Showing results by author "Alexander McCall Smith" in All Categories

Mma Ramotswe reads the foreword she has written to these tales, then goes on to narrate them all herself, passing them on to us verbally as did her father's aunt to her. From animal fables to mysterious forces residing in the landscape, this collection demonstrates the wealth and variety of African folk tales and the particular magic of Africa's spiritual roots.

Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world's most prolific and popular authors. He has won numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Award Author of the Year Award and a CBE for services to literature.

Akimbo loves his life in Africa. He loves living in the great game reserve where his father is ranger. He is able to see all sorts of wonderful animals. But he doesn't see many snakes - they usually slither away when he gets close. But then his uncle Peter asks if Akimbo would like to visit his snake park, and Akimbo jumps at the chance!

When his loving wife, Betty, plans a trip to Ireland for Fatty O’Leary’s 40th birthday things go wrong almost immediately: the seats in economy class on the plane are too small; Irish bathroom furniture is not as commodious as he'd have liked. And all the time Fatty must put up with the unthinking cruelty of strangers.

Corduroy Mansions, Pimlico is an oasis of old-fashioned civilisation, its inhabitants considerate and peace-loving. But beneath the polite exterior seismic change is stirring. Barbara Ragg makes an eye-popping discovery about her stolid Scottish suitor’s past, while Oedipus Snark – newly appointed and tirelessly self-interested Government Minister – has a close encounter in Switzerland that leaves him a new man all together.

When Max finds an old car that has his last name - Champion - on the bonnet, he learns that his grandfather used to make some of the best cars around...and race them! That was until his ideas book and his favourite car, Arabella, were stolen by greedy rival Mr Grabber. Can Max find a way to get back what Grandfather Gus lost? And will Arabella ever be seen again?

Max and Maddy Twist's parents were once famous, international detectives - before the evil Professor Sardine ruined their careers, that is. Now they run an ice cream parlour, and it is the services of their crime busting Cluedo champion children that are called upon! Mr Huffendort, a rich Swiss banker is very worried about a series of raids upon banks, carried out by a team of highly-trained St Bernard dogs! Who can be the criminal mastermind behind this evil and cunning plot?

Noah can't believe it when he finds out his uncle owns a zoo! But the zoo is closing down, and there are animals who need homes. Before he knows it, Noah and his family are setting sail on a round-the-world trip returning the zoo animals to the places they were born. But when they try to return one very cheeky monkey, they're in for a whole boat-load of trouble!

The inhabitants of the Popcorn Islands lead a peaceful and comfortable existence - that is until pirates attack Captain Foster's ship on its way to America and steal half the popcorn harvest. So Lucy, Hermione and Sam offer to accompany the captain and his dog, Biscuit, on the next trip to keep a lookout for danger. But danger is exactly what they run into! Now the pirates aren't just after more popcorn...they want new recruits, too!

Corduroy Mansions is the affectionate nickname given to a genteelly crumbling mansion block in London's vibrant Pimlico. This is the home patch of - among others - a lovelorn literary agent, possibly the first ever nasty Liberal Democrat MP, and Freddie de la Hay, an urbane terrier trained to be vegetarian and respectful of feline rights.

John and Nicky have never eaten spaghetti and would give anything for the occasional bowl of chips or piece of chocolate cake. But they live with their rather strange aunt, who insists upon health-food diets. When they use some birthday money to go out for lunch, they experience the delights of spaghetti and decide that they simply have to have more. A competition offers them just such an opportunity, which results in their mealtimes changing for good.

Max and Maddy are on the trail of a criminal who'll stop at nothing to sabotage Mr Helium's trans-American hot air balloon race. The prize is a gold balloon worth one million and one dollars, and all the money raised by the race is to go towards the Home for Children Whose Parents Have Disappeared in Balloons - so there's a lot at stake! Will the detectives be able to blow the dastardly villain's plot sky high?

In this course, we will discuss the moral aspects of human reproduction. We will discuss various influences on reproduction as well as the scientific advances in reproductive technology. At the end of this course we will not have arrived at answers to the various questions raised, but instead will have provided a base for us to consider the issues at hand and a desire to pursue more study in the important aspects of creating humans.