Most Popular Books by Joan Aiken

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.

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

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

Jane Austen gave life to the fictional Watson family in 1803, but sadly abandoned them five chapters in - now Joan Aiken completes their story in her ingenious novel, Emma Watson. 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.

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

A magical and fantastic collection of early stories by one of the most original children''s authors of the 20th century. For 8-11 year olds.

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.

Fabulous, uncollected stories -- including six published here for the first time -- from a master of the form.

The outsider who threatens to outshine her new friend Emma in Jane Austen''s classic novel of manners and romance takes on a deeper life, with her own feelings and desires.

" The cat sat on the mat. Lots of cats do that, everybody knows. And nothing strange comes of it. But once a cat sat on a mat and something strange did come of it. In Joan Aiken s classic story collection, the strange often happens, and with fantastic consequences... Characters spring out of their books and chase around the room, cats grow bigger than elephants, and houses on legs lay eggs. Buses live on clouds, patchwork quilts become flying carpets, and pies float away when they have a corner of sky baked into them The magical meets the everyday in these much-loved modern fairytales, now in a beautiful new edition with Jan Pienkowski s original silhouette illustrations."

Roman.

Can Jon find a ghostly horse that’s been extinct for centuries? Jon is a lonely orphan who lives on a farm with his adopted parents. When they ask what he’d like for his birthday, Jon knows immediately: to see the Moropus, a prehistoric horse that’s big and furry, with claws on its feet instead of hooves. According to legend, it haunts the lonely moors at a waterfall that is known as Horse Force because its gushing cascade sound just like a mare’s whinny. But there’s 1 problem: If Jon wants to see the ghost of the legendary creature, he has to visit Horse Force at the stroke of midnight—alone. Can he get up the courage to go there all by himself in the dead of night? Luckily there is 1 friend who can help Jon—his faithful pony Whiskers! This ebook features illustrations by Gavin Rowe and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

When Davey and his sister are orphaned, their grandmother comes from a remote island to look after them—bringing macabre powers and dark secrets When Davey and his family moved to the city from the island of Muckle Burra off the coast of Scotland, they left his grandmother behind. But now his parents are dead—after a car accident that left Davey confined to a wheelchair—and Gran has moved in to take care of him and his sister, Lu-Lyn. A strange girl with a bizarre personality, Lu-Lyn is obsessed with 2 things: ballet and returning to Muckle Burra, where she was born. She believes that both she and Gran are “Ridders” who have strange, dark powers: With just 1 cast of their Evil Eye, bad things will start to happen. . . . When Lu-Lyn puts a terrible curse on the neighborhood boys who’ve been terrorizing her, it seems as if Gran’s dark arts have followed her from Muckle Burra. Then tragedy rocks their family again, and Davey embarks on a journey that will reveal the true secret of his grandmother’s rare gift—and the limitless power of his own potential. This ebook features illustrations by Ian Andrew and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

Dido Twite, with the help of some sacred shaman healers, must foil a sinister plot to overthrow the king of a remote South Sea island healers Sailing the high seas in pursuit of Lord Herodsfoot, roving ambassador to the ageing King James III, Dido Twite’s search has led her to the remote South Sea island of Aratu. She arrives with a new friend she made en route, the enigmatic Dr. Talisman, who is returning to the isle after many years. Soon they discover that there’s something even more dangerous in the ancient rain forest than its poisonous pearl snakes, sting monkeys, and 30-foot-long crocodiles. Dido and Talisman are confronted by the Angrian invaders, who drove the Dilendi natives from their home 400 years earlier. Luckily, Dido befriends the gentle Forest People, who can heal with their magical touch. When she learns about a plot to overthrow the island’s suffering king, Dido enlists the Forest People to help her thwart the scheme, save the monarch, and reunite him with his long-lost daughter. Dangerous Games is the 5th book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kimballs Green Junior School’s newest student is more than a little strange—in fact, she might be the feared daughter of the Erl King! Kevin loves sharing the stories his grandmother used to tell him about trolls and witches with his school friends. His favorite tale is about a scary spook named the Erl King who rides on a black horse at night. But when a new student, Nora Scull, arrives at Kimballs Green elementary school, Kevin begins to wonder if maybe the stories are true. Skinny as a broom and with dark, stringy hair, Nora never laughs, but she’s always watching and listening. She also steals and makes Kevin do all sorts of bad things. Who is Nora, and what will Kevin have to do to save himself—and his school? This ebook features illustrations by Paul Warren and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author’s estate.

A child in danger, an isolated house - and a killer on the loose... ''Joan Aiken''s triumph with this genre is that she does it so much better than others'' New York Times Book Review Snow-covered fields and moors stretch away on all sides of Herondale House. Despite rumours of an escaped killer on the run, Deborah Lindsay knows that she must control her terror - she has a young charge, 13-year-old prodigy Carreen, to care for. But the isolated Yorkshire farmhouse already holds the terrible secret of one death - and an increasing number of sinister ''accidents'' lead Deborah to wonder how long it would be before evil strikes again ... ''A splendidly romantic first thriller'' Times Literary Supplement

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.

A legendary author and illustrator team up for a trio of funny tales about a girl and her pet raven.

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