Books with author Geraldine McCaughrean

One of the greatest legends in the world is brought to life in ODYSSEUS, the first book of the four-volume HEROES series. Author Geraldine McCaughrean's taught prose brings a modern, thriller-like immediacy to the ancient story, while still retaining the characters, details and even some of the rhythms of the epic poem.Odysseus and his loyal troops narrowly escape being eaten by the Cyclops, shipwrecked by Scylla and Charybdis, and turned into pigs by the beautiful Circe. The company must travel to Hell (or Hades) and back, dodge the constant pursuit of the vengeful Poseidon, and row across oceans in order to get back home where Odysseus' wife, Penelope fends off a gaggle of greedy suitors bent on taking Odysseus' throne.Filled with excitement and romance, ODYSSEUS makes a perfect sequel for any young readers interested in learning more about the Greek heroes portrayed in the summer 2004 blockbuster, TROY.

THE ODYSSEY retold by Geraldine McCaughrean is the epic journey of Odysseus, the hero of Ancient Greece...After ten years of war, Odysseus turns his back on Troy and sets sail for home. But his voyage takes another ten years and he must face many dangers - Polyphemus the greedy one-eyed giant, Scylla the six-headed sea monster and even the wrath of the gods themselves - before he is reunited with his wife and son.The Puffin Classics relaunch includes:A Little PrincessAlice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures Through the Looking GlassAnne of Green GablesBlack BeautyHans Andersen's Fairy TalesHeidiJourney to the Centre of the EarthLittle WomenPeter PanTales of the Greek HeroesThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Adventures of King ArthurThe Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Call of the WildThe Jungle BookThe OdysseyThe Secret GardenThe Wind in the WillowsThe Wizard of OzTreasure Island

Ten of Shakespeare's greatest plays, retold for children by multi-award winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.From love, jealousy, greed and betrayal to mad kings, magic and murder, Geraldine McCaughrean retells some of Shakespeare's best-known stories, including Romeo and Juliet, Henry the Fifth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and The Tempest.With easy to follow prose punctuated with well-known quotations and featuring a cast list for each play, this accessible collection will delight and entertain readers of all ages.

"There will be no Florence Station on the Red Rock Railroad Line. . . . From here on out the trains won't be stopping at Florence. Ever." In 1893 Oklahoma's northwest is opened up to settlers by government decree, and Cissy Sissney and her family rush to join the tens of thousands of land runners intent on staking a new claim to their future. The Sissneys and two dozen other folk are the first settlers to arrive at the map-born town of Florence -- nothing but a double plot of sun-baked land, an empty space waiting to be filled. Night has scarcely fallen when the trouble begins. A slick, oily-haired man drifts from campfire to campfire, offering -- on behalf of the Red Rock Railroad Company -- to buy out claims for $50 dollars apiece. Several weeks later, after all settlers but one refuse to sell, the president of the railroad lowers the boom. There'll be no more trains stopping at Florence. And without the railroad the town can't survive. So it's up to Cissy and her friends, family, and neighbors to come up with ways -- fair or foul -- to stop the train before they are all forced to abandon their homes forever. From the incredibly versatile Carnegie medalist Geraldine McCaughrean comes a rollicking, beguiling tale of clever shenanigans and heartwarming faith in the promise of a new land.

Cissy Sissney and her family are staking their claim. Along with a handful of other entrepreneurs, they've stepped off the train into the brand-new town of Florence, Oklahoma, and started building a future.But the president of the railroad says no more trains will stop in Florence -- ever. Without the railroad, the town can't survive. So it's up to Cissy, her family, friends, and neighbors to stop the train any way they can.

It's 1893 and for Cissy and her family, a new life beckons on the prairies of Oklahoma and they and their fellow settlers prepare for steady business alongside the Red Rock Railroad track. But when they refuse to sell their land to the railroad company, the boss swears that his trains will never stop in Florence again. How will they ever make a living now? Cissy and her friends, family and neighbours vow that they will make the train stop - by whatever means are necessary, no matter how dangerous that may prove to be ...

Taking her inspiration from the medieval tradition of carving Jesse Trees - a method used to explain the genealogy of Jesus - McCaughrean uses all her skill as a storyteller to weave together evocative retellings of Bible stories with a contemporary tale about the creation of a modern-day Jesse Tree and the transforming power of friendship and love. First published as a picture book, The Jesse Tree has received much critical acclaim.

"In this attractive book, ten of the world's best-known ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella, are introduced to young readers. The essence of a ballet production is successfully captured by the full-color illustrations, which exuberantly portray each story's setting, and the writing style, which maintains the original flavor of both the tales and ballets. Children who love to attend ballets, take ballet lessons, or like to read fairy tales will delight in this treasury."--Booklist There is no more elegant or comprehensive introduction to the ballet than this enchanting book.