Richmond Readers

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born on the Isle of Portsea near Portsmouth, in England. A Christmas Carol is the story of an old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who works even on Christmas Day. He is a difficult man and hasn't got any friends. But when he goes to bed on Christmas Eve, he is visited by Marley, his dead partner, and three Christmas ghosts.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born on the Isle of Portsea near Portsmouth, in England. A Christmas Carol is the story of an old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who works even on Christmas Day. He is a difficult man and hasn't got any friends. But when he goes to bed on Christmas Eve, he is visited by Marley, his dead partner, and three Christmas ghosts.

Bibil lives with his family in an old castle. He has a happy life. Then one day, two thieves come looking for treasure.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Edinburgh and studied medicine. To supplement his income as a doctor, he wrote short stories, published anonymously in a variety of magazines, and a novel, A Study in Scarlet (1887). The central character was Sherlock Holmes, based on one of Doyle’s teachers, Dr Joseph Bell. Sherlock Holmes soon caught the imagination of the public. There was such an outcry when Conan Doyle tried to kill him off in The Final Problem (1893), that he was obliged to bring Sherlock Holmes back to life eight years later in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), and to keep him alive for another thirty-five stories.

You are going to London for a short holiday. You will have to speak English. Can you reserve a hotel room? Do you know what to say in a shop? Can you understand an English joke? In this fun and informative game book, you participate in the story and you make all the decisions. And during your stay, you will learn a lot about the fascinating city of London, the people and their customs.

It is the year 2285. A spaceship has mysteriously disappeared. Your spaceship is sent to investigate. During your journey through the galaxy you will learn a lot of interesting things and meet some interesting aliens. Can you find your way back to Earth again? In this fun and exciting puzzle book you participate in the story and you make the decisions. Can you uncover the mystery?

Rosa goes on holiday to London to stay with Jackie, her English pen-friend. They take a trip on a bus around the city to see the most famous places of London. Rosa finds more excitement than she expected when she meets a famous inhabitant of the English capital!

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the pen-name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was born at Daresbury, in the county of Cheshire, England. In this book, Alice, a pretty little girl, has a fantastic trip through Wonderland. There she meets some strange characters: a rabbit with pink eyes, a talking cat, a mad hatter. She also sees a game of croquet with hedgehogs, flamingoes and playing cards.

Seven tales from the nation of the Sioux: tales told from father to son, from generation to generation, and only recently written down and translated into English from their own Indian language. The authors are unknown. These are just a few examples of the myths and legends that have been told to Indian children over the centuries. Reading them, perhaps we can understand a little more about the original inhabitants of North America.

Bonnie and Clyde were two American bank robbers. They robbed banks in small towns. People laughed at the police because they couldn't catch the two bandits. Bonnie and Clyde wanted to rob a big important bank, so they went to Chicago. They robbed the bank, but, when they came out, they were captured.

This story's about the old Wild West,
It's strange but true, like all the rest,
The cowboys were strong, But they couldn't tame,
That girl, Calamity Jane.

The city of Rosca is preparing for a presidential visit when the body of a young man is found near the American consulate. He is very well dressed, but there is something missing. Why isn't he wearing any shoes? It is Rymer's job to discover the man's identity. His investigation leads him to a theatre group with a very surprising final act.

Each of the courtyards in Craigen Castle tells a tragic story. When Ed and Joan go to visit the castle, they discover that they cannot get out. As it gets darker, the past begins to come alive. Joan is terrified. It is all part of the plan. But whose plan is it?

Mr Utterson is worried about his friend, Dr Jekyll. What is the reason for his strange behaviour? And what is the true identity of his brutal assistant, Mr Hyde? As Mr Utterson attempts to answer these questions, he learns of Jekyll's incredible discovery and its tragic consequences.

Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was an Irish writer. In 1897 he wrote about a terrible vampire, Count Dracula. One night, Dracula goes to the village because he is hungry. All the houses have garlic on the doors so Dracula can't enter to drink any blood. There is only one door with no garlic on it, and he goes in. He sees a woman who is cooking dinner, and he bites her neck.

Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to visit his client, Count Dracula. While there, he discovers that the count has a terrible and bloody secret. When Dracula moves to England, Jonathan's friends and family are in danger of becoming his victims. Can they destroy the evil Count before he wins control of their lives? They begin a desperate chase across Europe in their mission to end the vampire's reign.

The terrible prison of Alcatraz was on an island in San Francisco Bay. “Nobody can escape from Alcatraz”, said the guard. Jerry O'Brian wanted to get off the island, but how? Jerry and Jeff, another prisoner, decided that the only way to escape from the prison was by air! An impossible idea – they weren't birds! But they did escape.

Mary Godwin (1797-1851) was born in London. In 1816 she married Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of England's most famous poets. In 1818, during a holiday in Switzerland, she wrote Frankenstein with her husband and their friends. Dr. Frankenstein gives life to a creature who goes out of the laboratory to find a little love. The police think it killed a woman and her daughter but, in fact, it saved them.

Victor Frankenstein is an ambitious young student. 'I will show the world the mystery of life!' he declares. But he is horrified by the monster he creates. 'Why did you play with life in this way?' cries the monster. Rejected by society, the monster is determined to destroy his creator and all those who are dear to him.

The great English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare (1564-1616), probably wrote Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, one of his best tragedies, in about 1600. The story of Hamlet is based on an ancient Scandinavian legend, the tale of Amleth, a prince who pretends to be mad in order to avenge himself. Hamlet is also based on a lost English play. It is a tragedy about corruption, revenge, deception and the contrast between appearance and reality. There have been more performances of this play than any other in the whole history of world drama. There have also been numerous film versions, including one by Franco Zeffirelli and another by Kenneth Branagh.

Tim's mother and father have to go to America on business, and so he has to spend Christmas holidays in Scotland with his aunt, uncle and cousin. He is very unhappy until he finds an old pair of ice skates. When he tries the skates on the frozen lake, he has an accident and has to be rescued.

Laura likes her job, but she does not like the other people in the company. Jack is her only friend. One day she finds a piece of paper in the office with some mysterious words on it. Then Jack disappears. What is happening? Laura discovers that the company has a terrible secret.

Jane Eyre survives a lonely and loveless childhood at her aunt's house. When she is sent away to school, although she receives an education, her existence is still a cold and solitary one. She dreams of living a more fulfilling life, where she is treated with dignity and respect. Then she finds work as a governess, and meets the enigmatic Mr Rochester. Has Jane at last met someone who can give her love and treat her as an equal? Or will Mr Rochester's mysterious past come back to darken their love?

Eva wants to go to the cinema, but she has to look after seven year old Jason for the evening. Nobody wants to look after Jason, he is impossible! But Eva and Jason make a good team when they have to join forces against a dangerous stranger.

When Maria discovers Harriet Beecham's body in the river, she runs to tell the police. But first she takes something, a necklace. She knows that this is wrong, but she doesn't realise that other people also want the necklace. And they will do anything to find it.

Herman Melville (1819-1891) is perhaps the greatest American writer of the nineteenth century. He was born in New York City. His father went bankrupt when Melville was a child, and Melville's formal education stopped when he was only fifteen. Afterwards, he had many different jobs including many experiences overseas. Beginning in 1844, Melville dedicated his life to writing. His most famous book is Moby Dick. Moby Dick was published in 1851, during a period of great optimism and self-confidence in the United States.

Tony and Chris are brother and sister. They like reading stories together, especially stories about monsters. But one day they hear noises in their house, and an exciting adventure begins.

Joseph is excited about beginning to work for Mr. Felberg. But there is a problem with Sydney, Mr. Felberg's assistant. Why doesn't Sydney like Joseph? Joseph watches Sydney. Does Sydney have a secret? Joseph is not the only one watching Sydney. Something or someone is watching Sydney all the time and Sydney doesn't like it.

Penelope the caterpillar and Tod the cricket live in a colourful garden with many other insects. Their friends are happy and help each other in many ways.

Three short stories about escape. Permission to Leave: It is 2147. Indira and Craig live in a very protected, very organised society – under the Earth's surface. Why do they want to leave? Can Helen Escape?: Helen must escape from her father. Can she get out of the house before he wakes up? And does she really know where she is going? Raimundo Sánchez – Superstar: Raimundo has the solution to a boring lesson on world geography. He invents his own world – where he plays the principal role.

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775. She wrote three of her novels before she was twenty-five. They were not published until later, however, and none of her books carried her name as author during her lifetime. Sense and Sensibility, the first to be published, was signed 'By a Lady' and Pride and Prejudice was simply 'By the author of Sense and Sensibility'. Jane Austen died in 1817. Two of her six novels were published after her death. Pride and Prejudice is the simple short story of an English family with five daughters to marry off. It deals with human feelings and ways of thinking that apply anywhere and anytime.

Charles Perrault (1628-1703) wrote fairy tales. He was born in France. Puss in Boots is no ordinary cat. He is very intelligent! His master is a young man with no money. Puss has a plan. He goes to the King and convinces him that the young man is rich. The young man's future begins to improve.

Steve has to go shopping, but he doesn't want to miss his favourite radio programme with Tara Mason. As he listens, he realises he has something important to tell her. Can he tell her in time?

Far out in the lonely Pacific Ocean, there is an island of mystery. The stone statues near the rocky shore stare out over the ever-changing and eternal sea. The people who carved them, and left them there, have vanished from the Earth. The secrets of Rapa Nui lie deep and hidden. Over the wind-blown, warm, grass-covered ground, the islanders have a calm and settled life. Now, their peace is threatened. Their fragile world is about to be turned upside-down.

Ricky Banks is rich. He wears expensive clothes. He has a beautiful house in the centre of London. But Ricky is tired of his life as a pop star. He thinks about a house in the country.

Robin Hood is one of the great folk heroes, yet there is no real evidence that he existed. Traditionally, it was not for his strong sense of social justice that he was best remembered, but for his gaiety and his generosity, especially towards the poor. Robin Hood was a clever thief who charmed his victims out of their money, and invited everyone to a huge feast afterwards.

Daniel Defoe was born in London in 1660. He is considered one of the founders of modern journalism. He was also involved in politics and was imprisoned more than once for political reasons. In 1719, at the age of 59, he retired from public life and began writing stories. Robinson Crusoe, his most well-known novel, is based on a real event. It can be considered one of the first novels in English. Other works by Defoe include Moll Flanders (1722), and A Journal of the Plague Year, which described the great plague that broke out in London in 1665. Defoe died in 1731, at the age of 71.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April, 1564. In March of 1592, the Lord Strange’s players produced a new play at the Rose theatre entitled Harry the Sixth. This play was probably the first part of Henri VI. Shakespeare’s fame and wealth grew. A few years later, he was able to participate financially in the construction of a new playhouse called the Globe, on the south bank of the Thames. By the summer of 1598 he was recognized as the greatest of English dramatists. Shakespeare died at Stratford-upon-Avon on 23rd April 1616. Romeo and Juliet has always been one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, and in recent years audiences have also been able to enjoy film and television versions. It is the story of two young people who fall in love, despite the enmity that exists between their two families.

'You live in the past and you don't see how fast things are changing!' Philip shouts at his father. Philip loves computers and basketball. Sometimes he thinks that no one else understands how important these things are. When Philip, his family and his team travel to a basketball match one Saturday, something happens which changes his life.

This is the story of two sisters: one with good sense and the other with romantic sensibility. Together with their mother they must make a life for themselves after the death of their father. They are obliged to leave their home and have very little money to live on. Marriage offers the best prospect of security, but the Dashwood sisters have very different ideas on love and marriage.

One day Alex and Susan are taking a walk. They see a spaceship, and Flotty, a space creature, appears. He takes the children to his faraway planet, and they live a Space Adventure.

Supercomputer is very intelligent, but he has a problem. 'I understand many things in the world. Mathematics is very easy. Chemistry and Physics are no problem for me. But there is one thing I don't understand. What is it? You, people.' Why can't Supercomputerman understand people?

It is very difficult for Tom to be well-behaved and do his schoolwork. He is always looking for more exciting ways to spend his time. In their search for adventure, Tom and his friend Huckleberry Finn run away to live on an island, look for buried treasure and track down some real robbers!

There are problems for the people of Fardor. Zadra, the Lord of Traygot has a plan that is bad for Fardor and bad for the world. You must go to Traygot. You must stop Zadra. In this fun and exciting puzzle book you participate in the story and you make the decisions. Can you stop Zadra?

Sea Bird Cottage is the ideal place for a holiday. That's what Mrs Dale and her children think when they first arrive. But the cottage has a sad history. What are the noises they hear at night? Who is the mysterious figure in the garden? And who is the boy from yesterday?

Jack London (1876-1916) started working when he was a boy. When he was seventeen, he worked on a ship which sailed the Pacific Ocean hunting seals. In 1896, London joined the Socialist Party. He spent the following year in the Yukon Territory in Canada. His experiences probably inspired his most famous book, The Call of the Wild (1903), which shows what happens to a domesticated animal as it struggles to survive in the wild.

Simon de Canterville is a famous ghost in a castle in England. He is angry when a new family arrives to live nearby because there are children and they are American too! The ghost decides to do everything possible to frighten the family away. But the Otis family isn’t easily frightened, and they cause Simon a lot of problems.

Three of Oscar Wilde's most popular short stories. The Canterville Ghost: 'You'll be sorry you bought the house,' people told Mr Hiram B Otis. 'Everyone knows that a ghost lives there.' But Otises are a modern American family, and they don't believe in ghosts. The Model Millionaire: Hughie Erskine has every talent except one. He can't earn money. And without money, he can't marry Laura Merton. But good luck can come from the strangest people. The Sphinx without a Secret: Why does Lady Alroy behave so mysteriously? As Lord Gerald Murchison falls madly in love with her, he is concerned about her strange behaviour. Will he discover her secret?

When Beth and Mara read an advertisement to stay in a haunted castle for Halloween, they think it is a good idea. Their friends agree. A group of six goes to Monchester Castle for fun. It is an experience they will never forget.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who was born in Florida, Missouri. Twain felt great sympathy for the outcast and the oppressed. His best works were those which drew on his own background and experience: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Life on the Mississippi (1883) and Huckleberry Finn (1884). His later works, such as The £ 1,000,000 Bank Note, were often characterised by bitter satires of human society and destiny. Mark Twain brought a truly American prose style to writing, and his contribution to American literature cannot be overestimated.

James Fenimore Cooper is the first great professional American author. He was born in 1789 and was brought up in the state of New York. His family lived in the wilderness that he describes so well in his frontier novels. Cooper created two unique genres that were to become staples of American literature - the sea romance and the frontier adventure story. The Last of the Mohicans was written in 1826, and is still one of America's favourite classics. Cooper's sea stories, The Pilot, The Red Rover and The Sea Lions influenced both Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad. Cooper died in 1851.

Washington Irving, who was named after George Washington, was born in 1783 in New York City. As a child he enjoyed exploring as much as he could, and as an adult he travelled extensively. Later in life he spent much time in England, where he met the world-famous writer Sir Walter Scott. It was Scott who stimulated Irving’s interest in American folk tales. Irving wrote many books, and was the first American writer to gain international fame. He died in 1859 and was buried near Sleepy Hollow. In this short novel, Irving re-creates a simple rural community where the people’s belief in ghosts and the supernatural remains strong. A schoolmaster who hopes to marry a rich farmer’s daughter has a rival: a strong, fearless young man. Both are determined to win Katrina’s hand and inherit the farm. How does the legend of a headless horseman affect the outcome?

It is 1870 – in Parkgate, a little village in the north of Ireland. The people from the village are very excited. They know that the man from Peru wants cats. He is coming to visit Parkgate. All the people come with their cats. Their cats are very fat. But where is the man from Peru?

Poppet is a special penguin but he's unhappy because he's pink. He likes swimming, surfing and sliding down icebergs. One day, he slides into a whale's mouth and the whale takes him far away. He finds other penguins who live in a zoo and plans an escape... back to the South Pole.

Poppet is a special penguin but he's unhappy because he's pink. He likes swimming, surfing and sliding down icebergs. One day, he slides into a whale's mouth and the whale takes him far away. He finds other penguins who live in a zoo and plans an escape... back to the South Pole.

The Music of the Forest: June wants to draw animals and Larry wants to kill them. Then late one night something happens to change Larry's mind. The Road through the Hills: A young architecture student arrives in Melbury to study the church. While he is there he finds out about a tragedy that took place many years before. The Detective: Peter is a detective in a supermarket. He speaks like a private detective in an American film. But life in the supermarket isn't like in the films. The Restaurant: An inspector is coming to the restaurant. Everything must be perfect. Clive wants to make a good impression. But who is he trying to impress?

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He was a solitary child who read extensively. He published his first novel, Fanshawe, in 1828 at his own expense, a decision he later regretted. His next book, Twice-Told Tales (1837), had a warmer reception, and with the publication of The Scarlet Letter in 1850, and two romances, The House of the Seven Gables (1851) and The Blithedale Romance (1853), Hawthorne became established as a major writer of his time. This classic American novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman who has an illegitimate child. She is punished by having to wear the letter 'A' – the mark of adultery. Hester and her daughter Pearl live as outsiders, but in contrast to the repressive Puritan community, they represent the forces of life, goodness and forgiveness.

The people in London don't treat their dogs very well. Jasper, the vampire dog, is in the city for this reason. With the help of Zara, a small Pekinese dog, Jasper teaches the people who don't look after their dogs a lesson they will never forget. They learn what it's like to live a dog's life!

Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh in 1859. He wrote various books on childhood including The Golden Age (1895) and Dream Days (1898), and several other novels. The Wind in the Willows is his most famous work. First published in 1908, it has established itself as one of the most popular children's books ever written. It began as a short bedtime story for his young son.

William Wilkie Collins was born in London in 1824. He became a close companion of Dickens, with whom he collaborated in writing and with whom he also travelled abroad, probably visiting music halls and brothels. His lifestyle was considered so outrageous by Victorian standards that, when he died in 1889, few people attended the funeral. Collins is best remembered for The Woman in White (1860), and for The Moonstone (1868), which T.S Eliot called 'the first, the longest and the best of modern English detective novels'. The suspense begins when the 'Woman' first appears to Walter Hartright, a young drawing teacher, on a moonlit London road. From that moment on, his life is never the same again.

The fantastic ship, the Titanic, left Southampton with more than 2000 people on board. It was a city on water! It had a swimming-pool, a sauna, a theatre, tennis courts, everything! On 14th April 1912, the ship hit an iceberg. No ship received the S.O.S signal, and the Titanic went to the bottom of the sea, taking more than 1500 passengers with it.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. He began his literary career by writing simple adventure stories for boys. Treasure Island was one of his first novels. With Stevenson the “new short novel” appeared; short, full of action and dialogues, dealing with very simple problems with a clear distinction between good and bad. He used romantic subject matter and presented it realistically. In 1888 he went to the South Seas, where he spent the rest of his life. He died in Samoa in 1894. Some other important works are: Kidnapped, The Black Arrow, The Master of Ballantrae, The Wrong Box and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was born in Litchfield, Connecticut. Her father was a minister in the Congregational Church. She studied theology and was always interested in finding ways of improving humanity. Stowe was particularly concerned about slavery. Uncle Tom's Cabin had a great influence when it came out in 1851. In one year it sold more than 300,000 copies. Stowe intended Uncle Tom's Cabin to be a warning to all Christians. She said that the United States would feel the great anger of God if it continued to protect the institution of slavery.

You are an agent for the French Secret Service. Your mission is to go to England and find the dangerous criminal, Mauriac. You will have to speak English well. In this fun and exciting game book, you participate in the story and you make the decisions. But can you find Mauriac before he commits his crime?

One day, Zazar the cat follows a butterfly into the forest. He spends the day playing with many friends. In the afternoon, he has problems but a good fox helps him.

Zazar the cat and his friend the fox live happily together in the forest. One day, other animals make trouble. Zazar and the fox have to find a solution.