Most Popular Books by Kate Thompson

A HOUSE WITH A SECRET An unanswered question: Who is the Creature in the Night? Bobby lives a reckless life smoking, drinking, and stealing cars in Dublin. So his mother moves thefamily to the country. But Bobby suspects their cottage might not be as quaint as it seems. Teens will be captivated by this spooky novel about the darkness that lurks in forgotten corners and tough teenagers.

An uplifting and inspiring novel based on the true story of a librarian who created an underground shelter during World War II, perfect for readers of The Paris Library or The Last Bookshop in London. London, 1944: Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While war ravages the city above her, Clara has risked everything she holds dear to turn the Bethnal Green tube station into the country’s only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theater—offering shelter, solace, and escape from the bombs that fall upon their city. Along with her glamorous best friend and assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women''s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

Discusses how to live with difficult persons.

DIVDIVDIVJack is about to discover how to make gold—but the secret art will come at a price/divDIV The year is 1720, and Jack, a London blacksmith’s apprentice, is fleeing the punishment of his master. Now a runaway, Jack’s wanderings take him to the Thames River, where he plucks a curious little pot out of the water. Hoping that his find will prove valuable, Jack discovers that it belongs to a practitioner of the forbidden art of alchemy. The alchemist agrees to take Jack on as an apprentice and teach him his secret craft, which will lead not to shelter or security, but to something far more wonderful and perilous. Jack’s quest will take him to unexpected places where he’ll learn that there’s more to alchemy than he bargained for. But will learning the secrets of making gold come at too great a cost? /div/div/div

Inspired by true events, The Wartime Book Club is an unforgettable story of everyday bravery and resistance, full of romance, drama, and camaraderie and a tribute to the joy of reading and the power of books in our darkest hour. The Isle of Jersey was once a warm and neighborly community, but in 1943, German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule. Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island''s only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading. But as the occupation drags on, the women''s quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . . Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times – as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.

A new series from bestselling author Kate Thompson. ''Kate Thompson''s wartime novels always strike a chord and Secrets of the Homefront Girls is no exception. You can almost smell the Yardley violets drifting over the factory as the girls live lives complicated by the trials and tribulations of war'' My Weekly ''Kate Thompson''s put the lives of women working in the Yardley factory during the Blitz at the heart of her latest novel'' Woman''s Hour Stratford, 1939. Britain may be at war, but on the home front keeping up morale and keeping up appearances go hand in hand. For the young women working on the lipstick production line at Yardley''s cosmetics factory, it''s business as usual. Headstrong Renee Gunn is the queen of the lipstick belt - although her cheeky attitude means she''s often in trouble. When Esther, an Austrian refugee, arrives at Yardley''s, it''s Renee who takes her under her wing and teaches her to be a true cockney. But outside of the factory, things are more complicated. Lily, Renee''s older sister, has suddenly returned home after six years away, and is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile Esther is finding life in England more difficult than expected, and it''s not long before Renee finds herself in trouble, with nowhere to turn. In the face of the Blitz, the Yardley girls are bound together by friendship and loyalty - but could the secrets they are hiding be the biggest danger of all? ''A compelling saga set around the tenacious women of the East End'' Daisy Styles ''Kate Thompson is a skillful and humane storyteller who lights up the sooty face of the old East End with tales full of drama and human interest.'' Annie Murray

A bright and fun superhero story that normalizes fear and celebrates the potential in all of us to be brave and bold. Maisie dreams of being a superhero because they never get scared--right? But when she learns that even the biggest superheroes feel afraid sometimes, she realizes that it''s perfectly ok to be fearful, and that you can still be brave, too. Perfect for kids who love Superman, Spider-Man, the Black Panther, and Wonder Woman--and also for kids who just need a reminder of how strong they are inside.

Home is where the heart is...

While making his daily deliveries, a baker’s son suddenly finds himself holding a stallion’s golden lead. Soon the boy discovers that this isn’t just any horse, it’s the most powerful creature in all of Rome. What will the mad emperor do if he finds the boy with his prized horse?Cut off his head? Or worse?

Christy ''s souvenir stone from the yeti''s cave proves to be fatal for many of the inhabitants of Fourth World leaving among the survivors a pair of genetically-altered twins whose eventual descendants face an uncertain future in a stone age world of nucle

The author of this book guides the reader through developing journal writing to use as a therapeutic tool. Keeping a journal can help the writer to develop a better understanding of themselves, their relationships and the world around them, as well as improve skills of problem-solving, decision-making and planning. As such, journal writing can be a powerful complement to verbal therapy, offering an effective and affordable way of extending support to troubled clients. The book includes advice on working with individuals, facilitating a therapeutic writing group, proposed clinical applications, practical techniques, useful journal prompts, exercises and case vignettes.

Fifteen-year-old Christie and his older stepbrother, Danny, travel to the home and mysterious laboratory of the elder boy''s scientist mother, where they learn a shocking truth about the nature of her experiments.

DIVDIVDIVTess has a secret power—and it just might save the world from disaster/divDIV Thirteen-year-old Tess is a Switcher, able to change into any animal at will. No one knows her secret, or so she thinks. But one day a strange, scruffy boy follows her home from her Dublin bus stop. The boy’s name is Kevin, and he’s a Switcher too. Kevin convinces Tess that their powers are needed for something important: stopping the snowstorms that are rapidly advancing from the Arctic. Tess and Kevin will have to stretch their abilities to the very limit in order to save the world from frozen destruction./div/div/div

Who knows where the time goes? There never seems to be enough time in Kinvara, or anywhere else in Ireland for that matter. When J.J.''s mother says time''s what she really wants for her birthday, J.J. decides to find her some. He''s set himself up for an impossible task . . . until a neighbor reveals a secret. There''s a place where time stands still—at least, it''s supposed to. J.J. can make the journey there, but he''ll have to vanish from his own life to do so. Can J.J. find the leak between the two worlds? Will a shocking rumor about his family''s past come back to haunt him? And what does it all have to do with the village''s new policeman . . . ?

DIVDIVSwitcher Tess is about to discover her dark side/divDIV Tess is a Switcher, able to change into any creature at will. She believes she has experienced everything her powers have to offer—until she meets Martin, another Switcher, who seems to have a mysterious power over the Dublin rats. Martin has found a use for his gift that Tess could never have imagined. It is dangerous and terrifying, but also exciting, and Tess can’t resist the temptation to explore Martin’s dark and thrilling world. Will she find the strength to resist, or will she be pulled permanently into darkness?/div/div

DIVDIVDIVTess is a Switcher, able to change shape at will—and it’s time for her to choose her final form/divDIV Tess can morph into any creature, including ones thought to be imaginary. Within days, she will turn fifteen and lose her power, remaining locked into a single shape. But what shape should she choose? As she tries to decide, Tess travels to her uncle Maurice’s farm in County Clare. She’s distracted from her weighty decision by the feeling that there’s something strange about the woods near the farm. Why is Uncle Maurice so eager to sell the land? And what does the secret in the woods have to do with Tess’s choice? Her journey will take her to places she never could have imagined as she approaches once and for all her final Switch./div/div/div

If only real life was like the movies...

Expressive writing is life-based writing that focuses on authentic expression of lived experience, with resultant insight, growth, and skill-building. Therapists, coaches, healthcare professionals, and educators have known for decades that expressive writing is a powerful tool for better living, learning, and healing. But until now, few have had access to practical applications that have proven successful. In this groundbreaking collection, you’ll discover: how expressive writing can call us into healing community exciting new discoveries about how writing can support neuroplasticity and actually help change our brains—and thus our thinking and behavior new research on the role of expressive writing for prevention of compassion fatigue in RNs how transformative writing can create art from the ashes of trauma the role of journal writing for emotional balance sensible ideas about the synergy of expressive writing and play therapy for children, teens, and adults interventions and strategies for the use of expressive writing in acute psychiatric care how interactive expressive writing helps deaf teens communicate inarticulate feelings and thoughts how cancer survivors can use expressive writing to reclaim identity and strength post-treatment the role of expressive writing in developing the roots of resilience for practitioners

The unsung and remarkable stories of the women who held London''s East End together during not one, but two world wars. ''Inspiring tales of courage in the face of hardship'' Mail on Sunday ''Inspiring . . . Takes you back to a time of community and helping one another'' 5***** Reader Review ''It made me laugh and gasp in equal measure'' 5***** Reader Review ______ Meet Minksy, Gladys, Beatty, Joan and Girl Walker . . . While the men were at war, these women ruled the streets of the East End. Struggling against poverty to survive, and fighting for their community in our country''s darkest hours. But there was also joy to be found. Across the East End the streets were alive - you need only walk a few steps for a smile from a neighbour or a strong cup of tea. From taking over the London Underground, standing up to the Kray twins and crawling out of bombsites, The Stepney Doorstep Society tells the vivid and moving stories of the matriarchs who remain the backbone of the East End to this day. ______ ''Kate Thompson''s study of five working-class women who lived through the blitz shows how informal collectives can provide lasting support and inspiration . . . [a] fascinating account'' Guardian ''An important glimpse into a vanishing world'' Sunday Express ''One of the best books I have read in recent years'' 5***** Reader Review ''Crammed full of fascinating stories'' BBC 2 Steve Wright ''Fascinating . . . It was fascinating to hear how these women kept going'' 5***** Reader Review ''Astonishing'' Radio 5 Live

A search for the elusive Yeti in the faraway Himalayas leads Christie and his stepbrother Danny to question their own humanity.

Times are hard in the village of Lissamore on Ireland''s West Coast. So it''s lucky that free-spirited Cat Gallagher knows a thing or two about breaking and entering.

The author of the Switchers Trilogy “creates a convincing fantasy world” in this magical novel of a girl who sets out on a daring journey (Publishers Weekly). Everyone in Rilka’s village knows about the beguilers: the golden-eyed, wailing creatures that come out after dark and lure people to their doom. Rilka astonishes her fellow villagers when she reveals that her Great Intention—her first act as an adult—is to capture a beguiler. During her dangerous quest to the cloud mountain, the rumored lair of the beguilers, Rilka discovers truths about the beguilers—and herself—that will change her life and her village forever.

"Hello," said Alice, trying her best to sound friendly. "What are you doing up here?" "I''m talking to the ghost," said Jenny. Jenny has been making some strange friends lately. She''s been walking barefoot through the wilds, talking to a huge white goat that wanders the Irish countryside. She''s been chatting with the ghost of a young boy that guards the stone beacon at the top of the mountain. Her father, J.J. Liddy, knows these beings are connected somehow to the forces that are gathering around his homeland, plotting to destroy mankind. But will he be able to unravel the puzzles in time? Will he be able to secure the future of the last of the high kings? And is J.J. guarding some dark secrets of his own?

Marcus is a young baker in Ancient Rome, living with his family in the shadow of the murderous Emperor Littleboots. When a slave boy shoves the reins of a sleek, beautiful horse into Marcus''s hands seconds before he is killed by a soldier, Marcus knows he''s in danger - because the horse is Incitatus, the Emperor''s most prized and powerful animal. Will Marcus find a way to keep Incitatus hidden? Are the rumours of Littleboots''s death true - or is it all a trick? And how can Marcus save himself, and his family? A fast-paced adventure from the winner of both the Whitbread Children''s Book Award and the 2005 Guardian Children''s Fiction Prize.

DIVDIVDIVShould you believe what you see with your own eyes, even if it can’t be explained?/divDIV Laurie is worried. Her father refuses to discuss the vision they have seen lurking by his science lab: glowing, dangerous-looking horsemen bearing bows and swords. Laurie is sure that the horsemen are portents of doom. Are they somehow connected to her father’s mysterious genetic research? The recent bombings in Birmingham, England? The unrest in Shasakstan, a country ruled by a dictatorship and armed with nuclear weapons? And if these horsemen do pose a threat, is it too late for Laurie to stop them? /div/div/div

DIVDIVDIVA special three-in-one edition of Kate Thompson’s Switchers fantasy trilogy, including Switchers, Midnight’s Choice, and Wild Blood/divDIV /divDIVIn Switchers, thirteen-year-old Tess has a secret power—and it just might save the world from disaster.She is a Switcher, able to change into any animal at will. No one knows her secret, or so she thinks. But one day, a strange, scruffy boy named Kevin follows her home from her Dublin bus stop. He’s a Switcher, too, and he convinces Tess that their powers are needed to stop the snowstorms that are rapidly advancing from the Arctic. Tess and Kevin will have to stretch their abilities to the very limit to try to save the world from frozen destruction./divDIV /divDIVIn Midnight’s Choice, Tess believes she has experienced everything her powers have to offer—until she meets Martin, another Switcher, who seems to have a mysterious power over the Dublin rats. Martin’s gift is dangerous and terrifying, but also exciting, and Tess can’t resist the temptation to explore his dark and thrilling world. Will she find the strength to resist, or will she be pulled permanently into darkness?/divDIV /divDIVIn Wild Blood, it’s time for Tess to choose her final form.Within days, she will turn fifteen and lose her power, remaining locked into a single shape. But what shape should she choose? As she tries to decide, Tess travels to her uncle Maurice’s farm in County Clare. She’s distracted from her weighty decision by the feeling that there’s something strange about the woods near the farm. What does it have to do with Tess’s choice? Her journey will take her to places she never could have imagined, as she approaches once and for all her final Switch./div/div/div

The rider sprang off as light as a cat and pulled the reins over the horse''s head. Then he marched straight over to me and put them into my hand. "Hold the mare for me, lad. And when I come back, I''ll give you a golden guinea." A dark stranger leaves his magnificent horse in the care of a boy he''s never met. As dusk falls, others offer to pay the boy handsomely for the animal. Then soldiers arrive, demanding to know where the horse''s owner has gone. Could the stranger be the notorious Dick Turpin, known for his daring holdups and amazing exploits? Is the horse the legendary Black Bess? And will the boy ever see the reward he''s been promised? There''s mischief in the air, but it isn''t entirely clear who''s causing it.

Danny has always believed that his scientist mother is dead. But when a talking dog tells him it isn''t true, Danny sets out on a mission to find his mother and her hidden laboratory in Fourth World. But Danny is locked in his own world, so he will need the help of his step-brother Christie, if he is to succeed. After a long and difficult journey the boys discover that Danny''s mother is involved in some complex genetic engineering, and she holds the key to Danny''s past and his future.

DIVDIVIn a small Irish town, an environmental activist and a butcher come together to track down a violent criminal/divDIV For eco-warrior and journalist Sarah O’Malley, a temporary stint managing her sister’s holistic food store is the perfect escape. But her baggage is unavoidable: Haunted by the spirit of her dead lover, Duncan—who dispenses advice whether she wants it or not—Sarah becomes enmeshed in the mystery of a dying calf. Her search for answers brings her into contact with Malachy Glynn, the town butcher. The philosophical Malachy is the antithesis of everything Sarah believes in. But as their community descends into a quagmire of deceit and violence, Sarah and Malachy become unlikely allies in a quest for the truth./divDIV /divDIVA timeless morality tale that exposes the hypocrisy and greed that lurk in all of us, Thompson’s novel is also a profound and affecting meditation on the acts of worship and contrition that we call love./div/div

The world is drowning. Freak storms and devastating hurricanes sweep across the countryside. No one has enough food or firewood—electricity is an option only for the tyrannical Commander—and then the Commander begins stealing young children away. Pup''s little brother is one of the missing. Determined to save his brother, Pup confronts the Commander and finds himself “volunteered” for a special force. One that will slip through the barriers of time into a land where the sun never sets . . . just as another boy from Kinvara did long ago. With the future of both realms at stake, the fairies and humans must take drastic measures to stop the destruction. But not everyone wants the human race to survive. . . . The thrilling conclusion to the story that began in the acclaimed The New Policeman.

The Greek god Hermes narrates this extraordinary novel of contemporary romance by award-winning author Kate Thompson “I have a story for you . . . It is a tale of immortals, acted by mortals.” So begins this story of two lonely people who meet at an adult education class. Jessie Parker has just turned forty. Between the recent death of her mother and the local library’s burning down, she feels bereft and adrift. Patrick Robinson, a journalist with artistic tendencies, is also searching for something. With the gods looking down upon them, Jessie and Patrick begin dating. Soon, they find themselves deeply in love, but caught up in the struggles that plague all relationships. Told from the perspective of the immortal Hermes, Down Among the Gods is a riff on the modern romance. By turns funny and moving, this remarkable novel lays bare the intimate yearnings of those who quest after love everlasting—whether on Olympus or right here on Earth.

DIVDIVSet on a farm on Ireland’s West Coast, this gripping novel by Kate Thompson revolves around a missing teenager—and the shattering effect of her disappearance upon her family and friends/divDIV Nineteen-year-old Martina Keane has vanished, seemingly into thin air./divDIV /divDIVShe rode off one morning, and her horse, Specks, came home without her. Martina’s father, Gerard, soon falls under suspicion, and her mother, Brigid, finds she must reevaluate her narrow, materialist existence. With their world turned upside down and their parents emotionally absent, Martina’s teenaged brother, Joseph, and their younger sister, Aine, are left to deal with the disaster in their own, very different ways./divDIV /divDIVSet on the borderlines of the modern and the traditional, the material and the mythical, Thin Air is the story of a family coming apart at the seams . . . and coming together again. /div/div

DIVDIVDIVMichael is inexplicably drawn to Annie, but a deep and mysterious river divides them/divDIV Michael Duggan feels lost. After the death of his younger sister in a riding accident, his parents have relocated their family and their horse-dealing business to Scotland. Days and nights are taken up with caring for the horses and ponies, showing them to buyers, and competing in shows. School is a blur—Michael has no friends and no clear sense of who he is. He feels completely alone in the world, until he meets Annie, a girl who, like him, seems to want to flee from something; a girl who has dark secrets of her own. Michael desperately wants to be with Annie. But she lives on the opposite side of the treacherous Annan Water . . . /div/div/div