"When A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 it was an overnight success, and set a precedent that was to be followed by other Christmas books, including The Chimes (1844) and The Cricket (1845). Each book was published at the same time of year, in the same format, and extolled similar values about the virtues of love, charity and the family unit. But none would achieve the cult status of A Christmas Carol, a book so popular it has become part...

"Till now there's been no magic for Harry Potter. He lives with the miserable Dursleys at number four, Privet Drive. His room is the cupboard under the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. But then a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And there he finds not only friends, flying sports on broomsticks, and magic in everything...

The story of young David Balfour, whose miserly uncle cheats him out of his inheritance and schemes to have him kidnapped, shanghaied, and sold into slavery. But justice triumphs - after a spirited odyssey that includes a shipwreck, a hazardous journey across Scotland with a daredevil companion, intrigues, narrow escapes, and desperate fighting.

Fourteen-year-old Brystal Evergreen risks everything by opposing her kingdom's repression of women, but Madame Weatherberry, seeing her potential, invites her to a school where she hopes to change the world's perception of magic.