Showing results by narrator "Sophie Aldred" in All Categories

Once, a girl called Ace travelled the universe with the Doctor - until, in the wake of a terrible tragedy they parted company. Now, decades on, she is known as Dorothy McShane, the reclusive millionaire philanthropist who heads the global organisation A Charitable Earth. But Dorothy is being haunted by terrible nightmares in which she’s abducted to an alien world. Nightmares that begin just as scores of young runaways are vanishing from the dark alleyways of London. 

The puppy would fit on one hand, it was so small. Its fur was a pale silver-grey all over, except for one dark star on its head... Sylvie can't wait for the school holidays so she can get back to her grandparents' farm in Italy. Their dog, Bella, is going to have puppies and Sylvie is determined to be there when they are born. Perhaps her mum and dad will even let her keep one? There is just one puppy in the end. He is a tiny, furry bundle that Sylvie names Star.

Emma and Saffie are going to stay with their grandparents for the summer to learn how to use their superpowers. Grandma has powers too, but Grandpa doesn't, and he definitely doesn't like the gnomes doing the gardening, or the washing up doing itself - he'd rather play with his model aeroplanes.

Cosmo the witch-cat is delighted that evil Sybil - the most terrible of witches - is safely in prison. In fact, she's even been fitted with a special tag, which means that if she tries to escape she will be turned into a frog. But then mysterious goings-on are reported on Witch News. Baby witches are being visited by strange midwives and having their toenails clipped and stolen. Cosmo is sure something sinister is afoot. Could a highly wily witch be brewing a spectacularly spooky spell?

Emma knows that having superpowers isn't always easy, especially when you have to keep them secret. But it's even harder when your mischievous little sister can't help using them in the naughtiest of ways. And when Saffie makes the new nosy neighbours' garden shed come to life and hop over the hedge, it's up to Emma to cover its tracks before it's too late! Being a big sister has never been so heroic!

'The fox called again. Its eerie cry echoed into the night. The sound wove in and out of the night garden, and into Tilly's dreams.' One night, awoken by a strange noise, Tilly looks out of her bedroom window and sees a wild fox watching her from the lawn. Tilly follows it through a hidden gate and is amazed to discover a secret, moonlit garden. She returns the following night but this time a young girl called Helen is already there waiting for her.

The absence of Flavia DeLuce’s mother, Harriet, has always cast a shadow, since her presumed death in a mountaineering accident in Tibet. Now, astonishingly, a specially commissioned train is bringing Harriet back to Buckshaw. But rather than putting the past finally to rest, Harriet's return is set to trigger a further series of bizarre and deadly events, as a most curious group of individuals converge on Buckshaw to pay their respects…

A warm, funny adventure about sticking up for your friends, and the adventures that can be had along the way. When the McIntyre family moves in next door, Eva is intrigued - it is the first interesting thing to happen for ages. But her ever protective Dad - even more protective since Eva's mum died - does not agree. Eva gets to know Jamie McIntyre a bit better, and when he is accused of vandalising the local park, Eva is sure he didn't do it – but she has to prove it…

Celia Frost is a freak. At least, that’s what everyone thinks. Her life is ruled by a rare disorder that means she could bleed to death from the slightest cut, confining her to a gloomy bubble of ‘safety’. No friends. No fun. No life. But when a knife attack on Celia has unexpected consequences, her mum reacts strangely - and suddenly they’re on the run. Why is her mum so scared? Someone out there knows.

Step inside Marietta's Magic Dress Shop! There are hundreds of beautiful dresses in every colour of the rainbow, sewn with magic thread. Take a look, try one on, and wait for the magic to whisk you away on an amazing adventure! When Ava puts on a sparkling trapeze outfit with a dazzling butterfly tiara, she is transported back in time to a travelling circus. Ava loves the clever circus stunts and the beautiful costumes, but she's worried about a baby elephant that is meant to perform tricks.

Lizzie, Max and Dan have never liked their neighbours, the Potwards, so when it appears that Lizzie's magic potion may have made them move house the children are delighted. Their glee, however is short-lived as they worry about who will move in.

The Revolting Rabbles have a new job, being peasants at the castle Open Day. And Rae is SO looking forward to dressing up in a sack. Rupert can't wait. He's obsessed with making plague boils out of balloons and custard. If only they didn't keep bursting... Another fantastic story about the Rabble family's hilarious historical re-enactments, from best-selling author Susan Gates.

Cosmo the witch-cat has his paws full with his new baby brothers and sisters. Especially when the kittens accidentally get turned into frogs by the kindly Frog-Witch. But before she has a chance to magic them back, the Frog-Witch and all the frog-kittens are kidnapped by a sinister stranger with froggy plans. Can Cosmo come up with the purr-fect way to save the day... before it's too late?

Laura thinks she knows her mum pretty well. It's been just the two of them since Dad left. But then Mum brings home a boyfriend and, even worse, starts acting very strangely. She's obviously keeping something from Laura. But what? As Laura digs deeper she begins to suspect the secret might be more terrible than she first thought... An exciting story about family relationships, jealousy and secrets from bestselling author Gwyneth Rees.

Rae's dad has found Riff Raff Ltd some work at an Elizabethan fayre. When Mr Rabble researches the costume of the period, he discovers that his skinny calves won't be up to it, so he devises a calf-enhancer, with hilarious results.

Three new adventures for glamorous bounty hunter Vienna Salvatori, including 'Self Improvement' by Ian Potter. Doctor Ludovic Glospan has a secret. He has made a scientific discovery that could change the galaxy forever, which is why he wants to keep it out of the wrong hands. Vienna Salvatori and Jexie Reagan have been hired to keep Glospan's secret safe. On a good day that will be an easy job, but this is anything but a good day.

1542. A French noblewoman is left abandoned on a small island north of Nova Scotia. She has a crossbow, arquebuses and gunpowder. The island is populated only by wild beasts. She may be pregnant at this time. Centuries later, whilst mothering her young children, a woman begins writing what she believes to be a television script about the life of Marguerite de la Rocque and her incredible story of survival against the odds. As she draws closer to the nature of Marguerite, the woman begins to question her ability to tell this story.

Berlin, 1945: Ester Pasternak walked out of the gates of Auschwitz barely alive. She survived against devastating odds, but her heartbreaking journey is only just beginning. In the camp, Ester gave birth to a tiny fair-haired infant, only for her precious baby to be snatched from her and taken to a German family. Now the war is over, Ester longs to find her little girl.

Rose knows that nothing stays the same forever. Still, it's hard to watch her sisters and brother growing up and moving so far ahead of her. Caddy is back, but she's not living at home. And worse—she's broken up with Darling Michael. Saffy and Indigo are so busy, they are seldom home. With her father in London and her mother painting in the shed, Rose is often alone in the house. Maybe that's why she agrees to her new friend Molly's crazy scheme. At least it seems crazy when Rose finds herself locked in the zoo at night with a roaring tiger.

Cadmium Casson is 12 years old the summer that everything changes. Not only are her closest friendships in jeopardy, but her mum is expecting a baby. And when the baby arrives early, Caddy's world turns upside down. Her mother spends all her time at the hospital, and her father takes over the household, which of course turns into one chaotic (though hilarious) crisis after the next. When her charmingly dense boyfriend dumps her, Caddy is at her wits' end. Then she discovers that the fragile baby she is so afraid of losing is not an ending, but a beginning for her whole family.