Cervantes tale of the deranged gentleman who turns knight-errant tilts at windmills & battles with sheep in the service of the lady of his dreams Dulcinea del Toboso has fascinated generations of readers & inspired other creative artists such as Flaubert Picasso & Richard Strauss. The tall thin knight & his short fat squire Sancho Panza have found their way into films cartoons & even computer games. Supposedly intended as a parody of the most popular escapist fiction of the day the books of chivalry this precursor of the modern novel broadened & deepened into a sophisticated comic account of the contradictions of human nature. Cervantes greatest work can be enjoyed on many levels all suffused with a subtle irony that reaches out to encompass the reader. ...

Widely regarded as the worlds first modern novel & one of the funniest & most tragic books ever written Don Quixote chronicles the famous picaresque adventures of the noble knight-errant Don Quixote de La Mancha & his faithful squire Sancho Panza as they travel through sixteenth-century Spain. Unless you read Spanish youve never read Don Quixote. ...

Miguel de Cervantes's mock-epic masterwork Don Quixote" was voted the greatest book of all time by the Nobel Institute & this " Penguin Classics" edition is translated with an introduction & notes by John Rutherford. " Don Quixote" has become so entranced by reading romances of chivalry that he determines to become a knight errant & pursue bold adventures accompanied by his squire the cunning Sancho Panza. As they roam the world together the aging Quixote's fancy leads them wildly astray tilting at windmills fighting with friars & distorting the rural Spanish landscape into a fantasy of impenetrable fortresses & wicked sorcerers. At the same time the relationship between the two men grows in fascinating subtlety. Often considered to be the first modern novel " Don Quixote" is a wonderful burlesque of the popular literature its disordered protagonist is obsessed with. John Rutherford's landmark translation does full justice to the energy & wit of Cervantes' prose & this edition of " Don Quixote" won the 2002 Premio Valle Inclan prize for translation. His introduction discusses the traditional works parodied in " Don Quixote" & issues of literary translation. Miguel de Cervantes Saaverda's (1547-1616) life was occupied with a struggle to earn a livelihood from literature & humble government employment. As well as " Don Quixote" he wrote a number of plays & a collection of highly accomplished short stories " Exemplary Tales" (1613). If you enjoyed " Don Quixote" you might like Homer's " Odyssey" also available in " Penguin Classics". " John Rutherford makes " Don Quixote" funny & readable.. . His Quixote can be pompous imposingly learned secretly fearful mad & touching". (Colin Burrow " The Times Literary Supplement")." ...

This is a new title in the Usborne Reading Programme" based on the famous Russian folktale which is aimed at children whose reading ability & confidence allows them to tackle longer & more complex stories. Don Quixote has read so many books about knights & wizards damsels & elves he's gone completely nuts & wants to be a knight himself. Recruiting Sancho Panza as his squire he sets off on an adventure that has amazed readers for centuries. It is developed in consultation with Alison Kelly who is a senior lecturer in education & an early reading specialist from Roehampton University." ...

Dortmunder has a job offer. Hes been hired by third parties to pull off heists in the past but never to lay his hands on anything this peculiar. It is the 800 year old femur of a 16-year-old girl who who having been killed & eaten by her own family was made a saint by the Church. Now two European countries & the Catholic church are fighting like dogs over it. This bone the femur of St Ferghana is a holy relic claimed by two newly-created European nations Tsergovia & Votskojek. The relic will be awarded to one of the two countries which will then be admitted to the United Nations. Dortmunder & his gang are working for the Tersgovians. As usual nothing goes according to plan. How will this free-for-all end? Dont ask. ...

Its just an ordinary day at Mother Gooses Academy. Theres Miss Good Fairy teaching the Three Little Pigs Snow White Sleeping Beauty Cinderella Hansel & Gretel & Little Red Riding Hood to read & write
- while Miss Bad Fairy is inciting the Ugly Sisters the Big Bad Wolf Troll Wicked Stepmother Wicked Witch & Jealous Queen to gobble them all up. The result? Chaos! Witty fast-paced & anarchic this is a complete story with ten short chapters (C.A.T. Spells Dog What Troll Learned Snakes & Snails for Lunch) that take us through the school day. Originally published as Big Class Little Class this freshly illustrated reissue brings Francesca Simon & Tony Ross together again in a wonderful romp that Horrid Henry fans will revel in.
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Prepare to lose sleep with this shocking & utterly engrossing thriller for fans of Karen Rose & Karin Slaughter. The crime scenes are horrifying: the victims arranged with deliberate care posed to appear alive despite their agonized last moments & the shocking nature of their deaths. For grief counsellor Audrey Sherrod its clear the murders are the work of a deranged serial killer. At first the only link is the victims physical appearance. But then another connection emerges tying them to a past series of horrifying crimes
- crimes that hit all too close to home. As the truth is unravelled its more twisted & terrifying than anyone could ever imagine. Prepare to lose sleep with this shocking & utterly engrossing thriller for fans of Karen Rose & Karin Slaughter.
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Beth Ward & Tyler Blacklock share a love they know will last forever. But Beths mother Esther is jealous of the girl & seizes an opportunity to be rid of her daughter. Banished in disgrace from the family home Beth takes the northbound train & alights at Blackburn friendless & alone. On this day Fortune smiles for Beth is taken in by warm-hearted Maisie Armstrong a widow with two children. Money is scarce but love abounds in the cosy house on Larkhill & Beth is content there to await the birth of her child. But she cannot forget Tyler & is tormented by the belief that he has betrayed her... ...

Dont Die Young is a revelatory tour of the human body which accompanied the major BBC2 television series. Focusing on our vital organs- from the beating chambers of the heart to the coiling tunnels of the intestines
- Dr Alice Roberts explains how they work & how to keep them in tip-top condition. There are many aspects of your health that you can control & she explains how you can reduce your risk of suffering many disorders from cystitis to cancer & headaches to heart disease. With authoritative advice amazing photographs & clear diagrams she cuts through the jargon. (What exactly are antioxidants & trans-fatty acids?) This book will change the way you think about your body & you will be better equipped to combat disease
- & to treat any health advice with very healthy scepticism.

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When Kate P Green goes for tea with the Queen she gets more than she bargained for in this hilariously anarchic look at the tricky subject of table manners. stunning illustrations & design from the creator of Smile!
- starring Orchards new character Sunny Mc Cloud
- perfectly complement this exceptionally funny rhyming story from a great new author. Although this award-winning book wont teach your child perfect table manners it will provide a witty platform from which the importance of manners & also of enjoying food & mealtimes can be broached.

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