Books with author Jan Mark

This collection of seven funny stories for teenagers is told entirely in the form of a dialogue between three friends, Maurice, Nazzer and Nina. Although three of the stories have appeared in print before, Jan Mark has written four new stories which take the friends through the school year of their O-level re-sits. Jan Mark is author of "Thunder and Lightnings" and is the winner of the British Library Association's Carnegie Medal (twice), the "Observer" Teenage Fiction Prize, the Penguin/"Guardian" award, and the Angel Award for her short stories. She has just won the Angel Award a second time for her first adult novel "Zeno Was Here" 1987.

Here are some of the very best short stories written for children over the last 250 years. Compiled by the well-known children's writer and Carnegie Medalist, Jan Mark, this is the first anthology to trace how children's short stories evolved, ranging from the publication of Sarah Fielding's "The Governess" in 1749, to Nadia Wheatley's "Convict Box" in 1992. Anyone who enjoys children's fiction, whether young or old, will find something to savor in The Oxford Book of Children's Stories. Fairy tales, ghost stories, adventures and escapades in and out of school, every genre is included here, peopled by good children and bad, strict parents and kindly aunts, kings and queens, giants and enchanters. Mark includes work by 44 different authors, including well-known figures such as Louisa May Alcott, Christina Rossetti, Rudyard Kipling, Max Beerbohm, and Carl Sandburg, leading modern writers such as Philippa Pearce, Richard Kennedy, Nadia Wheatley, and Jan Mark herself--plus many long-forgotten tales that are still highly entertaining today. Chronologically arranged, the anthology also serves as an introduction to the historical development of the children's short story, providing insights into the way perceptions of childhood and contemporary attitudes have influenced writers of different periods. But as Jan Mark's discriminating selection demonstrates, the ingredients of a good children's story--as well as the fictional tastes of children themselves--have remained remarkably constant, despite changes in style and outlook. This is a collection to divert and surprise: an ideal survey of the children's short story for parents, professionals--and especially for the children themselves.

When Andrew's family moves house, he strikes up an unexpected friendship with his neighbour Victor. There isn't a thing Victor doesn't know about the RAF planes flying overhead and the two boys are soon busy tracking their movements.Then Andrew discovers that Victor's beloved Lightnings are due to be scrapped...Thunder and Lightnings won the Carnegie Medal in 1976.

Isaac is an outsider on the planet Erato - the lone survivor of a disaster elsewhere in the Ennead (a system of nine planets). But he has managed to infiltrate an important family and wields a significant amount of power. Even so, his position is often compromised because he depends on the kindness of others. So when the chance to rescue Eleanor, a girl from another planet, arises - and most importantly, to keep her forever in his debt, he seizes it. But Eleanor brings her own agenda - her own history - which threatens Isaac's position and the very fabric of Erato's society.

Isaac is an outsider on the planet Erato - the lone survivor of a disaster elsewhere in the Ennead (a system of nine planets). But he has managed to infiltrate an important family and wields a significant amount of power. Even so, his position is often compromised because he depends on the kindness of others. So when the chance to rescue Eleanor, a girl from another planet, arises - and most importantly, to keep her forever in his debt, he seizes it. But Eleanor brings her own agenda - her own history - which threatens Isaac's position and the very fabric of Erato's society.

Charlotte has always thought there's something not right about living in Compton Rosehay (aka Stalemate). Perhaps it's the plastic families, the identical rows of houses, or the girls who only talk about diets.When she meets Elaine, Charlotte sees there is life outside her stifling neighbourhood. Together they spot the cracks in the town's exterior, to discover the hidden world of Stalemate.

Set in a highly realistic dystopic future, where the lowlands of Britain are flooded, this beautifully realised novel explores a world where archaeology is controlled for fear of social unrest. One bleak morning, a storm across the North Sea unveils a human skull, which leads to a series of events that changes the lives of those involved. Merrick, a young graduate archaeology student becomes embroiled in the task of discovering the origins of the skull. His interest in this bizarre case brings him into contact with the Inglish, a remnant tribe eking out an existence on the edge of Europe. In this wildly progressive new world, it is they who will be affected the most. This is a compelling vision of England as it could be in the not-so-distant future.

Set in the not-so-distant future, where the lowlands of Britain are flooded, this beautifully written novel explores a world where archaeology is banned for fear of the social unrest it might cause. One bleak morning, a storm across the North Sea stirs up a human skull, which starts a chain of events that forever changes the lives of those involved. It is the Inglish, a remnant tribe on the edge of Europe, that will be affected the most.This is a compelling vision of England as it might be in the hand of award-winning author Jan Mark.

Viner lives in a land that constantly floods - his skill as a water diviner has lead to ridicule. But when he is kidnapped all this changes. His murderous captors force him to work for them in their drought-stricken country - and to challenge the Rain-King whose failure to provide the necessary rainfall is sorely trying all those around him. But instead of ridiculing the King, Viner befriends him - perhaps more ... Aquarius is a deeply humane story of power, manipulation, ambition, and burgeoning sexuality. Viner is a complex character - easy to like and despise in equal measure. His story will not easily be forgotten.