Most Popular Books by Anne Fine

When his class of underachievers is assigned to spend three torturous weeks taking care of their own "babies" in the form of bags of flour, Simon makes amazing discoveries about himself while coming to terms with his long-absent father.

A boy with an abusive father grows up and fears that he has the same potential for violence as his father has.

Kitty Killin teaches her friend, Helly Johnson, about friendship and stepfathers.

''Okay, okay. So slap my teensy little paws. I messed up - big time.'' Tuffy can''t wait for Ellie and the family to go away on holiday. He and the gang plan to ignore the grumpy new cat-sitter, and run wild all night. But could that furry bundle, suddenly flying through the air, put a stop to all the fun?

When Bill Simpson wakes up one morning he finds that he is a girl and that having to wear a frilly pink dress is just the beginning of his problems.

When Mum gives her the notebook, Scarlet should be happy. It''s beautiful, with its shiny scarlet cover and its blank pages full of promise. But Scarlet is absolutely NOT in the mood for a peace offering.Does Mum really think she can tear their family apart and expect Scarlet to be happy about it?Scarlet decides there''s only one thing she can write in the notebook. The truth, about everything . . .

Ian’s best friend, Stolly, is up on cloud nine. He’s in the hospital, unconscious, and hooked up to machines. The question Ian is trying to answer is: How did Stolly end up there? In a way, Stolly’s always been on cloud nine, living life by his own rules and making those rules up as he goes along. His parents’ careers have them constantly rushing around, so Ian’s family has all but adopted Stolly. That’s why it’s up to Ian to figure out what happened to his best friend. But once the pieces start coming together, the answer doesn’t seem to make any sense.

Ione Muffet has spent every summer alone in the garden summer house. But the arrival of Ned Hump changes all that. Ione''s father, Professor Muffet, his beautiful secretary, Caroline, and Ned give Ione a riotous introduction fo adult life - how not to cope with love, money and careers.

Melanie knows right away that there’s something different about Imogen, the new girl in her class. Imogen seems to have read every book in their classroom — and Imogen doesn’t just read a story, she seems to feel it, as if the story is actually happening to her. Unlike Imogen and her family, Mel can see that this power is really more of a curse. But how far is Mel willing to go to destroy the magic and free her friend?

Everyone loves the wickedly dry sense of humour of The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine. Okay, Okay. So hang me. I killed the bird. For pity''s sake, I''m a cat. Poor Ellie is horrified when Tuffy drags a dead bird into the house. Then a mouse. But Tuffy can''t understand what all the fuss is about. Who on earth will be the next victim to arrive through the cat-flap? Can soft-hearted Ellie manage to get her beloved pet to change his wild, wild ways before he ends up in even deeper trouble? The hilarious antics of Tuffy and his family as told by the killer cat himself. ''Anne Fine knows how to make readers laugh'' Guardian 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.

Darkly comic novel about an apparently close and happy family. By the author of T̀aking the devil''s advice'' and T̀he killjoy''.

On a wild and stormy night, five students are sent ahead on a school trip. Gathered together in a spooky mansion, they find a secret room and a mysterious old diary. Little do they know that they share a common bond: They are all members of stepfamilies. And each person reveals his story...step by step.

Presents a collection of stories about a boy named Jamie, and his stuffed animal named Angus.

Bonny has no choice. If her mother is to keep her new job, Bonny must take a one-day course at Charm School. One day at Charm School turns out to be every bit as bad as Bonny had feared. The other girls are scratchy and self-obsessed, and will do anything to win the glistering tiara.

Will Flowers lives in a war zone caused by his teenage sister.

A witty and thoughtful title in the fabulous new Sprinters series relaunch, by a consistently acclaimed writer of fiction for children. Hugo has to choose who to stay with while his mother''s having a baby. Granny? Uncle Jack? Mrs Mariposa next door? Who will care for him - and his dog Henry - the best? He decides to draw up a list of five questions to ask each in turn and put a tick or a cross depending on the answer. Then all he''ll have to do is add up the ticks and the choice will be obvious. But, of course, that''s not how it turns out, for only Granny is able to take Henry so, even though she scores worst (she alone sees what Hugo''s up to and refuses to play along), she ends up being the chosen temporary guardian. And Hugo has a much better time than the results of his questionnaire had led him to believe he would

A change in classroom seating arrangements challenges old habits and leads to a new friendship in this funny new school story from award-winning author Anne Fine.

One of the all-time classics of children''s literature, a feel-good book full of enthusiasm and exuberance, and a perfect family read "There is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it." When Pollyanna Whittier''s father dies she is sent to live with her Aunt Polly in Vermont. A clash of personalities ensues as Pollyanna''s sunny disposition sits ill with her aunt''s need for quiet, her passion for shutting windows, and her obsession with quietly shut doors. The key to Pollyanna''s happiness is The Glad Game—originally invented to deal with disappointing missionary boxes—and is applied to all parts of life. No matter how dark the situation, it is always possible to find something to be glad about. Any attempts to discipline the child fail helplessly in the face of The Glad Game. A bread and milk supper in the kitchen is greeted with rapture; a puritan attic bedroom with sparse furnishing is valued for its rapturous views. As Pollyanna becomes acquainted with other inhabitants of the town, the cantankerous residents fall victim to her charms. However, the arrival of a motor car in town heralds a tragic change which not even Pollyanna looks likely to be able to overcome. This timeless classic has spawned many spin-off novels and films.

When a teenager makes a determined effort to raise money for charity, a boring school holiday becomes a time of learning about herself.

Tom and Cass, twins, have always been inseparable, but Tom now realizes that Cass is changing, becoming more distant, growing up. He is disturbed and dismayed to find himself excluded from her increasingly private life. Anne Fine has also written Madame Doubtfire.

Ruggles like to visit all his friends in town. Follow him through the seasons, as he disappears from the garden into the wider world outside. Anything will help him go, from open gates to buckets left close to walls to be used as steps. Suggested level: junior, primary.

Although Monty''s mother, tired from her long day of work as a doctor, wants to put up her feet and rest, he is not feeling well and needs her both as a mom and as a doctor.

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.

Colin is in many ways an ideal citizen. A responsible job for the council, visits to his aged mother Norah, and cooking and shopping for her. But no-one knows about his other - much more secret - life that involves a garden shed, a circus acrobat, and a much-adored three-year-old charmer.

A classic children''s book from best-loved Bill''s New Frock author, former Children''s Laureate Anne Fine. Perfect for readers aged between 7 and 9 and fans of The Midnight Gang and Pamela Butchart''s Wigglesbottom Primary series. It''s Ivan''s first day at his new school, and Boris is told to look after him, and translate for him, because Ivan can only speak Russian. After all, St Edmund''s is a civilized school. Only problem is, Ivan isn''t civilized. So when Ivan starts greeting people as ''lowly shivering worms'', and asking for words in English like ''crush'' and ''mutilate'', Boris realises that he''s going to have his work cut out for him. And that''s just the start of the day . . . Anne Fine''s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

Everyone knows the story of Christmas. Decking the halls with boughs of holly. Hanging stockings by the chimney with care. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Then there’s the true story of Christmas. And Ralph Mountfield is smack in the middle of it. Great Granny’s crustier than ever. Grandpa’s singing to the dog. Great Aunt Ida is completely crackers. Uncle Tristam’s giving out bricks. The cousins are whining and throwing tantrums. Mum’s looking for Dad. Dad’s looking for aspirin. And Ralph is looking to stay out of trouble. But when a Christmas Quiz brings out some hidden truths, trouble is exactly what Ralph finds. It’s anything but a silent, holy night for the Mountfield family! From the Hardcover edition.

When Natasha and Henry find they can''t care for Granny at home any more, they decide to put her in a nursing home. But their children, Ivan and Sophie and the younger two, Nicholas and Tanya, can''t imagine life without their Granny and launch a full-scale attack to upset the plan. Nicholas and Tanya are in charge of having tantrums and nightmares about Granny going away, while Ivan and Sophie write the devastating ''Granny Project'': a full account of their grandmother''s life for the social science class. Their blackmail pays off and their parents allow Granny to stay, but there''s a catch: all the cleaning, nursing and caring they used to do will now have to be done by the children. Natasha and Henry want their lives back, and quickly set about joining dance classes, going out and living it up. The children try to keep their side of the bargain but it''s too hard. The family comes together again, everyone joining in to help with Granny up until she dies a few months later.

Anne Fine''s extraordinary talent as a storyteller is wonderfully displayed in this new collection of nine short stories. The stories cover everything from romance to philosophy, with ghostly apparitions and crocheting footballers.

Natalie, who lives in the large hotel managed by her father, has a dangerous friendship with Tulip, the wildly uncontrollable girl on a neighboring farm.

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?

In school, Yuri is taught that the revolution liberated his country. He learns how the new leaders are always working for the greater good. But the truth is that life for his family and those around him is a brutal, poverty-stricken struggle. The government does nothing except punish those who protest. And one day, to his shock and horror, Yuri himself is branded an “enemy of the state” simply for dropping a few careless words. In an author’s note, Anne Fine describes The Road of Bones as an adventure-escape story set in “a sort-of Russia, in a sort-of 1930s, under a Stalin-type leader.” This chilling political thriller follows the frantic footsteps of a teenager on the run, a criminal who hasn’t committed a crime, a young man on a path to discovering the truth about how far he will go in order to survive.

Miranda''s three children thoroughly enjoy their huge, overdressed baby sitter/cleaning woman who is actually their father in disguise, and they dread the day when their mother discovers Madame Doubtfire is really her ex-husband.

Kitty is not pleased with her mother''s boyfriend, especially his views on the anti-nuclear issue, until unexpected events prompt her, after all, to help him find his place in the family.

Why does Mrs Mackle think Susan Solly is the worst child ever? Just what did Susan do that was so terrible? And what did it have to do with snails?