On November 14, 1868 Charles Dickens organized a special reading to a select audience to get their opinion on whether or not Sikes and Nancy, the telling of the horrific murder of Nancy by Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist, should be added to his repertoire of public readings of his works. William Charles Kent (1823-1902), editor, journalist, and Dickens' friend, was among those chosen to witness this test reading. Here he gives an account of the event. Most in the audience, Kent among them, felt the reading was sensational and should be added. A few worried about possible hysteria in the audience and the reading's effect on Dickens' already frail health. Dickens read the account with such passion that his pulse soared during its performance. Dickens added Sikes and Nancy to his farewell reading tour of Britain.

'The power of Dickens is so amazing, that the reader at once becomes his captive' WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY The story of the orphan Oliver, who runs away from the workhouse to be taken in by a den of thieves, shocked readers with its depiction of a dark criminal underworld peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the arch-villain Fagin, the artful Dodger, the menacing Bill Sikes and the prostitute Nancy. Combining elements of Gothic romance, the Newgate novel and popular melodrama, Oliver Twist created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery. Edited with an Introduction and notes by PHILIP HORNE

It's 1977 and Jack Sheffield is appointed headmaster of a small village primary school in North Yorkshire. So begins Jack's eventful journey through the school year and his attempts to overcome the many problems that face him as a young and inexperienced headmaster. The many colourful chapters include Ruby the 20 stone caretaker with an acute spelling problem, a secretary who worships Margaret Thatcher, a villager who grows giant carrots, a barmaid/parent who requests sex lessons, and a five-year-old boy whose language is colourful in the extreme. And then there's also beautiful, bright Beth Henderson, who is irresistibly attractive to the young headmaster... Warm, funny and nostalgic, Teacher, Teacher is a delightful read that is guaranteed to make you feel better, whatever kind of day you've had.

The story of Oliver Twist - orphaned, and set upon by evil and adversity from his first breath - shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous beadle Mr Bumble, Oliver finds himself lured into a den of thieves peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the Artful Dodger, vicious burglar Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye, and prostitute Nancy, all watched over by cunning master-thief Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, the Newgate Novel and popular melodrama, Dickens created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.

The orphaned Oliver Twist falls in with thieves and pickpockets in Charles Dickens' novel of adventure, escapades, and some of the most beloved characters in literature. Full color illustrations.

'Boots,' an otherwise unnamed character in Dickens's Christmas story, is the main character in "Boots at The Holly Tree Inn", who, in his own vernacular tells the story of two children. The point at which any true appreciation of the short story begins is the clear perception that it is a distinct form of art; and the reason why the older novelists so rarely succeeded in the short story is that they did not apprehend this. If we bear in mind the three principles, that the short story must be complete in itself, that it is short because it cannot be long, and that it consists of a single incident, we can readily apply a critical test, which, while not infallible, nevertheless affords a valuable means of discrimination. Let us take the test of completeness and apply it to Dickens's exquisite story of "Boots at the Holly Tree Inn." The story as Dickens writes it covers a great variety of themes. We have an embittered lover, a detailed description of a mail-coach journey, of a snow-storm, of an inn, of his own ennui, of his own curious imaginings, elaborated in thousands of words, before he reaches the real story which the Boots at the Holly Tree has to tell. Finally, the icing on the cake... this story is fully illustrated by none other than, J. C. Beard, a revered master of watercolor, gouache and ink and with the same excitement that Charles Dickens would have had for this unique experience, we present the story to you.