<div>Having had enough of life on board the ship that saved her from a watery grave, Dido Twite wants nothing more than to sail home to England. Instead, Captain Casket's ship lands in Nantucket, where Dido and the captain's daughter, Dutiful Penitence, are left in the care of Dutiful's sinister Aunt Tribulation. In Tribulation's farmhouse, life is unbearable. When mysterious men lurk about in the evening fog, the resourceful Dido rallies against their shenanigans with help from Dutiful, a cabinboy named Nate, and a pink whale.</div>

Nightbirds on Nantucket

<div>Young Arabel's life is changed forever when her father, a taxi driver, brings home an injured bird he finds in the street. This wacky raven eats everything in sight, answers the telephone by squawking "Nevermore!" and causes chaos wherever he goes--but Arabel loves her new feathered friend, whom she names Mortimer. This is the first volume of Arabel and Mortimer's adventures, brightened with hilarious illustrations by Quentin Blake. </div>

Arabel's Raven

<div>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&rsquo;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 &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a marvel!&rdquo; &mdash;The New Yorker &ldquo;A wild yarn, not to be put down once it is started.&rdquo; &mdash;Washington Post &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &mdash;New York Times</div>

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Black Hearts in Battersea

<div>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&rsquo;s found a friend at last. But the newcomer, Anna Marie, is unfriendly and spoiled&mdash;and French. Just when Lucas thinks things can&rsquo;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 &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &mdash;Daily Telegraph (UK) &ldquo;An abundance of action, suspense, and melodrama . . . there is never a dull moment.&rdquo; &mdash;School Library Journal &ldquo;Aiken knows how to keep a kid on the edge of his seat.&rdquo; &mdash;Book World &ldquo;The author proves once again that she writes about children in distress better than anyone since Dickens.&rdquo; &mdash;Time</div>

Midnight Is a Place

<div>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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s lake and is holding it for ransom, and it&rsquo;s up to Dido and the crew to face fire, flood, execution, and wild beasts to get the lake back&mdash;or else. Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl &ldquo;Aiken lures us into historical fantasy . . . our interest never slows.&rdquo; &mdash;School Library Journal &ldquo;The adventure Miss Aiken has dished up . . . in The Stolen Lake is zanier and more devilishly fiendish than ever.&rdquo; &mdash;New York Times</div>

The Stolen Lake

<div>Dido Twite uncovers a devious plot against the king in this classic children’s adventure set in an alternate Victorian England. Dido Twite, a roving ambassador to the King of England, is on her way home to London when her friend Captain Hughes is injured in a stagecoach accident. When Dido seeks help, she encounters the odd inhabitants of Tegleaze Manor: strange old Lady Tegleaze, her nephew, Tobit, and his wizened, witchy nurse, Sannie. Soon suspicious things happen. A priceless miniature is stolen. Tobit is framed and then kidnapped. A twin sister is found. And when Dido catches a glimpse of her rascally father in Petworth, she is sure she’s in the midst of another Hanoverian plot. Can she get to London to warn the king and save St. Paul's Cathedral from sliding into the Thames? The Cuckoo Tree is the sixth book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.</div>

The Cuckoo Tree

<div>A teenage adventurer gets wrapped up in her father’s dastardly schemes in this children’s novel by the author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. Dido Twite is finally back in London and reunited with her old friend Simon, now the Duke of Battersea and a favorite of King Richard. But no sooner does Dido start to settle in than her rascally father, Abednago, appears and drags her off into the night. Soon Dido finds herself caught in the midst of another dastardly conspiracy: a Hanoverian plot involving a mysterious double for the king, the miraculous healing powers of music, and a spy network made up of abandoned street children called lollpoops. Meanwhile, out in the forest, starving wolves are closing in on the city . . . Dido and Pa is the seventh book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.</div>

Dido and Pa

<div>The children of London are disappearing&mdash;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&mdash;Is&rsquo;s cousin, Arun. The quest takes Is to London&mdash;a city mysteriously devoid of children, including the king&rsquo;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&rsquo;re headed to a far-off kingdom filled with fun and games. In reality, Playland is a freezing underground city ruled by the greedy &ldquo;Gold Kingy,&rdquo; 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&rsquo;s other uncle Roy! Now it&rsquo;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&rsquo;s estate. </div>

Is Underground

<div>An English orphan unwittingly holds the key to a powerful source of magic The graduation ceremony of the Grand and Ancient College of Siberian Witches takes place in the winter darkness of the Far North. But despite the celebration, the night is full of warnings and worry. The Wanderer is abroad in search of the coveted Jewel Seed that has been lost for centuries. Whoever finds it can unlock all knowledge and will have unlimited power. . . . Meanwhile, orphan Nonnie Smith is leaving the home she shares with her grandmother and grown siblings in Sesame Green to go live in London with her cousins and eldest sister, Una. Nonnie&rsquo;s problems begin when her old neighbor Mrs. Wednesday returns from the Siberian witch conference and discovers that someone has taken a mysterious shirt off her clothesline. Nonnie is sure the linen blouse was Una&rsquo;s, but why is Mrs. Wednesday so desperate to get her hands on it? Then Una is kidnapped&mdash;along with famous historical characters Julius Caesar, Mozart, and Jane Austen&mdash;and it&rsquo;s up to Nonnie and her cousin John to outsmart both the Winter People and Mrs. Wednesday in order to save her.. The Jewel Seed is Joan Aiken&rsquo;s retelling of a story her father, the poet Conrad Aiken, used to tell her and her siblings when they were young. This ebook features illustrations by Peter Bailey and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author&rsquo;s estate.</div>

The Jewel Seed

<div>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&rsquo;t play the piano, but for Mendelson&rsquo;s friends Gertrude and Bertha&mdash;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 &amp; 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&mdash;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&rsquo;s estate.</div>

Mice & Mendelson

<div>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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s estate. </div>

Dangerous Games

<div>The 9 stories in this collection explore the magic and mystery of strange lands populated not just by ordinary boys and girls but also by elves, fairies, kelpies, and a queen with screaming hair! In &ldquo;Clem&rsquo;s Dream,&rdquo; a boy loses his dream and asks the Slipper, Tooth, Apple, Bread, and Water Fairies to help get it back for him. In &ldquo;The Queen With Screaming Hair,&rdquo; 5-year-old Princess Christina of Laurestinia snips off the white whiskers of the all-powerful palace cat, Crimplesham, who then transforms her golden hair into a hundred teasing, spiteful voices. And in the title story, Jason can see the patterns in the stars and remember every tune he ever whistled. When the wind forgets its favorite song, Jason reminds him and is granted a wish in return. He asks for a rainbow of his own to keep in his pocket, but will Jason be able to hold onto it? These inventive, thought-provoking adventures remind us of the magic of language and its power to educate and enchant. This ebook features illustrations by Margaret Walty and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author&rsquo;s estate. </div>

The Last Slice of Rainbow

<div>Can Jon find a ghostly horse that&rsquo;s been extinct for centuries? Jon is a lonely orphan who lives on a farm with his adopted parents. When they ask what he&rsquo;d like for his birthday, Jon knows immediately: to see the Moropus, a prehistoric horse that&rsquo;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&rsquo;s whinny. But there&rsquo;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&mdash;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&mdash;his faithful pony Whiskers! This ebook features illustrations by Gavin Rowe and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author&rsquo;s estate. </div>

The Midnight Moropus

<div>When Davey and his sister are orphaned, their grandmother comes from a remote island to look after them&mdash;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&mdash;after a car accident that left Davey confined to a wheelchair&mdash;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 &ldquo;Ridders&rdquo; 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&rsquo;ve been terrorizing her, it seems as if Gran&rsquo;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&rsquo;s rare gift&mdash;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&rsquo;s estate. </div>

The Scream

<div>A trio of fantasy and adventure tales by the award-winning author of the beloved Wolves Chronicles In &ldquo;Fog Hounds,&rdquo; Tad and his sister, Ermina, know better than to venture outside after dusk. Twilight is the time when huge misty creatures roam the land on silent feet, their eyes glittering like red pennies. No one who is chased by the hounds lives to tell the tale&mdash;that is, until the night Tad meets an unusual stranger. . . . In &ldquo;Wind Cat,&rdquo; Lukey Web has come to live with Aunt Mildrith, who used to be a witch and is writing a book about the history of magic mirrors while studying footprints in the sky. When their neighbors go on vacation, a striped cat named Tib is left in Lukey and her aunt&rsquo;s care. It isn&rsquo;t until 1 of Tib&rsquo;s 9 lives is threatened that Lukey discovers her own awesome gifts. In &ldquo;Sea Mice,&rdquo; Hella looks out her window every night at the northern lights and her very own plum tree, which has just produced its 1st perfect crystal plum. It&rsquo;s a special tree, a gift from her sea captain father, who warns Hella not to pick any fruit until she turns 12. When her dad&rsquo;s ship sinks, everyone says that sea mice caught him and his crew. But Hella is not afraid; she has a different vision of these mystical creatures that will transform her life in the years to come. This ebook features illustrations by Peter Bailey and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author&rsquo;s estate. </div>

Fog Hounds, Wind Cat, Sea Mice

<div>A secret village of elves living in the cupboard must fend off vacuum witches and deep-freeze trolls in the battles of the kitchen wars The people who live in the house have no idea that an entire village of elves resides in their china cupboard, behind the soup bowls and bread-and-butter plates. And when the humans start their spring-cleaning by taking everything out of the cabinets, the king elf&rsquo;s crown disappears. Now the elven community is in a terrible state, and the only way to save the realm is to find what their ruler has lost. Luckily Prince Coriander has returned, after years of training at the elf school, to hunt down the crown. But the kitchen holds hidden dangers&mdash;Fendire, the infrared dragon who lurks behind the gas burners; deep-freeze trolls who can swallow an elf in a single mouthful; very scary kelpies in the dishwasher; and the great cat Mistigris. The prince soon finds himself battling a furnace dragon, retrieving his mother&rsquo;s ring from the bottom of the dishwasher, and rescuing a nixie girl who lives in the kitchen sink&mdash;all while racing to discover who will become the new king of the elves! This ebook features illustrations by Jo Worth and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author&rsquo;s estate. </div>

The Kitchen Warriors

<div>Is Twite and her cousin, Arun, use their telepathic gifts to find Arun&rsquo;s missing mother in this gripping adventure set in an alternate British kingdom When Is Twite and her cousin, Arun, return to Cold Shoulder Road in Folkestone after their astonishing adventures in the North, the town is deserted and Arun&rsquo;s mother is missing. Some say she took off with the sect Arun was raised in before he ran away. Known as the Silent Folk, members of the group are not allowed to talk and must communicate through sign language. But there are others who insist that Ruth Twite is a witch. To make matters worse, Is&rsquo;s sister Penny has also vanished, along with the mute Handsel child. The only clue to all of their whereabouts is an elusive stranger called Admiral Fishskin. When Is and Arun finally track down the cult, Arun discovers that they have new leader. Evil, charismatic Dominic de la Twite plays dangerous mind games and is able to block telepathic communication between Is and Arun. The cousins also find themselves up against a band of smugglers called the Merry Gentry that is using hidden tunnels beneath the city to search for buried treasure. With its sprawling cast of Dickensian characters and imaginative historical and social setting, this gripping adventure will delight existing fans of the Wolves Chronicles and new readers alike. Cold Shoulder Road is the 9th 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&rsquo;s estate. </div>

Cold Shoulder Road

<div>Kimballs Green Junior School&rsquo;s newest student is more than a little strange&mdash;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&rsquo;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&mdash;and his school? This ebook features illustrations by Paul Warren and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author&rsquo;s estate.</div>

Joan Aiken
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Books By Joan Aiken (18 Books)