I Was A Rat Or The Scarlet Slippers

Standing in the moonlight was a little boy in a page's uniform . . . 'Bless my soul'! said Bob. 'Who are you?' When a small boy turns up on the doorstep of old Bob the cobbler and Joan the washerwoman, all he can tell them is 'I was a rat!'. But who is he really, and where has he come from? A wonderful, funny, surprising and sharply-observed re-telling of Cinderella.

“I Was a Rat!” So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world. Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.

A small homeless boy insists that he was a rat! What is he now, monster, fairground freak, or ordinary small boy? Only three people believe the latter, and only one of those knows the real truth.

Rose and Lily and their little brother Ned live in an orphanage - a terrible place, where the porridge is thin and cold, and nobody smiles. One dark and stormy night, they decide enough is enough, and they run away. But hiding in the shadows, as they make their way through the dangerous back streets of London, is Mack the Knife- the most villainous of villains ... Hiding above the streets, leaping through the air, is Spring-Heeled Jack. He dresses like the devil and his name creates shivers in people, but he is ready for action against the evil-doers and scallywags of the city's dark streets - Mack the Knife included - and he might just be able to save the orphans.

Outrageously zany and filed with non-stop surprises, Simon Reade's theatrical adaptation of The Scarecrow and His Servant, renowned author Philip Pullman's fictional children's tale, is an enchanting play for young readers and performers. Delve into the magical world of Scarecrow as you accompany him as Jack, his trusty help-mate, and together you can embark on adventures that will make your head spin.From dodging dangerous bandits and surviving terrifying shipwrecks, to soaring through the skies with wild birds, this play is a roller-coaster ride of never-ending escapades.But when the river-polluting Buffaloni tyrants catch up with you for a final showdown, who will come to your rescue and save the day? A production of The Scarecrow and His Servant ran at the Southwark Playhouse in December 2008-January 2009.

This chilling fable brings the stories of several characters together into a whole, like clockwork

An unforgettable graphic novel of time travel and adventure on the high seas from the #1 international bestselling author of the His Dark Materials series. Trapped in the mists of time by a terrible research experiment gone wrong, John Blake and his mysterious ship are doomed to sail between the centuries, searching for a way home. In the ocean of the modern day, John rescues a shipwrecked young girl his own age, Serena, and promises to help. But returning Serena to her own time means traveling to the one place where the ship is in most danger of destruction. The all-powerful Dahlberg Corporation has an ambitious leader with plans far greater and more terrible than anyone has realized, and he is hot on their trail. For only John, Serena, and the crew know Dahlberg’s true intentions, and only they have the power to stop him from bending the world to his will . . . Praise for The Adventures of John Blake “With obvious affection for Tintin, Pullman threads this complicated skein of plot with customary measures of awe and menace . . . he proves an expert visual storyteller. Fordham animates with characters who have the detail and agility of a Studio Ghibli cast . . . Anything new from Pullman is big news, and his first original graphic novel won’t disappoint.” —Booklist, starred review “The various plot threads coalesce into a powerful tale, with the artwork creating a soaring, cinematic feel. A modern seafaring epic, highly recommended for all Pullman and fantasy fans and more than worthy of its author’s oeuvre.” —School Library Journal, starred review “Purloined technology, time travelers, ghost ships, and deception converge in this graphic page-turner . . . A richly imagined high-octane thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews “The graphic novel format lets Pullman’s . . . dialogue shine, and Fordham’s lucid panels are strong, legible, and charged with energy.” —Publishers Weekly

Lila dreams to become a firework-maker, just like her father. In order to become a true firework-maker, she sets off alone on a perilous journey to reach the terrifying Fire-Fiend. She travels through jungles alive with crocodiles, snakes, monkeys and pirates, and climbs up the scolding volcano. On finding the Fire-Fiend, she realises more is at stake than she ever imagined. Will Lila survive? Lila’s is the kind of magical adventure that all children dream of and the gripping story of the fleet-footed heroine will livelong in the memory of anyone who enters her world.