Based on the story of Isaac Asimov. Retold by Rowena Akinyemi. ... A human being is a soft, weak creature. It needs constant supplies of air, water, and food; it has to spend a third of its life asleep, and it can't work if the temperature is too hot or too cold. But a robot is made of strong metal. It uses electrical energy directly, never sleeps, and can work in any temperature. It is stronger, more efficient - and sometimes more human than human beings. Isaac Asimov was one of the greatest sciencefiction writers, and these short stories give us an unforgettable and terrifying vision of the future. Classics, ... |
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Based on the story of Anne Tyler. Retold by Jennifer Bassett. ... Everyday life in Baltimore, USA, is full of problems - getting the washing done, buying groceries and dog food, avoiding the neighbours... After the death of his son and the departure of his wife, Macon's attempts to run his own life become increasingly desperate - and more and more odd. Meanwhile, he has to get on with his work, writing tourist guides for business people. Then his dog Edward starts to bite people, and he has to send for Muriel, the dog trainer. And day by day, Macon's life gets more and more complicated. Classics, modern fiction, ... |
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Based on the story of Buchi Emecheta. Retold by Rosemary Border. ... When her father dies, Aku-nna and her young brother have no one to look after them. They are welcomed by their uncle because of Aku-nna's bride price - the money that her future husband will pay for her. In her new, strange home one man is kind to her and teaches her to become a woman. Soon they are in love, although everyone says he is not a suitable husband for her. The more the world tries to separate them, the more they are drawn together - until, finally, something has to break. Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and more. Written for ... |
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Based on the story of Colin Dexter. Retold by Clare West. ... Chief Inspector Morse is drinking a pint of beer. He is thinking about an attractive woman who lives not far away. The woman he is thinking of is hanging, dead, from the ceiling of her kitchen. On the floor lies a chair, almost two metres away from the woman's feet. Chief Inspector Morse finishes his pint, and orders another. Perhaps he will visit Anne, after all. But he is in no particular hurry. Meanwhile, Anne is still hanging in her kitchen, waiting for the police to come and cut her down. She is in no hurry, either. Classics, modern fiction, non- ... |
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Based on the story of Charlotte Bronte. Retold by Clare West. ... Jane Eyre is alone in the world. Disliked by her aunt's family, she is sent away to school. Here she learns that a young girl, with neither money nor family to support her, can expect little from the world. She survives, but she wants more from life than simply to survive: she wants respect, and love. When she goes to work for Mr Rochester, she hopes she has found both at once. But the sound of strange laughter, late at night, behind a locked door, warns her that her troubles are only beginning. Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and more. ... |
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Based on the story of Jane Austen. Retold by Clare West. ... The moment I first met you, I noticed your pride, your sense of superiority, and your selfish disdain for the feelings of others. You are the last man in the world whom I could ever be persuaded to marry' said Elizabeth Bennet. And so Elizabeth rejects the proud Mr Darcy. Can nothing overcome her prejudice against him? And what of the other Bennet girls - their fortunes, and misfortunes, in the business of getting husbands? This famous novel by Jane Austen is full of wise and humorous observation of the people and manners of her times. Classics, modern ... |
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Based on the story of Desmond Bagley. Retold by Ralph Mowat. ... On a beautiful summer evening in the quiet town of Marlow, a young woman is walking home from church. She passes a man who is looking at the engine of his car. He turns round, smiles at her... and throws acid into her face. Then her father, the scientist George Ashton, disappears. And her sister, Penny, discovers that her husband-to-be, Malcolm, is a government agent. Why has Ashton disappeared, and why is Malcolm told to hunt for him? Who is George Ashton, anyway? And who is the enemy? Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and more. Written for secondary ... |
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Based on the story of Charles Dickens. Retold by Clare West. ... "Please, Mr Murdstone! Don't beat me! I've tried to learn my lessons, really I have, sir!" sobs David. Although he is only eight years old, Mr Murdstone does beat him, and David is so frightened that he bites his cruel stepfather's hand. For that, he is kept locked in his room for five days and nights, and nobody is allowed to speak to him. As David grows up, he learns that life is full of trouble and misery and cruelty. But he also finds laughter and kindness, trust and friendship... and love. Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction ... |
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Award-winning readers series of original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Pilot Don Radcliffe returns to Australia hoping to rescue a failed marriage and to spend more time with his daughter, Judy. But a routine cargo flight in an old DC4 airplane turns into tragedy when the plane crashes in the Australian Outback killing the co-pilot. Don and Judy's chances of survival seem slim as they struggle against sabotage, unscrupulous businessmen and the inhospitable landscape. ... |
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Award-winning readers series of original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Alex is a thirty-year-old art gallery assistant and hopelessly in love with her boss, Brad. Then, an incident at the gallery means they have to spend a few days at Brad's country house. This is Alex's opportunity to impress but nothing seems to go the way she planned. A surprise guest and a Christmas party help Alex to discover what she really, really wants. ... |
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Award-winning readers series of original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Dan Combes is a former MI6 agent living peacefully in France. After being attacked by a former colleague, he realises his relationship with the British Secret Service has not yet finished. He believes the attack is linked to his roles in Berlin and Central America. But that was years ago so why do they want him dead now? Dan returns to England and confronts his difficult past - a web of lies and deceit that he knows ... |
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Award-winning readers series of original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Reporter Kate Jensen investigates the death of a karate master in a 'dojo', a karate training room in London. Another death quickly follows and Kate finds herself drawn into the mystery. The trail takes her to Japan, back to London, and back in time to a crime committed over thirty years earlier. ... |