Showing results by author "Hilary McKay" in All Categories

With her awful secondhand uniform and stuck-up classmates, Binny's new school is horrible. And life gets even worse when a storm damages the roof of her house, forcing Binny and her family to move to the countryside whilst it's being fixed. Binny; her sensible older sister, Clem; and her rambunctious brother, James (and his chickens) begin adjusting to life in the country. Then one of James' beloved chickens vanishes, and Binny finds strange footprints in the mud. What kind of creature is lurking in the undergrowth?

Simon Percy's parents went up in a hot-air balloon when he was six weeks old. It's now his 10th birthday, and they still haven't returned! Simon is dreading the new school term, but the arrival of an unconventional new teacher cheers him up.

Pudding Bag School is an ordinary school. But this year, Class 4b has the magical Miss Gilhoolie teaching them, and suddenly things are much more exciting.... A special class prize will be awarded to the children who make the most money at the Pudding Bag School Summer Fair. With their teacher ill, Class 4b and their pet moose need something special - and it arrives just in time. But it smells very strongly of magic! Will anyone notice?

Lulu loves animals. When Lulu's next door neighbour doesn't seem to be looking after his rabbit properly, Lulu and her cousin Mellie devise a scheme to make him pay more attention to his pet.

In The Duck in the Park, Lulu finds a duck egg that has rolled out of its nest and takes it to class to keep it safe. Pets aren’t allowed at school, but surely this doesn’t count? After all, it’s just an egg.... In The Dog from the Sea, she goes on holiday and finds a dog living on the beach. Everyone in town thinks the dog is trouble. But Lulu is sure he just needs a friend... In The Cat in the Bag, a mysterious bag is left on Lulu’s doorstep. The last thing her nan expects to be in it is a huge, marigold-coloured cat. But Lulu knows that this cat needs a lovely new home.

It’s the Queen’s unofficial birthday, and no one has bought her a present. Not the Prime Minister, not the Treasurer, and not even her lazy Ladies-in-Waiting. All she wants is one small, very cheap present. Just because it has four legs and a tail, that shouldn’t put anyone off....

Here are two of a series of stories about the riotous children who live in Paradise House.

The Big Birthday Bash
Charlie can’t believe that his big brother, Max, hates parties and doesn’t want to celebrate his birthday. So Charlie sets out to give Max a birthday surprise that he’ll never forget!

The Tooth Fairy
Charlie has four wobbly teeth! He can hardly wait to put them under his pillow for the tooth fairy! There must be a way to make them fall out even faster.

Two more irresistibly funny Charlie stories from award-winning author Hilary McKay.

Charlie and Henry are staying the night at Charlie's house. They've made a deal - but the night doesn't go quite as Charlie plans...

In The Great Escape, Charlie's fed up with his family, so he's decided to run away. But running away means being quiet.

Charlie has given up cheese and onion crisps! He just hasn't been himself lately. There's only one thing for it - the Truly Amazing Smarties Trick! .... And Charlie's big brother Max isn't scared of anything...except Aunt Emma's spooky house. At last it's Charlie's chance to be the hero. Those ghosts had better watch out! Two more irresistibly funny Charlie stories from award-winning author Hilary McKay.

Charlie and the Big Snow Charlie's been waiting for snow his whole life, but now everyone's trying to spoil it! It's just as well Charlie has a plan to keep it safe...Charlie and the Rocket Boy - There's a new boy in Charlie's class. Zachary says his dad is away on a rocket but Charlie knows that's rubbish. Isn't it?

When Robin Brogan comes down with chicken pox, he doesn't think it's really so terrible. After all, it gets him out of acting in the school play. And since his best friend Dan also has spots, they are staying together at Robin's house in England overlooking the ocean. When the hours begin to drag, Robin's mother tells stories about a wonderful summer she spent in their shoreline house.

Grace Darling nearly drowned when she was eight years old, leaving her with a fear of boats and the sea. But it’s a fear she has to overcome as the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, living on the Longstone Rock with her parents, four brothers, three sisters and her beloved dog, Happy. Losses at sea bring shadows to an otherwise idyllic childhood, but everything Grace learns growing up on the coast is put to the test in 1838, when The Forfarshire is wrecked on the Harcar Rock, and she has to row out through the storm to the rescue.

Rosa lives in a world where she discovers there is magic. It arrives with Balthazar, a large black cat, just when she needs it most. Even so, it takes all her courage to stay hopeful and adventurous when her dreadful aunt and uncle move into her life. And when she finds herself abandoned in the ancient city of Venice, can magic help her then? Perhaps it can.