Greg Heffley is not a fan of surprises-especially when it comes to his birthday. But he never could have guessed the shocking surprise his family has in store for him this year. When Greg's epic party plans start to unravel, he holds out hope that he'll get his one birthday wish-a rare trading card that's worth a fortune. The problem is, everyone else is after it, too, and there's no guarant…
from the back cover: From out of the sky, from under the earth, from far out at sea - disaster comes. We build and invent new things - and sometimes bring disaster on ourselves. Today television and the Internet mean that we can watch disasters as they happen, and see their terrible results. From Pompeii to the Asian Tsunami, from the Great Fire of London to Chernobyl, the stories of disast…
from the back cover: 'I turned on the light, but there was nobody there. Then I saw something in the corner that made my blood turn cold. Scudder was lying on his back. There was a long knife through his heart, pinning him to the floor.' Soon Richard Hannay is running for his life across the hills of Scotland. The police are chasing him for a murder he did not do, and another, more dangerou…
from the back cover: People who ride racehorses love the speed, the excitement, the danger - and winning the race. Philip Nore has been riding for many years and he always wants to win - but sometimes he is told to lose. Why? And what is the mystery about the photographer, George Millace, who has just died in a car crash? Philip Nore knows the answer to the first question, and he wants to find…
from the back cover: Three different parts of the world, but all of them dangerous, lonely places. Three different women, but all of them determined to go - and to come back alive! Robyn Davidson walked nearly 3,000 kilometres across the Australian desert - with a dog and four camels. Arlene Blum led a team of ten women to the top of Annapurna - one of the highest mountains in the world.…
from the back cover: When did you last meet a polar bear, or go to a magician for help? These stories offer many different experiences. Some are strange, some are scary, some are sad, some are blackly funny. A few are shocking - when Lin Lin returns home for a funeral, she learns a dark and terrible family secret which may destroy her. Bookworms World Stories collect stories written in Engl…