Books with author Anne Fine

'I adore stories in which people have weird dreams, and strange things happen. But that's in books. Real life is supposed to be real, and I like my world to be solid around me . . . 'Mel is the class bookworm. She prefers books to people and doesn't want - or need - friends. She certainly doesn't want to be first-week minder for new girl, Imogen. And Imogen is odd. Slowly, Mel discovers that Imogen has a special talent - a family 'gift' that Mel thinks is more like a curse. And that's when she realizes that stories can happen in real life, too. For only she can stop Imogen's private horror story - stop the bad dreams . . .

'Okay, okay. So stick my head in a holly bush.' Tuffy knows what he likes. And he doesn't like the 'art' that Ellie's mum brings home from her new classes. So what's a cat to do? A few scratches here just happen to shred a painting. A nudge there somehow slips a vase off a shelf. Dad hope a horribly lumpy clay pot will be next, but Tuffy's having none of it. The killer cat will go his own sweet way!

One stormy night, five stranded schoolchildren uncover the story of Richard Clayton Harwick – a boy who many years ago learned what it was like to have a truly wicked stepfather. But the children have stories of their own step-parents to tell – stories that have warmth and humour, as well as sadness, and a fair share of happy endings. ‘For children who have some similar experience, this novel will be therapeutic; for those who haven’t it’s an absorbing read, to make them laugh and cry’ Sunday Telegraph.

Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, this dark and gripping novel tells the tragic story of a smart, sweet child poisoned by circumstance as he struggles to escape the horrors of his childhood.Edward is four years old when he is locked away with his mother by her abusive, alcoholic partner, Harris. By the time an elderly neighbor spots his pale face peering through a crack in the boarded-up window and raises the alarm, he is seven. Rescue comes, but lasting damage has been done. Sent to live with a kind foster family, and then adopted, Edward struggles to adapt to normal life. Even as a smart and curious teenager it’s still clear to his new family and schoolmates there’s something odd about him. Then in a science museum, Edward sees an image that shocks him to the core and robs him of his hard won sense of safety. Can anyone’s past truly be left behind? And could it be that, deep down, another Harris is waiting to break out?

The brilliantly funny new adventure starring one of Anne Fine's most well-loved characters: the Killer Cat. Tuffy doesn't feel wanted at home any more. His owners just don't appreciate him. So what if he broke the new TV? Got fur on all Dad's clean clothes? Ate Tinkerbell the kitten's special kitten-food? All accidents! But they're making such a fuss! So Tuffy decides to make a break for it. He bids farewell to the gang -- Snowball, Tiger and Bella -- and runs away. But starting a new life isn't easy, and soon Tuffy starts to wonder if he's made a terrible mistake.

Ione Muffett is alone in the summerhouse when she meets Ned Hump - a wacky student who is in love with her professor father's secretary, Caroline. In a zany and uninhibited twenty-four hours, Ione helps bring the two together, culminating in a wonderfully anarchic picnic. And as Ned then helps Ione with her plan to help famine victims by running a bring and buy sale, Ione's confidence in herself slowly begins to grow . . .

Everyone knows the story of Christmas. Decking the halls with boughs of holly. Hanging stockings by the chimney with care. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Then there’s the true story of Christmas. And Ralph Mountfield is smack in the middle of it.Great Granny’s crustier than ever. Grandpa’s singing to the dog. Great Aunt Ida is completely crackers. Uncle Tristam’s giving out bricks. The cousins are whining and throwing tantrums. Mum’s looking for Dad. Dad’s looking for aspirin. And Ralph is looking to stay out of trouble.But when a Christmas Quiz brings out some hidden truths, trouble is exactly what Ralph finds. It’s anything but a silent, holy night for the Mountfield family!

Ally really doesn't want to go with his mum on her weekly visit to his fragile aunt Chloe at the big Victorian hospital - until he discovers a hidden garden in the grounds. Here a young homeless couple have made themselves a home. Suddenly Ally begins to discover a new way of looking at the world - and to understand his aunt and some of her sensitivity. But there is another side to the coin, too, and the young couple must also be prepared to adapt to suit their changing circumstances . . .