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Interviews

Steven Moffat on the five books that changed his life

A Dog So Small

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

'Philippa Pearce - one of the finest children's writers of the 20th century' - Guardian 
 
In A DOG SO SMALL young Ben Blewitt is desperate for a dog. He's picked out the biggest and best dogs from the books in the library - and he just knows he's going to get one for his birthday. Ben is excited when the big day arrives, but he receives a picture of a dog instead of a real one! But the imagination can be a powerful thing, and when Ben puts his to work, his adventures really begin! 
 
Philippa Pearce grew up in a millhouse near Cambridge and read English and history at Girton College. She was a scriptwriter-producer for the BBC, a children's book editor and reviewer, a lecturer, a storyteller and freelance writer for radio and newspapers as well as writing some of the best-loved books of the 20th century. She won a Carnegie Medal for TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN and a Whitbread Prize for THE BATTLE OF BUBBLE AND SQUEAK also published by Puffin Books. She died in December, 2006.

Philippa Pearce grew up in a millhouse near Cambridge and read English and history at Girton College. She was a scriptwriter-producer for the BBC, a children's book editor and reviewer, a lecturer, a storyteller and freelance writer for radio and newspapers as well as writing some of the best-loved books of the 20th century. She won a Carnegie Medal for TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN and a Whitbread Prize for THE BATTLE OF BUBBLE AND SQUEAK. She died in December, 2006.

Ben Blewitt is desperate for a dog. He's picked out the biggest and best dogs from the books in the library - and he just knows he's going to get one for his birthday. Ben is excited when the big day arrives, but he receives a picture of a dog instead of a real one! But the imagination can be a powerful thing, and when Ben puts his to work, his adventures really begin!

The Little Gentleman

Now in paperback, a brand new classic novel by the author of Tom's Midnight Garden (more than 760,000 copies sold)

Philippa Peace has worked as a scriptwiter-producer for the BBC, a children's book editor, a book reviewer, a lecturer, a storyteller and as a freelance writer for radio and newspapers. Her now classic books in Puffin include Carnegie Medal winner Tom's Midnight Garden and The Battle of Bubble and Squeak which won the Whitbread Award. Philippa Pearce lives in Cambridgeshire.

When Bet is first asked to go into the meadow and read a passage aloud from a book - apparently to no-one - she wonders why. But then she realises that her audience is a little mole, who listens attentively. This isn't just any mole. This mole can speak, he is more than 300 years old and he has an amazing tale to tell. So begins an extraordinary friendship between a lonely little girl and The Little Gentleman in Black Velvet.

Lion at School and Other Stories

A collection of gorgeous, classic stories from award-winning Philippa Pearce, bringing a little bit of magic to the everyday!

The Rope and Other Stories

Philippa Pearce grew up in a millhouse near Cambridge and read English and history at Girton College. She was a scriptwriter-producer for the BBC, a children's book editor and reviewer, a lecturer, a storyteller and freelance writer for radio and newspapers as well as writing some of the best-loved books of the 20th century. She won a Carnegie Medal for TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN and a Whitbread Prize for THE BATTLE OF BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.

'The rope hung from top to bottom of his dream. The rope hung softly, saying nothing, doing nothing. Then the rope began to swing very softly, very gently ... Towards him' 
 
The need to face your fears; the comedy of family life; the pressure of others' expectations... Intense experiences of childhood are vividly brought to life in this beautifully written collection of short stories by the author of Tom's Midnight Garden.

Tom's Midnight Garden

Tom England, Una Stubbs and Crawford Logan star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization.

Philippa Pearce OBE (22 January 1920 – 21 December 2006) was an English author of children's books. Her most famous work is the time slip fantasy novel Tom's Midnight Garden, which won the 1958 Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, as the year's outstanding children's book by a British subject. Pearce was four further times a commended runner-up for the Medal.

Peter England, Una Stubbs and Crawford Logan star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Philippa Pearce’s enchanting time-slip tale. 
 
When his brother catches measles, Tom is sent away to stay with his Aunt Gwen and Uncle Alan, and is thoroughly fed up about it. What a boring summer it’s going to be! But tedium turns to adventure when, lying in bed one night, he hears the old grandfather clock in the hall strike thirteen. What can it mean? As Tom creeps downstairs and opens the door, he finds a beautiful garden, and glimpses a girl in old-fashioned clothing. As he revisits the garden over the next few nights, he watches the seasons change from spring to autumn, and children come and go. But no-one seems to see him – until he meets Hatty, and the two become firm friends. With his new playmate, Tom embarks on the adventure of a lifetime... 
 
This magical drama stars Peter England as Tom, with Una Stubbs as Aunt Gwen and Crawford Logan as Uncle Alan. The wonder and excitement of much-loved children’s classics lives on in BBC Radio’s acclaimed full-cast dramatisations, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

Philippa Pearce

Sid, Peggy and Amy adore the two gerbils, Bubble and Squeak, but their mother detests them. A major family battle results, and it's clear life is never going to be quite the same again. But after a near fatal encounter between Bubble and Ginger the cat, Mrs Sparrow begins to see that life with 2 gerbils might not be so bad after all.

The Battle of Bubble and Squeak

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