Best Selling Books by Joan Aiken

As readers and listeners enter the pages of these nine adventures, they will discover a universe where the everyday and enchanted worlds of very real humans and kelpies, elves, and fairies comingle in perfectly logical, funny and magical ways.

Two 20-year-old women trade identities in this period novel.

A collection of scary stories about ghosts, toads, and weird happenings.

Tra gli innumerevoli mondi immau00adginari creati da Joan Aiken, c’è un’Inu00adghilterra dove la Gloriosa rivoluu00adzione non è mai avvenuta. Un’Inu00adghilterra infestata dai lupi, giunti oltremanica dalle gelide piane delu00adl’Europa e della Russia attraverso il tunnel sottomarino che unisce Dou00adver a Calais e che è stato inaugurau00adto intorno al 1830, durante il regno di Giacomo III. Qui, nella sontuosa dimora di Willoughby Chase, una bambina di nome Bonnie Green – riccioli neri e carattere indomito – attende con impazienza l’arrivo delu00adl’angelica e delicata cugina Sylvia. Sir Willoughby e Lady Sophia sono in partenza per un lungo viaggio e le bambine verranno affidate alle cure di Miss Slighcarp, un’arcigna governante mossa da intenti non proprio limpidi. Osteggiate da teu00admibili antagonisti, forti solo dell’afu00adfetto che le unisce e delle inaspettate risorse di coraggio e intraprendenza che sapranno trovare in sé, Bonnie e Sylvia dovranno affrontare un’increu00addibile serie di prove insidiose prima di sventare brillantemente un diabolico piano ordito ai danni della loro famiglia.

Seppy forces the moon to give him his wish, to be the maker of enchanted fiddle music, but almost pays a horrible price for it.

Readers beware! Mischievous ghosts, ancient curses, and monstrous spirits inhabit these thirteen spine-tingling tales. Enter a world of fantasy where a blast of a whistle brings a boy from the past, where a ghostly awl perches night after night at the foot of your bed, and where a white seagull whispers the warning, "Listen." Each of these stories by Joan Aiken, a master of suspense, will chill and delight, lingering long after the book is closed.

Felix Brooke, the orphaned son of an English soldier and an aristocratic Spanish mother, has been raised in the strict, loveless household of his grandfather in Villaverde, Spain. When Felix gains possession of a letter that contains a clue to the whereabouts of his father’s family, he gladly runs away form home to pursue the trail. His journey from Spain to far-off England begins the adventure of a lifetime.

The hilarious adventures of an elderly pony named Mr. Mendelson and his 2 piano-playing field mice friends In a wild, remote place called Midnight Park, there lives an elderly Orkney pony named Mr. Mendelson. He is only 3 feet tall, is black all over, and has a big, handsome head. For years, Mendelson has been ridden by Sam, who is now old enough to go away to boarding school. But before he leaves, Sam asks his grandfather to buy Mendelson a piano. Not for Mendelson, because everyone knows horses can’t play the piano, but for Mendelson’s friends Gertrude and Bertha—2 talented field mice who were taught to play by a musician who lives in the park. Delighted when the piano is placed under a large oak tree, the mice promise Mendelson a concert at 6 p.m. every night. With 7 enchanting tales, Mice & Mendelson takes readers into the rich world of these farmyard friends. In 1 story, the old pony gets a bad case of the hiccups. In another, he learns to tell time with the help of Gertrude and Bertha, who wind his watch every day. In further adventures, Mendelson saves the moon from drowning in the pond and the village Christmas trees from being stolen. But what Mendelson really wants is to learn how to fly, and surprisingly his wish almost comes true—no thanks to the wicked ways of the scheming gipsy Dan Sligo! This ebook features illustrations by Babette Cole and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

A secret village of elves living in the cupboard must fend off vacuum witches and deep-freeze trolls in the battles of the kitchen wars The people who live in the house have no idea that an entire village of elves resides in their china cupboard, behind the soup bowls and bread-and-butter plates. And when the humans start their spring-cleaning by taking everything out of the cabinets, the king elf’s crown disappears. Now the elven community is in a terrible state, and the only way to save the realm is to find what their ruler has lost. Luckily Prince Coriander has returned, after years of training at the elf school, to hunt down the crown. But the kitchen holds hidden dangers—Fendire, the infrared dragon who lurks behind the gas burners; deep-freeze trolls who can swallow an elf in a single mouthful; very scary kelpies in the dishwasher; and the great cat Mistigris. The prince soon finds himself battling a furnace dragon, retrieving his mother’s ring from the bottom of the dishwasher, and rescuing a nixie girl who lives in the kitchen sink—all while racing to discover who will become the new king of the elves! This ebook features illustrations by Jo Worth and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

Reprint. First American ed. published: New York: Delacorte Press, 1981.

Dido Twite uncovers a devious plot against the king in this classic children’s adventure set in an alternate Victorian England. Dido Twite, a roving ambassador to the King of England, is on her way home to London when her friend Captain Hughes is injured in a stagecoach accident. When Dido seeks help, she encounters the odd inhabitants of Tegleaze Manor: strange old Lady Tegleaze, her nephew, Tobit, and his wizened, witchy nurse, Sannie. Soon suspicious things happen. A priceless miniature is stolen. Tobit is framed and then kidnapped. A twin sister is found. And when Dido catches a glimpse of her rascally father in Petworth, she is sure she’s in the midst of another Hanoverian plot. Can she get to London to warn the king and save St. Paul''s Cathedral from sliding into the Thames? The Cuckoo Tree is the sixth book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Emma Watson has been brought up by her aunt in a wealthy and refined household, an educated lifestyle far removed from her widowed father and five siblings. So when her aunt enters into an imprudent second marriage, nineteen-year-old Emma is sent back home and must join her sisters in their pursuit of a husband . . .Aiken takes on the fate of Austen''s characters with confidence and skill, flawlessly entwining themes of loss and love together in this stunning regency pastiche.''Joan Aiken''s invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon. She was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight for many years to come'' - Philip Pullman

SUMMARY: A collection of fifteen short stories of mystery, magic, and romance.

Lob''s girl -- Miss Spitfire -- Finders keepers -- The windowbox waltz -- The swan child -- Merminster -- Mrs. Chatterbox -- Two races -- Old Fillikin -- Snow horse -- The hunchback of Brook Green -- Homer''s whistle --The last specimen.

A Young Woman Longing for Adventure and an Artistic Life... Because she''s an illegitimate child, Eliza is raised in the rural backwater with very little supervision. An intelligent, creative, and free-spirited heroine, unfettered by the strictures of her time, she makes friends with poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, finds her way to London, and eventually travels the world, all the while seeking to solve the mystery of her parentage. With fierce determination and irrepressible spirits, Eliza carves out a life full of adventure and artistic endeavor. PRAISE FOR JOAN AIKEN "Others may try, but nobody comes close to Aiken in writing sequels to Jane Austen." PublishersWeekly "Aiken''s story is rich with humor, and her language is compelling. Readers captivated with Elinor and Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility will thoroughly enjoy Aiken''s crystal gazing, but so will those unacquainted with Austen." Booklist "...innovative storyteller Aiken again pays tribute to Jane Austen in a cheerful spinoff of Sense and Sensibility." Kirkus Reviews

"Eight enchanting stories about sleep, wakefulness, dreams and bedtime.'' -- back cover.

Dido and Simon are in danger in this new addition to the Wolves Chronicles. Dido, back in England from America, is almost instantly kidnapped and taken to a derelict mansion surrounded by a deadly moat. The evil baron residing there, who is also a werewolf, wants desperately to know where King Dick is hidden. For the king is dying, and the evil baron wants to put his own demented son on the throne. Meanwhile Simon is with the ailing king. Not only does King Dick want Simon to paint a portrait of him and his family, but Simon is also next in line for the throne. However, they do need to find the coronet for the ceremony that will crown Simon. Though the coronet is rumored to be in the derelict mansion where Dido is imprisoned, no one can find it. It’s one cliffhanging, hair-raising chapter after another in this tongue-in-cheek, devilishly delicious adventure.

Hired by a multi-millionaire to teach the children of his jet-setting friends on the Greek island of Dendros, Georgia Marsh finds herself snared in a web of international intrigue--but Georgia has the wit, the spirit, and the stamina to win out.

In this silly sequel to Arabel''s Raven, Mortimer floats out to sea on a grand piano, tries to get even with three giraffes that have stolen his doughnuts at the zoo, and takes off with King Arthur''s sword. Will Arabel ever be able to control her troublemaking pet raven?

An English orphan unwittingly holds the key to a powerful source of magic The graduation ceremony of the Grand and Ancient College of Siberian Witches takes place in the winter darkness of the Far North. But despite the celebration, the night is full of warnings and worry. The Wanderer is abroad in search of the coveted Jewel Seed that has been lost for centuries. Whoever finds it can unlock all knowledge and will have unlimited power. . . . Meanwhile, orphan Nonnie Smith is leaving the home she shares with her grandmother and grown siblings in Sesame Green to go live in London with her cousins and eldest sister, Una. Nonnie’s problems begin when her old neighbor Mrs. Wednesday returns from the Siberian witch conference and discovers that someone has taken a mysterious shirt off her clothesline. Nonnie is sure the linen blouse was Una’s, but why is Mrs. Wednesday so desperate to get her hands on it? Then Una is kidnapped—along with famous historical characters Julius Caesar, Mozart, and Jane Austen—and it’s up to Nonnie and her cousin John to outsmart both the Winter People and Mrs. Wednesday in order to save her.. The Jewel Seed is Joan Aiken’s retelling of a story her father, the poet Conrad Aiken, used to tell her and her siblings when they were young. This ebook features illustrations by Peter Bailey and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

As is traditional in the world of zines, we apologize for the lateness of the current issue to appear. This, er, tradition goes back to Bob, the first caveman. Damn his late eyes. Also, we introduce a new columnist, Nicole Kimberling, who will write about food. This time, she starts us off with that most delightful of comestibles: brownies.

Roman.

Joan Aiken takes Emma and tells the story from Jane Fairfax''s point of view. What of Jane''s early years with Mrs and Miss Bates and her childhood friendship with Emma Woodhouse? What of her years spent with the Campbells in London and the West Indies? And what of the summer spent at Weymouth?

As they search for Arun''s mother, Is Twite and her cousin Arun are grateful for their ability to communite telepathically when they find themselves in a series of dangerous predicaments involving the evil Dominic de la Twite and his Silent Sect.

For use in schools and libraries only. Three children become involved in a series of adventures when left under the care of a detestable governess in a rural English manor.

Captain Casket rescued young Dido Twite from a watery grave off the coast of England while chasing the pink whale.

Seppy forces the moon to give him his wish, to be the maker of enchanted fiddle music, but almost pays a horrible price for it.

Alvey Clement and Louisa Winship are identical in looks, they swap identities.