Episodes

  • The Phantom Tolbooth
    Aug 5 2021

    Norton Juster's Phantom Tolbooth is the gateway to a fantastical land filled with strange characters who provide the young hero with food for thought as he tries to rescue the Princesses Rhyme and Reason.

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    26 mins
  • The Family From One End Street
    Jul 22 2021

    Eve Garnett's classic stories about The Family from One End Street broke new ground when they were published in 1937. In this episode you can listen to us discuss the strong contrast with modern parenting and hear Catherine's horror as Ursula fantasises about stowing away on a cargo ship.

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    28 mins
  • Murder Most Unladylike
    Jul 8 2021

    Ursula and Catherine reverse their usual roles for a discussion of Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens, a stone cold classic in the modern children's murder mystery genre.

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    30 mins
  • A Necklace of Raindrops
    Jun 24 2021

    Joan Aiken's stories remind Ursula and Catherine of fairy tales, and they also look closely at Jan Pienkowski's incredible illustrations.

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    22 mins
  • The Secret of the Old Clock
    May 27 2021

    We compare a Nancy Drew book to modern detective stories and solve the mystery of the identity of Carolyn Keene.

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    22 mins
  • The Spy's Guidebook
    May 13 2021

    Disguises! Secret messages! Tracking the enemy! Ursula, Catherine and their special guest learnt all these and more from this Usborne favourite.

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    28 mins
  • The Sword in the Stone
    Apr 29 2021

    T H White's retelling of the Arthurian Legends began here, in the book from which Catherine learnt more about falconry than she ever knew she knew.

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    33 mins
  • Auntie Robbo
    Apr 15 2021

    Ann Scott-Moncrieff's novel was originally rejected as "too Scottish and too irresponsible." Neither Catherine nor Ursula let this put them off.

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    29 mins