Showing results by narrator "Chris Devon" in All Categories

1666. When 11-year-old bookish Gil finds a strange ‘heaven stone' by the Thames, he never thought it would hatch. Or that so soon after the Great Plague, a small fire in London would become a deadly inferno. Soon Gil, his phoenix, and his spiky friend Jennet must cross the burning city, avoid a terrifying mob, and find a place where they can all be safe.

After facing down an evil hag, a thieving skele-crow and an army of the undead, 10-year-old Theodora Hendrix is certain she can handle anything - that is, until she meets the unpleasant Inspector Shelley and her even more unpleasant pet rat. Shelley and Ratsputin have come to spy on the MLM and are determined to make trouble at every turn. Then Theodora makes a discovery of her own: a cursed beetle. She needs to destroy it without attracting the attention of the inspector - and fast.

Scooter and Fizzbee are experts when it comes to making out-of-this-world jam inventions. But lately there have been a few hiccups. Giant vegetables, floating children ... their new line of jam infused with Fizzbee's alien ingredients has got a little out of control. Scooter and his friends decide it's time to launch Operation: Make Fizzbee Look Good to reassure the villagers that Fizzbee isn't dangerous.

On a winter's day in a British town, 12-year-old Alex receives a package in the post: an old tin robot from his grandfather. 'This one is special,' says the enclosed note, but when strange events start occurring around him, Alex begins to suspect this small toy is more than special: it might be deadly. Just as things are getting out of hand, Alex's grandfather arrives, whisking him away from his otherwise humdrum life and into a world of strange, macabre magic.

The Guardians of Magic disappeared ten years ago, leaving the Kingdom of Thrynne in the icy grip of a powerful sorceress. Most people have fled in desperate search of warmer lands, escaping the Ice Monsters that roam the streets. Meanwhile, young Tiggy Thistle lives hidden and safe with a kindly Badger until the day she meets one of the crafty Stiltskin brothers and she has to run from her happy home. So begins Tiggy's quest to find Zam, Phoebe and Bathsheba—the only people, she believes, who can save Thrynne from the curse of endless winter.

Alfie Wright? Alfie Wrong, more like. Alfie has never really fit in anywhere–he doesn't have any friends, and even his mum seems embarrassed of him. So when he's evacuated to a farm in rural Devon run by kind old Aunt Bell and her gentle giant of a son, Alfie can't believe his luck. The War seems a long way off, and among the cows and pigs and geese Alfie's happier than he's ever been–especially when he makes friends with one of the local boys, Snidge. But Snidge, for all his friendliness, is not all he appears.

Until recently, Isobel has always loved The Close. A quiet road of large houses tucked away in the beautiful English countryside, it seemed like the perfect place to live. Then, six months ago, a young man was killed in a mysterious hit-and-run incident. The police investigated, but no one was charged, which left a bad feeling in this little community, a feeling that someone knows more than they are saying.

Harvey is a small boy in a giant world. On stilts. When Harvey accidentally sets fire to his headteacher's trousers, Mum decides it's time for a BIG change. So, she packs him off to Madame Bogbrush's School for Gifted Giants. He'll grunt. He'll clomp. He'll bash things with clubs. But Harvey's not a giant. He's a boy on stilts. And if his classmates find out, they'll stomp him into a sandwich!

1690. England is in crisis – the new protestant King William III has embarked on wars in France and Ireland, inflation is rampant and the price of corn is causing riots. At Measham Hall, Sir William Hawthorne faces a predicament of his own: his loyal steward has died, and he must find another. His problems appear to have been solved when the charming Mr Goodwyn arrives with a mysterious letter of recommendation and takes up the post. But soon, to the rest of the household's dismay, Goodwyn appears to have both Sir William and the estate dancing to his tune.

After delivering the pearl, Finn and Aria thought life would return to normal. But with the survival of the clans still in peril, they must continue their quest. Can they find the next relic before the forces of evil? Not everyone is who they appear to be, and time is running out....

Facing eviction and a trip to the job centre, Adam’s agent suggests he might consider writing books for another popular genre, such as spicy romance or Christmas novels. But the problem is that he’s relatively useless with anything considered romantic (as Stacey would confirm), and he hates Christmas.

Casander Darkbloom has no memory, lives outside a curiosity shop, and experiences random surges of uncontrollable energy in his limbs. When he inexplicably brings a stuffed raven to life, he unravels a strange and thrilling magical world. A world waiting for Cas to save it. Cas is the Foretold, the one prophesized to defeat the malevolent Master of All. Under the protection of Wayward School, Cas must learn to master his magical abilities.

Become a happier person by applying the wisdom of philosophers. What is happiness? What makes you happy? And is there more to life than happiness? Looking at the history of thought, this practical guide will help you answer these questions. Learn to cultivate your taste for pleasure, free yourself from the various disturbances of life and overcome irrational expectations that cause distress. Happiness will help you to go with the flow and rediscover the joy of existence.

For Nicholas Hawthorne, the Catholic heir to Measham Hall in Derbyshire, subterfuge is part of everyday life. But there are deeper and darker secrets even than his family's outlawed religion: why is his father, Sir William, so reclusive? What became of his mother, and his aunt Alethea? And who fatally betrayed his cousin Matthew?

In the seriously silly sequel to SMALL! Harvey and his best friend Walloping Toenail must leave behind Madame Bogbrush's School for Gifted Giants to save their friends from the Unspeakable Circus (and a pride of very hungry zombie lions). Traveling deep into the Stinking Sinking Swamp, they'll meet treacherous tooth fairies, worrisome werewolves and pay a visit to Viscount Bloodsucker's School for High Achieving Vampires. And Harvey will face his biggest challenge of all.

1838, England: When eighteen-year-old Frances Dickinson impulsively marries Lieutenant John Geils, all her hopes for her future are quickly shattered as she finds there is much about her husband she did not know. A cruel and violent man, John keeps Frances in isolation on his family's estate, while spending her fortune and preying upon their maids. Frances yearns to break free from her marriage but the law is not on her side. Only when John's abuse escalates can she set in motion a daring plan to secure her freedom.

A few months ago, Alex’s world changed...forever. Now, just when it seems life is almost getting back to normal, Alex’s grandfather crashes back into the picture with grave news: their friend Harry has fallen into the clutches of a familiar foe, and the old man needs Alex’s help to rescue him. This time, the duo’s desperate dash across Europe leads from Paris deep into Germany’s foreboding Black Forest, as they chase down the mystery Harry had been investigating when he disappeared.

When Sophie receives a parcel from her best friend, Freya, she expects it to contain the reason why Freya left town so suddenly, without goodbyes and without explanation. Instead, she finds a letter addressed to Win, a girl Freya barely knew - or did she? As more letters arrive for more people on the periphery of Freya’s life, Sophie and Win begin to piece together who Freya was and why she left. Sometimes it’s not about who’s gone, but about who they leave behind....

An iconic piece of design and style–and a gold standard in motorcycle engineering–the Triumph has roved through the twentieth century, making its mark in hearts and minds. Founded in Coventry in1885, Triumph Engineering had humble beginnings, importing bicycles and sewing machines. Little did anyone know that in the coming years the company would birth an historic series of motorcycles that have lit up the arenas of racing, popular culture and even warfare for well over a century.

In the aftermath of her father’s death and the crash that killed her mother and five-year-old sister, Jess is determined to take care of her surviving brothers, teenage Frankie and nine-year-old Tom. But as the three siblings struggle through grief, ever-present questions loom: Why did their dad take his own life? Where was their mother going?