New Releases by William Mayne

Granny Shaftoe tried to warn them. A witch she may have been, but she spoke the truth. Meric, proud and fearless, had no time for soothsayers, ignored her wisdom, and was never seen again. Robin missed his friend and spoke of him often to his son, Alan. Soon he too went into the forest to fish from the well... Ages 11+.

Two young sisters living in the Cornish countryside find a strange boy in the woods who doesn''t seem to speak, eat, or sleep.

Story Books are for newly-confident readers (7-9 yrs) who enjoy well written, slightly more demanding stories with chapters and stunning illustrations.

Who is Hob? The creation of award-winning author William Mayne, Hob is a friendly household spirit, invisible to grownups, although the children know he''s there.

Sowk and Boark, two greedy pigs, plot to become rich from the sale of the truffles they have found in the woods, but their greed proves to be their undoing.

These seven illustrated animal stories include a fox and his vixen who save the lives of people; a donkey and a lion who meet out in the desert; and a mischievous kitten reaching for the rooftops in a barn.

A mouse with a longing to fly, on seeing two young brothers in danger from an owl, "flies" down from a roof to save them.

A tidal wave begins an adventure for three New Zealand children.

Hob, the friendly spirit who lives under the stairs and protects the house, must do battle with a variety of evil beings trying to take control of his family''s home.

Cuddy tells us '. . . if you understand there is a miracle, then there is . . . ' In this complex and intriguing story, a group of kids who are all related and descendants of St Cuthbert, or Cuddy, must gather together seven holy talismans to help Cuddy return to his own island paradise . . . While this is taking place, Jude must confront her own traumatic past if she is able to face her future.

Tabby sets out to retrieve her beloved patchwork quilt.

While searching for winter quarters, a group of gypsies celebrates the birth of a new chief and discovers why a former chief disappeared.

When Melinda and Wayne go on holiday to England with their parents, they come across a stranger with a secret, and a long-buried mystery from the past. Suggested level: primary.

Netta needs a safeplace for her pocket money, has a birthday party, and struggles to be friends with both Catherine and June. Suggested level: junior.

Owen''s problems multiply when he builds an ark and loads his family and livestock.

Twelve-year-old Eva''s chaotic but cheerful family life in a small English town changes when Gideon, her brain-damaged, deaf older brother, gets a job opening bridges and locks for the local canal boat.

Parti à la dérive sur un lac, en compagnie de la jeune Tawena, Ralph est recueilli par deux Indiennes. Sa vie est menacée, mais Tawena veille et l'ours rôde. Après les traitements endurés, le garçon sort grandi de cette aventure voisine du cauchemar. L'auteur présente dans ce récit invraisemblable une vision folklorique du Grand Nord, de ses habitants et de sa faune.

Stories relate how courageous children rescue a lonely little girl from an enchanted island, make a dazzling discovery in a snowstorm, and witness the king's wedding

A family of foxes living in a cellar in town must find a new home when their building is torn down, but a pack of dogs makes their journey difficult.

Rafe''s mother didn''t like him talking to the ''heathen'' Indian girl. Tawena, who came from the encampment of tents and cabins at the end of the village. But, Rafe longed to know what Tawena meant by ''looking at bear'', and followed her one day on to the headland and into disaster.

More adventures of Hob the goblin who lives under the stairs, visible only to children, and whose job is to chase away trouble and keep the house in order. In this book, he deals with the Strange Baby, the Mump, the Temper, the Cough, and the Storm.