Ajay Chowdhury, the inaugural winner of the Harvill Secker-Bloody Scotland prize, is a tech entrepreneur and theatre director. His children’s book – Ayesha and the Firefish, was published in 2016 and adapted into a musical which premiered in San Francisco. 
 
 
The Waiter (Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month), was published in 2021, and is the first in his critically-acclaimed crime series about Detective Kamil Rahman, an ex-policeman from Kolkata who has moved to Brick Lane in London. It is being adapted for television by Moonage Pictures.The Cook (Guardian Top Crime Books of the Year) was published in May 2022 to excellent reviews and deals with the issue of homelessness. The third book in the series – The Detective (Sunday Times Top Crime Books of the Year) – is about government surveillance and AI. The Spy (Longlisted Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing), the fourth book, sees Kamil infiltrate a terrorist cell. The Shadow (A Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month) is the latest book in the series.

Ajay Chowdhury

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Rudyard Kipling

No man's cub can run with the people of the Jungle,' howled Shere Khan. 'Give him to me! 
 
When Father Wolf and Mother Wolf find a man-cub in the jungle, they anger the greedy tiger Shere Khan by refusing to surrender it to his jaws, and rear the child as their own. But when little Mowgli grows up, the pack can no longer defend him. He must learn the secret of fire, and with the help of his friends Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, he faces his nemesis at last. 
 
BACKSTORY: Learn about India’s jungles and the animals that live there!

The Jungle Book

Arthur Ransome

'You know what it's like. Dark at teatime and sleeping indoors: nothing ever happens in the winter holidays.' 
 
Or so Nancy thinks. Then the lake ices over completely and the Swallows and Amazons, along with Dick and Dorothea - ‘the D’s’ - plan a race to find the North Pole. How will they reach it if they can’t sail? By sledges of course! But when a blizzard blows up and there is a mix up about signals, the D’s disappear into the Arctic night. Disaster looms. Can the Swallows and Amazons save their friends? 
 
BACKSTORY: Crack the Swallows and Amazons' code and learn all about the real Arctic exploration that inspired this book.

Winter Holiday

Erich Kästner

'Password Emil!' 
 
Emil and the detectives are on holiday by the seaside when they meet the three Byrons. One Byron is the father and the other two are the sons, Mackie and Jackie. Jackie is bigger than Mackie and Byron Senior is very annoyed about it. But what is Jackie to do? When Emil and the detectives discover that the father is planning to desert poor Jackie they are determined to come to the rescue but not before they've been cast away on a desert island... 
 
BACKSTORY: Test your knowledge of Emil and his friends and discover some fun seaside activities!

Emil and the Three Twins

E Nesbit

'"Stand firm'" said Peter, "and wave like mad!"' 
 
They were not railway children to begin with. When their Father mysteriously leaves home Roberta (everyone calls her Bobbie), Phyllis and Peter must move to a small cottage in the countryside with Mother. It is a bitter blow to leave their London home, but soon they discover the hills and valleys, the canal and of course, the railway. But with the thrilling rush and rattle and roar of the trains comes danger too. Will the brave trio come to the rescue? And most importantly, can they solve the disappearance of their Father? 
 
BACKSTORY: Find out all about steam trains and learn what it was really like to be a child in Edwardian times.

The Railway Children

‘Let fly jib sheet! Slack away main! Fenders out!’ 
 
Dick and Dorothea – also known as The Ds – arrive in Norfolk all ready to learn how to sail. They couldn’t hope for a better teacher than Tom Dudgeon. But Tom is in a spot of trouble. After seeing the beastly Margoletta moored clean across the nests of his beloved coots, Tom set the motorcruiser adrift. Now the enemy have offered a bounty on his head. Can they save the birds’ nest from almost certain destruction? Will they avoid being caught by the awful Hullabaloos? Only some brave friends and quick thinking stands between them and disaster… 
 
Includes exclusive material: In ‘The Backstory’ you can test your knowledge of the book, learn about the adventurous author and get some handy facts about birds and boats. 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Coot Club

'Password Emil!' 
 
Emil is excited to be taking the train on his own for the first time. He doesn't like the look of his fellow passenger, the man in the bowler hat. Emil will just have to keep his wits about him and his money in his pocket. But Emil falls asleep and when he wakes up the man in the bowler hat is gone - and so is the money! Emil is determined to get it back. He teams up with a gang of young detectives and so begins a hair-raising chase across Berlin to catch the dirty rotten thief... 
 
BACKSTORY: Learn all about the book's brave author and find out just how good a sleuth you would be.

Emil and the Detectives

Ian Serraillier

Discover this amazing adventure story set in the Second World War 
 
 'If you meet Ruth or Edek or Bronia, you must tell them I'm going to Switzerland to find their mother. Tell them to follow as soon as they can’ 
 
Having lost their parents in the chaos of war, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are left alone to fend for themselves and hide from the Nazis amid the rubble and ruins of their city. They meet a ragged orphan boy, Jan, who treasures a paperknife - a silver sword - which was entrusted to him by an escaped prisoner of war. The three children realise that the escapee was their father, the silver sword a message that he is alive and searching for them. Together with Jan they begin a dangerous journey across the battlefields of Europe to find their parents. 
 
BACKSTORY: Read a letter from the author's daughter and find out about the amazing true stories that inspired The Silver Sword.

The Silver Sword

Sheila Burnford

'Only one thing was clear and certain - that at all costs he was going home, home to his own beloved master...&rsquo; 
 
The Hunter children must go abroad, so they reluctantly leave their three pets in the care of a friend. But the faithful animals only know they must get home again, somehow. So the labrador, the old bull terrier and the dainty Siamese cat set off on a perilous journey through the wilderness. But how will domestic animals fare against river rapids, hunger, icy temperatures, and ferocious wild beasts? And if they make it home, will their owners be waiting for them? 
 
The perfect gift for an animal-loving child this Christmas. 
 
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out about some incredible real-life pet adventures!

The Incredible Journey

Flat on his front, binoculars to his eyes, alone at dusk, Dick makes a remarkable discovery: two rare birds, never before seen in the British Isles. Captain Flint and his crew decide to consult an expert to confirm the discovery. But when the man they ask turns out to have his collector’s eye on the birds’ eggs, not to mention skins, an enjoyable voyage around the Outer Hebrides becomes a desperate race to save the birds, and themselves…

Great Northern?

‘Why shouldn’t we be detectives too?’ 
 
When Dick and Dorothea arrive in the Norfolk Broads all set for a blissful summer on the river, they find their friends the Death and Glories in a very bad situation. Accused of setting boats adrift, sabotage and theft, the boys are under suspicion by everyone on the river. And in the meantime, the real culprits are still at large. There’s no choice but to form a crime-busting team: The Big Six. As the evidence stacks against them, can they solve the mystery and trap the real criminals? 
 
Includes exclusive material: In ‘The Backstory’ find out about birds, boats and fish and put your own detective skills to the test! 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Big Six

Noel Streatfeild

If you love Noel Streatfeild&rsquo;s Ballet Shoes, you&rsquo;ll adore The Bell Family. 
 
'Well, little people, what's the news?&rsquo; 
 
Meet the big, happy Bell family who live in the vicarage at St Marks. 
 
Father is a reverend; Mother is as kind as kind can be. Then there's all the children &ndash; practical Paul, dancing Jane, mischievous Ginnie, and finally the baby of the family, Angus, whose ambition is to own a private zoo (he has already begun with his six boxes of caterpillars). And not forgetting Esau, a surefire competitor for the most beautiful dog in Britain. 
 
Follow their eventful lives from tense auditions to birthday treats; from troubled times to hilarious escapades. The perfect Christmas gift for ballet-loving children. 
 
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out which one of the Bell children you most resemble!

The Bell Family

R.L Stevenson

'For God's sake, hold on!' 
 
On a stormy night off the coast of Scotland, young David Balfour faces his most terrifying test yet. He's been double-crossed by his wicked uncle, tricked into a sea voyage and sold into slavery. When the dashing Alan Breck Stewart comes aboard, he finds a brave friend at least, and the pair fight back against their treacherous, black-hearted shipmates. But then the ship hits a reef, it's every man for himself, and David must battle against the raging sea itself! 
 
BACKSTORY: Learn about the true stories that inspired this adventurous tale!

Kidnapped

'Like to spend a night in the Goblin?’ 
 
The Swallows are staying on the Suffolk coast while they wait for their father to return home from China. But although the harbour is bursting with bobbing yachts, barges and steamers, this year there's no chance of any sailing for the landlocked Swallows. That is until they rescue young Jim Brading and his boat the Goblin from a sticky situation and to their delight are recruited as crew members. Mother agrees they can go, on one condition – they absolutely must not sail out past Beach End Buoy and into the open sea… 
 
Includes exclusive content: In the 'Backstory' you can test your knowledge of the book, and learn all about the art of sailing! 
 
 Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea

'You’ll start with a blank map, that doesn’t do more than show roughly what’s water and what isn’t’ 
 
When the Walker family’s holiday plans are ruined by Daddy having to work, the whole summer seems lost at sea. But a dull holiday for the children is too miserable to bear so their parents hatch a plan. The Swallows are to be marooned on an island with only a blank map and a little sailing dinghy. Their task? To explore and chart the area, avoid the endless mud and survive. And what do they discover? Well, they might not be as alone as they first thought… 
 
Includes exclusive content: In the 'Backstory' you can find out about some real life explorers! 
 
 Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Secret Water

Joan Aiken

‘Wait, wait! Save us! What’ll we do?’ 
 
Simon is determined to become a painter when he grows up so he sets off to London to make his fortune. But the city is plagued by wolves and mysterious disappearances. The Twite household, where Simon is lodging, seems particularly shifty. Before he even gets a chance to open his glistening new paints Simon stumbles right into the centre of a plot to kill the King. And worse than that Simon is kidnapped and sent to sea! Luckily there are two friendly stowaways aboard – the feisty Dido Twite and the spoiled young Justin. But when the ship catches fire things look pretty dire. Can they escape? Will they save the king in time? 
 
BACKSTORY: Test your knowledge of Black Hearts in Battersea and play the name game.

Black Hearts in Battersea

Bruce Carter

Brighton is braced for war. It’s a time in history that never happened, and England’s coast has become the front line of the Second World War. Rolls of barbed wire line Brighton Beach, soldiers scan the horizon, people wait nervously for an attack. When an emergency evacuation is announced, people hurry to pack up and get out, but in the panic Drake, Gillian and Sammy miss the last train… 
 
And then, one night, in the deserted city, the pier mysteriously lights up. Which leaves the children wondering – who else got left behind? 
 
In the Backstory you can find out more about the Second World War and hear from Deborah Moggach, the author's daughter, what inspired this wartime tale! 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Children Who Stayed Behind

Mark Twain

Read this 19th-century childhood adventure story that confronts the reality of racism in America. 
 
 'There comes a time in every boy's life when when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure' 
 
Impish, daring young Tom Sawyer is a hero to his friends and a torment to his relations. For wherever there is mischief or adventure, Tom is at the heart of it. During one hot summer, Tom witnesses a murder, runs away to be a pirate, attends his own funeral, rescues an innocent man from the gallows, searches for treasure in a haunted house, foils a devilish plot and discovers a box of gold. But can he escape his nemesis, the villainous Injun Joe? 
 
BACKSTORY: Find out some fascinating facts about the author and have a go at a game of marbles!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Norman Hunter

Rediscover Professor Branestawm this Christmas – soon to become a brand new drama on BBC ONE written by Charlie Higson and starring Harry Hill 
 
‘Once you started anything in Professor Branestawm’s house you never knew when it might finish or even if it ever would’ 
 
Poor Mrs Flittersnoop! It’s not easy being Professor Branestawm’s housekeeper. People may say he’s a genius, but all his inventions always make life more complicated, alarming and extraordinary than it was before. An innocent bottle of old cough mixture turns out to be an elixir that makes all the waste paper in the bin come to life, the burglar-catcher and the pancake-maker operate just a little too efficiently, and about the spring-cleaning machine, the less said the better. You could write a book about it, but nobody would believe it. 
 
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out about accidental inventions that changed our lives and try a few experiments of your own! 
 
 Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm

Louisa May Alcott

'My dear girls, stop your mud-pies and hear the news!' 
 
Ten years after Little Men, the boys that Jo raised are all grown-up. But that certainly doesn’t mean that they no longer need her help and advice. Emil, now as sailor, must survive shipwreck and disaster. Dan’s attempt to make his fortune ends in prison. Nat’s career in music takes him to Europe, to a life of frivolity and a tricky romantic muddle. But returning to Plumfield to tell their tales, they are, and will always be, Jo’s boys. 
 
Includes exclusive content: In the ‘Backstory’ you can discover the story behind the Little Women series and take the Jo’s Boys quiz 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Jo's Boys

'As they sat together in the twilight, talking over their small plans, the future always grew so beautiful and bright' 
 
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy have grown up together in Orchard House with their friend Laurie next door, and now it's time for them to go out and find their places in the big wide world, to do the great and marvellous things they've dreamed of and discover their 'castles in the air'. They each find themselves tested, and fall in love, but when tragedy strikes they find their best comfort is in each other, and home. 
 
BACKSTORY: Learn more about the unusual author and have a go at making jam!

Good Wives

‘Why do they call him Black Jake? Is it because of his hair?’ Titty asked. 
‘Because of his heart’ said Peter Duck 
 
The Swallows and Amazons, as well as Captain Flint and the ancient able seaman Peter Duck, set sail on the Wild Cat bound for the Channel. But they are shadowed by the Viper, manned by none other than Black Jake - a beastly pirate with a dark plan. Can the children race ahead and uncover the buried treasure before the pirate? Can they survive storms, earthquakes, crabs and even a waterspout and make it home? 
 
BACKSTORY: Find out if you would be a good sailor aboard the Wild Cat and learn all about the real location that inspired the author.

Peter Duck

'Swallows and Amazons for ever!' 
 
Rediscover this classic tale of adventure. 
 
 The Walker children - also known as Captain John, Mate Susan, Able-Seaman Titty, and Ship's Boy Roger - set sail on the Swallow and head for Wild Cat Island. There they camp under open skies, swim in clear water and go fishing for their dinner. But their days are disturbed by the Blackett sisters, the fierce Amazon pirates. The Swallows and Amazons decide to battle it out, and so begins a summer of unforgettable discoveries and incredible adventures. 
 
 EXTRA ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: Crack the Swallow's code and learn all about the adventurous author in the brilliant extra educational resources included in this edition.

Swallows and Amazons

Kenneth Grahame

"Ho! ho! I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who always escapes!" 
 
Tired of spring cleaning, Mole ventures above ground into the warm sunshine, and happens upon his friend Ratty. Together they picnic on the sparkling, burbling river, brave the sinister Wild Wood in wintertime to visit the bad-tempered Badger, and take to the open road in a caravan with dear, silly old Toad. But when Toad's attention turns to motor cars, his reckless behaviour goes from bad to worse. Badger, Rat and Mole must save their friend from ruin, and Toad Hall from the clutches of the rascally Stoats and Weasels. 
 
BACKSTORY: Get outdoors and explore the natural world, and test your knowledge of The Wind in the Willows.

The Wind in the Willows

The Ds can't wait to go and stay with Nancy and Peggy in the Lake District during the summer holidays. But when the Amazons’ dreadful Great Aunt invites herself to stay too, the summer is threatened with dullness. Staying indoors and reading poetry is not what anyone had in mind. To save the Ds from total boredom, the Amazons arrange for their friends to stay in a tumble-down hut in the woods. And as long as no one discovers they're there they can sail all summer long... 
 
In the Backstory you can learn how to make a campfire! 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Picts and the Martyrs

or Not Welcome At All

Brian Jacques

***SOON TO BE A NETFLIX SERIES*** 
 
Welcome to Redwall Abbey. Inside its enormous doors, mice live in peace, helping those in need and throwing epic feasts for the great and the good of Mossflower Woods. 
 
But outside a grave threat is gathering. An army of evil rats led by a vicious, one-eyed warlord, is on its way. 
 
Matthias is just one little mouse but he knows it'll take more than stones and mouse-sized arrows to keep the rats at bay. Enlisting the help of a military hare, wild sparrows and argumentative stoats, Matthias sets out to defend his freedom, his friends, and the abbey he calls home. 
 
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can learn to make a Redwall Abbey pudding! 
 
Vintage Children's Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Redwall

T. H. White

Maria is the orphan mistress of a crumbling manor four times as long as Buckingham Palace. Her grounds are so vast and overgrown that Maria is already ten years old before she discovers that a community of Lilliputians live on her land – the proud but tiny people whom Gulliver met on his famous travels. 
 
To keep their secret safe, Maria must outsmart her vile Governess and the greedy Vicar as they plot to steal her inheritance. Fortunately, Maria has a few tricks up her sleeve, and an entire army in her pocket. 
 
Includes exclusive content: In the 'Backstory' you can take the Mistress Masham quiz and find out why this is Anne Fine's favourite book. 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Mistress Masham's Repose

Frances Hodgson Burnett

‘I pretend I am a princess, so that I can try and behave like one’ 
 
Without her beloved father and miles from home, it is very hard for Sara Crewe to like her new life at boarding school. Luckily Sara is always dreaming up wonderful things and her power of telling stories wins her lots of friends. When a letter arrives that brings disastrous news, the wicked headmistress Miss Minchin forces Sara to become a servant. Her lovely clothes and toys are taken away from her. She must work from dawn until midnight. How will Sara cope with her new found poverty? Can her imagination help her overcome this horrible situation? 
 
BACKSTORY: Read why Jacqueline Wilson loves this book and find out which pupil of Sara's school you are most like.

A Little Princess

‘Barbecued billygoats!’ 
 
Can you imagine finding gold? That’s just what the Swallows and Amazons and Dick and Dorothea decide to hunt for in the hills high above the lake. But it’s a hot and dry summer and water is in scarce supply. Worse still for the troubled campers, they have competition: Squashy Hat. Anybody can see he is a prospector. And talk about squashy hats! The children have never seen squashier. Just who is he and what sort of traps is he laying? Using pigeons to carry messages, braving dangerous mines and fires, the Swallows, Amazons and D’s Mining Company must stake their claim before their dreaded rival... 
 
Includes exclusive material: In ‘The Backstory’ you can test your knowledge of the book and learn all about homing pigeons! 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Pigeon Post

‘And so this is little Lord Fauntleroy’ 
 
Ceddie is a regular little boy living in New York with his mother, until the day a tall, old gentleman arrives to give him some startling news. Ceddie, it turns out, is the child of a great English family. He must go to England to live with the Earl his grandfather and become a person he never knew he was: Little Lord Fauntleroy. 
 
What the old gentleman neglects to mention is that Ceddie’s grandfather is one of the most grumpy, grouchy, gouty and feared old men in all England. Wish the new Little Lord Fauntleroy good luck… 
 
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out more about the inspirations for the story and take the Little Lord Fauntleroy quiz! 
 
 Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Johanna Spyri

'I would rather be with my grandfather on the Alp than anywhere on earth!' 
 
When Heidi is sent to live in the Swiss mountains with her bad-tempered old Grandfather, everyone in the village feels sorry for her. What will a little girl do in such an isolated home, and with such a grumpy companion? But Heidi soon discovers a secret: Grandfather isn't nearly as cross as he looks - plus she can play all day in the fields among the bright flowers. But then Heidi is whisked away again to be a companion to a injured girl in the city. She longs for her beautiful mountain home - how will she ever get back again? 
 
BACKSTORY: Find out which character you most resemble and try out some Heidi-inspired activities!

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