Showing results by author "Hilary McKay" in All Categories

Ruth, Naomi, Rachel and Phoebe Conroy are all struggling to deal with the trials and tribulations of first love(s). Ruth develops a crush on the school bus driver, but finds herself conflicted when she also develops feelings for Mr Rochester from Jane Eyre, the temporary English teacher (who Naomi is also smitten with) and Alan Adair who works in the butcher's shop. Meanwhile, the younger two sisters have other things on their minds—Rachel is plotting to become May Queen at her school and Phoebe is in training to become an international spy.

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.

When the children are snowed in during a dinner ladies' detention for what could turn into weeks, things look bad. After all, dinner ladies are not overly fond of children, and their cooking is terrible! Now London has been evacuated, and time and food are running out. Bagdemagus, the magical school cat, is behaving very strangely - can he help the children make their escape?

Ruth, Naomi, Rachel and Phoebe Conroy love reading and having fun more than anything else. So the sisters are horrified when they learn that their parents are sending them away to Cumbria for the summer, to stay with their fearsome grandmother, but worst of all, she refuses to let the girls read any books. Determined to enjoy their summer, the sisters decide they aren't going to put up with their grandmother's tough regime, and in doing so, they somehow manage to cause inordinate amounts of chaos.

When Ruth Conroy decides to sponsor a child in Africa, she is unprepared for just how difficult it is to find 10 pounds per month. As any sister's next step would be, Ruth enlists the help of Phoebe, Naomi and Rachel. All too eager to help their sister, the four girls work together to come up with multiple hare-brained, fundraising schemes that are a bit too mischievous to be fruitful. From undisciplined babysitters to unhygienic caterers and fraudulent pavement artists, the Conroy sisters' hilarious projects never fail to cause chaos and mayhem.

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.

Binny's life has been difficult since her father died and Binny's life has been difficult since her father died and her dreadful old Aunt Violet disposed of her beloved dog, Max. Her world changed then, to a city flat with not enough space for her Mum, her big sister Clem, and her small brother James. Definitely no room for a pet. Then one day Aunt Violet dies, leaving a small cottage in Cornwall to Binny and her family. Binny finds herself in a new world once more, full of sunshine and freedom and Gareth, the enemy-next-door and the ideal companion for dangerous dares.

Hier geht es drunter und drüber - und lustig ist es immer! Ruth, Naomi, Rachel und Phoebe, die vier verrückten Schwestern, sollen ihre Ferien bei der Großmutter verbringen - für die vier Leseratten eine schreckliche Vorstellung! Denn bei der Großmutter gibt es nur Kochbücher und langweiligen Shakespeare. Und schlimmer noch: Die Oma hält sie für Stubenhockerinnen und erwartet, dass sie ganz viel Sport im Freien treiben! Aber auf Berge zu steigen ist nun mal nicht jedermanns Sache... Der erste Teil der Erfolgstrilogie.

Nie um einen Einfall verlegen! Neues von den vier verrückten Schwestern. Heimlich hat Ruth, die älteste der vier verrückten Schwestern, die Patenschaft für einen Jungen in Afrika übernommen. Eigentlich muss man dafür schon achtzehn sein, aber sie hat im Antrag eine Drei geschrieben, die wie eine Acht aussieht. Als es dann aber darum geht, jeden Monat zehn Pfund für das Patenkind aufzubringen, braucht Ruth die Hilfe ihrer Schwestern Naomi, Rachel und Phoebe.

Oh là là, die Liebe - macht vor niemandem Halt! Es ist passiert! Ruth, die älteste der vier verrückten Schwestern, hat sich das Familienleiden eingefangen: Sie ist verliebt - und zwar in vier Männer gleichzeitig. Leider kann sie von ihren Schwestern keine Hilfe erwarten, denn denen geht es kaum anders: Rachel möchte den schönen Philippe heiraten, Naomi schreibt Liebesgedichte und Phoebe, die jüngste, hat nur noch ihre Karriere als internationale Spionin im Kopf.

Nine-year-old best friends Danny, Nathan and Anna live with their families in Paradise House along with Old MacDonald the caretaker and a variety of eccentric characters in these stories by award-winning children's author Hilary McKay.

The children are saved from the dreaded School Holiday Club in the nick of time! They owe their escape to the elderly Miss Kents, who live in the basement of Paradise House. The Miss Kents have agreed to look after them. How can the children thank their rescuers enough? They hatch a plan that they think will appeal to old ladies. But things don't go quite as planned. Will the surprise be spoilt?

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.

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.

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.