New Releases by Eva Ibbotson

'Superb characters...an original storyline, this novel makes for excellent reading.' - READING PANEL When Ellen Carr, daughter of a militant suffragette and raised to be an intellectual, takes a job in Austria as housemother at the Hallendorf School of Music, Drama and the Dance, she simply wants to cook beautiful food. What she finds is an eccentrically magical world occupied by wild children, naked Harmony teachers and experimental dancers. Life seems idyllic, but outside the castle Hitler's Reich is already casting its menacing shadow over Europe. Through her growing friendship with the mysterious groundsman Marek, Ellen encounters the dreadful reality of flight from Nazi Germany, and, on the brink of war, discovers a passion that will shape her life.

As they get older, three sisters decide that they must kidnap children and bring them to their secluded island home to help with the work of caring for an assortment of unusual sea creatures.

A gorgeous 20th anniversary hardback jacketed gift edition of Eva Ibbotson's award-winning, bestselling classic adventure. Fully illustrated in colour throughout by Katie Hickey. 'The most perfect children's book . . . captivatingly told, funny and moving' – Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times A joyous Amazon adventure set in the lush nature of Brazil, Journey to the River Sea is filled with mystery and extraordinary characters. It's perfect for girls and boys of 9+. Maia, an orphan, can't wait to reach her distant relatives a thousand miles up the Amazon. She imagines a loving family with whom she will share great adventures. Instead she finds two spiteful cousins who see the jungle as the enemy and refuse to go outdoors. But the wonders of the rainforest more than make up for the hideous twins and their parents. And when Maia meets a mysterious boy who lives alone on the wild river shores, she begins a spectacular journey to the heart of an extraordinary and beautiful new world. Winner of the Smarties Gold Medal. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award (now the Costa).