...Intermediate The Speckled Band and Other Stories Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, retold by Anne Collins Short Stories/Crime/Detection Three more intriguing cases for Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band, The Dancing Men and The Red-Headed League. 80pp British English 978 1 4050 7680 7 Availability: Worldwide Age 15+
Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe, retold by John Davey Human Interest Okonkwo is respected for his strength, bravery, honesty and wealth. But his people are doomed to be destroyed both by the superstition-bound customs of tribal life, and the arrival of the white man. This simply and movingly told story by Nigeria’s foremost novelist has become a classic in African literature. Recommended for older readers. 96pp British English 978 1 4050 7315 8 Availability: Worldwide, ex. US, its territories and dependencies and the Philippines. Age 15+
Tess of the d’Urbervilles
Touching the Void
Thomas Hardy, retold by John Escott Human Interest/Romance
Joe Simpson, retold by Anne Collins Adventure/Human Interest
When Tess Durbeyfield is sent by her family to find her rich relatives, she is soon pursued and violently attacked by the ruthless Alec d’Urberville. But the sad event which follows gives Tess the chance to hide her past and move on. Eventually she falls in love and finds happiness with Angel Clare. However, Tess’s honest nature means she is doomed never to escape her past.
The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates’s climb of the mountain Siula Grande. When Joe breaks his leg high on the mountain, he knows that he will probably die. But Simon is determined to help his friend and decides to lower him down the mountain on a rope. The plan seems to be going well. But then disaster strikes. A gripping story of human courage and the will to survive.
128pp British English 978 1 4050 7457 5 Availability: Worldwide Age 16+
Thérèse Raquin Emile Zola, retold by Margaret Tarner Human Interest/Romance When Thérèse Raquin marries her sickly cousin Camille, her future looks as if it will be both dull and loveless. This all changes, however, with the arrival of Camille’s friend Laurent. Laurent and Thérèse soon begin a love affair, an affair so passionate it can only result in tragedy. 96pp British English 978 1 4050 7538 1 Availability: Worldwide Age 17+
80pp British English 978 0 2305 3352 3 Availability: Worldwide, ex. US, its territories and dependencies, Canada and the Philippines Age 14+
When Rain Clouds Gather Bessie Head, retold by Margaret Tarner Human Interest/Travel/Background This semi-autobiographical novel, from one of Africa’s most respected novelists, tells the story of a village in the heart of rural Botswana in the 1960s. It is a time of great change to tribal traditions, social customs, and agricultural methods. But none of the actors on this stage can alter the principal adversary in this drama – the harsh climate. 80pp British English 978 0 2300 2440 3 Availability: Worldwide Age 15+
Love to read...
33