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Nowhere to Go
by Casey WatsonFoster carer Casey Watson shares the shocking true story of Tyler, an abused eleven-year-old who, after stabbing his step-mother, had nowhere else to go.
A Stolen Childhood
by Casey WatsonBestselling author and teacher Casey Watson shares the horrifying true story of Kiera Bentley, a 12-year-old girl with a deeply shocking secret she's too young to even understand. When Casey first meets Kiera, a small slight girl who's just lashed out at a fellow pupil in assembly, she immediately senses something's wrong. Something in Kiera's eyes alerts Casey that this is an "old head on young shoulders", and with Kiera's constant tiredness and self-soothing habit of pulling her hair out, she follows her instinct and takes Kiera under her wing. At first the answer seems simple enough; Kiera's parents aren't together and they don't get on, which makes life hard for Kiera as she's so close to her dad. But as the weeks roll on, Casey begins to understand that there's something much darker going on behind closed doors. And when she finally learns the truth, she's terrified she won't be able to save Kiera from it.
Taylor Swift: The Whole Story
by Chas Newkey-BurdenThe full story of Taylor Swift’s stratospheric rise to fame; all any dedicated Swifty needs to know about the pop superstar who’s taking over the world. <p><p>A small-town girl with an incredible talent, and the strength to realise her dream, Taylor has grown into an award-winning, chart-topping artist and worldwide star, as well as a strong and stylish woman. But how did she get there? And what lies in store for her in the future? <p><p> From childhood dreams of a musical future in Pennsylvania, to determined and budding teen musician with a trademark she’s stayed faithful to ever since: honest lyrics about real-life events; her fight to be taken seriously in the music industry, through to the rewards of success and the intense pressure of expectation, Taylor Swift: The Whole Story is a full account of Taylor’s incredible journey, with everything you need to know about America’s Sweetheart. <p><p> This compelling book is packed full of fascinating details revealing the true Taylor – what drives, motivates and moves her, how she overcame the challenges that loomed on the road to fame and looks at how authentic her wholesome image is, plus the truth about her relationships with Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor Kennedy and who she’s really talking about on her tracks. <p><p> The full portrait of a girl who could so easily have faded into the background – but who blossomed in the spotlight into a grounded, graceful and inspiring young woman.
The Girl With Seven Names
by Hyeonseo LeeAn extraordinary insight into life under one of the worldâe(tm)s most ruthless and secretive dictatorships âe" and the story of one womanâe(tm)s terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom. As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal communist regime. Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famine of the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. Given the repression, poverty and starvation she witnessed surely her country could not be, as she had been told âeoethe best on the planetâe ? Aged seventeen, she decided to escape North Korea. She could not have imagined that it would be twelve years before she was reunited with her family. She could not return, since rumours of her escape were spreading, and she and her family could incur the punishments of the government authorities âe" involving imprisonment, torture, and possible public execution. Hyeonseo instead remained in China and rapidly learned Chinese in an effort to adapt and survive. Twelve years and two lifetimes later, she would return to the North Korean border in a daring mission to spirit her mother and brother to South Korea, on one of the most arduous, costly and dangerous journeys imaginable. This is the unique story not only of Hyeonseoâe(tm)s escape from the darkness into the light, but also of her coming of age, education and the resolve she found to rebuild her life âe" not once, but twice âe" first in China, then in South Korea. Strong, brave and eloquent, this memoir is a triumph of her remarkable spirit.
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil): and Other Verses from the Red Book
by J.R.R. Tolkien'Here is something that no devotee of the Hobbit epic can afford to miss, while awaiting a further instalment of the history of these fascinating people.' So declared the jacket of this book when it was first published some fifty years ago. One of the most intriguing characters in The Lord of the Rings, the amusing and enigmatic Tom Bombadil, also appears in verses said to have been written by Hobbits and preserved in the 'Red Book' with stories of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and their friends. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil collects these and other poems, mainly concerned with legends and jests of the Shire at the end of the Third Age. 'Professor Tolkien revealed in the verses scattered through The Hobbit that he had a talent for songs, riddling rhymes, and a kind of balladry. In The Adventures of Tom Bombadil the talent can be seen to be close to genius.' Listener This special edition has been expanded for the first time to include earlier versions of some of Tolkien's poems, a fragment of a prose story with Tom Bombadil, and comprehensive notes by acclaimed Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. You'll find a large treasury of books by and about J. R. R. Tolkien in the bookshare library.
Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD
by Martin AstonFACING THE OTHERWAY: THE STORY OF 4AD is the first comprehensive account of the iconic record label. Drawing on over a hundred interviews with the label’s menagerie of artists and staff, music writer and 4AD aficionado Martin Aston follows the course of the label’s defining years; initially populated by the likes of Bauhaus, The Birthday Party, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance, each band resembled a new genre on its own, before 4AD embarked on a new era with a wealth of equally startling American signings, including Throwing Muses, Pixies and The Breeders. Yet for every artistic triumph, there was a backlash. Behind the scenes, an accumulation of feuds and enforced commercial compromises in the wake of alternative music’s invasion of the mainstream left 4AD adrift and Watts-Russell a broken man, soon to sever all ties with the music industry, including his beloved label. This definitive history explains why 4AD has been called the greatest independent label of all time, one of the most influential, and certainly the most collectable. The story of 4AD is an unparalleled drama from a pivotal phase in independent music culture.
Daddy's Little Princess
by Cathy GlassLittle Beth, aged 7, had been brought up by her father after her mother left when she was a toddler. But when he's suddenly admitted to hospital with psychiatric problems Beth is taken into care. Beth is a sweet-natured child who appears to have been well looked after. But it isn't long before Cathy begins to have concerns that the relationship between Beth and her father is not as it should be. They clearly love each other very much and Derek spoils his daughter, treating her like a princess, but there is something bothering Cathy, something she can't quite put her finger on. But, despite Cathy flagging her concerns to the social worker Jessie, no action is taken. Until Jessie accompanies Beth to the hospital to see her father. . . Then, suddenly, everything changes. All contact is stopped and Cathy is left to help pick up the pieces as poor Beth struggles to understand what her daddy has done wrong.
Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on the West
by Catherine BeltonThe hacking of the 2016 US elections. The sponsorship of extremist politics in Europe. War in Ukraine. In recent years, Vladimir Putin's Russia has waged a concerted campaign to expand its influence and undermine Western institutions. But how and why did all this come about and who has orchestrated it? <P><p>In Putin's People, investigative journalist Catherine Belton tells the untold story of the rise to power of Vladimir Putin and the small group of KGB men surrounding him. Delving deep into the workings of Putin's Kremlin, Belton accesses key inside players to reveal how Putin replaced the free-wheeling tycoons of the Yeltsin era with a new generation of loyal oligarchs, who in turn subverted their country's economy and legal system and expanded its influence into the West. <p><p>The result is a chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB's revanche – a story that began long ago in the murk of the Soviet collapse when networks of operatives were able to siphon billions of dollars out of... <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Child Bride
by Cathy GlassCathy Glass, international bestselling author, tells the shocking story of Zeena, a young Asian girl desperate to escape from her family.
Skin Deep
by Casey WatsonRejected by her mother and excluded by her school, Flip is a little girl desperate to be loved. Am I ugly, Mummy? are the first words that little Phillipa says to Mike and Casey as she stomps into their lives on a hot August afternoon. She has a Barbie doll in one hand and a pink vanity case in the other and the bemused Watsons can only stare in amazement at this tiny eight year old girl who is being guided into the room by her social worker. Phillipa, known as Flip has Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and life with her single mother has come to an abrupt end after a fire burned the house down. When Casey meets Flip, the child seems remarkably unfazed by what has happened and the thing that seems to worry her is that Casey might find her ugly. Casey has come across children with FAS in her previous job in a high school behaviour unit, but is now realising that fostering Flip is going to be full of challenges which will test her and Mike s skills to the limit. "
The Midnight Club And Hide And Seek
by James PattersonThe Midnight Club: A stunningly brilliant psychopathic killer who has skillfully eluded the police from London to Paris to New York. A beautiful woman journalist suddenly in grave danger. An unorthodox New York detective whose motive for stopping the killer couldn't be more personal or emotional. All bound by the chains of secrecy, wealth, and crime formed by the cabal called The Midnight Club. Hide And Seek: It was the trial that electrified the world. Not just because of the defendant, Maggie Bradford, the woman whose songs captivated the world's heart. Not just because of the victim, Will Shepard, the world's most glamorous athlete. But also because everyone said Maggie had murdered not just one husband, but two. And because in Maggie's world -- the world she feared and despised but could not escape, the world of the powerful, the rich, and the ruthless -- both death and life could never be what they seemed.
The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien And Their Friends
by Humphrey CarpenterCritically acclaimed, award-winning biography of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and the brilliant group of writers to come out of Oxford during the Second World War. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and their friends were a regular feature of the Oxford scenery in the years during and after the Second World War. They drank beer on Tuesdays at the ‘Bird and Baby’, and on Thursday nights they met in Lewis’ Magdalen College rooms to read aloud from the books they were writing; jokingly they called themselves ‘The Inklings’. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien first introduced The Screwtape Letters and The Lord of the Rings to an audience in this company and Charles Williams, poet and writer of supernatural thrillers, was another prominent member of the group. Humphrey Carpenter, who wrote the acclaimed biography of J.R.R. Tolkien, draws upon unpublished letters and diaries, to which he was given special access, in this engrossing story.
If Tomorrow Comes / Tell Me Your Dreams
by Sidney SheldonIF TOMORROW COMES: Tracy Whitney is on top of the world. Beautiful and intelligent, she is about to marry into wealth and glamour – until she finds herself in prison, framed by a ruthless mafia gang. Determined to avenge herself on those who have destroyed her life, Tracy plays for the highest stakes in a deadly game. A game that takes her from New Orleans to London, Paris and Madrid. Only one man can challenge her: the handsome, persuasive and daring Jeff Stevens. And only one man can stop her: an evil genius whose only hope of salvation is In Tracy’s destruction... TELL ME YOUR DREAMS: Three beautiful young women are suspected of committing a series of brutal murders. The police make an arrest that leads to one of the most bizarre murder trials of the century. Based on real medical cases, Sheldon’s novel races from London to Rome to the city of Quebec to San Francisco with a climax that will leave the reader stunned.
Night Without End
by Alistair MacLean400 MILES NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE An airliner crashes in the polar ice-cap. In temperatures 40 degrees below zero, six men and four women survive. But for the members of a remote scientific research station who rescue them, there are some sinister questions to answer--the first one being, who shot the pilot before the crash?
Torn: A Terrified Girl. A Shocking Secret. A Terrible Choice
by Rosie LewisFoster carer Rosie Lewis faces a battle to uncover the dark family secret that is tearing a family apart. Experienced foster carer, Rosie Lewis, is used to looking after children from difficult home situations, but she finds herself struggling when she agrees to take in Taylor and her younger brother, Reece, for a short while. Taylor tries desperately not to fit in, to be the tough young teen that she has had to become, making it clear that she cares about nothing and no-one, while Reece is just desperate for someone to love him. Rosie finds herself battling an unknown monster in their past, as social media and the Internet become a means to control and manipulate the siblings while in her care. And then a more sinister turn of events causes Rosie to dig into their past, desperate to discover the truth before her time with them is over and they must be returned to their family.
The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders #1)
by Peter LerangisPERCY JACKSON meets ERAGON in the new epic saga from bestseller Peter Lerangis. “A high-octane mix of modern adventure and ancient secrets… I can’t wait to see what’s next” Rick Riordan The day after twelve-year-old Jack McKinley is told he has six months to live, he awakens on a mysterious island, where a secret organization promises to save his life – but with one condition. With his three friends, Jack must lead a mission to retrieve seven lost magical orbs, which, only when combined together, can save their lives. The challenge: the orbs have been missing for a thousand years, lost among the ruins and relics of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. With no one else to turn to and no escape in sight, the four friends have no choice but to undertake the quest. First stop: The Colossus of Rhodes, where they realise that there’s way more at stake than just their lives.
ISIS: The State of Terror
by Jessica Stern J. M. BergerThe authors outline the origins of ISIS as the formidable terrorist group it has quickly become and attempts to answer the question of what our next move - as a country, as a government, as the world - should be.
Saving Danny
by Cathy GlassDanny was petrified and clung to me in desperation as I carried him to my car. Trapped in his own dark world, he couldn't understand why his parents no longer loved or wanted him, and were sending him away. While Danny's parents have everything they could wish for in material terms, they are unable to care for their only child. This is where Cathy comes in. On a cold dark evening Danny finds a place in her home where he can be himself; away from his parents' impatience and frustration. Often in his own little world, six-year-old Danny finds it difficult to communicate, finding solace in his best friend and confidant George - his rabbit. Cathy quickly becomes aware of his obsessively meticulous behaviour in addition to his love of patterns, he sees them everywhere and creates them at any opportunity - in his play and also with his food. She realises that patience is the key to looking after Danny as well as her well-tried strategies for managing children's behaviour. With his father refusing to cooperate, it becomes increasingly likely that Danny will be living with Cathy permanently until she gets an opportunity to speak her piece.
Runaway Girl
by Casey WatsonFourteen-year-old Adrianna arrives on Casey's doorstep with no possessions, no English, and no explanation. It will be a few weeks before Casey starts getting the shocking answers to her questions.... <p><p> Brought to Casey as a short-term emergency placement, fourteen-year-old Adrianna arrives with nothing but her gratitude. Having 'turned herself in' to a social services office some hundred miles away, she has no possessions, no English and, apparently, no history - not that she's willing to share, anyway. She is a beautiful young Polish girl, with the bearing of a ballerina, but is terrified, malnourished and unwell. And, having slept rough for some time (the little they do know about her) she spends much of her first days with Watsons asleep in bed. <p> Growing concerned about Adrianna’s wellbeing, and her persistent high temperature, Casey decides to call in the GP. But, to her surprise, Adrianna becomes almost hysterical about being examined and, given her refusal to talk – even via the interpreter they’ve brought in for her – Casey’s fostering antennae begin twitching. Where has she come from? And why is she so terrified to be touched? What has happened to make her so ill and scared? <p> It will be a few weeks before Casey starts getting answers to these questions. Shocking answers; ones that throw up a whole host of new questions and the beginnings of a journey to find justice for Adrianna, and, more importantly, a future, and a home…
The Silent Witness
by Casey Watson'I'm so sorry, Casey,' my link worker John said, sounding weary. 'I know this is probably the worst time I could ring you, but we desperately need someone to take a child tonight. ' It's the night before Christmas when Casey and Mike get the call. A twelve year old girl, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her father is on a ventilator, fighting for his life, while her mother is currently on remand in prison. Despite claiming she attacked him in self-defence, she's been charged with his attempted murder. The girl is called Bella, and she's refusing to say anything. The trouble is that she is also the only witness. . .
Girl Alone
by Cathy GlassAged nine Joss came home from school to discover her father's suicide. She's never got over it. This is the true story of Joss, 13 who is angry and out of control. At the age of nine, Joss finds her father s dead body. He has committed suicide. Then more recently her mother remarries and Joss bitterly resents her step-father who abuses her mentally and physically. Cathy takes Joss under her wing but will she ever be able to get through to the warm-hearted girl she sees glimpses off underneath the vehement outbreaks of anger that dominate the house and will Cathy be able to build up Joss ' trust so she can learn the full truth of the terrible situation.
Can I Let You Go?
by Cathy GlassCan I Let You Go? is the true story of Faye, a wonderful young woman who may never be able to parent her unborn child. <p><p> Faye is 24, pregnant, and has learning difficulties as a result of her mother's alcoholism. Faye is gentle, childlike and vulnerable, and normally lives with her grandparents, both of whom have mobility problems. Cathy and her children welcome Faye into their home and hearts. The care plan is for Faye to stay with Cathy until after the birth when she will return home and the baby will go for adoption. Given that Faye never goes out alone it is something of a mystery how she ever became pregnant and Faye says it's a secret. <p> To begin with Faye won't acknowledge she is pregnant or talk about the changes in her body as she worries it will upset her grandparents, but after her social worker assures her she can talk to Cathy she opens up. However, this leads to Faye realizing just how much she will lose and she changes her mind and says she wants to keep her baby. <p>Is it possible Faye could learn enough to parent her child? Cathy believes it is, and Faye's social worker is obliged to give Faye the chance.
Demon Road
by Derek LandyTHE EPIC NEW THRILLER BEGINS.<P><P> The creator of the number one bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series returns with the story of a girl on the run from everything she loves… and the monsters that await her.<P> For anyone who ever thought their parents were monsters… Amber Lamont is a normal sixteen-year-old. Smart but insecure, she spends most of her time online, where she can avoid her beautiful, aloof parents and their weird friends.<P> But when a shocking encounter reveals a horrifying secret, Amber is forced to go on the run. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers and red-skinned, horned demons – Amber hurtles from one threat to the next, revealing the terror woven into the very fabric of her life. As her parents close in behind her, Amber’s only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…<P> Witty, action-packed and heart-stoppingly thrilling, Demon Road will take you on an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America.
The Silent Cry
by Cathy GlassThe heartbreaking true story of a young, troubled mother who needed help. The sixteenth fostering memoir by Cathy Glass. It is the first time Laura has been out since the birth of her baby when Cathy sees her in the school playground. A joyful occasion but Cathy has the feeling something is wrong. By the time she discovers what it is, it is too late. This is the true story of Laura whose life touches Cathy s in a way she could never have foreseen. It is also the true stories of little Darrel, Samson and Hayley who she fosters when their parents need help. Some stories can have a happy ending and others cannot, but as a foster carer Cathy can only do her best. "