New Releases by Alison Prince

The Wind in the Willows needs no introduction - children have enjoyed the exploits of its characters for generations. Few would guess that its author, Kenneth Grahame, was a tortured soul. Marriage to the predatory Elspeth Thomson, when both seemed destined for the single life, was a shared fantasy of invented truth. Out of that union came a catastrophically spoiled son, ''Mouse'', for whom that greatest of children''s stories was written. It was the child''s tragedy that he was sucked into the unreality of his parents'' lives and did not survive it, ending his life in suicide. Alison Prince brings her own highly acclaimed expertise as a children''s writer to this remarkably perceptive biography of Kenneth Grahame. Drawing on hitherto unpublished material she uncovers layer upon layer of Grahame''s personality to reveal the truth behind the myth of this intriguing man, ''the tortured soul of Mr Toad''. ''Alison Prince describes the grim story of Grahame''s marriage and fatherhood squarely and sensitively.'' Independent ''A meaty, well-constructed biography.'' Allan Massie Daily Telegraph

The compelling story of Richard III and the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. A thrilling historical drama.

Available for the first time as an ebook from the bestselling My Story series, CATHERINE OF ARAGON is a thrilling story-diary set among the pomp, plots and political wrangling of the Tudor court. It''s 1501, and Eva is making the greatest trip of her life - from Spain to London as lady-in-waiting to the future Queen of England...

A historical story set in the run up to World War II. It''s the summer of 1939 and a Jewish family prepare for war to break out...

Boojer is sick of being stuck in a hutch with no company and an owner who hardly ever remembers to feed him. Encouraged by some cheerful mice, he manages to escape. Boojer is only in search of juicy carrots and a friend, but he gets far more than he bargained for...

Bumble the hamster, so called because of his big bum, belongs to Rosie. He knows it''s his job to keep Rosie happy. He entertains her with Pocket Diving, Ear Tickling and Finger Balancing. But when he tries Hide and Seek, Rosie''s parents panic and insist Bumble has to stay in his cage. Rosie still feeds him delicious things, but Bumble''s getting bored - and fat! Then mice arrive in the house. Rosie''s parents are horrified, Rosie isn''t happy - and Bumble is frantic. if things go on like this, he''ll lose his job. He has to come up with a plan, and quickly...

Ernie loves music and he loves his cats, and he always counts his cats at dinner time. There''s Bert and Whistle, one and two. Then, suddenly one day, there''s three! Sly black cat Jezebel has sneaked in and somehow got a share of Bert and Whistle''s food, their home, and Ernie''s attention. The first two cats are NOT impressed by Jezebel''s lively tales of hiding in cars, stealing butter and taking the best chair, but when she wanders off again, they''re surprised to find they miss her. Ernie thinks maybe she''ll be lured back by some lovely Mozart, but Bert and Whistle have a better idea...

Spud is a scruffy dog with a big heart - and an even bigger belly. He loves scrounging in dustbins, scaring cats and, of course, scoffing as much food as he can find. But what Spud loves more than anything in the world is his owner, Mrs Piffey, and she loves him too. But one day Spud overhears Mrs Piffey talking about a mysterious ''turkey'' and she suddenly starts wearing dark glasses and strange things called ''bikinis''. Then she disappears . . . Poor Spud does his best to find her - while being kept in check by Mrs Cats-Home. And of course Mrs Piffey is soon back with a tan - and big box of Turkish delight!

Cal would rather avoid reality. He hates school, his teachers are badgering him to decide on a career and his sister Jess has moved away from the Scottish island where they live. Then he meets Kerry, an Australian girl new to the island, and over the course of a long summer they begin to fall in love.

Tim is terrible at French, so when his football coach Max offers to help with his homework he''s thrilled. He knows it''s wrong, but his marks are so much better he pushes that out of his mind. When Max starts charging for his help, Tim gets entangled in a web of lies and doesn''t know if he will ever escape.

Set during World War II. Katie and her family don''t sleep in the shelter any more, and it''s a relief to be back in the comfort of proper beds. One night, she wakes to hear a noise like a loud motorbike, coming closer. It stops abruptly, and there are a few seconds of silence - then an explosion that rocks the house. The Doodlebugs have arrived...

This is an atmospheric thriller, set in London in the first half of the 19th century. It combines an exciting murder mystery plot with strong period detail, Dickensian characters, and a real sense of everyday life among poor people in Southwark.

Written with reluctant readers in the 8 to 13 years age group in mind, Second Chance tells the story of a large unconventional family who move into an old beach cafe. They discover that they can''t escape the cafe''s tragic past in this ghost story.

Chokker, Abby, Sue and their friends are desperate to know what''s behind the drawn blinds and odd noises coming from the Proschynskis'' summerhouse. And when they finally meet the kind but irritable writer Stan Proschynski, the children discover another world.

Joey, a coster boy from the east end of London, finds himself suspected of murder.

This book is suitable for reluctant readers of 8-13 with a reading age of below eight years. It is printed on cream paper, which is proven to be more restful on the eye. The font is specially designed to encourage a smooth and easy read. There are frequent page breaks, short, headed chapters and illustrations on almost every page. A wide range of specialists, including children themselves, have read and commented on the book prior to publication.

"Your Robin Hood thing. Let''s do it for the Novel Project," says Angie. "Tell everyone?" I shrieked. "Are you crazy?" Kelly thinks it''s all over—her crazy effort to feed the poor. At first it seemed so right, but it became an obsession. And it made her do something so terrible her parents never spoke about it afterwards. Now her best friend is about to start the nightmare all over again.

Ernie loves music and he loves his cats, and he always counts his cats at dinner time. There''s Bert and Whistle, one and two. Then, suddenly one day, there''s three! Sly black cat Jezebel has sneaked in and somehow got a share of Bert and Whistle''s food, their home, and Ernie''s attention. The first two cats are NOT impressed by Jezebel''s lively tales of hiding in cars, stealing butter and taking the best chair, but when she wanders off again, they''re surprised to find they miss her. Ernie thinks maybe she''ll be lured back by some lovely Mozart, but Bert and Whistle have a better idea...

Never, perhaps, has so bizarre a figure crossed the stage of world literature...Alison Prince brings him into the light. The Times

While spending the summer together, a boy and his uncle acquire a household robot with a mind of its own.

After discovering a body in the woods adjacent to an unused airfield, three children become suspicious that rustlers working in the area may be local people.

When Sasha falls in love for the first time, her life - and she herself - changes forever.