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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?
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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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Great Expectations
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-01-2
Lexile® Rating: 800L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.2 what is this?
F&P Level: V what is this?
£7.99
An escaped convict threatens to eat young Pip’s heart for breakfast. The ghostly Miss Havisham invites Pip to her eerie home. A mysterious benefactor makes him suddenly wealthy. Pip’s life will never be the same again.
Pride, humility, love, loyalty and shame compete for Pip’s emotions. Will his quest to become a gentleman enable him to melt the cold heart of the beautiful Estella, or will it destroy his happiness?
Pip’s tale is full of mystery and surprises. What is the nature of Miss Havisham’s interest in him? Why does Estella want to break his heart? Why does the dangerous convict return?
Most importantly, who has given Pip his great expectations?
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A Christmas Carol
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-02-9
Lexile® Rating: 770L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.8 what is this?
F&P Level: T what is this?
£7.99
‘Bah, humbug! Fools wishing me a Merry Christmas should be forced to sit on cushions stuffed with holly leaves or boiled with their own Christmas puddings.’
Miserable old miser Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas. Can somebody so selfish, so harsh and so horribly lonely ever change his ways?
In one terrifying night, poor Scrooge is haunted by four ghosts. Why do they show him visions of his past? Why do they show him other people enjoying Christmas? Why do they show him the deaths of a young boy and of a miserable old miser?
Weep and laugh as you read this much-loved Christmas story. Will Scrooge always think that Christmas is ‘Humbug’, or will he learn to shout ‘Merry Christmas, one and all’?
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David Copperfield
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-03-6
Lexile® Rating: 840L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.0 what is this?
F&P Level: W what is this?
£7.99
When David’s mother marries the malevolent Mr Murdstone, David’s childhood happiness is destroyed for ever.
Can one lonely little boy show the strength and determination to survive the dangers that lie ahead? Travelling along the rocky road from boyhood to manhood, how can David learn who to trust and who to love? Will David’s friends bring him happiness or heartache?
In this inspiring tale of trust, betrayal, courage and love, Charles Dickens presents a world of colourful characters to amuse us, astonish us, disgust us and move us to tears. Once encountered, David Copperfield’s friends and enemies will never be forgotten.
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Bleak House
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-04-3
Lexile® Rating: 870L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.3 what is this?
F&P Level: Y what is this?
£7.99
‘It would have been far better if you had never been born.’
Esther, at fourteen, has never known love. Determined to live well, earn some love and overcome the shadow of her birth, she takes her first steps into an unknown world.
A family curse, a manipulating lawyer, poverty and secrets threaten to destroy Esther’s world. Are the walls of Bleak House strong enough to protect her and her new friends from such powerful forces?
The reader will be caught up in an unfolding mystery, full of surprises. Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is: Who is Nemo?
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Hard Times
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-05-0
Lexile® Rating: 790L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.0 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£7.99
Louisa is the practical daughter of a powerful industrialist. Sissy is the imaginative daughter of a clown. What will happen when two such different lives collide?
A disappearing father, an unhappy marriage, a handsome suitor and a bank robbery all bring challenges to Louisa’s life. Will she be able to control her powerful emotions, or will they lead her to ruin?
Set amongst the noisy, dangerous factories of a northern industrial town, where the workers struggle to survive, Hard Times explores the power that people can have over others, and the suffering that is caused when human emotions are ignored.
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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?
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‘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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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?
£7.99
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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Northanger Abbey
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-08-1
Lexile® Rating: 850L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.6 what is this?
F&P Level: W what is this?
£7.99
The time has come for an unlikely heroine to have a real adventure.
Catherine Morland has little experience of the world. When a neighbour takes her to visit the fashionable city of Bath, her naiveté leaves her vulnerable. Who should Catherine trust? Whose friendship is genuine and whose will be harmful?
Catherine’s adventure becomes sinister when she visits Northanger Abbey. What is hidden in the locked cabinet? Why are the General’s children afraid of him? What terrible secrets does he keep in his dead wife’s bedroom?
Guided only by the gothic horror stories she so loves reading, Catherine stumbles through her adventures. Will hers be a happy ending? Will she find a hero to share her ‘happily ever after’?
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Mansfield Park
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-09-8
Lexile® Rating: 830L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.5 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£7.99
‘Your little cousin cannot help being dull and stupid.’
At the tender age of ten, Fanny Price moves from her poor family home to live with her wealthy cousins at Mansfield Park. Settling into this proud family is only the first of many challenges she will have to face. Can Fanny, uneducated and inexperienced, win any respect or love, or will the spiteful Mrs Norris turn everybody against her?
When plays, balls and marriage proposals challenge Fanny’s judgement, will she be strong enough to do what is right? When jealousy, duty and flattery challenge Fanny’s heart, will it be strong enough to guide her towards true love?
Just how strong is Fanny Price?
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Emma
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-10-4
Lexile® Rating: 840L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 5.2 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
£7.99
‘I must warn you that you might guess twenty things without guessing correctly.’
Following her governess’s marriage, wealthy, spoilt Emma Woodhouse seeks new company and new amusement. Ignoring the warnings of her friend Mr Knightley, she begins a series of terrible blunders.
Through letters to her sister, the author presents the reader with puzzles to confuse even the best detective. Who sent the mystery piano? Why is Mr Elton so charming and Miss Fairfax so reserved? How many men can Harriet love? Who is hiding a shocking secret?
With little understanding of her own feelings, can Emma lead anyone towards happiness? Can you solve any of the mysteries before Emma does?
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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?
£7.99
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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Tom Sawyer
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-18-0
Lexile® Rating: 600L what is this?
F&P Level: W what is this?
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Tom Sawyer is a respectable boy in a little Mississippi River town. Huck Finn is a freedom-loving, neglected outcast. What better playmate could Tom want?
One night, innocent games of pirates and Robin Hood turn serious when the boys witness a murder in the graveyard. The murderer will kill them if they tell the truth. What should they do?
The boys decide to search for the murderer’s treasure. What risks will they take? Who else will they endanger? Will they have the courage and quick thinking to escape from dark caverns, cross the mighty Mississippi, and outwit the criminals? Will they find what they are looking for?
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Huckleberry Finn
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-19-7
Lexile® Rating: 650L what is this?
F&P Level: W what is this?
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Huckleberry Finn would rather be free than ‘sivilized’.
Adventures with Tom Sawyer made Huck rich – but his Pap is a violent drunk and the broad Mississippi is the road to liberty. Huck’s raft can carry him and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, to safety.
When they lose their way one foggy night, though, they are headed downriver into dangerous territory. How can one small boy pilot his way through a land of mortal feuds, lynch mobs and tricksters?
When life and freedom are at risk, how can Huck figure out the difference between wrong and right?
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Wuthering Heights
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-20-3
Lexile® Rating: 760L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.9 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
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I saw everything. They told me everything. I played a part in everything.
Nelly Dean has spent her life serving the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. She has quite a tale to tell. She wants to tell it to you.
Nelly’s story is as wild and stormy as the moors on which it is set. She talks of haunting, hatred, love, grief and the desire for revenge.
Her tale begins and ends with the mysterious Heathcliff. Where has this strange, silent boy come from? Will you fear him or pity him? What drives the adult Heathcliff to destroy others, even his own son, and to dig in dark graveyards? Is it love or vengeance, or both?
This famous story of Heathcliff and Catherine will thrill you and chill you to the bone.
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Jane Eyre
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-21-0
Lexile® Rating: 630L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.4 what is this?
F&P Level: X what is this?
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Jane Eyre is poor, parentless and plain. Her future looks bleak.
Jane’s aunt and cousin detest her. Life at Lowood School is cruel and dangerous. What inner strength can the young Jane find?
Seeking adventure and independence, Jane sets out alone. Is her new master, Mr Rochester, all that he seems? What secret does he keep locked in the third storey, where strange laughter haunts the nights?
In her search for affection, Jane faces horror, cruelty, poverty and temptation. Is she strong enough to do what is right?
Will she ever mean anything more to anybody than poor, plain Jane Eyre?
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Far from the Madding Crowd
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-38-8
Lexile® Rating: 760L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.6 what is this?
F&P Level: Y what is this?
£7.99
‘I cannot allow any man to – to criticise my private conduct!’
Young, attractive and impetuous, Bathsheba has inherited a farm and is determined to be as independent as possible. Her natural beauty is a magnet for men; how will she choose between them?
Gabriel Oak is a young farmer, just set up in business with his own flock of sheep. He meets Bathsheba and falls in love with her, but she turns him down. He has to stand by and watch while the woman he loves is courted by others, first by William Boldwood, much older than Bathsheba; then by Sergeant Troy, young, handsome, and reckless. Who will she choose?
Throughout Bathsheba’s series of mistakes, Gabriel remains her loyal friend. But will he ever be more than just a friend?
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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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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 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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Waverley
Edward Waverley is an English officer in the army of King George, but will his love for Flora, the beautiful Scottish rebel, lead him to betray his King?
Life with his regiment in Scotland is dull until he visits his uncle’s friends in the Highlands, where he meets Fergus McIvor and his sister Flora. Attracted by the wild freedom and romance of the Scottish clans, Edward finds himself in a difficult and dangerous position. His new friends are Jacobites, planning to overthrow King George and restore the Stuart monarchy.
The Jacobites rise in rebellion. When Prince Charles leads an invasion of England, Edward’s loyalties are hopelessly divided. Whose side will he take? And what fate awaits them all?
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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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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-44-9
Lexile® Rating: 660L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.5 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
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Mischief is in the air when the King and Queen of the Fairies quarrel and Puck is left in charge of the love potion.
Four young people are lost in the woods on midsummer’s night. Will they find each other and true love, or will Puck’s meddling leave them broken-hearted and alone?
A band of players prepares to entertain the Duke of Athens. But now that the fairies have made a donkey out of their leading man, will Quince and the others ever get to play their parts?
Is there time to put everything right before this magical night is over?
Click here for the Shakespeare original language comparison
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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?
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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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The Tempest
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-46-3
Lexile® Rating: 680L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.7 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
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A storm, a shipwreck, an enchanted island ...
A violent storm shipwrecks the King of Naples and his noblemen on what appears to be an uninhabited island. What the king doesn’t know is that they have been brought here by powerful magic.
Prospero, the mysterious ruler of the island, has a plan, but will he use his magic for good or bad against the castaways? His daughter, Miranda, has never seen another man except her father. What will she think of the stranger who stumbles into her life? Prospero’s monstrous servant, Caliban, sees a chance to overthrow his master. Will he succeed?
Enchantment and treachery are everywhere on the island – which will prove the stronger?
Click here for the Shakespeare original language comparison
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Macbeth
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-47-0
Lexile® Rating: 610L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.6 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
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On a dark heath, Macbeth stumbles across three witches who can see into the future.
What he hears will change everything. Egged on by his wife, he decides to kill in order to gain the Scottish crown. How many people will have to die in Macbeth’s pursuit of power?
With armies, ghosts and magic against him, will Macbeth survive in this tale of greed and betrayal? Getting the crown is one thing – keeping it is quite another.
Click here for the Shakespeare original language comparison
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Hamlet
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-55-5
Lexile® Rating: 610L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.6 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
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Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark, has died suddenly. But instead of grieving, his mother Gertrude has married the dead king’s brother, Claudius.
One dark night, Hamlet sees a ghost. It is his dead father, who claims he was murdered by Claudius, the new king. But did Hamlet really see a ghost, or did he just imagine it? And if he did see a ghost, was it telling him the truth?
Hamlet plans to avenge his father by killing Claudius. But the man he stabs isn’t Claudius, as he thinks, but his girlfriend’s father. So the wrong man dies.
So much tragedy, but there is more to come. Who else will die an untimely death? And who will live to tell the tale?
Click here for the Shakespeare original language comparison
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Twelfth Night
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ISBN: 978-1-906230-56-2
Lexile® Rating: 570L what is this?
ATOS®/AR Level: 4.2 what is this?
F&P Level: Z what is this?
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Viola survives a shipwreck, but she thinks her twin brother Sebastian has died.
Alone in a strange country where it isn’t safe to be a single girl, Viola disguises herself as a boy called Cesario and finds work as a servant.
But dressing in boy’s clothes doesn’t stop Viola falling in love with a man – who is in love with someone else. Will she ever manage to win his love for herself?
And who is this other young man that appears, looking so like Cesario? What confusion will result from his arrival? Perhaps Viola’s brother didn’t drown after all …
Click here for the Shakespeare original language comparison
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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?
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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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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?
£7.99
‘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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