"Sayfaları çevirdikçe daha çok korktum. Kimin yaptığını anladım ama nasıl yaptığını, neden yaptığını tahmin edemedim."  - Grace, 9 Yerdeki cansız bedenin çevresinde dev bir köpeğin ayak izleri vardı. Sör Charles Baskerville öldüğünde yüzü büyük bir korku ve dehşetle allak bullak olmuş hâldeydi. Sherlock Holmes ve Dr. Watson bu defa gerçekten zor bir bilmeceyle karşı karşıyalar. Dartmoor'un kıraç tepelerinde, bozkırda korkunç bir canavar dolaşıyor. Hayaletler dünyasından gelen bir yaratık mı yoksa bu?

"Ruhlar hikâyeye heyecan katıyor, resimler ise kesinlikle muhteşem." - Reem, 11 "‘Hah! Şarlatana bak!' diye yakındı Scrooge. ‘Bana Mutlu Noeller dileyen tüm o aptalları kutsal yapraklarla dolu bir yastığa oturtmalı ya da Noel tatlılarına katıp kaynatmalı! Mutlu Noel'ini de al git buradan!'" Yaşlı ve pinti bir adam olan Ebenezer Scrooge, Noel'den nefret etmektedir. Onun kadar bencil, katı yürekli ve fena hâlde yalnız birinin değişmesi mümkün mü? Zavallı Scrooge, korkunç bir gecede dört hayalet tarafından

"Elinor ve Marianne'in çok sayıda akrabası ve arkadaşı var ama bazıları öyle tuhaf davranıyor ki onlar yüzünden başlarına bir sürü iş açılıyor."   - Lauren, 9 Marianne'in kalbi tutkuyla yanıyor; Elinor ise hep kalbine söz geçirmeye çalışıyor. Marianne nişanlısının da kendisi gibi tutkulu ve canlı olmasını istiyor. Elinor'sa kibar, düşünceli ve ölçülü Edward Ferrars'a âşık. En küçük kız kardeşleri Margaret, Marianne ve Elinor'ın yetişkinliğin ilk yıllarında yaşadıkları neşeli ve kederli deneyimleri şaşkın

Lizzie ve Darcy, birbirlerine korkunç şeyler söylüyorlar ama Lizzie'yi daha çok sevdim çünkü başkalarını korumaya çalışıyor."  - Lydia, 10 "Bu dünyada evleneceğim en son insan siz olurdunuz." Neşeli, hayat dolu Elizabeth Bennet neden yakışıklı ve zengin Bay Darcy'nin evlilik teklifini bu kadar kaba bir dille geri çeviriyor? Acaba Bay Darcy onu incitecek bir şey mi yaptı? Elizabeth, başkaları hakkındaki düşünceleriyle; Bay Darcy de soyadıyla gurur duyuyor. Hayatları çakışınca ikisi de çalkantılı duygular

Emma bir sürü hata yapıyor ama yine de onu sevdim. Harriet'a da iyi davranıyor."  - Freya, 10 "Öyküde bazı bilmecelerle karşılaşacaksın ama seni uyarayım, doğru yanıtı bulmadan önce yirmi yanlış tahminde bulunabilirsin." Zengin ve şımarık bir kız olan Emma, dadısı evlendikten sonra kendine yeni arkadaşlar ve yeni bir eğlence aramaya başlıyor. Bay Knightley'in öğütlerine kulak asmıyor ve birçok hata yapıyor. Yazar, kız kardeşine yazdığı mektuplarda en iyi dedektiflerin bile aklını karıştırabilecek bilmece

"Bu kitabı sevdim çünkü okuması kolaydı. Çok heyecanlı bir kitap, biraz da korkutucu."  - Adam, 11 Dr. Henry Jekyll iyi ile kötü arasındaki hassas dengeyi keşfetmeye cesaret ettiğinde, hangi yıkıcı güçleri harekete geçirdiğinin farkında değildi. Londra'daki saygın dostları Jekyll için endişeliydi. Neden Jekyll birdenbire vasiyetini değiştirmişti? Bunun, korkunç Bay Hyde'la bir ilgisi var mıydı? Londra sokaklarında bir çocuk ayaklar altında ezildi, yaşlı bir beyefendi ise korkunç bir cinayete kurban gitt

"A competition for a golden apple and two lovers; I'm amazed how such small things can have such massive results." Jacob, 12 It is the ninth year of the siege of Troy by the Greeks. Will the fighting go on for ever? Achilles, the greatest of Greek heroes, is angered by Agamemnon and decides to withdraw from the battle. What is the reason for his wrath? Is there anything that will make him change his mind and return to the battlefield? Both armies have suffered tremendous losses, and the long war seems to be

"Elinor and Marianne have lots of family and friends, but some of their actions nearly get them in a pickle." Lauren, 9 Marianne is ablaze with fire and passion; Elinor keeps her own heat under control. Marianne seeks a man who shares her eager spirit; Elinor is in love with the polite, considerate Edward Ferrars. Their younger sister Margaret watches in bewilderment as Marianne and Elinor experience the joys and heartaches of early adult life. Is Marianne too warm or is Elinor too cold? Whose example sh

"It's strange to think that a child can make such a difference to Silas's life." Hannah, 9 ‘It's a woman. She's dead, I think – dead in the snow at the Stone-pits – not far from my door.' Since his arrival in the small village of Raveloe, Silas Marner has been an outsider. Nobody knows where he came from, nobody understands him, nobody dares to invite him in. All of this changes when a little girl wanders through his door one snowy night. What feelings will she stir in Silas's lonely heart? How will she

"I really liked the map, and the secret signs. Toby the tracker dog is very clever to help Sherlock Holmes." Mehtan, 10 ‘I find myself in a very strange and mysterious situation.' When Miss Mary Morstan is invited to meet a secretive stranger, she asks Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson to help her. Captain Morstan has disappeared from his hotel without a trace. Should Miss Morstan dare to hope that her father is still alive? What horrible scene awaits the famous detective and his friend when they break down

"Their familes don't want them to be with each other, and it's very sad because they both have to die." Tom, 11 What could be worse than falling in love with your enemy? Romeo Montague thinks he's in love until he meets Juliet, the daughter of the Capulets. With her, he discovers what true love really feels like. But their two families are bitter rivals, and no one must know about their secret passion. When Romeo kills Juliet's cousin in a duel, their hope of happiness seems ended. Can Friar Laurence rec

"I love the idea of having a desert island to myself like Crusoe did, but I would hate killing animals to eat." Owen, 8 Running away to sea brings adventure and wealth, but then come shipwreck and a desperate struggle for survival. Defying his parents, Robinson Crusoe goes to sea. He is captured by pirates, but escapes to Brazil. There he makes a fortune using slave labour to grow tobacco and sugar. He sails to Africa to bring back more slaves, but is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Everyone else i

"I only wish Real Reads had existed when I was at school so that I knew what happened in the last two-thirds of Jane Eyre!" Lauren Nightingale, Scholastic Education Accessing and sharing important works of literature is often a daunting experience. Jane Campion's practical guide is designed to support teachers and parents in maximising children's reading experience. It identifies a range of opportunities for developing reading skills, and for talking about books. It also suggests ways of developing reader

"Lizzie and Darcy both say horrid things about each other, but I like Lizzie best because she looks out for others." Lydia, 10 ‘You are the last man in the world I would marry.' Why does spirited, lively Elizabeth Bennet so rudely reject the proposal of the handsome, rich Mr Darcy? What could he possibly have done to offend her? Elizabeth is proud of her ability to judge others; Mr Darcy is proud of his family name. When their social worlds collide, feelings run high. Misunderstandings, poor judgement a

I like it that you don't know who is going to win until the very end." Amy, 12 ‘Breach your last to the sun, Moby Dick!' cried Ahab. ‘Thy hour and thy harpoon are at hand!' Why does Captain Ahab look like a man who's being crucified? How did he come by that hideous scar and the false leg made of a whale's bone? And why is he obsessed by Moby Dick, the great white whale? Ishmael, the new recruit, has other strange shipmates. There's Queequeg for instance, covered in weird tattoos and selling shrunken hum

"This story really made me think about whether or not Money can make people happy." John, 13 ‘She? That's Little Dorrit. She's nothing. She's just a whim.' Poor Little Dorrit. Her future looks as bleak as her past and her present. Born and brought up in a debtors' prison, she relies on her sewing skills to help support her father. Little does she know that her sewing will soon present an opportunity for change. When change arrives in the form of Arthur Clennam it is accompanied by secrets and dangers. W

"It was exciting when the baby pterodactyl came back to England and flew off. It might be anywhere!" Tom, 12 ‘Dinosaurs are most certainly not extinct. I have seen them.' An incredible claim by the eccentric Professor Challenger leads to an expedition deep into the Amazon, where an unlikely group of men find themselves on a journey into unknown dangers. Will they have the skills, strength, intelligence and good fortune to survive? Do dinosaurs really exist on the inaccessible plateau? How did a human sk

"The witches told Macbeth he could be king, and he wanted to be so he killed the old king. But he died in the end." Jasmine, 11 On a dark heath, Macbeth stumbles across three witches who can see into the future. What he hears will change everything. Egged on by his wife, he decides to kill in order to gain the Scottish crown. How many people will have to die in Macbeth's pursuit of power? With armies, ghosts and magic against him, will Macbeth survive in this tale of greed and betrayal? Getting the cro

"Nell Trent is brilliant. She might be physically small and weak, but her character is very strong." Archie, 13 ‘Why bless you, Little Nell! What if I had lost you?' Little Nell Trent's childhood is over. Her grandfather's mind is failing, his dark secret makes him sad and distracted, and he has nobody to care for him but Nell. The grotesque Daniel Quilp is out to cause trouble. What plans does he hatch with the dreadful Sampson and Sally Brass? What use can he hope to make of the foolish Dick Swiveller

"I love the examples of how people's minds work and all the charts and diagrams." Charlotte, 13 Here is a test, a puzzle for you. It is a faithful account of two most gruesome murders. Can you work out what actually happened in the early hours of one fateful morning in the Rue Morgue? Before you start, here are a few tips. To be a good detective you need the same skills as a good card-player. You must consider and examine every detail, not just the obvious ones. You have to observe every change in a perso