Best Selling Books by Eva Ibbotson

Award-winner Eva Ibbotson''s hugely entertaining The Star of Kazan is a timeless classic for readers of any age. Perfect for fans of Journey to the River Sea. With a gorgeous updated cover by Katie Hickey. ''Packed with wit and adventure'' – The Times Ever since she was found abandoned as a baby in 1896, Annika has lived in the servants'' quarters at a grand house in Vienna. She loves the other servants as if they were family, and she adores the magnificent, glittering city. There is only one thing that Annika longs for: the day her real mother comes to find her. So when a beautiful aristocrat arrives to claim her, it is as if Annika has walked into her own dream. Whisked off to her true home – a remote estate far, far from Vienna – her new life begins. But the dark and crumbling castle echoes with secrets and lies, and as Annika unravels the truth she finds herself in terrible danger . . .

With a beautiful cover illustration by Alex T. Smith, creator of the Claude series, Not Just A Witch is a wonderfully spooky young fiction title from the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson. ''I want you to change the next wicked person you see into a tiger,'' demanded Lionel. ''A very large tiger.'' Heckie is not just a witch – she''s an animal witch, who wants to make the world a better place by transforming evil people into harmless animals, using her incredible Toe of Transformation and her awesome Knuckle of Power. But when slimy Lionel Knapsack charms Heckie, her magic begins to take a darker direction. Her friends, including a cheese wizard and a boy called Daniel, must come to the rescue . . .

An Amazon adventure set in the wilderness of Brazil, Journey to the River Sea is filled with mystery and memorable characters. It is 1910 and Maia, tragically orphaned at thirteen, has been sent from England to start a new life with distant relatives in Manaus, hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She is accompanied by an eccentric and mysterious governess who has secret reasons of her own for making the journey. Both soon discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences in Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson''s highly colourful, joyous adventure. This 15th anniversary edition includes a forward by Lauren St John, author of The White Giraffe. Winner of the Smarties Gold Medal. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award.

A gorgeous 20th anniversary hardback jacketed gift edition of Eva Ibbotson''s award-winning, bestselling classic adventure. Fully illustrated in colour throughout by Katie Hickey. ''The most perfect children''s book . . . captivatingly told, funny and moving'' – Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times A joyous Amazon adventure set in the lush nature of Brazil, Journey to the River Sea is filled with mystery and extraordinary characters. It''s perfect for girls and boys of 9+. Maia, an orphan, can''t wait to reach her distant relatives a thousand miles up the Amazon. She imagines a loving family with whom she will share great adventures. Instead she finds two spiteful cousins who see the jungle as the enemy and refuse to go outdoors. But the wonders of the rainforest more than make up for the hideous twins and their parents. And when Maia meets a mysterious boy who lives alone on the wild river shores, she begins a spectacular journey to the heart of an extraordinary and beautiful new world. Winner of the Smarties Gold Medal. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award (now the Costa).

Under Platform 13 at King''s Cross Station there is a secret door that leads to a magical island . . . It appears only once every nine years. And when it opens, four mysterious figures step into the streets of London. A wizard, an ogre, a fey and a young hag have come to find the prince of their kingdom, stolen as a baby nine years before. But the prince has become a horrible rich boy called Raymond Trottle, who doesn''t understand magic and is determined not to be rescued. Shortlisted for the Smarties Prize, The Secret of Platform 13 is an exciting magical adventure from Eva Ibbotson, the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea. ''This kind of fun will never fail to delight'' Philip Pullman

Sweeping across countries, class and music, Eva Ibboton''s classic historical romance, Magic Flutes, is a richly imagined tale of intrigue and identity, with a new introduction from Harriet Evans. In the spring of 1922, young Austrian Princess Theresa-Maria – known to her ancient aunts as ''Putzerl'' – abandons her crumbling castle and her royal duties. Disguising herself simply as Tessa, she enrolls as under wardrobe mistress of the International Opera Company and soon loses herself in the intoxicating world of the Viennese opera. But when Guy Farne, an Englishman looking to impress his new fiance, arrives in Austria and employs the Company to perform at his newly purchased Austrian estate, he finds himself fascinated by the under wardrobe mistress, and Tessa finds it increasingly difficult to keep her two lives separate . . . ''I have binged on Eva Ibbotson . . . her elegantly written, witty and well-observed fables'' Nigella Lawson, The Times Rediscover Eva Ibbotson, award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, in her sweeping historical romances, including The Morning Gift, A Song For Summer, The Secret Countess (originally published as A Countess Below Stairs), Madensky Square and A Company of Swans. Magic Flutes was originally published as The Reluctant Heiress.

Which Witch? is a brilliantly witty tale of magic and marriage by Eva Ibbotson, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. ''Find me a witch!'' cried Arriman the Awful, feared Wizard of the North. Arriman has decided to marry. His wife must be a witch of the darkest powers – but which witch will she be? To find the most fiendish, he holds a spell-casting competition. Glamorous Madame Olympia performs the terrifying Symphony of Death and conjures up a thousand plague-bearing rats. The magic of gentle Belladonna, the white witch, goes hopelessly wrong. She produces perfumed flowers instead of snakes. And bats roost in her golden hair instead of becoming blood-sucking vampires. Poor Belladonna longs to be an evil enchantress – but how? ''This kind of fun will never fail to delight'' - Philip Pullman.

A Company of Swans is a sweeping tale of romance, freedom and the beauty of dance from award-winning author, Eva Ibbotson, with a new introduction by Joanna Nadin. Weekly ballet classes are Harriet Morton''s only escape from her intolerably dull life. So when she is chosen to join a corps de ballet which is setting off on a tour of the Amazon, she leaps at the chance to run away for good. Performing in the grand opera houses is everything Harriet dreamed of, and falling in love with an aristocratic exile makes her new life complete. Swept away by it all, she is unaware that her father and intended fiancé have begun to track her down . . . ''I have binged on Eva Ibbotson . . . her elegantly written, witty and well-observed fables'' Nigella Lawson, The Times Rediscover Eva Ibbotson, award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, in her sweeping historical romances, including The Morning Gift, A Song For Summer and The Secret Countess, originally published as A Countess Below Stairs, Magic Flutes, originally published as The Reluctant Heiress, Madensky Square and A Company of Swans.

Renowned literary great Eva Ibbotson delivers a final novel in her classic, much-loved style. A previously unpublished work from this favorite author, The Abominables follows a family of yetis who are forced, by tourism, to leave their home in the Himalayas and make their way across Europe to a possible new home. Siblings Con and Ellen shepherd the yetis along their eventful journey, with the help of Perry, a good-natured truck driver. Through a mountain rescue in the Alps and a bullfight in Spain, the yetis at last find their way to an ancestral estate in England—only to come upon a club of voracious hunters who have set their sights on the most exotic prey of all: the Abominable Snowmen.

A richly imagined story of unexpected love, independence, and belonging – The Morning Gift is a classic WWII romance from Eva Ibbotson. With an introduction from Sarra Manning, author of Diary of a Crush. Eighteen-year-old Ruth lives in the sparkling city of Vienna with her family, where she delights in its music, energy and natural beauty. She is wildly in love with the brilliant young pianist Heini Radik and can''t wait until they are married. But Ruth''s world is turned upside down when the Nazis invade Austria and her family are forced to flee to England, and through a devastating misunderstanding she is left behind. Her only hope to escape Vienna comes from Quin, a young English professor, who unexpectedly offers her a marriage of convenience to bring her back to London. Ruth throws herself into her new life – but a secret marriage is more difficult than she expected, especially as she and Quin find themselves drawn together. ''I have binged on Eva Ibbotson . . . her elegantly written, witty and well-observed fables'' – Nigella Lawson, The Times Rediscover Eva Ibbotson, award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, in her sweeping historical romances, including The Morning Gift, A Song For Summer and The Secret Countess.

With beautiful cover illustration by Alex T. Smith, creator of the Claude series, Dial a Ghost is a wonderfully spooky young fiction title from the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson. ''Get me some ghosts,'' said Fulton Snodde-Brittle. ''Frightful and dangerous ghosts!'' Fulton has gone to the Dial a Ghost agency with an evil plan. He wants to hire some truly terrifying ghosts to scare his nephew Oliver to death. The Shriekers are the most violent and sickening spectres the agency has, but a mix-up means the kind Wilkinson ghosts are sent in their place. Now Oliver has some spooky allies to help him outwit the wicked Snodde-Brittles . . .

With a beautiful cover illustration by Alex T. Smith, creator of the Claude series, The Great Ghost Rescue is a wonderfully spooky young fiction title from the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson. ''Nobody knew what had gone wrong with Humphrey. Perhaps it was his ectoplasm . . .'' Humphrey the Horrible sounds scary, but he''s actually a very friendly skeleton, with twinkling eye sockets and jangling finger bones. Humphrey dreams of being ghastly, like his brother – a screaming skull – or terrifying, like his bloodsucking vampire-bat cousins. But when Humphrey discovers an evil plot to exorcise his family, he finally realizes you don''t have to be spine-chillingly fearsome to be a hero.

''A fairy tale for grown-ups. It''s unapologetically romantic but it''s also extremely funny, wry, dry and witty - and hugely uplifting.'' – Marian Keyes, Daily Mail As WWI draws to a close, a love affair that stretches across countries, families and class begins, in master storyteller Eva Ibbotson''s classic historical romance The Secret Countess, with an introduction from Amanda Craig. Anna Grazinsky, a young Russian countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to help her family in any way possible, and she is soon hired as a housemaid at the Earl of Westerholme''s crumbling but magnificent mansion. Then Rupert, the young Earl, returns home from the war and is fascinated by his new housemaid, and the more time they spend together the more they feel inexplicably drawn together. But they can never be together; Rupert is already engaged and Anna is only a servant . . . ''I have binged on Eva Ibbotson . . . her elegantly written, witty and well-observed fables'' – Nigella Lawson, The Times Rediscover Eva Ibbotson, award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, in her sweeping historical romances, including The Morning Gift, A Song For Summer and The Secret Countess, originally published as A Countess Below Stairs.

Monster Mission by Eva Ibbotson is a fun fantasy adventure full of fantastical creatures and mythical monsters! ''We must kidnap some children,'' announced Aunt Etta. ''Young, strong ones. It will be dangerous, but it must be done.'' Three children are stolen and taken to a bizarre island, which is home to some extraordinary creatures – including mermaids, selkies and the legendary kraken. The island is the base for a very mysterious mission. But the magical adventure is cut short when the island is suddenly under siege. Can the children save themselves and their new friends? ''Funny, gripping, charming and completely irresistible'' - Amanda Craig

''Discovering Eva Ibbotson’s books is one of the nicest things that’s ever happened to me. The most beautiful, delicious, wry read'' – Marian Keyes Curl up with a collection of romantic short stories taking you from nineteenth-century Vienna, over the wild moors of Northumberland to the snowy streets of pre-revolutionary St Petersberg. A collection of eighteen romantic short stories from the award-winning and much-loved Eva Ibbotson, A Glove Shop in Vienna will show you the great passions and astute observations of everyday life. Join Great-Uncle Max, torn between his grand and secret love for Susie, the enchanting glove shop assistant, and the devotion of his opera-singing wife. Meet Miss Bennett, drama mistress at the fading Markham Street Primary School, whose search for a baby Jesus for the nativity play yields unexpected and miraculous results. And agonise with Kira, a dancer in Russia''s Imperial Ballet school, thrown out onto the streets of St. Petersburg, and found by Edwin, a lonely dreamer. A chocolate-box collection of deliciously romantic, atmospheric and witty stories to lose yourself in this Christmas. ''Eva Ibbotson is such a good writer that her characters break the bonds of the romantic novel'' Washington Post

All Hal ever wanted was a dog - but a dog would damage the expensive carpets in his parents'' glamorous home, and they refuse to consider one. That''s until they discover Easy Pets, a dog-rental agency. Fleck the terrier arrives on Hal''s birthday, and Hal is overjoyed. But when Hal discovers to his horror that his dog is to be returned, he runs away... along with a bunch of pedigree hounds, all joyfully escaping from Easy Pets! Soon Hal and his dogs - including Otto the wise St Bernard, and the fierce and excitable Pekinese Li-Chee - are being chased across the country by ruthless pursuers. Helped by a travelling circus and some orphanage children, can they race to freedom? Written in the timeless tradition of 101 Dalmations, this is a tail-wagging grand adventure that every dog-lover will adore. Praise for Eva Ibbotson: "Readers of classic children''s fiction will be familiar with the bliss that steals over one when a new Eva Ibbotson novel is published." Amanda Craig, The Times "Eva Ibbotson weaves a magic like no other. Once enchanted, always enchanted." Michael Morpurgo "This kind of fun will never fail to delight." Philip Pullman

''Blending history and tragedy with an irresistible wit and verve.'' – The Times The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson is an exciting story of friendship and determination during the Second World War, from the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea and The Star of Kazan. Illustrated with a gorgeous updated cover by Katie Hickey. Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a horrid, stuffy boarding school in the countryside. And all because of the stupid war. But Delderton Hall is a far more interesting place than Tally ever imagined, and an exciting school trip to the beautiful and luscious kingdom of Bergania whisks Tally into an unexpected adventure . . . Will she be able to save her new friend, Prince Karil, from terrible danger before it''s too late?

When the kindly old aunts decide that they need help caring for creatures who live on their hidden island, they know that adults can''t be trusted. What they need are a few special children who can keep a secret-a secret as big as a magical island. And what better way to get children who can keep really big secrets, than to kidnap them! (After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped.) Don''t miss this wildly inventive and funny read from master storyteller Eva Ibbotson.

A delicious historical romance perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs After the Russian Revolution turns her world topsy-turvy, Anna, a young Russian countess, has no choice but to flee to England. penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as servant in the household of the esteemed Westerholme family, armed only with an outdated housekeeping manual and sheer determination. Desperate to keep her past a secret, Anna is nearly overwhelmed by her new duties--not to mention her instant attraction to Rupert, the handsome Earl of Westerholme. to make matters worse, Rupert appears to be falling for her as well. As their attraction grows stronger, Anna finds it more and more difficult to keep her most dearly held secrets from unraveling. And then there''s the small matter of Rupert''s beautiful and nasty fiancee. . . .

A lyrical historical romance for fans of "The English Patient" Eighteen-year-old Ellen never expected the Hallendorf school to be, well, quite so unusual. After all, her life back in england with her suffragette mother and liberated aunts certainly couldn''t be called normal. but buried deep in the beautiful Austrian countryside, ellen discovers an eccentric world occupied by wild children and even wilder teachers, experimental dancers and a tortoise on wheels. And then there is the particurally intriguing, enigmatic, and very handsome Marek, part-time gardener and fencing teacher. ellen is instantly attracted to the mysterious gardener, but Hitler''s reich is already threatening their peaceful world. only when she discovers Marek''s true identity and his dangerous mission does ellen realize the depth of her feelings for him--and the danger their newfound love faces in the shadow of war.

The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is a fantastically spooky adventure from the author of Dial a Ghost, Eva Ibbotson. ''We need proper ghosts,'' said Ned, ''really scary ones with heads that come off and daggers in their chests!'' When Madlyn and her younger brother Rollo arrive at crumbling Clawstone Castle, they can see that emergency action is needed before Clawstone falls down completely. With the help of a team of homeless, scary ghosts –including a one-eyed skeleton and Brenda the Bloodstained Bride – they hatch a spooky plan to get the money rolling in. But with a sinister scientist on the loose, money might not be enough to save the mysterious beasts of Clawstone Castle . . .

Alex McBuff doesn''t want to sell the family castle. An orphan, its ghosts have been like a family to him. But it is falling to pieces through lack of money. A Texan billionaire offers Alex 500,000, but on the condition that it is ghost free."

Ivo the orphan, together with the Hag of Dribble, Ulf the Troll, and Brian the Wizard, sets out to save Princess Mirella from the dreaded Ogre of Oglefort. But when the rescuers arrive at the castle, they are shocked to find that the princess doesn''t want to be saved; she wants the ogre to turn her into a bird so she can escape an arranged marriage. And the Ogre isn''t nearly the fearsome creature he once was--in fact, he''s rather depressed. Now the rescuers have a new goal: save Princess Mirella from her tyrannical royal family and help restore the Ogre and his castle to the fearsome (but fun) paradise it used to be.

American millionaire Hiram C. Hopgood will stop at nothing to make his daughter, Helen, happy—even if it means buying her an ancient Scottish castle and shipping it back to Texas. Assembling the castle isn’t a problem for the oil tycoon . . . it’s the ghosts that worry him. Hopgood has made up his mind: the ghouls have got to go. But these spirits don’t spook so easily. Instead, they make their way to America, where they meet up with a magical severed hand and three fiendish, cross-dressing kidnappers for a Texassized adventure with a ghostly Scottish flair.

A whip-smart observation of the passions and tragedies behind daily life, Eva Ibbotson''s Madensky Square is a classic snapshot of Viennese life before WWI. Susanna Weber''s dress shop stands in the picturesque Madensky Square, a quiet little world of its own, nestled in the heart of glittering pre-war Vienna. As the winter of 1910 unfurls into spring, Susanna starts a journal about life in the Square, about the buildings and their colourful inhabitants. There''s Frau Schumacher, with six daughters and a baby on the way, Professor Starsky and his menagerie of sickly reptiles, an aging bookseller, a teenage Anarchist, and little Sigi – an orphaned child prodigy forced to play the piano all day, every day. And then there''s her dear friend Alice, the only person who has noticed the heartbreak that hides beneath Susanna''s brisk kindness and brilliant talent . . . Discover more of Eva Ibbotson''s sweeping historical romances in Magic Flutes, The Morning Gift, The Secret Countess, A Song for Summer and A Company of Swans.

Der Ursprung von Harry Potter Am längst geschlossenenen Bahnsteig 13 von King''s Cross herrscht alle neun Jahre Hochbetrieb. Nur dann öffnet sich die geheime Tür des Gügel und gibt für genau neun Tage einen Tunnel frei, der in eine völlig andere Welt führt – auf eine Insel, die so zauberhaft ist, dass man nie mehr weg möchte. Doch eines Tages passiert etwas Schreckliches: Der kleine Königssohn des Inselreichs wird während einer Gügel-Öffnung in London entführt. Erst neun Jahre später können vier auserwählte Retter aufbrechen, um den Prinzen zurückzuholen. Doch den vier Abgesandten bleiben nur neun Tage für ihre schwierige Aufgabe. Ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit beginnt ... Die Geschichte, die J.K. Rowling zu ›Harry Potter‹ inspirierte, erscheint jetzt erstmals als eBook.

This interdisciplinary collection with contributions in English and French explores how the various disciplines of law and linguistics appreciate and work towards improving the nature of clarity and obscurity in legal language. For the first time, it brings together legal academics and practitioners, jurilinguists and linguists from the common law and civil law with the specific aim to understand the complex nature, practice and tools of clarity and obscurity in legal drafting. Topics addressed include how the Clarity framework has been put into practice through the use of plainer language, better comprehensibility, readability and access to legal or administrative texts. In an attempt to reflect the more recent development of the Clarity-Obscurity debate, the editors have also focused on the use of specific instruments to respond to the problems raised by obscurity to improve clarity.