A superb adaptation of Dorothy's adventures for newly independent readers. Frank L. Baum's classic has been specially adapted for this wonderful, fully illustrated edition at the highest level of the Reading Programme. Enjoy Dorothy's journey in Oz, as she travels along the yellow brick road with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion, before coming safely home again.
HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics. 'Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?"' So begins the tale of Alice, who follows a curious White Rabbit down a hole and falls into Wonderland, a fantastical place where nothing is quite as it seems: animals talk, nonsensical characters confuse, Mad Hatters throw tea parties and the Queen plays croquet. Alice's attempts to find her way home become increasingly bizarre, infuriating and amazing in turn. A beloved classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has continued to delight readers, young and old, for over 150 years.
Jonathan Harker narrowly escapes with his life from the Transylvanian castle of evil vampire Count Dracula. But his nightmare is far from over. Back in England, Jonathan and his friends soon find themselves battling against the vilest vampire in the world. A lively retelling of the classic horror novel by Bram Stoker, made accessible for young readers. Part of the Usborne Reading Programme, Young Reading Series Four, perfect for readers growing in confidence and independence. Other classic fiction in Young Reading Series Four includes Treasure Island, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.
This beautifully illustrated collection contains all of Jane Austen's novels retold for young readers, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, with notes on the characters and quotations from the original text. With links to websites to find out more about Jane Austen's life and times.
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
Five well-known fairy tales retold for young children and presented in a boxed 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'The Elves and the Shoemaker', 'Puss in Boots', 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Cinderella'. Each book is designed and illustrated in a traditional style, bound as a cloth-covered hardback and finished with a ribbon page marker.
Leo Tolstoy's epic Russian classic, retold in just 64 pages. First published in 1869, this novel is one of the most famous books in the world, and this simple but atmospheric retelling now makes it accessible for young readers. Set in Russia following the French invasion of Russia in 1812, as the Tsarist regime is succeeded by the Napoleonic era. A concise introduction to what is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of literature ever written. The Usborne Reading Programme is a collection of over 300 reading books, graded in seven levels. Developed with reading experts. Series Three books are for fully confident readers who still need to gain the stamina needed for standard length books. They use advanced sentence structure and vocabulary and have more complex plots with subplots than the level below.
A king and queen have fallen on hard times - but then their eldest daughter is given a magic wishbone. Can this improve their fortunes? A magical retelling of a Charles Dickens' fairytale, specially written for children who have just started reading alone and developed in conjunction with a reading expert from Roehampton University.
'Such a strange book! Imagine a novel with a little swarthy governess for heroine, and a middle-aged ruffian for hero.' Sharpe's London Magazine (June 1855) Jane Eyre is an orphan grown up under the harsh regime first of her aunt and then as a pupil at Lowood Institution. She leaves to become a governess to the daughter of the mysterious Mr Rochester; gradually their relationship deepens, but Jane's passionate nature has yet to endure its deepest blows. In this new edition Sally Shuttleworth explores the power of a narrative that questions the rights of women, the nature of servitude and madness, martyrdom and rebellion in a story whose emotional charge is a strong today as it was more than 150 years ago.
A new title in Young Reading Series Three, which is aimed at children whose reading ability and confidence allows them to tackle longer and more complex stories. The classic story of misadventure by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra retold for children ready to tackle longer and more complex stories. Don Quixote thinks he's a knight, just like in the days of old - he even has a squire. Of course, these days, there are no dragons to fight, but a thing like that doesn't stop him, as he drags his squire on one madcap adventure after another… Part of the Usborne Reading Programme developed with reading experts at the University of Roehampton.
A popular new title in the Young Reading series with a hardback cover and an audio CD inserted into a wallet inside the back cover, making the book and CD easy to store together.
When his beloved owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty leaves his life as a young, care-free colt behind him and embarks on a working life of misery. Cruelly treated by his new masters, Anna Sewell rails against animal mistreatment in this poignant tale of a horse whose spirit can not be broken.
- Level 2 (Usborne Young Reading)
A much-loved children classic, wonderfully illustrated by Peter Bailey, here presented with a section of extra material for young readers. Roberta, Phyllis and Peter have their comfortable lives in London thrown into disarray by the unexpected disappearance of their father. They are forced to move to a small cottage in the countryside with their mother, who struggles to make ends meet by writing books. The children find solace in a stretch of railway track and the station nearby, and befriend the railway porter, who teaches them about running the station, and an old gentleman who takes the 9.15 train every day. Through this love of the trains they are led on many exciting adventures, including a quest to discover the secret of their father's disappearance. One of the most popular children's books ever written, E. Nesbit's tale has enchanted generations of readers since it was first released in 1906. It has been adapted for the screen and the stage many times, and its story of innocence, intrigue and discovery remains perfectly poignant today.
A poor orphan's adventures in the criminal underworld of mid-nineteenth-century London are the central theme of Dickens' second major novel
