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Oliver Twist
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-00-5
Lexile® Rating: 850L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.0 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
With a hungry, timid request of ‘Please, sir. I want some more’, orphan Oliver Twist takes his first step on a terrifying journey.
In the dark, dangerous streets of Victorian London Oliver enters the world of people so poor and desperate that they will take any risk and know no mercy.
Relentlessly pursued by the menacing criminal world, who should Oliver trust? Are his true friends strong enough to resist the determined plotting of desperate villains?
In this gripping tale of kidnapping, shooting and murder, Charles Dickens shows the threats to a vulnerable boy’s existence and asks the eternal question: which is more powerful, good or evil?
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Persuasion
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-07-4
Lexile® Rating: 840L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.3 what is this?
F&P Level: W what is this?
£6.99
After eight years of heartache, can anyone love again?
Eight years ago, Anne Elliot was persuaded that her family’s honour was more important than her own happiness. She has suffered ever since. Now the man she turned away has returned.
Can Captain Wentworth forgive Anne, or will he be charmed instead by the beautiful Louisa? Will Anne be persuaded to marry her cousin, or will she find the strength to follow her heart?
The extravagance of Anne’s foolish father, the greedy plotting of false friends, and a near-fatal accident bring danger into Anne’s safe world. Their hearts assailed by resentment, regrets and rivals, can Anne and Captain Wentworth now reach across the void that separates them to love each other again?
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Pride and Prejudice
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-06-7
Lexile® Rating: 870L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.5 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
‘You are the last man in the world I would marry.’
Why does spirited, lively Elizabeth Bennet so rudely reject the proposal of the handsome, rich Mr Darcy? What could he possibly have done to offend her?
Elizabeth is proud of her ability to judge others; Mr Darcy is proud of his family name. When their social worlds collide, feelings run high.
Misunderstandings, poor judgement and wicked lies bring danger to the Bennet family. Can broken hearts be mended?
Can hurtful words be forgiven? Can the Bennets be drawn back from the brink of disgrace?
Will Elizabeth’s prejudice and Darcy’s pride be the ruin of them both?
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Rob Roy
Frank hates working in his father’s office. He swaps places with his cousin Rashleigh. But what is Rashleigh up to? Who are his mysterious friends?
Frank has to find some missing papers to save his father’s business. The search takes him to Scotland, where he finds that his life is in danger. But who is it that wants to kill him?
Frank meets the outlaw Rob Roy and heads for the Highlands, where he’s seized by soldiers looking for Jacobite rebels.
Whose side is Rob Roy really on? And how can Frank recover the papers which will save his father?
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Robinson Crusoe
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-71-5
Lexile® Rating: 780L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.0 what is this?
F&P Level: V what is this?
£6.99
Running away to sea brings adventure and wealth, but then come shipwreck and a desperate struggle for survival.
Defying his parents, Robinson Crusoe goes to sea. He is captured by pirates but escapes to Brazil. He makes a fortune using slave labour to grow tobacco and sugar. He sails to Africa to bring back more slaves but is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island.
Everyone else is drowned. For over twenty years he lives alone. He learns to hunt and fish and make shelter. Then the cannibals arrive. Will this be the end of his adventure - or the chance to escape?
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Romeo and Juliet
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-45-6
Lexile® Rating: 630L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.3 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
£6.99
What could be worse than falling in love with your enemy?
Romeo Montague thinks he’s in love until he meets Juliet, the daughter of the Capulets. With her, he discovers what true love really feels like. But their two families are bitter rivals, and no one must know about their secret passion.
When Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin in a duel, their hope of happiness seems ended. Can Friar Laurence reconcile the two families, or will his plans bring even more tragedy?
Click here for the Shakespeare original language comparison
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Sense and Sensibility
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-11-1
Lexile® Rating: 810L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.2 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
Marianne is ablaze with fire and passion; Elinor keeps her own heat under control.
Marianne seeks a man who shares her eager spirit; Elinor is in love with the polite, considerate Edward Ferrars.
Their younger sister Margaret watches in bewilderment as Marianne and Elinor experience the joys and heartaches of early adult life. Is Marianne too warm or is Elinor too cold? Whose example should Margaret follow?
Margaret records the dangers presented by scheming friends and deceitful lovers. Will Elinor’s sense be strong enough to support both sisters, or will Marianne’s sensibility bring tragedy?
What will you learn as you read Margaret’s account?
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Seven Little Australians
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-84-5
£6.99
A word of warning – if you are expecting to read a story about model children, you’d better read something else. Not one of the seven children in this story is truly good – Australian children never are.
The Woolcot children enjoy a life of fun and adventure in their rambling riverside home, despite frequent reprimands from their strict father, Captain Woolcot.
However, when one of Judy’s escapades tests the Captain’s patience to the limit, he decides that extreme measures are called for and sends her away to boarding school. But this leads to consequences not even he could anticipate. How will the headstrong Judy respond to her punishment? And how will this family recover from the disaster that strikes them?
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Silas Marner
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-60-9
Lexile® Rating: 890L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.5 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
‘It’s a woman. She’s dead, I think – dead in the snow at the Stone-pits – not far from my door.’
Since his arrival in the small village of Raveloe, Silas Marner has been an outsider. Nobody knows where he came from, nobody understands him, nobody dares to invite him in.
All of this changes when a little girl wanders through his door one snowy night. What feelings will she stir in Silas’s lonely heart? How will she draw Silas closer to the heart of Raveloe?
If Raveloe has a heart, it also has a head in the form of the wealthy Cass family. When Dunstan Cass enters Silas’s life, he takes something valuable. Years later, will Godfrey Cass do the same and take away what Silas has grown to love most dearly?
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Tess of the d’Urbervilles
Following a series of misfortunes, Tess Durbeyfield leaves her impoverished family to seek work with her rich relations.
Her new employer, Alec d’Urberville, seems charming and kind. Tess has a mind of her own, but she is vulnerable and alone among strangers. Can she trust Alec?
A year later Tess meets Angel Clare, and they fall in love. If Angel discovers the truth about Tess’s past, will he still love her?
In this gripping story of courage, love and betrayal, Thomas Hardy asks many difficult questions. Are the expectations of women and men the same? Can we ever escape the consequences of our past actions? How much pain can one person live with?
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The Awakening
What price will Edna Pontellier pay to be free?
She seems to have everything she needs – her loving husband Léonce, two beautiful children, and a wonderful home in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. But deep inside her burns a creative fire that longs to be unleashed.
One summer changes everything. When Edna meets Robert, she starts to question all that she was taught to believe. Is her comfortable marriage nothing more than a cage? Will she ever be able to explore her creativity and passion to the full? Is it possible for a woman to be responsible for the needs of others and still to live her own life to the full?
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The Brothers Karamazov
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ISBN: 978-1-911091-05-9
£6.99
As Dimitry struck him Grigory screamed and fell back, the blood streaming horribly from his head. Dimitry bent over him, trying to stop the flow with his handkerchief which turned soaking red in an instant.
Alexey, Ivan and Dimitry Karamazov were sent away by their father Fyodor when they were very young, and never knew a father’s love. Now what will Dimitry’s bitter quarrel with Fyodor lead to?
Dimitry and his father both want to marry the beautiful Grushenka. Fyodor is old and ugly, but offers her wealth and security. Will she accept either of them, and if so, which?
The sickly, timid servant Smerdyakov confesses to a terrible crime. Is he telling the truth?
Can the deadly rivalry between father and son be settled peacefully, or must it end in tragedy?
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The Call of the Wild
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-77-7
ATOS®/AR Level: 6.1 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
Buck recognised the wild brother. He was whining softly, and they touched noses. A second wolf, old and battle-scarred, came forward and sniffed noses with him; he sat down, pointed his nose at the moon, and broke out in a long wolf howl. Buck, too, sat down and howled.
Buck, a big, powerful dog, is kidnapped from his California home and sold as a sled dog in the Arctic. In his new environment he must learn quickly how to deal with man’s club and dog’s fang, or he will not be able to survive.
He is transformed by two opposing forces – his love for John Thornton who saved his life, and the memories that awaken within him of the ways of his ancestors, both dogs and wolves. How will Buck survive, and not just survive, but become a leader of dogs and eventually a leader of wolves?
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The Great Gatsby
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-74-6
Lexile® Rating: 900L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.7 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
£6.99
Nick Carraway’s mysterious neighbour Gatsby gazes across the dark bay at a distant green light.
As the summer unfolds, Nick is drawn into Gatsby’s world of luxury cars, speedboats and extravagant parties. But the more he hears about Gatsby – even from what Gatsby himself tells him – the less he is sure of the truth. Did Gatsby really go to Oxford University? Was he a hero in the war? Did he once kill a man?
Nick recalls how he came to know Gatsby. He recounts how he enters the world of his cousin Daisy and her wealthy husband Tom. But does their money make them any happier? How do everybody’s stories connect?
Will you come to know the real Gatsby after reading Nick’s account of that fateful summer?
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The Heart of Midlothian
Edinburgh, 1736.
In the town’s grim prison, the Heart of Midlothian, two prisoners await execution. Captain Porteous of the Town Guard has been sentenced to death for ordering his soldiers to open fire on Edinburgh citizens. He hopes for reprieve. The people want revenge.
Effie Deans, wrongly accused of killing her new-born baby, will die unless her sister Jeanie tells a lie. Jeanie, determined to save her sister, makes a terrifying journey as Effie’s life hangs in the balance.
Will the two prisoners get the justice they deserve?
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
A frightful horde of men and women, armed with scythes, pikes, billhooks and rusty swords, advanced towards the massive front doors of Notre Dame Cathedral.
For many years Quasimodo the bellringer has lived peacefully in the Cathedral of Notre Dame with his master, Archdeacon Claude Frollo. But the arrival of Esmeralda, the young and dazzlingly beautiful gypsy dancer, changes everything.
Esmeralda has fallen in love with the brave and handsome Captain Phoebus. Will the Archdeacon be able to control his violent jealousy when Esmeralda rejects him?
Esmeralda’s life is in danger, but Quasimodo will do anything to protect her. When the King's soldiers clash with the thieves and beggars of Paris, can the innocent young dancer survive?
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The Mayor of Casterbridge
Michael Henchard knew he deserved the pain he felt.
Henchard is a handsome farm labourer. When he gets drunk at a country fair, he sells his wife and child to a sailor. The next day, ashamed by what he has done, he lets people believe that his wife has died. Thus begins a chain of events which leads Henchard deep into dishonesty and betrayal.
Repentant and determined to change his ways, Henchard works hard to improve his fortunes. He becomes rich, and is elected mayor of Casterbridge – though his temper and his pride make him difficult to like.
When Henchard’s wife and daughter come back to find him, will he accept them? And what might they want from him? Will a reunion mean a happy ending?
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The Mill on the Floss
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-59-3
Lexile® Rating: 840L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.3 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
Why was this feeling of regret so familiar to her? Why must she always wish she had done something different?
Maggie Tulliver and her brother Tom grow up in the Mill on the River Floss. Although Maggie adores Tom, she often finds him cruel and cold. All she wants is for life to be full and warm.
The Tulliver family’s traditional way of living is threatened by changes beyond their control. Will the educated world of lawyers and lawsuits destroy what generations have enjoyed?
As Maggie grows into adulthood, how can she control her passionate nature? With a destiny like an unmapped river – full, deep and rapid – where will love and desire lead her? Where will it all end?
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The Old Curiosity Shop
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-63-0
Lexile® Rating: 820L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.2 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£6.99
‘Why bless you, Little Nell! What if I had lost you?’
Little Nell Trent’s childhood is over. Her grandfather’s mind is failing, his dark secret makes him sad and distracted, and he has nobody to care for him but Nell.
The grotesque Daniel Quilp is out to cause trouble. What plans does he hatch with the dreadful Sampson and Sally Brass? What use can he hope to make of the foolish Dick Swiveller? Is Nell’s one true friend, Kit, a match for Quilp’s villainous mind?
Nell and her grandfather must disappear or be separated forever, and so they begin their lives as beggars. When a mysterious gentleman arrives in London, determined to track them down, it becomes a race against time and against the evil of Quilp.
Can Little Nell keep her grandfather safe? Who will protect Nell? Will the mysterious gentleman find them before it is too late?
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The Scarlet Letter
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-76-0
ATOS®/AR Level: 6.1 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
£6.99
Hester Prynne stands defiantly on a scaffold before hostile Puritans in seventeenth-century Boston, Massachusetts.
The baby in her arms and the bright scarlet letter ‘A’ on her gown are evidence and punishment for the shame she has brought on her religious neighbours.
Will Hester continue to conceal the name of the husband who sent her away from Europe years before as well as that of the father of her baby? Will the husband get his revenge on the man who has shamed him? Will that man admit his past, and join Hester and her daughter Pearl?
Or is the matter out of their hands, waiting to be decided between the forces of the Lord and of Satan?
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