When Lilli Barnes was sixteen years old, she saw a fairy. Encouraged by her impressionable little cousin Mabel, Lilli snaps a photograph, and suddenly, what started as a magical game to distract from the worry of the Great War becomes a national sensation, attracting gullible authors, skeptical reporters, and eccentric spiritualists from all over the world. But swept up in the strangeness of their supernatural sighting, and daunted by the pressures of newfound fame, Lilli and Mabel are left to wonder if they can believe their eyes…or if the “magic” they’ve uncovered is merely imagination run wild. Historical fantasy drama Full-length. 90-100 minutes 14-21+ actors possible (suggested cast size: 8F, 1M, 7 any)

This biography examines whether two cousins, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, really witnessed and photographed fairies in the suburb of Cottingley in Bradford over 70 years ago. It questions why people such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edward Gardner were convinced that the photographs were genuine. This text reveals what the author discovered about the case of the Cottingley fairies, as he worked with the two cousins for six years for the purpose of his research, and found that some of their prevarications become confessions.

A bestselling modern classic—both poignant and funny—narrated by a fifteen year old autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions. Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. At fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbour’s dog Wellington impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer, and turns to his favourite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As Christopher tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, the narrative draws readers into the workings of Christopher’s mind. And herein lies the key to the brilliance of Mark Haddon’s choice of narrator: The most wrenching of emotional moments are chronicled by a boy who cannot fathom emotions. The effect is dazzling, making for one of the freshest debut in years: a comedy, a tearjerker, a mystery story, a novel of exceptional literary merit that is great fun to read.

From the mediums of Spiritualism's golden age to the ghost hunters of the modern era, Taylor shines a light on the phantasms and frauds of the past, the first researchers who dared to investigate the unknown, and the stories and events that galvanized the pubic and created the paranormal field that we know today.

Mark Hodder's second Burton & Swinburne steampunk adventure, following the acclaimed The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and a deepening mystery. When a clockwork-powered man of brass is found abandoned in Trafalgar Square, Burton and his assistant, the wayward poet Algernon Swinburne, find themselves on the trail of the stolen Garnier Collection--black diamonds rumored to be fragments of the Lemurian Eye of Naga, a meteorite that fell to Earth in prehistoric times. From a haunted mansion to the Bedlam madhouse, from South America to Australia, from séances to a secret labyrinth, Burton struggles with shadowy opponents and his own inner demons. Can the king's agent expose a plot that threatens to rip the British Empire apart, leading to an international conflict the like of which the world has never seen? And what part does the clockwork man have to play? From the Trade Paperback edition.

"Introduce middle-grade readers to intriguing and exciting unsolved crimes, daring escapes, famous heists, and much more in this first-ever sleuthing book specifically for kids. Curious Cases:True Crime for Kids presents a slew of fascinating stories that are all age-appropriate, including: the cold case of D.B. Cooper, the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum theft, the disappearance of Masterpiece the poodle, two brothers' cunning escape from Alcatraz, Sherlock Holmes and the fairy photographs, the real-life ghost busters, and much more! After reading these cases, kids will be able to dive into some fun forensic science activities they can do at home to help them uncover evidence and solve their own mysteries"--back cove