The Penderwicks are four sisters as different as chalk from cheese yet as close as can be. The eldest Rosalind is responsible & practical; Skye stubborn & feisty; dreamy artistic budding novelist Jane; & shy little Batty who doesnt go anywhere without her butterfly wings. & not forgetting Hound their large lumbering lovable dog. The four girls & their absent-minded father head off for their summer holidays but instead of the cosy tumbledown cottage they expect they find themselves on a huge estate called Arundel with magnificent gardens ripe for exploring. It isnt long before they become embroiled in all sorts of scrapes with new-found friend Jeffrey
- but his mother the icy-hearted Mrs Tifton must be avoided at all costs. Chaotic adventures ensue & it soon becomes a summer the sisters will never forget...
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Meet Penelope O' Shaughnessy Harvard freshman. Armed with her Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights poster & party conversation modelled on the repartee of Noel Coward Penelope is ready to take her place on campus. But where are the kindred spirits who will share her passion for Morse code & Tetris? Penelope's roommates over-achieving Emma & the sullen Lan seem to have already got to grips with university life & she is finding it hard to work out if the dashing but elusive Gustav matches up to her hero Hercule Poirot. Penelope follows our heroine's progress through her first year among America's elite as she navigates the mysteries of life love inappropriate tutors marionette operation & how to kiss on both cheeks & avoid disaster. ...

For Penelope wife of Odysseus maintaining a kingdom while her husband was off fighting the Trojan war was not a simple business. Already aggrieved that he had been lured away due to the shocking behaviour of her beautiful cousin Helen Penelope must bring up her wayward son face down scandalous rumours & keep over a hundred lustful greedy & bloodthirsty suitors at bay... And then when Odysseus finally returns & slaughters the murderous suitors he brutally hangs Penelopes twelve beloved maids. What were his motives? & what was Penelope really up to? Critically acclaimed when it was first published as part of Canongates Myth" series & following a very successful adaptation by the RSC this new edition of " The Penelopiad" sees Margaret Atwood give Penelope a modern & witty voice to tell her side of the story & set the record straight for good." ...

Ben is delighted when he rips open his present & finds a penguin inside. Hello Penguin!" says Ben. Penguin says nothing. Ben tickles Penguin; he pulls his funniest face; he puts on a happy hat sings a silly song & does a dizzy dance. " Cant you talk?" says Ben. Penguin says nothing. It isnt until a passing lion intervenes that Penguin finally speaks...and when he does Ben discovers something that was really worth the wait." ...

From the Linux logo to The March of the Penguins a certain tuxedo-adorned member of the animal kingdom has perpetually captured our hearts & imaginations. Stephen Martin regales us here with the cultural history of the penguin revealing many fascinating & little-known facts about this beloved bird. Over twenty species of penguins can be found in the Galapagos Islands & New Zealand as well as in Antarctica & range from the Little Bee Penguin at about 1kg to the imposing Emperor Penguin which can weigh in at over 34 kgs. Martin details the biological facts & natural history of each species including their evolution habitats diet & behaviour but he also combs through cultural history to chronicle the role of penguins in popular culture & thought from children's literature such as Mr Popper's Penguins" to " Batman"'s nemesis to films & television shows including " Happy Feet" & ' Pingu". Over one hundred images of penguins enrich Martin's engaging text as well. A captivating & readable natural history " Penguin" will be an essential addition to the bookshelves of penguin fans everywhere." ...

American literature & the short story might be said to have come of age at about the same time & this along with something in the bustling & energetic American temperament might go some way towards explaining why the two go together as well as they do. This title

Includes:: twenty-one short stories from some of the best American writers over the last two hundred years that provide a mesmerizing multi-faceted portrait of a country a people & the unique literature produced by this most exuberant of nations.

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Of all the decisions a new parent makes choosing that special name is the most significant & the most rewarding. A new reference book for prospective parents this clear helpful & easy-to-use A-Z guide gives you thousands of brilliant suggestions for picking the perfect name for your new arrival. It also

Includes:: appendices of the top ten names through the centuries & the most popular celebrity names.

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The Penguin Book of Card Games" is the authoritative up-to-date compendium describing an abundance of games to be played both for fun & by serious players. Auctions trumpless hands cross-ruffing & lurching: card players have a language all of their own. From games of high skill (Bridge) to games of high chance (Newmarket) to trick-taking (Whist) & banking (Pontoon) David Parlett seasoned specialist in card games takes us masterfully through the countless games to choose from. Not content to merely show us games with the conventional fifty-two card pack Parlett covers many games played with other types of cards
- are you brave enough to play with Tarot? With a 'working description' of each game with the rules variations & origins of each as well as an appendix of games invented by the author himself " The Penguin Book of Card Games" will delight entertain & inform both the novice & the seasoned player."
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What were the twelve labors of Herakles? Why did Zeus turn himself into a shower of gold? What was the name of the guard-dog of the Underworld? Which two-faced Roman god gave his name to the month January? What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx? The myths of ancient Greece & Rome are the most dramatic & unforgettable tales of love war heroism & betrayal ever told. Whether its Ikaros flying too close to the sun Prometheus stealing fire from the gods or the tragedy of Oedipus their characters have inspired art literature plays & films & constellations named after them fill the night sky. But how much do you really know about them? From the clash of the Titans to the fall of Troy here are the greatest legends of all time brilliantly retold by classical scholar Jenny March. All the heroes monsters villains gods & goddesses of classical civilization are included; the epic journeys of Odysseus & Aeneas; the founding of Athens & Rome; the quests of Jason seeking the Golden Fleece & Theseus slaying the minotaur. Giving the origins development & interpretation of each myth this is the essential guide to the stories that have shaped our world. ...

The Golden Age of the English short story lies from its first wide acceptance in the middle of the nineteenth century until the middle of the twentieth a period when there were a great many outlets in Britain for shorter fictions. The Penguin Book of English Short Stories" celebrates this period through some of the most widely known writers of the time. Though many of the chosen authors are more generally known for their novels here they provide some perfect examples of much shorter work. Each of these concise evocative subtle & satisfying stories is a little jewel providing a small window into another world." ...