Showing results by narrator "Daniel Coonan" in All Categories

Adrian Mole has entered early middle age and is now 'the same age as Jesus was when he died' (33). Father to the grammatically challenged Glenn, and William, who takes a 'Big Boy Arouser' condom to nursery school as his innocent contribution to a hot air balloon project.

'When you come to the house, you will hear strange tales. They will tell you in the village that it is haunted, but you must not be afraid. When the time comes ... you will know what to do.' Mr Blunden's words echoed through Lucy's ears as she explored the house. It was such an old house that it seemed to Lucy as if all the past was gathered up inside it as if in a great box; as though it had a life of its own that continued to exist just beyond the reach of her eyes and ears.

World War II is over, and a new decade is beginning, but for an East End teenage brother and sister living on the edge of the law, life has been suspended. Sent away to a tuberculosis sanatorium to learn the way of a patient, they find themselves in the company of army and air force officers, a car salesman, a mysterious German woman and an American merchant seaman. They discover that a cure is tantalisingly just out of reach, and only by inciting wholesale rebellion can freedom be snatched.

This is the story of John Stone, financier and armaments manufacturer, a man so wealthy that in the years before World War One he was able to manipulate markets, industries and indeed whole countries and continents. A panoramic novel with a riveting mystery at its heart, Stone's Fall is a quest to discover how and why John Stone dies, falling out of a window at his London home.

In the Kingdom of Arthwen, there was a very unusual shop. It wasn't on the high street; it was deep in the forest. It wasn't in a building; it was inside a tree. It didn't sell food or clothes or toys; this shop sold potions. Tibben wants to be the Potions Master one day, just like Grandpa, but for now he is an Apprentice, and there is lots to learn! From the creator of the best-selling Fairytale Hairdresser series, Abie Longstaff, this story is perfect for engaging younger children.

Deep in the forest there's a very special tree, and inside its trunk you'll find The Magic Potions Shop. When the sky goes dark, for no reason at all, Grandpa sends Tibben to the Frozen Tundra to find out why. The snowy plains are home to fierce-sounding magical creatures like Frost Wolves, Shadow Owls and Blizzard Bears! Tibben is nervous, but luckily his best friend Wizz is there to help him. Together, can they bring back the light?

Deep in the forest, there's a very special tree, and inside its trunk you'll find The Magic Potions Shop. When the sky goes dark, for no reason at all Grandpa sends Tibben to the Frozen Tundra to find out why. The snowy plains are home to fierce-sounding magical creatures like Frost Wolves, Shadow Owls and Blizzard Bears! Tibben is nervous, but luckily his best friend, Wizz, is there to help him. Together, can they bring back the light?

Tibben is the potions apprentice and helps Grandpa make spells to sell in their shop. Along with Wizz, a magical creature with a special gift for finding things, they set off on adventures to help the animals of Arthwen. When the Water Sprites of Lake Sapphire start to feel poorly, it's up to Tibben and Wizz to find out what's making the magic waters of the kingdom dirty - can they solve the mystery?

Mikey is frightened of open spaces and would much rather curl up in his room and avoid the world outside. So going to a noisy, public place is a big deal - but with his sister, Meggie, by his side, it should be safe. But things go badly wrong when he encounters a gang and witnesses something terrible. To make matters worse, they know where he lives.... This time there's no hiding place for Mikey.

Zinny's life is falling apart. Shadowy figures are following him. His parents are keeping secrets but he can't figure out why. Then his mum ends up in hospital, his dad disappears, and Zinny has to do whatever he can to save his family. Even if it means helping the very men he's been running from... As the clock ticks, Zinny knows it's only a matter of time before someone ends up dead - and it could be him.

Touchy Subjects is about things that make people wince: taboos, controversies, secrets, and lies. Some of the events that characters crash into are grand, tragic ones: miscarriage, overdose, missing persons. Other topics, like religion and money, are not inherently taboo, but they can cause acute discomfort because people disagree so vehemently. These stories are about the spectrum of feeling that runs from awkwardness through embarrassment to shame.

London, 1841. A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show. A boy with an extraordinary power of observation and detection. A boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth. Behold the savage spectacle of Wild Boy.

Mr McCool is a polar bear on a mission to escape the zoo and travel back to his true home - the North Pole. With a human boy and a furry side-kick for company, Mr McCool sets sail. But the waters hold secrets, and hidden dangers.... Will they ever reach the dancing lights of the northern sky?

The loudest kid in fiction is back in a brand-new story. And he's still got a lot to shout about! Follow Harry's hilarious ups and downs told through laugh-out-loud letters, emails, texts and more.

Victor, the ghost, is desperate to get off dreary Black Hall Island, so he steals a ride on an unsuspecting tourist boat back to Bywater-by-Sea. Two other ghosts - the terribly vain Flora Rose and the lonely but friendly Billy - know he is up to no good, so they follow him. While Tom is distracted, trying to stop a corporation from building a theme park over his Field Craft hut, Victor sees his opportunity to take over the world.

The funniest kid in fiction is back, and he's got a lot to shout about! Hi there. So I've joined a band with Jess and this new kid, Kevin, who is pretty annoying but also a really talented guitar player. We've got a good shot at winning the Battle of the Bands competition for our school as long as Kevin doesn't get expelled first. But here's the thing: my dad has this crazy idea to take me, my mum, my evil sister and my twin brothers sailing round the world.

A new sensation grips London – a poisoner who strikes without a trace, leaving victims mad with terror...and then dead. Is there a cure for the Black Terror? To find out, Wild Boy and Clarissa must catch the killer. Their hunt will lead them from the city's vilest slums to its grandest palaces and to a darkness at the heart of its very highest society.

The funniest kid in fiction is back! Hi there, my name is Harry Riddles, and I live with my mum, my dad, and my evil sister, Charlotte. But now my mum is having twins, so either me or Charlotte is gonna lose our bedroom. Also Dad's moaning that I should do more sport and not be just a gamer (which shows what he knows cos I'm actually the best gamer World of Zombies has ever seen). But I've joined the school football team to keep him happy, although if we win anything it will be a miracle cos we suck.

Meet the funniest kid in fiction and follow his life's ups and downs told through laugh-out-loud letters, emails, texts and more! Her Majesty, hi there My name is Harry Riddles and I don't normally do this kind of thing, but I think we might need some help.… Harry ‘Shoutykid' Riddles has a few problems: he needs money to make his movie, My Pet Zombie, his dad needs a job before they lose their home, and the school play is going to end in disaster unless there are some major changes to the leading actors!

Jarlath 'Jar' Costello's girlfriend, Rosa, committed suicide when they were both students at Cambridge. Jar is obsessed with the idea that Rosa is still alive and is tormented by disturbingly real sightings of her. When a startling discovery convinces him more than ever that these are not just hallucinations, Jar is thrust into the heart of a larger intrigue that may finally shed some light on Rosa's death.