Books in Young Kelpies series

On a dark night in the 1590s, Adam glimpses the Devil, near his home in East Lothian. Terrified, he is even more alarmed when he discovers that little Gilly, the timid kitchenmaid, is the thirteenth member of a witches coven, and like all the other witches, risks a fiery death at the stake for her devil worship. With the help of the Alchemist, Master Grahame, Adam is determined to foil the coven's plot to kill Scotland's king, James VI. But what is the Alchemist's dreadful secret, and how can Adam save Gilly when he exposes the witches' treason?

Historical intrigue for children 9-12, printed in large print. set in a Scottish fishing village in the days of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Jeannie Main will make a king, and break a king, come four times into the shadow of the gibbet, and risk her life by riding the Kelpie, the fearsome water monster. That's what wee Jeannie is told during the 1745 Rising, as Prince Charles Edward Stewart makes his desperate attempt to win back his grandfather's crown from the Hanoverian King George. Ach, blethers! But Jeannie's prophecy comes terrifyingly true. She must make bitter choices, where either way could bring death or ruin for herself or those around her, and then face the consequences of those decisions. This is not a comfortable, cosy story. 12-year-old Jeannie is no sweet little angel, but a tough, hardy little fisher quean. But she faces life with a lively humour, honesty, courage, and immense loyalty to her family and friends, which make her instantly likeable.

Tom Strynd says he is going to drown Fankle the cat in the millpond unless Jenny rescues him, so even though her mother hates cats, Jenny takes him home. Fankle tells Jenny the stories of his different lives with pirates, in ancient Egypt and even with the Empress of China. George Mackay Brown weaves the story of Orkney's villagers into his writing in his own inimitable style, resulting in a rewarding read for adults and children alike.