New Releases by Joan Aiken

Tra gli innumerevoli mondi imma­ginari creati da Joan Aiken, c’è un’In­ghilterra dove la Gloriosa rivolu­zione non è mai avvenuta. Un’In­ghilterra infestata dai lupi, giunti oltremanica dalle gelide piane del­l’Europa e della Russia attraverso il tunnel sottomarino che unisce Do­ver a Calais e che è stato inaugura­to intorno al 1830, durante il regno di Giacomo III. Qui, nella sontuosa dimora di Willoughby Chase, una bambina di nome Bonnie Green – riccioli neri e carattere indomito – attende con impazienza l’arrivo del­l’angelica e delicata cugina Sylvia. Sir Willoughby e Lady Sophia sono in partenza per un lungo viaggio e le bambine verranno affidate alle cure di Miss Slighcarp, un’arcigna governante mossa da intenti non proprio limpidi. Osteggiate da te­mibili antagonisti, forti solo dell’af­fetto che le unisce e delle inaspettate risorse di coraggio e intraprendenza che sapranno trovare in sé, Bonnie e Sylvia dovranno affrontare un’incre­dibile serie di prove insidiose prima di sventare brillantemente un diabolico piano ordito ai danni della loro famiglia.

'Eccentric and poignant with inevitable echoes of Austen as she goes for heightened emotion and rarefied beauty . . . suspend disbelief and you’ll fly through this world of sense and sensibility' Time Out Aspiring young artist sixteen-year-old Pandora Crumbe, lonely and bored in her rural village, has been unwillingly taken for lunch with her eccentric neighbours The Morningquest family . . . when her mother dies suddenly at the table. The Morninquests take Pandora under their wing – Sir Gilbert is a world famous conductor with an elegant wife and seven eccentric children, all highly talented in their own way. Pandora flourishes in their rambling country home and relishes the cultured and bohemian company. As her life moves with theirs to 60’s London, a Northern University, and finally to communist Prague, she uncovers scandals, tragedy, her own mother’s secrets, and finally the way to realise her own dreams. From award winning author Joan Aiken, romantic suspense novel Morningquest is an intense and kaleidoscopic read, an epic rite of passage with a vast cast of exuberant characters who sweep you into their world.

'A winner. The narrative is crisp, the characterisation revealing, the ending quite modern in its ambiguity.' The Lady Two very different, but physically identical, young ladies meet at a boarding school once attended by Jane Austen. Joan Aiken's engrossing regency novel is perfect for fans of the major Netflix romantic drama series, Bridgerton. Self-righteous Louisa wants to escape her grand family life in Northumberland and become a missionary in India. Imaginative and quiet Alvey has no family and only longs for peaceful independence to complete her novel. So when Louisa suggests swapping identities it seems like the perfect plan: Alvey will have a peaceful country manor in which to write her book and Louisa will be free to voyage across the globe. But when Alvey becomes a beloved and indispensible member of her extraordinary new family, how will they view the return of the horrible Louisa? Joan Aiken weaves a complicated plot of deception and identity, peopled with strong female characters, in this unique historical romance.

The children of London are disappearing—can Is solve the mystery before she vanishes too? Is Twite, younger sister of the daring Dido, is on a desperate mission. An uncle she never knew just showed up at the cottage she shares with her sister Penny. He is being pursued by ravening wolves, and before he dies, the uncle begs her to find his missing son—Is''s cousin, Arun. The quest takes Is to London—a city mysteriously devoid of children, including the king''s only son and heir. Is soon finds herself aboard the Playland Express, a secret midnight train that leaves town once a month, just before the new moon. The kids aboard believe they''re headed to a far-off kingdom filled with fun and games. In reality, Playland is a freezing underground city ruled by the greedy "Gold Kingy," who has lured the youngsters there under false pretenses. His real objective is to put them to work in the coal mines. But the worst is yet to come: Gold Kingy is none other than Is''s other uncle Roy! Now it''s up to Is to avoid a terrible fate and use her wits, ingenuity, and powers of telepathic communication to free the children. Is Underground is the 8th book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

The hilarious adventures of an elderly pony named Mr. Mendelson and his 2 piano-playing field mice friends In a wild, remote place called Midnight Park, there lives an elderly Orkney pony named Mr. Mendelson. He is only 3 feet tall, is black all over, and has a big, handsome head. For years, Mendelson has been ridden by Sam, who is now old enough to go away to boarding school. But before he leaves, Sam asks his grandfather to buy Mendelson a piano. Not for Mendelson, because everyone knows horses can't play the piano, but for Mendelson's friends Gertrude and Bertha—2 talented field mice who were taught to play by a musician who lives in the park. Delighted when the piano is placed under a large oak tree, the mice promise Mendelson a concert at 6 p.m. every night. With 7 enchanting tales, Mice & Mendelson takes readers into the rich world of these farmyard friends. In 1 story, the old pony gets a bad case of the hiccups. In another, he learns to tell time with the help of Gertrude and Bertha, who wind his watch every day. In further adventures, Mendelson saves the moon from drowning in the pond and the village Christmas trees from being stolen. But what Mendelson really wants is to learn how to fly, and surprisingly his wish almost comes true—no thanks to the wicked ways of the scheming gipsy Dan Sligo! This ebook features illustrations by Babette Cole and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author's estate.

Can Jon find a ghostly horse that's been extinct for centuries? Jon is a lonely orphan who lives on a farm with his adopted parents. When they ask what he'd like for his birthday, Jon knows immediately: to see the Moropus, a prehistoric horse that's big and furry, with claws on its feet instead of hooves. According to legend, it haunts the lonely moors at a waterfall that is known as Horse Force because its gushing cascade sound just like a mare's whinny. But there's 1 problem: If Jon wants to see the ghost of the legendary creature, he has to visit Horse Force at the stroke of midnight—alone. Can he get up the courage to go there all by himself in the dead of night? Luckily there is 1 friend who can help Jon—his faithful pony Whiskers! This ebook features illustrations by Gavin Rowe and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author's estate.

When Davey and his sister are orphaned, their grandmother comes from a remote island to look after them—bringing macabre powers and dark secrets When Davey and his family moved to the city from the island of Muckle Burra off the coast of Scotland, they left his grandmother behind. But now his parents are dead—after a car accident that left Davey confined to a wheelchair—and Gran has moved in to take care of him and his sister, Lu-Lyn. A strange girl with a bizarre personality, Lu-Lyn is obsessed with 2 things: ballet and returning to Muckle Burra, where she was born. She believes that both she and Gran are "Ridders" who have strange, dark powers: With just 1 cast of their Evil Eye, bad things will start to happen. . . . When Lu-Lyn puts a terrible curse on the neighborhood boys who've been terrorizing her, it seems as if Gran's dark arts have followed her from Muckle Burra. Then tragedy rocks their family again, and Davey embarks on a journey that will reveal the true secret of his grandmother's rare gift—and the limitless power of his own potential. This ebook features illustrations by Ian Andrew and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author's estate.

Dido Twite, with the help of some sacred shaman healers, must foil a sinister plot to overthrow the king of a remote South Sea island healers Sailing the high seas in pursuit of Lord Herodsfoot, roving ambassador to the ageing King James III, Dido Twite's search has led her to the remote South Sea island of Aratu. She arrives with a new friend she made en route, the enigmatic Dr. Talisman, who is returning to the isle after many years. Soon they discover that there's something even more dangerous in the ancient rain forest than its poisonous pearl snakes, sting monkeys, and 30-foot-long crocodiles. Dido and Talisman are confronted by the Angrian invaders, who drove the Dilendi natives from their home 400 years earlier. Luckily, Dido befriends the gentle Forest People, who can heal with their magical touch. When she learns about a plot to overthrow the island's suffering king, Dido enlists the Forest People to help her thwart the scheme, save the monarch, and reunite him with his long-lost daughter. Dangerous Games is the 5th book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author's estate.

Kimballs Green Junior School's newest student is more than a little strange—in fact, she might be the feared daughter of the Erl King! Kevin loves sharing the stories his grandmother used to tell him about trolls and witches with his school friends. His favorite tale is about a scary spook named the Erl King who rides on a black horse at night. But when a new student, Nora Scull, arrives at Kimballs Green elementary school, Kevin begins to wonder if maybe the stories are true. Skinny as a broom and with dark, stringy hair, Nora never laughs, but she's always watching and listening. She also steals and makes Kevin do all sorts of bad things. Who is Nora, and what will Kevin have to do to save himself—and his school? This ebook features illustrations by Paul Warren and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author's estate.

A beautiful Cornish coastal village is the setting for a highly sinister conspiracy involving a kidnapped baby, mysterious monks and an almost irresistible new perfume... ''Joan Aiken''s triumph with this genre is that she does it so much better than others'' New York Times Book Review Martha works for an advertising agency, filming a TV commercial on location on the stunning Cornish coast. The client is the eccentric owner of a chemicals company that has invented a new, almost irresistible perfume, and Martha is in charge of shooting the romantic ads - unfortunately starring his beautiful but highly manipulative daughter-in-law. Before long, Martha finds herself embroiled in the conspiracy over the perfume''s true origin - to say nothing of a kidnapped baby, sinister monks, her own long-since vanished ex-husband and a series of exploding soup cans. And what of her own floundering love life...? ''Witty and acute ... a nice romantic thriller'' Punch

1832 - a period of English History that never happened. Good King James III is on the throne and the country is ravaged by wolves which have migrated through the newly-opened Channel Tunnel. When Sylvia and Bonnie (both orphans) fall into the hands of evil Miss Slighcarp, they must use all their wits to escape unscathed - for the governess is more cruel and merciless than the wolves that surround the great house of Willoughby Chase.

In Aiken's sequel to Jane Austen's complex and fascinating novel, after heroine Fanny Price marries Edmund Bertram, they depart for the Caribbean, and Fanny's younger sister Susan moves to Mansfield Park as Lady Bertram's new companion. Surrounded by the familiar cast of characters from Jane Austen's original, and joined by a few charming new characters introduced by the author, Susan finds herself entangled in romance, surprise, scandal, and redemption. Aiken's diverting tale gives the reader interesting speculation on how the Crawfords, whose winning personalities were marred by an amoral upbringing, might have turned out, and Jane Austen's morality tale takes new directions with an unexpected and somewhat controversial ending.

Coping with a family tragedy from a strange a new home, a boy encounters ghosts linked to his heritage in this supernatural fantasy for young readers. After the mysterious disappearance of both his mother and older brother, Cosmo is sent away to live with his eccentric mathematician aunt. Lonely and confused, Cosmo must also deal with being the new kid at school. Not an easy assignment! But things take a weird twist when Cosmo is visited by ghosts from the past. Ghosts who claim to need his help fighting an ancient curse! Only in time will Cosmo learn that he is at the center of that ancient—and deadly—curse. "Writing seems to be as natural to Joan Aiken as breathing; her imagination is as untrammeled as ever, the precise construction of the astonishing plot lends conviction, and her style is as witty and sparkling with images." — The Horn Book "Through interactions between characters, Aiken brings out the bittersweet ironies of friendships both otherworldly and in the here-and-now. Her sense of timing unfurls the mystery at just the right pace, giving the curse its rightful aura of power." — Booklist

The author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase presents a darkly humorous adventure starring two troubled orphans in a weird and wild world. Lucas Bell is lonely and miserable at Midnight Court, a vast, brooding house owned by his intolerable guardian, Sir Randolph Grimsby. When a mysterious carriage brings a visitor to the house, Lucas hopes he''s found a friend at last. But the newcomer, Anna Marie, is unfriendly and spoiled—and French. Just when Lucas thinks things can''t get any worse, disastrous circumstances force him and Anna Marie, parentless and penniless, into the dark and unfriendly streets of Blastburn . . . Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl "There is nobody like Joan Aiken for creating chilling nightmares. In . . . Midnight is a Place we have machines which crush children to death, herds of man-eating hogs in subterranean sewers . . . . Aiken writes superbly, with a force, a color, and strength of imagination that one encounters all too rarely today." — Daily Telegraph (UK) "An abundance of action, suspense, and melodrama . . . there is never a dull moment." — School Library Journal "Aiken knows how to keep a kid on the edge of his seat." — Book World "The author proves once again that she writes about children in distress better than anyone since Dickens." — Time

A young man must prevent a magic harp from falling into the clutches of a sinister and diabolical Lord.

After monsters invade Britain with the aim of destroying civilization, an expedition is mounted to defeat them. Two children with extrasensory perception, a boy and a girl, join the expedition and it is thanks to them that the monsters are routed. With illustrations.

In this fantasy adventure, a young girl visits a land where birds carry off men, fish eat human flesh, and she must rescue a pilfered lake. Readers who have followed Dido Twite''s escapades in Black Hearts in Battersea and Nightbirds on Nantucket will welcome her return in her wildest escapade yet. Now back in print, The Cuckoo Tree and The Stolen Lake continue the Wolves Chronicles, the exhilarating and imaginative series that stemmed from Joan Aiken''s classic The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. A dazzling piece of dramatic, snowballing adventure, The Stolen Lake is full of fantastical details: revolving palaces, witches who are also court dressmakers, an apocalyptic volcanic eruption, and an infernal country with a noticeable lack of female children. On her way back to London aboard the British man-of-war Thrush, twelve-year-old Dido Twite finds herself and the crew summoned to the aid of the tyrannical queen of New Cumbria. A neighboring king has stolen the queen''s lake and is holding it for ransom, and it''s up to Dido and the crew to face fire, flood, execution, and wild beasts to get the lake back—or else. Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl "Aiken lures us into historical fantasy . . . our interest never slows." — School Library Journal "The adventure Miss Aiken has dished up . . . in The Stolen Lake is zanier and more devilishly fiendish than ever." — New York Times

Taking up where Jane Austen''s "Pride and Prejudice" left off, Aiken''s newest novel focuses on Lady Catherine de Bourgh, her daughter Anne, and the misadventures one spring brings to Rosings Park, their family estate.

In this hilarious classic adventure, an innocent boy and his friends must stop a plot to topple the King of England. Simon, the foundling from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, arrives in London to meet an old friend and pursue the study of painting. Instead he finds himself unwittingly in the middle of a wicked crew''s fiendish caper to overthrow the good King James and the Duke and Duchess of Battersea. With the help of his friend Sophie and the resourceful waif Dido, Simon narrowly escapes a series of madcap close calls and dangerous run-ins. In a time and place where villains do nothing halfway, Simon is faced with wild wolves, poisoned pies, kidnapping, and a wrecked ship. This is a cleverly contrived tale of intrigue and misadventure. Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl "It''s a marvel!" — The New Yorker "A wild yarn, not to be put down once it is started." — Washington Post "A riot of wildly improbable adventures happening to absurd and loveable characters with Dickensian names in a time that never was . . . Heartrending, hair-raising, rib-tickling, and delightful." — New York Times

A charming companion book to Jane Austen''s Mansfield Park by one of her most sparkling successors.

Revised and updated, this essential and practical guide by an award-winning children''s author explains how to write books for children, from where to look to inspiration to practical advice on how to create characters and structure a plot.

In a novel that is based on The Watsons, an unfinished Jane Austen novel, Emma Watson, who tends her father's household along with her sister Elizabeth, finds herself caught up in an adventure as two men compete for her attention.

Readers beware! Mischievous ghosts, ancient curses, and monstrous spirits inhabit these thirteen spine-tingling tales. Enter a world of fantasy where a blast of a whistle brings a boy from the past, where a ghostly awl perches night after night at the foot of your bed, and where a white seagull whispers the warning, "Listen." Each of these stories by Joan Aiken, a master of suspense, will chill and delight, lingering long after the book is closed.

As readers and listeners enter the pages of these nine adventures, they will discover a universe where the everyday and enchanted worlds of very real humans and kelpies, elves, and fairies comingle in perfectly logical, funny and magical ways.

For use in schools and libraries only. Three children become involved in a series of adventures when left under the care of a detestable governess in a rural English manor.

Seppy forces the moon to give him his wish, to be the maker of enchanted fiddle music, but almost pays a horrible price for it.

Seppy forces the moon to give him his wish, to be the maker of enchanted fiddle music, but almost pays a horrible price for it.

Lob''s girl -- Miss Spitfire -- Finders keepers -- The windowbox waltz -- The swan child -- Merminster -- Mrs. Chatterbox -- Two races -- Old Fillikin -- Snow horse -- The hunchback of Brook Green -- Homer''s whistle --The last specimen.