Books with author Philip Pearce

This is a beautifully crafted fantastical mystery about a little boy called Till who loses his dog Bess. A mysterious stranger called Mr Finder offers to help Till find his dog, and they interview various witnesses including a heron, a mole, a riddling cat - and Miss Mousey, whose sketch of a peaceful riverbank offers a vital clue. The quest to find Bess is full of magic but Till begins to mistrust his supposed ally Mr Finder - until at last he realizes the truth, and they track down the real culprit, a finder who likes to keep what he finds. At the end of this enchanting story Till is reunited with his beloved Bess and a new book - of the story - will be born. This is the last book by Philippa Pearce, one of the twentieth century's greatest children's novelists, beautifully illustrated by Helen Craig of Angelina Ballerina fame.

'The rope hung from top to bottom of his dream. The rope hung softly, saying nothing, doing nothing. Then the rope began to swing very softly, very gently ...Towards him.' The need to face your fears; the comedy of family life; the pressure of others' expectations...Intense experiences of childhood are vividly brought to life in this beautifully written collection of short stories by the author of "Tom's Midnight Garden."

Tom is furious. His brother, Peter, has measles, so now Tom is being shipped off to stay with Aunt Gwen and Uncle Alan in their boring old apartment. There'll be nothing to do there and no one to play with. Tom just counts the days till he can return home to Peter.Then one night the landlady's antique grandfather clock strikes thirteen times leading Tom to a wonderful, magical discovery and marking the beginning of a secret that's almost too amazing to be true. But it is true, and in the new world that Tom discovers is a special friend named Hatty and more than a summer's worth of adventure for both of them. Now Tom wishes he could stay with his relativesand Hatty -- forever...