Most Popular Books by Geraldine McCaughrean

In Lovesong, three-time Whitbread Prize winner Geraldine McCaughrean has written what Philippa Gregory called "Probably the best historical novel I have ever read." At the centre of the story is a talented troubadour, Peter Oriole, and his daughter, `Princess'' Ouallada. The opening sections of the book trace Oriole''s journey from France to the Holy Land in the service of two very different crusader Knights, one a saintly aesthete, the other a cynical opportunist. The twelfth century was a time when men and women were inventing - or perhaps reinventing - the nature of love itself, and it was the troubadour''s task to express that love in song - their fate either glory or scandalous ruin. What does love mean to Oriole? As he discovers both romance and passion in his own life we are introduced to an extraordinary cast of characters - rogues, mountebanks, villains, heroes, damsels both in and out of distress, soldiers and holy men, all working out their own destiny, each compellingly and convincingly drawn. This is the story of one man''s wreck on the sea of passion - and his daughter''s stormy voyage in his wake. With strikingly detailed imagery and characterisation that is totally convincing and compassionate, Geraldine McCaughrean has written a novel of ideas which is also storytelling at full pelt. "McCaughrean is well on her way to becoming one of the few great novelists to adorn our age." MAIL ON SUNDAY ÿ

Hans Christian Andersen''s entrancing tale of love, set between land and sea, is retold by renowned storyteller Geraldine McCaughrean and brought to life in magical silhouette artwork by illustrator Laura Barrett. When she falls in love with a prince, the little mermaid persuades a sea witch to replace her tail with legs so she can live on land. But the price demanded by the wicked sea witch is great: the mermaid''s beautiful voice . . .

An illustrated retelling of Geoffrey Chaucer''s famous work in which a group of pilgrims in fourteenth-century England tell each other stories as they travel on a pilgrimage to the cathedral at Canterbury.

The adventures continue for the three Darling children and Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up.

A mysterious stranger changes the lives of a teenage girl and her mother

Part of the Pelican Big Books series, this book contains a collection of Aesop''s fables. The teaching focus is on comparing and contrasting the two titles of each story and on the story themes and morals. The series has been specifically written for the shared reading part of the literacy hour and supports the genre requirements of the National Literacy Strategy.

In the summer of 1727, a group of men and boys are put ashore on a remote sea stac to harvest birds for food. No one returns to collect them. Why? Surely nothing but the end of the world can explain why they have been abandoned. And how can they survive, housed in stone and imprisoned on every side by the ocean?

A wonderful retelling of the story of Odysseus, from Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft.* Geraldine McCaughrean is one of the most highly-acclaimed living children''s writers, and is particularly renowned for her masterly retellings of traditional tales* Geraldine McCaughrean is the winner of the Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children''s Fiction Award, Whitbread Award (twice) and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award* Perfect for fans of adult authors such as Mary Renault, or for readers of Adele Geras''s Troy

An enchanting picture book retelling of The Snow Queen. A magical, wintery tale of friendship, love and adventure. Join Gerda on her epic journey to the mysterious, snowy lands of the frozen North. Meeting fairy-tale princesses, talking crows and wise old women with enchanted gardens, on her quest to rescue best friend Kai from the Snow Queen''s icy palace. Hans Christian Andersen''s classic tale has enchanted children for over 150 years. Retold by Carnegie Medal-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean, with stunningly intricate silhouette illustrations, this is a must-have addition to any child''s bookshelf.

THE ODYSSEY retold by Geraldine McCaughrean is the epic journey of Odysseus, the hero of Ancient Greece... After ten years of war, Odysseus turns his back on Troy and sets sail for home. But his voyage takes another ten years and he must face many dangers - Polyphemus the greedy one-eyed giant, Scylla the six-headed sea monster and even the wrath of the gods themselves - before he is reunited with his wife and son. The Puffin Classics relaunch includes: A Little Princess Alice''s Adventures in Wonderland Alice''s Adventures Through the Looking Glass Anne of Green Gables Black Beauty Hans Andersen''s Fairy Tales Heidi Journey to the Centre of the Earth Little Women Peter Pan Tales of the Greek Heroes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of King Arthur The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Call of the Wild The Jungle Book The Odyssey The Secret Garden The Wind in the Willows The Wizard of Oz Treasure Island

When her mother dies from a snake bite, Comity''s life in the Australian outback changes for ever. With her father lost in his grief, Comity makes friends with Fred, the Aboriginal yard boy. But then the evil Quartz Hogg arrives, who delights in playing cruel games. And when he sets his murderous sights on Fred, it''s up to Comity to stop him. A gripping tale that builds to an explosive climax from much-loved storyteller, Geraldine McCaughrean.

Noah''s daughter, daughters-in-law, sons, wife, and the animals describe what it was like to be aboard the ark while they watched everyone around them drown.

This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.

It''s started. The secret''s out. People are coming from all over the country. Their hopes are high. The word on everyone''s lips is - GOLD. A rich tale of the lust for money that undermines an entire Brazilian town.

I have been in love with Titus Oates for quite a while now—which is ridiculous, since he''s been dead for ninety years. But look at it this way. In ninety years I''ll be dead, too, and the age difference won''t matter. Sym is not your average teenage girl. She is obsessed with the Antarctic and the brave, romantic figure of Captain Oates from Scott''s doomed expedition to the South Pole. In fact, Oates is the secret confidant to whom she spills all her hopes and fears. But Sym''s uncle Victor is even more obsessed—and when he takes her on a dream trip into the bleak Antarctic wilderness, it turns into a nightmarish struggle for survival that will challenge everything she knows and loves. In her first contemporary young adult novel, Carnegie Medalist and three-time Whitbread Award winner Geraldine McCaughrean delivers a spellbinding journey into the frozen heart of darkness.

Tells the stories of: Romeo and Juliet - Henry the Fifth - A Midsummer Night''s Dream - Julius Caesar - Hamlet - Twelfth Night - Othello - King Lear - Macbeth - The Tempest.

It''s 1893 and for Cissy and her family, a new life beckons on the prairies of Oklahoma. Along with other settlers, they travel to Florence - a town yet to be built - and prepare for business alongside the Red Rock Railroad track. But the railroad company has other ideas. It wants to buy the land for itself - and when the settlers refuse to sell, the railroad boss swears his trains will never stop in Florence again. Without the train, there is no way the town can survive. So Cissy, her friends, family, and neighbours resolve to stop that train, come what may - by fair means or foul...

The Bright Lights Theatre Company and the Junker Boys arrive in Darksville on the same train. The Bright Lights came to entertain, whereas the Junkers came to rob the bank.

After surviving a plane crash in the jungle, Flash, a photographer, is taken to a remote village where his instant camera works magic for those who have never seen a photo.

Hercules is one of four Greek Hero retellings from Geraldine McCaughrean, with cover illustrations by Jason Cockcroft.* Geraldine McCaughrean is one of the most highly acclaimed living children''s writers, and is particularly renowned for her masterly retellings of traditional tales* Geraldine McCaughrean and Jason Cockcroft reunited - the prize-winning team behind the Blue Peter Book of the Year winner, A Pilgrim''s Progress

Gabriel has no idea what the future will hold when he runs away from his apprenticeship with the bad-tempered stonemason. But God Himself, in the shape of playmaster Garvey, has plans for him. He wants Gabriel for his angel...But will Gabriel''s new life with the travelling players be any more secure? In a world of illusion, people are not always what they seem. Least of all Gabriel. Geraldine McCaughrean is considered an exceptional writer of our time. She has won the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children''s Fiction Award, the Whitbread Award (twice) and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award.

Up and up the wind drew him. Haoyou looked about him and saw the wholeworld beneath him. And it was his. The Great Miao, master of the Jade Circus, offers Haoyou the amazing chance to escape his family''s poverty -- by becoming a kite rider. Strapped onto a beautiful scarlet-and-gold kite, Haoyou is sent into the sky, earning money, freedom, and unexpected fame. Miao even plans for Haoyou to perform before Kublai Khan himself. From Carnegie Medalist Geraldine McCaughrean comes a dazzling story of adventure, betrayal, family, and sacrifice set in the dramatic world of thirteenth-century China.

The kingdoms of Arbor, with its lush forests, and Pomosa, rich with farmland, have no love between them, and the children have taken to sneaking across the borders at night to steal the precious resources of milk and wood that the adults won’t share. So the Kings decide to fight, instead . . . with dragons. But do the dragons have another idea? This new parable shows that the way to peace and prosperity is not through fighting, but teamwork and generosity.

In this funny story a family become marooned in a hotel called Forever Xmas. They celebrate Christmas all year round, complete with dinner, presents and Father Christmas. Things are not the same when Mr Angel lands in a tree and the police arrive!

A child, wondering why Grandma doesn''t have the grandfather clock in her house repaired, learns that there are many ways to measure time, from the moment it takes to blink an eye to the years shown in gray hairs.

Theseus is one of four wonderful Greek Hero retellings from Geraldine McCaughrean, with cover illustrations by Jason Cockroft.* Geraldine McCaughrean is one of the most highly-acclaimed living children''s writers, and is particularly renowned for her masterly retellings of traditional tales. She is winner of the Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children''s Fiction Award and the Whitbread Award (twice)* Geraldine McCaughrean and Jason Cockcroft are reunited - the prizewinning team behind the Blue Peter Book of the Year winner, A Pilgrim''s Progress* Perfect for fans of adult authors such as Mary Renault, or for readers of Adele Geras''s Troy* Myths and legends are required reading for the Natioanl Curriculum

Once in a blue moon a path of moonlight appears to lead unwary travellers to Blue Moon Mountain - where all the beasts of mythology live. Joy longs to see a unicorn.

Eleven-year-old Phelim and his companions, a Maiden, a Fool, and a strange black Horse, journey to the Stoor Worm''s lair to destroy the long-forgotten Worm and its Hatchlings, who have been roused from their slumber by the sounds of war.

Twice Carnegie medal winning Geraldine McCaughrean''s enthralling new novel is set in a world paralysed by natural disaster and dangerous lies. Fifteen-year-old Gloria is maid to Afalia''s tyrannical Head of State, Madame Suprema. When the country is hit by unprecedented flooding, Madame Suprema runs away, fearing she will be blamed for the crisis. To cover up this cowardly act, Gloria is made to step into Madame Suprema''s shoes and is thrust into a world of corrupt and desperate politicians. As Gloria becomes aware of the forces toying with her every move, she must take decisions that could save, or end, thousands of lives - including her own... A brilliant and darkly funny commentary on our present times by one of our greatest writers.

A thriller set in ancient Egypt between 1351-1354 BC. Tutmose and Ibrim''s father, the animal dealer, is commanded by the new pharaoh Akhenaten, to bring him animals - lots of animals - for his new capital city. The boys'' father is delighted. But he has no idea what the pharaoh''s strange new religion will mean for all of them...

Jesse trees (and later, stained glass windows), used in medieval times tell people Bible stories. Using her skills as a storyteller and her love of the Bible, the author has written an intriguing story about the creation of a modern-day Jesse tree. She weaves evocative retellings of selected Bible stories with a sensitive contemporary story about the transforming power of love.

Retells twenty-two stories from the Old Testament, including "Noah and the Flood," "Jacob''s Ladder," "Samson and Delilah," and "Esther Speaks for Her People."

From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Geraldine McCaughrean comes an utterly immersive and unforgettable novel set during the London Blitz, inspired by her firefighter father. With World War II looming, four young people sit on a train waiting to be evacuated to a safer place...but they don''t want to go. They climb out of the carriage window and head back to Greenwich, forming an unlikely friendship. They spend their days trying to be useful. Laurence is building a secret machine. Gemmy searches bombed-out homes for things of value - only to find an adorable mutt she can''t even give away. Franklin wants to join the Fire Service, although it means lying about his age. Olive looks after her father, who is broken by the deaths of his fellow firefighters. And together, the four roam the streets of London, discovering their resilience amongst the secrets of the city. But as the Blitz unleashes a barrage of bombs on London, turning the sky ragged with flame, can the friends keep each other safe and survive?

Pepper''s fourteenth birthday is a momentous one. It''s the day he''s supposed to die. Everyone seems resigned to it—even Pepper, although he would much prefer to live. But can you sidestep Fate? Jump sideways into a different life? Naïve and trusting, Pepper sets a course through dangerous waters, inviting disaster and mayhem at every turn, one eye on the sky for fear of angels, one on the magnificent possibilities of being alive. New York Times bestselling and Printz Award-winning author GeraldineMcCaughrean has created a gripping tale filled with dark humor and daringescapades, where the key to a boy''s lifelies in facing his own death. Join him on the run—if you can keep up.

In this variation of the traditional Baba Yaga story, a young girl must rely on the advice of her dead mother and her special doll when her wicked stepmother sends her to get a needle from Grandma Chickenlegs.