know the whereabouts of either Simon or the dying king: can she escape in time to find and warn them of the treachery afoot? This adventure with a truly galloping plot and breath-taking situations will delight all fans of Joan Aiken's books

Midwinter Nightingale

Brian Jacques

Henry Mawdsley is a terrific liar. However, the more people get to know him, the less they believe in his lies - and it won't be long until nobody in his town believes a word he says! So when a chance encounter with the devil offers him the opportunity to have everyone believe his lies unconditionally for a week for the measly price of his soul, Henry jumps at the chance. But as the week draws to a close, and the date of Henry's descent into hell gets closer, he begins to fear for his life . . . 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

The Lies of Henry Mawdsley (Storycuts)

Arwen Elys Dayton

The Young Dread lives outside the stream of time: frozen for vast stretches, centuries old yet inhabiting the form of a teenage girl. When she’s awake in the world, she can hear an enemy approach from a mile away, manipulate a whipsword into a thousand forms, and attack with it faster than the human eye can see. 
 
The Young Dread observes the training of the families known as Seekers. Past and future intertwine in Seeker traditions - they are the keepers of both ancient knowledge and advanced weapons - and the Dreads must oversee it all, testing their skills, swearing them to loyalty, bringing them justice. 
 
Arwen Elys Dayton takes readers on a journey to follow this ageless Dread’s footsteps. For this time, when the Young Dread wakes, things will change. She is about to discover the first threads of a web in which she and so many others will be trapped.

The Young Dread

Simon Rae

All his life, Jack Henley has felt at home in the woods - more at home than when he's actually at home with his parents. He loves watching the badgers play-fighting in the summer evenings, and pretending to be outlaws or cannibals with his two best friends. When Jack discovers that the woods hide an incredible secret - a beautiful, extraordinary, unicorn - he cannot believe his eyes. 
 
He and the owner of the woods, the eccentric Mr Finistaire, embark on a journey to save the unicorn from extinction. But as they continue in secrecy, Jack begins to wonder whether Mr Finistaire is quite what he seems.. Will the bond between Keras and Jack be enough to withstand the danger that awaits them both?

Keras

Kate Tym

Mo, Colin and Ronnie go undercover to catch a crafty blackmailer at work in the Academy. But when things go wrong, and Colin is charged with the crime, Mo and Ronnie must work together to prove his innocence and unveil the identity of the real blackmailing baddie.

Angel Academy - Angels Undercover

When Jonathan joins a new school, he is an easy target for R.S.B. Limited, three bullies who demand money in exchange for 'protection.' Unable to afford the rates, he is subjected to a humiliating daily ritual. However, a pale anonymous boy who looks eerily similar to Jonathan has been glimpsed around the school - and he's not going to let R.S.B. Limited get away with their bullying any more. 
 
Part of the Stroycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

RSB Limited (Storycuts)

‘Without this child, we shall all die.’ 
 
Lyra Belacqua lives half-wild and carefree among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon, Pantalaimon, always by her side. 
 
But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle – a struggle born of stolen children, witch clans and armoured bears. 
 
As she hurtles towards danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, the biggest battle imaginable.

Northern Lights: His Dark Materials 1

now a major BBC TV series

This special collection features all three titles in the award-winning trilogy: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. 
 
And now includes extracts from The Book of Dust series: La Belle Sauvage and The Secret Commonwealth 
 
Now a major critically acclaimed BBC series 
 
Set against the dreaming spires of Jordan College and the dangerous wilderness of the frozen north, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy offers an intoxicating blend of imagination, science, theology and adventure. 
 
Northern Lights 
Lyra Belacqua lives half-wild and carefree among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle – a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armoured bears. 
 
The Subtle Knife 
Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted otherworld – Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Spectres stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: twelve-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another's, has also stumbled into this strange new realm. 
 
On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will uncover a deadly secret: an object of extraordinary and devastating power. And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat – and the shattering truth of their own destiny. 
 
The Amber Spyglass 
Will and Lyra, whose fates are bound together by powers beyond their own worlds, have been violently separated. But they must find each other, for ahead of them lies the greatest war that has ever been – and a journey to a dark place from which no one has ever returned . . .

His Dark Materials: The Complete Collection

Gilly Bodkin met a terrible accident in 1690 while searching for a sweetmeat. The poor boy's ghost is left to wander woods and highways searching for that elusive sweet that he lost his life trying to taste. This is his sad story. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

The Sad History of Gilly Bodkin (Storycuts)

Victoria Hanley

Bryn is the daughter of a humble stone-cutter. So no one is more surprised than she when the Master Priest seeks her out to become a student at the famous Temple of the Oracle; a training school for future priests and priestesses. But her innately gifted nature proves a threat to the evil embedded within the Temple, and Bryn encounters unimaginable danger. Is she able to struggle with the unknown and to save the whole world from untold misery? Or will the powers of darkness succeed?

The Light Of The Oracle

Jamie is just an ordinary boy dealing with ordinary struggles: trying to fit in and avoiding his overbearing mother. However, the discovery of what his friends call a Vampire's Tomb reveals an opportunity for Jamie to prove himself. All he has to do is wait in the graveyard as the church clock strikes midnight. He's not scared - vampires don't exist . . . right? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

Jamie and the Vampires (Storycuts)

Susan Gates

When the King remarries, his beautiful daughter is forced to leave his castle by her mean-spirited stepfamily. Laden only with bread, cheese and kindness, the Princess seeks her fortune and finds three friendly heads in a well. When the stepsister follows, however, it is clear that the three heads may be either friend or foe . . . 
 
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.

The Three Heads in the Well: A Magic Beans Story

Jan Burchett

Sara Vogler

When Max and Ben discover that the ancient stone figures on the church next door to their school actually come to life, they are delighted! School will be much more fun now that the boys have the gargoylz to help them play pranks and wreak havoc. And when they discover that the gargoylz all have special powers too, they realize that the possibilities for mischief are endless! 
 
In this book the boys meet Theo, the gargoyle with the power to turn into a fearsome tiger - if he can only learn to get it right. And there's trouble for Toby when Max's gran mistakes him for a garden gnome! More fun and hijinks abound in the second of this fun and funny series for young readers. 
 
GARGOYLZ ARE VERY NAUGHTY AND WON'T KEEP STILL FOR LONG. THEREFORE, THE TOY INCLUDED MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS SHOWN.

Gargoylz Get Up to Mischief

Anne Fine

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.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses: A Magic Beans Story

In 'Allie/Alma', Alma is a very good girl who volunteers with the elderly in her free time. Allie is her wicked alter ego. While Alma courteously tends to her companions' needs, Allie is scheming to steal their precious heirlooms and artefacts. So it happens one day that Allie is so overcome by greed for a particular carved egg that she forgets to listen to its tragic history, unaware that she will be the next chapter in it. 
 
In 'Bridgey', our eponymous heroine is trapped as her uncle's slave, doing household chores from dawn until dusk with only a duck named Rafferty and a mysterious water monster called the Grimblett as her friends. One day, when Bridgey accidentally drops her uncle's treasured honey pot in the lake he flies into a rage and it is left to Rafferty and Grimblett to exact a harsh final punishment on him. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.

Allie/Alma / Bridgey (Storycuts)

John Burningham

Hare, Hippopotamus and Elephant live together, but not happily, for Hippopotamus and Elephant are forever teasing poor Hare. One day, Hare decides to teach his friends a lesson, and so the great tug of war begins ...

Tug of War

Lauren Kate

Luce doesn’t like the sound of the Sword and Cross reform school, and it lives up to all her expectations. Until she meets Daniel. He’s perfect, but what she doesn’t realise is that they have met before. Many times. He is a fallen angel, and each time they meet they are torn apart, Luce dying and Daniel forced to live on without her. They think that they have found a way to break the curse, but they will have to make great sacrifices along the way. Love never dies in this darkly romantic series which spans centuries in its storytelling.

Discover the series that everyone’s talking about in this thrilling collection of the first two books in Lauren Kate’s FALLEN sequence. 
 
In Fallen, Luce knows from the moment she first sees Daniel that she has never felt like this before. Except she can't shake the feeling that she has . . . and with him – a boy she doesn't remember ever setting eyes on. Will her attempt to find out why enlighten her – or destroy her? 
 
 And in the incredible sequel, Torment, after finally finding each other, Luce and Daniel are forced apart again at the hands of the Outcasts – immortals who want Luce dead. During her separation from her beloved angel, Luce learns more about her mysterious past lives. But the more she discovers, the more she suspects Daniel is hiding something . . .

Lauren Kate: Fallen & Torment

Karen Mahoney

Moth's adventures in the dark and twisted underworld of modern-day Boston continue in this thrilling sequel to Falling to Ash. 
 
Once bitten . . . never shy 
 
Adjusting to life as a vampire hasn’t been easy for Moth. Torn between her family and her maker Theo, Moth spends her time running from one deadly situation to the next. 
 
 
That’s not her only problem. There’s a killer on the loose and no vampire is safe. Even worse, the prime suspect is Jace Murdoch, Moth’s friend and one-time crush. 
 
He is in serious danger. Moth needs to hunt down the killer before Jace is destroyed. 
Time is running out and the darkness is closing in . . .

Hunting the Dark

Malorie Blackman

A singing ant, a silly wolf and a mighty mouse are just some of the characters in this mini collection of everyone's favourite fables. After all, it's never too late to learn a new moral or two! 
 
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.

Aesop's Fables: A Magic Beans Story

Meet the Gargoylz - mischievous little monsters who are super sneaky, super naughty and have super powers too! 
 
They look like funny stone statues on the church next door to max and Ben's school - but the boys soon find out that the Gargoylz come to life! And then lots of mischief, mayhem and superspy adventures are guaranteed! 
 
A bumper book of Gargoylz fun and mischief. Ten stories in one book - plus lots of puzzle pages. Perfect for holiday fun!

Gargoylz: Spring Mayhem

One night there was a thunderstorm. A tattered scarecrow stood in the wind and rain, taking no notice . . . until a bolt of lightning struck his turnip head. The scarecrow blinked with surprise and came to life. 
 
So begins the story of the Scarecrow, a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant, and they set out to journey to Spring Valley together. Along the way there's no end of excitement - battle and shipwreck, brigands and tricksters - and it's up to Jack time after time to save the day.

The Scarecrow and his Servant

Berlie Doherty

The mischievous imps' magic mirror has frozen Kay's heart, turning him into a miserable prisoner of the Snow Queen. His best friend, Gerda, is racing barefoot across Lapland to save him - together they must find the secret of the universe and sing their way home, before Kay's heart becomes cold and black forever. 
 
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.

The Snow Queen: A Magic Beans Story

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