Penguin Readers & Pearson English Readers (1700 headwords)

Leaving his home in a Welsh mining village for the last time, Huw Morgan remembers his childhood. The valley was green then, unspoilt by waste from the mine. The happiness of his family and friends had not yet been destroyed by cruel gossip and terrible pain. Since then, so much has changed.

In 1673 young John Ridd meets a little girl called Lorna Doone. Seven years later they meet again, and fall in love. But the Doones are a family of robbers and murderers. One of them, Carver, killed John’s father and now wants to marry Lorna. Can John save Lorna from her worst fears?

The Time Traveller has built a time machine and has gone into the future to the year 802,701. He expects to find a better world with highly-intelligent people and great inventions. Instead, he finds that people have become weak, child-like creatures. They dance and sing and wear flowers. They seem happy, but why are they so frightened of the dark? And who or what has taken his time machine? Will the Time Traveller ever be able to return to the present?

Guy Haines is travelling through Texas on a train when a stranger invites him to share a meal. But the stranger has a terrible plan. ‘You murder my father, and I’ll murder your wife,’ he suggests. So begins Guy’s journey into a world of madness, lies and death.

Jim Braddock is a successful boxer in New York. But in October 1929 the American economy fails, and at the same time Jim starts to lose in the boxing ring. Does the true story of Jim Braddock — the Cinderella Man — have a happy ending?

A tree full of enormous spiders, a living thing with no face, a picture that comes alive, and a boy with no heart. These are some of the frightening things in these stories by M. R. James, one of the greatest horror writers of all time.

It is Callie Rose’s sixteenth birthday and she has a bomb in her bag.

Callie Rose is mixed race in a country where people are judged by their colour. Her father is dead and she hates her mother. Her Uncle Jude seems to offer her friendship and comfort – but Jude wants to punish Callie Rose’s mother and use his niece in his war against society ...

It is Callie Rose’s sixteenth birthday and she has a bomb in her bag.

Callie Rose is mixed race in a country where people are judged by their colour. Her father is dead and she hates her mother. Her Uncle Jude seems to offer her friendship and comfort – but Jude wants to punish Callie Rose’s mother and use his niece in his war against society ...

Sephy is a dark-skinned Cross in a society where people are judged by their colour and Crosses have the power. But after terrible disagreements with her family, Sephy is alone with her mixed-race baby. The baby's nought father is dead - and his brother wants to kill her. Can she protect herself and her child?

MP3 CD contains complete audio recording.