Books with author Anne Fine

Harry is in trouble. He's burned down the family kitchen so now has to spend a week of his summer hols with his uncle Tristram - who's heading off to stay with a new girlfriend - Morning Glory - on a tiny British island.Harry doesn't expect it to be a lot of fun - with just a wacky competition at the end of the week to look forward to.He certainly didn't expect to discover all the beards.Or the angel on the mountain.Or the helicopters circling overhead all week.And he definitely didn't think it would be so wet . . .

This is the collection of the best short stories from the 2015 Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) Creative Writing Prize. The GDST is the UK's leading network of independent girls' schools.The GDST Creative Writing Prize is an annual competition for junior, middle and senior pupils from across the Trust’s 24 schools and two academies. It offers pupils the opportunity to demonstrate their literary flair and creativity by producing a short story of no more than 1,000 words. The theme of the 2015 competition was ‘role models’ and the entries were judged by distinguished, award-winning adult and children’s author, Anne Fine, an alumna of Northampton High School.Commenting on the overall quality of the entries, Anne said: “The standard was excellent. A good number of the stories have that intriguing quality that makes us want to read on and know more, and that’s the most essential ingredient for any piece of writing. Storytelling is a splendid and enriching way for girls and young women to find their own voice and reflect on their place in the world.”The authors of this collection of short stories include:Alexandra BarnardLola GreenwayIsabella HarrodLowena HullYueh-Chia LoGeorgia LockeyRani MartinRachel MoberlyNia Moseley-RobertsInes Mubgar-SpencerCaitlin SydneyKate Whittington

How stupid do you have to be to fall out of a top floor window?Or was Stolly trying something else - up on cloud nine, even then?Stolly has always been so alive, so inspiring, taking risks, hiding nothing, notorious for being the school's most imaginative liar (or fantatist, as he calls it). But now he's lying in a hospital bed and Ian, his best friend who's as close as a brother, is watching, waiting and remembering . . . A characteristically funny, moving, life-affirming novel about a most remarkable character and the truly inspirational effect he has on everyone he meets.

Christmas comes but once a year. Luckily . . . The Christmas holiday is, traditionally, a time when families gather together. In Ralph's case this means ten or more relatives coming to stay, including assorted aunts and uncles, nutty Great-Aunt Ida (the Home tells them to be careful not to let her out) and his ghastly cousins: Titania in her silly, sick-making frilly fairy dresses and the twins Sylvester and Sylvia (it took until Easter last year before the family dog got over them).Jammed into one small house for three days of merriment and family fun, with the tv on the blink and Mum on the verge of a breakdown, it soon becomes obvious that, in this house, more definitely does not mean merrier . . .

'The devil walks . . . But the devil can make no headway if he has no help. We must invite him in . . .'Raised in secrecy by a mother everyone thinks has gone mad, Daniel's only link to his past is the intricately built model of the family home - High Gates. The dolls' house is perfect in every detail.As Daniel is reunited with the last remaining member of his family - his 'uncle' Severin, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a sinister wooden doll he has found hidden in the house, he begins to suspect that this vicious, haunted puppet of a figure has a chilling influence, bringing cruelty and spite in its wake. Now Daniel's very life is at risk as his uncle is determined to get his hands on the figure . . . The menace builds throughout in this deliciously creepy Gothic tale.

Told who to cheer for, who to believe in, Yuri grows up in a country where no freedom of thought is encouraged - where even one's neighbours are encouraged to report any dissension to the authorities. But it is still a shock when a few careless words lead him to a virtual death-sentence - sent on a nightmare journey up north to a camp amidst the frozen wastes. What, or who, can he possibly believe in now? Can he even survive? And is escape possible . . . ?