John Escott crea narrazioni avvincenti, spesso addentrandosi nei generi del crimine e del mistero. Le sue opere, sia creazioni originali che adattamenti, sono progettate per coinvolgere lettori di tutte le età, in particolare studenti. Con uno stile distintivo, Escott si concentra sulla costruzione di trame immersive che soddisfano l'appetito del lettore per la suspense e l'intrigo.
When beautiful Scarlett O'Hara learns that Ashley Wilkes, the man she loves, is going to marry another woman, her broken heart seems far worse than the tragedies of the Civil War. However, one man knows her secret, and he wants her for himself.
Che genere di implicazioni politiche nasconde, nell'estate del 1963, l'improvvisa recrudescenza della criminalità, con assalti alle banche e alle gioiellerie di tutta la Francia? Per quale motivo il colonnello Marc Rodin dell'Oas e un gruppo di suoi uomini, sempre tenuti sotto stretto controllo dai servizi segreti francesi, si sono rinchiusi in un albergo di Roma e sembrano intenzionati a non uscirne per nessuna ragione? Che rapporto c'è fra il loro esilio forzato e la scomparsa dei passaporti di due ignari turisti a Londra? Perchè a Parigi, ogni sera, uomini molto importanti si riuniscono in gran segreto intorno alla persona del ministro degli Interni? Perchè si arriva a coinvolgere il servizio di sicurezza britannico, il Foreign Office e il Primo Ministro? La risposta a tutte queste domande emerge via via attraverso l'appassionante racconto della missione di un killer a pagamento conosciuto solo con il suo nome in codice, Sciacallo, incaricato di uccidere il presidente francese Charles de Gaulle. Un compito che, se portato a termine, potrebbe cambiare il corso della storia.
"Ci sono dei libri che fanno scalpore, poi vengono dimenticati. Altri sopravvivono al passare degli anni: sono i classici. Uno di questi è 'Piccole donne': racconta la crescita di quattro sorelle adolescenti nell'Ottocento americano, un tempo lontanissimo dal nostro, apparentemente molto diverso. Eppure le sorelle March parlano il nostro linguaggio, vivono le stesse nostre emozioni." dall'introduzione di Teresa Buongiorno
«Scrivere è in un certo senso propaganda. Matilde, per esempio, è una smaccata propaganda per la lettura.» - Roald Dahl Matilde ha imparato a leggere a tre anni, e a quattro ha già divorato tutti i libri della biblioteca pubblica. Quando perciò comincia a frequentare la prima elementare si annoia talmente che l'intelligenza deve pur uscirle da qualche parte: così le esce dagli occhi. Gli occhi di Matilde diventano incandescenti e da essi si sprigiona un potere magico che l'avrà vinta sulla perfida direttrice Spezzindue, la quale per punire gli alunni si diverte a rinchiuderli in un armadio pieno di chiodi, lo Strozzatoio, o li usa per allenarsi al lancio del martello olimpionico, facendo roteare le bambine per le trecce e lanciandole lontano. L'intelligenza e la cultura - sembra dire l'autore - sono le uniche armi che un debole può usare contro l'ottusità, la prepotenza e la cattiveria.
Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and more. Written for secondary and
adult students the Oxford Bookworms Library has seven reading levels from
A1-C1 of the CEFR. It is more than forty years since the Great Train Robbery.
But what happened to the rest of the money that was taken? Two million pounds
has never been found. Perhaps some of the robbers would like to know the
answer to this question too...Many great crimes end in a question. Who really
killed President Kennedy? What happened to Shergar? Who knows the truth about
Azaria Chamberlain? Not all the answers are known. Join the world's detectives
and discover the love, death, hate, money, and mystery held in the stories of
these great crimes. CEFR B1/B2 Word count 15,747
Original / American English Ricardo and Gisela are going home to Rio. Gisela likes reading and quiet people. Ricardo likes noise ... and he likes Gisela. In Rio, a thief takes Gisela's bag. What can Ricardo do?
A level 2 Oxford Bookworms Library graded reader. Retold for Learners of English by John Escott.Everybody has bad dreams. Horrible things move towards you in the dark, things you can hear but not see. Then you wake up, in your own warm bed, and turn over to go back to sleep. But imagine that you wake up on a hard floor, in a darkness blacker than the blackest night. You listen to the silence, and smell a wet dead smell. Death is all around you, waiting . . . In these stories by Edgar Allan Poe, death whispers at you from every dark corner, and fear can send you mad . . .
Il possesso delle reliquie di santa Winfred ha scatenato una controversia fra i monaci benedettini di Shrewsbury e gli abitanti di un pacifico borgo del Galles. Dopo le trattative, e le minacce, a complicare le cose viene scoperto il cadavere di Rhisiart, il principale oppositore dei monaci, trafitto da una freccia. Sulla piccola ma combattiva comunità sembra abbattersi la maledizione della santa. Ma fratello Cadfael non si accontenta delle apparenze, e, tra sospetti, reticenze e falsi indizi, riesce ancora una volta a far luce su un caso complicato e imbarazzante.
Original / British English Hannah loves her job on old Mr Duval's small boat.
The boat takes people to the beautiful coral reef every day. Then a rich man
arrives with a big new boat. Suddenly, there isn't any work for Hannah and Mr
Duval. Then the hurricane comes ...
Ben has a job in Mr. Tyson's store. Then Mr. Tyson finds money in Ben's bag. Get out of my store! Mr. Tyson says. But is Ben the thief? There is an earthquake in the city - and Mr. Tyson gets his answer.
A special edition of Hardy's brilliant novel to tie in with the major new film starring Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge and Matthias Schoenaerts, based on David Nicholls' screenplay.Hardy's powerful novel of swift sexual passion and slow-burning loyalty centres on Bathsheba Everdene, a proud working woman whose life is complicated by three different men - respectable farmer Boldwood, seductive Sergeant Troy and devoted Gabriel - making her the object of scandal and betrayal. Vividly portraying the superstitions and traditions of a small rural community, Far from the Madding Crowd shows the precarious position of a woman in a man's world.Formerly a prize-winning architectural student, Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) went on to become a prolific novelist and poet. Far From the Madding Crowd is the second of Hardy's great series of Wessex novels. His other novels include Under the Greenwood Tree, The Return of the Native, Two on a Tower, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure, all of which are available in Penguin Classics.
The story of a friendship that develops between a lonely crippled painter and a village girl, when together they minister to an injured snow goose during World War II.
First published in 1848, a novel in which a woman flees from a disastrous marriage with her child to a desolate moorland mansion. It portrays one woman's struggle for independence at a time when law and society defined a married woman as her husband's property.
The 'Penguin Active Reading' series are edited into simplified text together
with exercises designed to develop four language skills - reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
Original / American English Tom breaks his leg in a football game -- it's not his lucky day! A week later, Tom sees his favorite movie star. But Tom falls again--and suddenly the movie star is falling too! Reporters are taking pictures of Tom. Is this his lucky break?
Who is the stranger and why has he come to the island? Why does he look at Eagle's Rock and Vitalis' house? Costas wants to know the answers to these questions. And he wants to be the first to climb the dangerous Eagle's Rock. But will the stranger do it first? A dramatic adventure follows.
The Oxford Bookworms Library offers new editions of the original Oxford Bookworms Black and Green series, merging the two series into one with new covers. The new editions build on the success of the original series and provide enhanced teaching support. Sixteen additional pages inside each book allow extra pages of activities and increased author and series information. Some of the titles have new illustrations. For those titles which had associated cassettes, the cassettes will remain available with the same ISBNs as before.
Andrew Douglas, working as a partner in the firm of Liberty Market Ltd, is used to kidnappers. But he is placed in danger when he becomes involved in the seizing of a victim which embroils the racing world from Italy to England to the United States.
This is a Beginner Level story in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of titles - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five levels: Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200). Some of the titles are also available on cassette.
[Penguin Readers Level 6]An intriguing tale of revenge in which the main characters are controlled by consuming passions. This novel was once considered such a risk by its publishers that Emily Bronte had to defray the cost of publication until a sufficient number of copies had been sold.
Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, move to a house near a railway line after their father disappears. The children make new friends, but will they be reunited with their father?
This Level 2, elementary Penguin Reader contains 500 words and tells the story of the Men in Black, who must save the world from the Bug. If they don't, there will be a war
A magazine-style reader with stories and articles exploring both the fun and the difficult aspects of Christmas. There are interesting articles about Christmas and its traditions, plus recipes and quizzes. There is a look at the serious meaning of Christmas, too. An entertaining guide to one of the most important festivals in the world.
PI Kinsey Millhone of California goes looking for the loot of a $500,000 robbery, an assignment filled with danger as one of the robbers is a psychopath. By the author of "K" Is for Killer
"Lasciate che ve lo dica: essere un idiota non è tutto rose e fiori. La gente ride, si incavola, ti tratta malissimo. Eppure io non posso lamentarmi, perché devo ammettere di avere avuto una vita interessante." Chi parla è Forrest Gump, un ragazzone grande e grosso un po' tonto, con un quoziente d'intelligenza basso, molto al di sotto della media, che ci racconta questa sua vita decisamente non monotona. Perché la sua 'diversità' fa sì che Forrest emerga in tutto quello che fa. E' un romanzo che ci offre un ironico ritratto dell'America dagli anni Cinquanta agli anni Ottanta; e il protagonista, per la sua ingenuità che diventa saggezza, è un eroe positivo che lascia un segno in tutti noi.
Nicky has just got off the plane at New York to stay with his Aunt Carrie. But at once things start to go wrong. Soon Nicky is being taken on a terrifying tour of New York by some young people he doesn’t even know. And the police think he is a thief! Nicky is lost, alone and very scared. A gripping adventure for younger readers.
In this adventure thriller, a captivating storyline unfolds when a beautiful blonde girl hands Pete a cassette film. As he develops the pictures, the mystery intensifies, drawing him deeper into an intriguing plot. Designed for English learners, the Macmillan Readers series features controlled vocabulary and helpful illustrations to enhance understanding, making it an engaging choice for those looking to improve their language skills while enjoying a thrilling narrative.
It is festival time in the City of Themon, and Hercules and Iolaus are to choose the festival queen. But will she die, like all festival queens before her? And is Hera the lover of Zeus behind it all? Before these and others questions can be answered, Hercules must figt the terrible Sea Serpent of Themom.
Paziente, metodica, sensibile e decisamente simpatica, Kinsey Millhone, «investigatrice privata con regolare licenza dello stato della California», fa parte della ristrettissima schiera dei grandi protagonisti della narrativa gialla. In questo romanzo, che ha segnato il suo sorprendente esordio, è alle prese con un caso che tutti vorrebbero dimenticare: l’assassinio di Laurence Fife. Un caso «vecchio» di otto anni, un omicidio passionale, una brutta faccenda chiusa per tutti. Per tutti tranne che per la moglie della vittima, Nikki Fife. Per la giuria non c’erano stati dubbi: Nikki aveva il movente, la possibilità e l’occasione, e la condannò. Ora Nikki è fuori sulla parola e ha un solo pensiero in mente: dimostrare la sua innocenza e scoprire la verità. E incarica Kinsey Millhone di farlo...
"1661 - France. Louis XIV is the King of France. He is young, clever and powerful. His Chief Minister of Finance, Nicolas Fouquet, has built a beautiful house near Vaux. Fouget has invited the king and six thousand guests to the house for a great feast. Aramis, the Bishop of Vannes, will be a quest at the feast. The bishop's old friends, Porthos and D'Artagnan, are also going to Vaux. The Musketeers will be together again. But first, Aramis vists the terrible Bastille prison. Why? This is the story of the last adventure of the Musketeers"--Back cover note
"Tutto cominciò con un vecchio baule da marinaio e la mappa di un misterioso tesoro... Jim, il giovane protagonista, decide di tentare l'avventura imbarcandosi sulla nave Hispaniola alla ricerca di un'isola misteriosa... Il classico di R. L. Stevenson liberamente adattato da Geronimo Stilton. Età di lettura: da 7 anni." --Amazon.com
Il singolare "caso" del dottor Jekyll e del suo doppio, il signor Hyde, diventa teatro di uno spietato confronto tra istinto e ragione, tra le esigenze della virtù e le pulsioni più oscure e ribelli che albergano ne] cuore dell'uomo. Scritto in maniera lucida ed essenziale, divenuto ormai un classico dell'horror per il clima di mistero e di terrore in cui si svolge la vicenda, questo racconto ha pagine di alta potenza suggestiva, che uniscono al brivido e alla suspense lo spirito austero e ferrigno dei sermoni.
Use these fully illustrated classic and contemporary plays for reading practice or performance. Each script offers performance notes, character lists, exercises, and glossaries.
Word count 1,260 Read at a comfortable level with word count and CEFR level on
every cover Illustrations, photos, and diagrams support comprehension
Activities build language skills and check understanding Glossaries teach
difficult vocabulary Free editable tests for every book Selected Bookworms are
available for your tablet or computer through the Oxford Learner's Bookshelf
One cold winter morning, a famous movie star and her teenage daughter are driving along a country road A blue van is waiting for them. Tom is in the van, but he's not a kidnapper - he's an artist. He usually draws pictures for adventure stories. Now he's in a real life adventure
Most people would have screamed. Mrs Hathall made no sound. She had seen death many times, but she had never witnessed death by violence. Heavily, she plodded across the room and descended the stairs to where her son waited. "There's been an accident," she said. "Your wife's dead." Chief Inspector Wexford could discover no motive, no reason, no suspect. All he had were his own intuitive suspicions. Probably he was reading meaning where there was none; probably Angela Hathall really had picked up a stranger, and that stranger had killed her. But why such doubt? Is Wexford becoming cynical and untrusting? Or is this simply one of the most ingenious crimes he has ever tackled?
Every year millions of people visit England from all over the world. Find out why and read about the history of the country and some of the things you can see and do there today - the cities, national parks, sports, the cinema and theatre, pubs and music. All the things that make England a beautiful and exciting place to visit!
What does the name " Agatha Christie " mean? To many people, it means a book about a murder mystery - a " whodunnit ". " I'm reading an Agatha Christie, " people say. " I'm not sure who the murderer is - I think it's . . . " But they are usually wrong, because it is not easy to guess the murderer's name before the end of the book. But who was Agatha Christie? What was she like? Was her life quiet and unexciting, or was it full of interest and adventure? Was there a mystery in her life, too? Cover images courtesy of The Mander and Mitchenson Theatre Collection/Angus McBean, Topham Picturepoint, Topham Picturepoint/Press Association, National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library, and Stephen Oliver.
È il romanzo in cui fa la sua prima apparizione James Bond e in cui sono già presenti i tipici ingredienti della serie: il fascinoso 007 con licenza d'uccidere; la bella Vesper Lynd, tenera e tragica; il malvagio e imprendibile Le Chiffre. Ma c'è anche la rappresentazione del mondo delle sale da gioco della Francia meridionale, che Fleming ricostruisce in modo impeccabile, consegnando intatto al lettore il fascino di quel mondo e di quella società.
Factfiles are a sub-series of Bookworms with a non-fiction angle, providing factual information for students who are less interested in fiction. Each book focuses on a particular topic such as famous cities, sport, science, the environment and the media.
Original / British EnglishA mysterious stranger has come to the island where
Costas lives. Why is the man there, and why is he looking at Eagle’s Rock?
Costas wants to be the first person to climb the dangerous rock. But will the
stranger climb it first?
Factfiles are a sub-series of Bookworms with a non-fiction angle, providing factual information for students on a wide variety of themes. Exercises at the back of each book check student's understanding of the text and provide ideas for activities and project work.
Original / British English A diamond necklace is stolen from a museum. Everyone who works at the museum could be guilty. But who really took the necklace, and why? The police suspect Paul, a young student. So Paul must find the real thief. This Pack contains a Book and MP3
Romanzo di forte impatto emotivo, definito a più riprese "vile", "pieno di falsità", ma anche esaltato come il "più potente tra i romanzi pubblicati dall'autore", Tess ha, fin dal suo apparire, diviso critica e lettori e allarmato schiere di bigotti e moralisti che inorridivano all'idea di una storia che colpiva al cuore la morale vittoriana. In Tess il vettore del conflitto attraversa ogni pagina del libro, che affronta, senza alcun falso pudore, temi scabrosi e audaci. L'immagine che apre il romanzo è quella di un uomo che incede malfermo lungo una strada; si tratta di John Durbeyfield, il padre di Tess, che apprende delle proprie presunte origini nobiliari dal parroco Tringham, incontrato quasi per caso. La rivelazione alimenta la vanità e l'orgoglio della povera famiglia che costringe la ragazza a recarsi dai ricchi d'Urberville, in un ridicolo e improbabile tentativo di "reclamare la parentela", intraprendendo così il primo viaggio che la condurrà a incontrare Alec, il suo seduttore. Questo fatto accelera gli avvenimenti dell'intreccio e scatena una serie di eventi che alla fine travolgerà la misera Tess.
Adam Lang è stato il premier britannico più longevo e controverso dell'ultimo mezzo secolo. E ora che ha lasciato il suo incarico, ha accettato uno dei più cospicui anticipi della storia per scrivere uno scottante memoriale sulla sua vita e sugli anni in cui è stato al potere. Per completare il libro, Lang assolda un ghostwriter che ben presto scopre molti più segreti di quanti l'ex primo ministro intenda rivelare, segreti che hanno il potere di alterare gli equilibri politici, segreti che hanno il potere di uccidere.
Classic / British English Sherlock Holmes is a very clever man. When people have strange, difficult problems, they come to him. Where is Mr Hosmer Angel? Which student saw the exam paper before the exam? Why is somebody following Miss Smith? Can you find the answers before Sherlock Holmes does?
Most of us love reading about crime in the newspapers, and reading stories about Sherlock Holmes and the other great detectives. This book looks at some of the great crimes of history - crimes like the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Mona Lisa robbery. It also looks at some great criminals, like the poisoner Dr Crippen. Most of these crimes were solved, but some, like the assassination of President Kennedy, still hold their mysteries.
1757 - the Hudson River, North America. The armies of France and England are fighting. And Indian tribes are fighting for each army. Hurons are with the French. Mohawks and Mohicans are with the English. The daughters of the English general, Munro, start a journey through the forest. But soon they are in danger. This is the story of the scout, Hawk-eye, and his two Indian friends - the last of the Mohicans.
'Where are you taking me?' asked Dantes. 'Turn round and look,' said the officer. Dantes turned. The boat had passed the entrance of the port. On the right, he saw the dark shadow of the island of Ratonneau. An on the left he saw the black shape of the island off it.
Sal Paradise, un giovane newyorkese con ambizioni letterarie, incontra Dean Moriarty, un ragazzo dell'Ovest. Uscito dal riformatorio, Dean comincia a girovagare sfidando le regole della vita borghese, sempre alla ricerca di esperienze intense. Dean decide di ripartire per l'Ovest e Sal lo raggiunge; è il primo di una serie di viaggi che imprimono una dimensione nuova alla vita di Sal. La fuga continua di Dean ha in sé una caratteristica eroica, Sal non può fare a meno di ammirarlo, anche quando febbricitante, a Città del Messico, viene abbandonato dall'amico, che torna negli Stati Uniti.
How much do you know about the Wild West? What do you know about cowboys and Indians, about wagon trails and gunfights? Inside this book you will find the true story of the Wild West, and of some of the famous people who lived and worked there. People like Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Billy the Kid - and Annie Oakley, the best shot in the West.
"Zoe Baker works in a bookstore. She also likes acting, and she has a part in the play Romeo and Juliet. Mike Morrison writes about the play for the newspaper. What does he write about Zoe? Is Zoe a good actress ... or is she just 'a pretty face'? What does Zoe think when she reads the newspaper? What does she do?"--Page 4 of cover
Il mondo aveva i denti e in qualsiasi momento ti poteva morsicare. Questo Trisha McFarland scoprì a nove anni. Alle dieci di una mattina di giugno era sul sedile posteriore della Dodge Caravan di sua madre con addosso la sua maglietta blu dei Red Sox (quella che ha 36 Gordon sulla schiena) a giocare con Mona, la sua bambola. Alle dieci e mezzo era persa nel bosco. Alle undici cercava di non essere terrorizzata, cercava di non pensare: 'Questa è una cosa seria, questa è una cosa molto seria'. Cercava di non pensare che certe volte a perdersi nel bosco ci si poteva fare anche molto male. Certe volte si moriva.
Set in 1751 Scotland during a tumultuous period, the story follows young David Balfour, who finds himself alone and without resources. His life takes a dramatic turn when he discovers a letter from his deceased father, setting him on an extraordinary journey filled with fear and excitement. As he navigates through challenges, David's adventure promises to be both thrilling and transformative.
Bond is off to Harlem, the kingdom of Mr Big, black master of crime and voodoo baron. The trail of terror, treachery and torture leads from New York's black underworld to the shark infested island in the sun that Mr Big calls his own.
The men and the woman in this book - William Tell, Tom Blood, Lord Bao, King Matthias, Johnny Appleseed, and Lady Godiva - are all real people from history. But every time someone tells an old story, they change things in it, to make them bigger, better, and more exciting. So what is true in this book and what is not? Read all six of the stories, and see what you think.--P. [4] of cover
Mr Bean goes to a restaurant for his birthday dinner. But, of course, things don't go smoothly. He doesn't like the food. But what can he do? He tries to hide it in the strangest places Chaotic adventures follow Mr Bean wherever he goes Star of TV and cinema, Mr Bean is famous all over the world.
Original / British English Pete and Carla are students. One day they look at some very old coins and stamps in a shop. Pete wants to buy some stamps, but they are very expensive. Later that day some coins are missing from the shop -- and the shopkeeper wants to find Pete.
This award-winning collection of adapted classic literature and original stories develops reading skills for low-beginning through advanced students. Accessible language and carefully controlled vocabulary build students' reading confidence. Introductions at the beginning of each story, illustrations throughout, and glossaries help build comprehension. Before, during, and after reading activities included in the back of each book strengthen student comprehension. Audio versions of selected titles provide great models of intonation and pronunciation of difficult words.
"You're a brave man, but I am afraid for you,' says Lady Marian to Robin of Locksley. She is afraid because Robin does not like Prince John's new taxes and wants to do something for the poor people of Nottingham. When Prince John hears this, Robin is suddenly in great danger"--Cover
Flies are a nuisance. They are annoying when they buzz around you, but you can brush them away with your hand. After all, a fly is only about half the size of your fingernail. But suppose it wasn't. Catch a fly and look at it closely - look at its head, its eyes, its legs. Now imagine that this thing was the size of a human being... These eight stories offer horror in many shapes and forms, in worlds full of monsters and evil spirits, where terror lies waiting in the shadows, and where the living and the dead dance hand in hand.--Quatrième de couverture