Talking books Fiction for younger readers
Updated: May 2013
Age range: 11 and older
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Fiction for younger readers
Adams, Richard
Watership Down. 1972. Read by Robin Holmes, 19 hours. TB 2576.
Only a few rabbits escape with their lives when men destroy their warren. Many dangers have to be faced as they search for a safe place to establish a new one.
Adams, Richard
Tales from Watership Down. 1996. Read by Richard Derrington, 6 hours 57 minutes. TB 10934.
Sequel to: Watership down. The author returns to the memorable world of the rabbits in this collection. The first part includes several traditional folk stories known to all rabbits. Then follow tales about the adventures of El-ahrairah, the mythical rabbit hero. In the third and principal section are stories about Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and their companions.
Aiken, Joan
Died on a rainy Sunday: a novel. 1972. Read by Anthony Parker, 5 hours 12 minutes. TB 2113.
Blackmail, murder, and a bizarre chase through the rainsodden suburban countryside of Kent.
Alcock, Vivien
The monster garden. 1988. Read by Brigit Forsyth, 3 hours 1 minute. TB 7930.
The day Frances Stein, (nicknamed Frankie), acquired some living tissue from the genetic engineering laboratory, was the day her life changed. Her experiment was a great success, but she would have to keep it a secret to protect her monster, which would not be easy if Monnie continued to grow so rapidly.
Alcock, Vivien
The mysterious Mr Ross. 1987. Read by Judy Franklin, 3 hours 46 minutes. TB 7898.
A gripping read for younger readers, but one which will also be of interest to older people. A story about Felicity, a clumsy girl, who is not especially loved by her family at their home, the Fairweather Guest House in Gall Bay, who rescues Mr. Ross from the dangerous waters near her home. His arrival changes the lives of the Tait family and all those who meet him.
Alcock, Vivien
The Sylvia game. 1982. Read by Anne White, 5 hours. TB 4551.
Bored, convalescent, 12-year-old Emily secretly follows her father to a shabby old stately home near where they are staying in Devon. Following her is Kevin, gipsyish boy-of-all-work in their hotel. But who started the fire that burnt the gallery. And which of the two canvasses saved is the real Renoir! - a junior whodunnit.
Alcock, Vivien
Travellers by night. 1983. Read by John Westbrook, 4 hours 45 minutes. TB 5279.
The circus must close and Belle and Charlie exchange their world of sawdust and spangles for an ordinary school. For Tessie, the elephant too old to sell, an even sadder fate is in store. The two cousins decide to kidnap her and take her to a safari park. With such a large and illegal companion small wonder that they become "travellers by night."
Almond, David
Heaven eyes. 2000. Read by Patricia Jones, 5 hours 2 minutes. TB 12202.
It's easy. Running away from Whitegates. Erin and her running-away friend January do it all the time, But this time they're going down river. This time they might never come back. This time they're looking for a tiny corner of Paradise. How could they imagine that what they'd find there would be Heaven Eyes? This girl who should have drowned at sea, this girl rescued from the mud. This girl with a secret history only Grampa knows. And he isn't telling.
Almond, David
Skellig. 1998. Read by Jim Norton, 3 hours 12 minutes. TB 11976.
Michael's baby sister is ill, and the whole house is sick with her. While his parents spend time at the hospital, he explores their new home. In the old, derelict garage he finds something sinister; a strange creature, part owl, part angel. Is it something good or something evil? Contains strong language.
Almond, David
My name is Mina. 2010. Read by Nicola Holmes, 4 hours 39 minutes. TB 18063.
Mina writes and writes in an empty notebook, and through her stories, thoughts, lessons and dreams, Mina's journal grows into something extraordinary.
Archer, Mandy
Robin Hood: parent hood. 2007. Read by Richard Armitage, 1 hour 44 minutes. TB 16990.
Robin Hood series; book 4. The Sheriff and his men capture Roy, and the outlaws find a baby abandoned in Sherwood Forest. Roy is given a choice: kill Robin Hood or let his own mother hang. Meanwhile, Marian angers the Sheriff with her disobedience. Will Roy betray Robin? How will the Sheriff punish Marian? And who does the baby belong to?
Atterton, Julian
The fire of the kings. 1984. Read by George Hagan, 6 hours 33 minutes. TB 6315.
Aethelfrith, the Grey Wolf, represents all that is heroic in the English kingdoms of Britain. So Edwin's pride knows no bounds when Aethelfrith gives him a sword - a gift fit for a king. But Edwin must face exile and the horror of battle before he can fulfil his destiny and unite Britain in a way the country has never known before.
Avery, Gillian
Huck & her time machine. 1977. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 6 hours 19 minutes. TB 3097.
Huck finds a time-machine on a waste tip and decides to use it to get some peace from her brothers and sisters.
Avery, Gillian
The warden's niece. 1985. Read by Judith Whale, 6 hours 30 minutes. TB 5801.
Orphan Maria runs away from school to her Uncle, the Warden of Canterbury College in Oxford. As her ambition is to be a "Professor of Greek in Oxford" her uncle decides she should share the eccentric tutor of his colleague's three sons. Together the four youngsters provide some surprises for Victorian Oxford.
Avery, Gillian
The hole in the wall, and other stories. 1968. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 7 hours 29 minutes. TB 3096.
Eight stories for children, written between 1796 and 1886.
Bagnold, Enid
National Velvet. 1935. Read by Robin Holmes, 8 hours 41 minutes. TB 2157.
A fourteen-year-old girl with a passion for horses wins a piebald gelding in a shilling raffle, the beginning of a fruitful partnership.
Barber, Antonia
The ghosts. 1969. Read by Colin Keith-Johnston, 4 hours 41 minutes. TB 1001.
A ghost story with undertones of science fiction, in which two children interfere with the wheel of time and change the course of events a century ago.
Bédard, Michael
Stained glass. 2001. Read by Joanne Moyer, 6 hours 46 minutes. TB 18476.
Charles Endicott is in St. Bart's Church when a stained glass window shatters, the pieces falling on a homeless girl taking shelter there. The girl, named Ambriel, has lost her memory and seems confused and frightened, and Charles feels compelled to follow her from the church the next day. As he takes his mysterious pilgrimage, each step becomes entwined with his own past - the memories of his own childhood, of his
sister Emily, and of the tragedy that has shattered his family's life.
Bidmead, Christopher.
Doctor Who: Castrovalva. 2010. Read by Peter Davison, 3 hours 56 minutes. TB 19062.
Still weak and confused after his fourth regeneration, the Doctor retreats to Castrovalva to recuperate. But Castrovalva is not the haven of peace and tranquility the Doctor and his companions are seeking. Far from being able to rest quietly, the unsuspecting time-travellers are caught up once again in the evil machinations of the Master. Only an act of supreme self-sacrifice will enable them to escape the maniacal lunacy of the renegade Time Lord.
Blacker, Terence
The angel factory. 2008. Read by Dominic Taylor, 5 hours 40 minutes. TB 15611.
Thomas Wisdom's life is perfect. He is popular, doing well at school, and his parents are caring and supportive. So why does all this perfection leave Tom feeling ill at ease? Tom's best friend Gip believes he has the answer. Together they hack into Mr Wisdom's computer and discover a file called 'Seraph'. But what starts as simple curiosity leads to an astonishing discovery about Tim's past and takes them on a strange journey to a place beyond the imagination - a place they call the Angel Factory.
Blackman, Malorie
Pig heart boy. 1998. Read by Daniel Philpott, 5 hours 52 minutes. TB 12074.
Cameron is 13 years old and desperately in need of a heart transplant, when a pioneering doctor approaches his family with a startling proposal. He can give Cameron a new heart - not from a human, but from a pig!
Blackman, Malorie
Thief! 2006. Read by Syan Blake, 5 hours 30 minutes. TB 18029.
Fleeing on to the moors when she is unfairly accused of theft, an
extraordinary storm suddenly whirls twelve-year-old Lydia into the future. A computer-dominated future where her home town is now ruled by a cruel tyrant. As Lydia struggles to get back to her own time, she discovers she must face a terrible confrontation.
Booth, Martin
Doctor Illuminatus. 2008. Read by Edward Hardwicke, 4 hours 24 minutes. TB 16452.
The alchemist's son; book 1. When Pip and Tim move into an ancient manor house they discover a strange 15th-century boy dressed like a 50s schoolboy. His name is Sebastian, and he is the alchemist's son. Sebastian is kept in a state of suspended animation and wakes up down the centuries to continue the struggle against the evil alchemist, de Loudeac. Pip and Tim join with Sebastian to stop de Loudeac and are drawn into a nail-biting battle of alchemists.
Boswell, Ruth
Emmy. 1979. Read by Judith Whale, 6 hours 32 minutes. TB 3519.
In an Oxfordshire village of Edwardian England, four children find their lives and outlook changed by the friendship between George and Emily.
Bradford, Chris
The way of the warrior. 2008. Read by Philip Elstob, 7 hours 53 minutes. TB 16794.
Young samurai series; book 1. August 1611. Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan. His beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by the legendary sword master Masamoto Takeshi, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins. But life at the samurai school is a constant fight for survival. Even with his friend Akiko by his side, Jack is singled out by bullies and treated as an outcast. With courage in his heart and his sword held high, can Jack prove himself and face his deadliest rival yet?
Burgess, Melvin
The cry of the wolf. 2008. Read by Sean Barrett, 3 hours 15 minutes. TB 16476.
It was a mistake for Ben to tell the Hunter that there were still wolves in Surrey. For the Hunter was a fanatic, always on the lookout for unusual prey. Driven by an ambition to wipe out the last English wolves, the Hunter set out on his savage quest.
Burgis, Stephanie.
A most improper magick. 2010. Read by Natalie Loader, 8 hours 33 minutes. TB 18566.
The Unladylike adventures of Kat Stephenson; book 1. At twelve years old, any proper young lady in Regency England should be sitting quietly at home, practising her embroidery and keeping her opinions to herself. But Kat Stephenson is no ordinary young lady. Kat's father may be a respectable vicar, but her late mother was a notorious witch and Kat herself is the newest target of an ancient magical Order.
Canning, Victor
The runaways. 1973. Read by Stephen Jack, 6 hours 15 minutes. TB 1965.
Smiler Miles Trilogy; book 1. Story of an encounter between a remand home runaway and a cheetah which had escaped from Longleat.
Canning, Victor
The flight of the grey goose. 1978. Read by Cameron Stewart, 6 hours 11 minutes. TB 9756.
Smiler Miles Trilogy; book 2. Samuel Miles, better known as "Smiler", is wanted by the police for a crime he has not committed. Unable to prove his innocence until his father returns from a voyage, Smiler is forced to stay in hiding. He gets work in an animal sanctuary in Scotland, only to discover that thieves are planning to rob his employer. How can he go to the police for help when he dare not reveal his own whereabouts?
Canning, Victor
The painted tent. 1979. Read by Cameron Stewart, 6 hours. TB 10043.
Smiler Miles Trilogy; book 3. Fria, the peregrine falcon, has escaped from captivity. Her chances of survival are small, and Smiler, on the run from the police, is desperately anxious about her. Smiler is to find an answer to his own problems in the grim and unexpected danger that threatens Fria. This completes the saga of Smiler's friendship with animals and his search for freedom.
Carr, Catherine
The golden city. 1963. Read by Joan Murray-Simpson,
5 hours 27 minutes. TB 1321.
When Pamela's father deserts her mother, they follow him to Rome, where each eventually finds happiness.
Carter, Peter
Leaving Cheyenne. 1990. Read by William Dufris, 13 hours 29 minutes. TB 10569.
In the Spring of 1871, Ben Curtis and his brother Bo are driven from their land in Clement County, Texas. They join a cattle drive bound for Abilene, where they run up against the tightfaced gambler, Dutch Kessel. The meeting changes Ben's life, causing him to travel across Kansas to Dodge and finally to the open plains on a buffalo hunt, where once again he finds himself under the shadow of a gun.
Carter, Peter
Children of the Book. 1982. Read by Gene Foad, 8 hours 59 minutes. TB 5085.
It is 1683 and the city of Vienna is under siege by the Turks. Young Timur Ven is a raw recruit in the Janissaries, the dreaded Turkish infantry; Anna Vogel is the daughter of a baker and approaching womanhood; Stefan Zabruski is the son of a Polish knight facing battle for the first time. The war is to affect them all ...