Penguin Readers & Pearson English Readers (600 headwords)

Paul is shy and Judy has no friends. Oliver is afraid of other boys. Jane and Leo can't talk about their feelings, and Sue lies to her boyfriends. These five short plays tell the stories of young people with problems. Are there any answers? What do you think?

British English

When they were very young, Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth were in love. They did not marry, but Anne never forgot her love for him. Now, many years later, they meet again. Does Wentworth feel anything for Anne, or is he only interested in her pretty young friends?

British English

This is the story of an Aboriginal boy and two American children in the Australian desert. When they meet the boy, Mary and Peter learn about the desert. They follow him to food and water. But they are lost. Can they finish their journey and find their way home?

Mr Bean doesn’t understand the world. There are problems for him everywhere. In the restaurant, he doesn’t like his food. He tries to hide it in very strange places. Then Mr Bean goes to the launderette. What happens? He loses his trousers, of course!

This is Nicky’s first visit to New York. He is going to stay with his aunt, but she is not at the airport. Then some older boys on motorbikes play a dangerous game with him. Not long after he arrives, the police are looking for Nicky. Can he find his aunt before the police find him?

Claire is staying with her aunt Min. There is an old castle with a black tower in the village. It has a dangerous secret – accidents happen there, animals and people die. One day, Claire goes to the castle. She wants to know its secret.

Mahatma Gandhi died in 1948, but his name is famous around the world. He fought for change in South Africa and then at home in India. But he lived a simple life and he protested without violence. People watched him and they loved him. Many follow his ideas today.

‘Always be good, so people will love you. Always work hard and do your best.’ These were the words of Black Beauty’s mother to her son when the two horses lived with Farmer Grey. But when Black Beauty got older, this was sometimes very difficult for him. Not everybody was as kind as Farmer Grey.

Moby Dick is the most dangerous whale in the oceans. Captain Ahab fought him and lost a leg. Now he hates Moby Dick. He wants to kill him. But can Captain Ahab and his men find the great white whale? A young sailor, Ishmael, tells the story of their exciting and dangerous trip.

White Fang is a wolf from the mountains of Canada. His life is hard but he is happy in his world. Then he is taken to the world of men. There he learns to fight and to kill. White Fang knows nothing about love. But one day he meets Scott… Classic American English