Special Collections
Winter Wonders
Description: Reading for with topic of winter. Fiction and non fiction, aimed at school age.
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For the Time Being
by W. H. Auden and Alan JacobsFor the Time Being is a pivotal book in the career of one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. W. H. Auden had recently moved to America, fallen in love with a young man to whom he considered himself married, rethought his entire poetic and intellectual equipment, and reclaimed the Christian faith of his childhood. Then, in short order, his relationship fell apart and his mother, to whom he was very close, died. In the midst of this period of personal crisis and intellectual remaking, he decided to write a poem about Christmas and to have it set to music by his friend Benjamin Britten. Applying for a Guggenheim grant, Auden explained that he understood the difficulty of writing something vivid and distinctive about that most clichéd of subjects, but welcomed the challenge. In the end, the poem proved too long and complex to be set by Britten, but in it we have a remarkably ambitious and poetically rich attempt to see Christmas in double focus: as a moment in the history of the Roman Empire and of Judaism, and as an ever-new and always contemporary event for the believer. For the Time Being is Auden's only explicitly religious long poem, a technical tour de force, and a revelatory window into the poet's personal and intellectual development. This edition provides the most accurate text of the poem, a detailed introduction by Alan Jacobs that explains its themes and sets the poem in its proper contexts, and thorough annotations of its references and allusions.
Charles Dickens
by Charles Dickens and Neil BartlettUsing only Charles Dickens’ extraordinary words and a chameleon ensemble of actors, Neil Bartlett’s powerful stage versions of Dickens have gathered wide critical acclaim. This volume contains Bartlett’s versions of Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist. ‘Gets right to the frozen heart of Dickens’ classic Christmas tale...one of those rare festive offerings for which no adult will need the excuse of a child in tow...’ Guardian ‘A magical refashioning of tradition.’ Observer Between them, these adaptations have had over a hundred productions. They have been widely performed by schools, universities and community theatre groups throughout the English-speaking world and theatres that have produced them include London’s Lyric Hammersmith, the Bristol Old Vic, the Southwark Playhouse, the Glasgow Citizens, the American Repertory Theatre in Boston and the La Jolla Playhouse(USA).
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens and Neil Bartlett‘Oh, but he was a squeezing, wrenching, scraping, grasping kind of a Scrooge; a clutching, covetous old sinner...’Using only Charles Dickens' extraordinary words and a chameleon ensemble of eight actors, Neil Bartlett's A Christmas Carol is a bold theatrical reimagining of a classic Christmas story. This stage version was adapted for the festive season of 2002-3, and played to full houses and critical acclaim at both the Lyric Hammersmith, London, and the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow.‘Gets right to the frozen heart of Dickens' classic Christmas tale...one of those rare festive offerings for which no adult will need the excuse of a child in tow...’ - Guardian
Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens and Neil BartlettUsing only Charles Dickens’ extraordinary words and a chameleon ensemble of eight actors, Neil Bartlett's powerful stage version of this much-loved story brings its settings and characters to thrilling theatrical life.From its opening image of little Pip, alone on the windswept marshes, to the haunted darkness of mad Miss Haversham's cobweb-strewn lair, this brand-new adaptation especially commissioned by Aberystwyth Arts Centre takes its audience on a journey right to the heart of Dickens’ great exploration of childhood terrors and hopes - and of adult dreams and regrets.
GCSE English Text Guide
by Cgp Books"This CGP Text Guide contains everything you need to write top-grade essays about ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. It’s suitable for all GCSE English exams, including the new ones starting in summer 2017. Inside, you’ll find clear, thorough notes on the novel’s context, plot, characters, themes and the writer’s techniques - with quick questions, in-depth questions and exam-style questions included at the end of every section. There’s also detailed exam advice to help you improve your grades, plus a cartoon-strip summary to remind you of all the important plot points!
New Grade 9-1 GCSE English - A Christmas Carol Workbook (includes Answers) ( PDF)
by Cgp BooksThis brilliant CGP Workbook for A Christmas Carol has the latest Grade 9-1 GCSE English Literature exams covered. It’s brimming with questions on the plot, characters, context, themes and the writer’s techniques - with answers included at the back. There’s also a section of exercises for students to practise the different skills needed for the exam, and the book is rounded off with a comic strip that summarises the whole novel. This Workbook for A Christmas Carol perfectly matches our Text Guide (9781782943099) or it can be used on its own.
Christmas pudding (Large Print)
by Rnib BookshareOn this page is an image of a traditional Christmas pudding on a plate, smothered with brandy sauce and decorated with holly leaves. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. At the top centre of the page are two prickly green holly leaves. Down the page from this is the creamy brandy sauce dripping down the sides of the rich, brown, fruit-filled pudding. Near the bottom of the page is the red plate that the pudding stands on.
Christmas pudding (UEB Contracted)
by Rnib BookshareOn this page is an image of a traditional Christmas pudding on a plate, smothered with brandy sauce and decorated with holly leaves. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. At the top centre of the page are two prickly green holly leaves. Down the page from this is the creamy brandy sauce dripping down the sides of the rich, brown, fruit-filled pudding. Near the bottom of the page is the red plate that the pudding stands on.
Christmas pudding (UEB uncontracted)
by Rnib BookshareOn this page is an image of a traditional Christmas pudding on a plate, smothered with brandy sauce and decorated with holly leaves. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. At the top centre of the page are two prickly green holly leaves. Down the page from this is the creamy brandy sauce dripping down the sides of the rich, brown, fruit-filled pudding. Near the bottom of the page is the red plate that the pudding stands on.
Christmas tree with decorations (Large Print)
by Rnib BookshareThis is an image of a Christmas tree standing in a pot. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. It is decorated with a star, gold coloured tinsel and multi-coloured baubles. At the top centre of the page is a five-pointed star and down the page is the Christmas tree with its typical zigzag outline. The tree is decorated with round blue, red and yellow baubles hanging from its branches and has sparkling gold tinsel draped across it. Near the bottom of the page is the tree's trunk standing in a red ceramic pot.
Christmas tree with decorations UEB Contracted)
by Rnib BookshareThis is an image of a Christmas tree standing in a pot. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. It is decorated with a star, gold coloured tinsel and multi-coloured baubles. At the top centre of the page is a five-pointed star and down the page is the Christmas tree with its typical zigzag outline. The tree is decorated with round blue, red and yellow baubles hanging from its branches and has sparkling gold tinsel draped across it. Near the bottom of the page is the tree's trunk standing in a red ceramic pot.
Christmas tree with decorations (UEB Uncontracted)
by Rnib BookshareThis is an image of a Christmas tree standing in a pot. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. It is decorated with a star, gold coloured tinsel and multi-coloured baubles. At the top centre of the page is a five-pointed star and down the page is the Christmas tree with its typical zigzag outline. The tree is decorated with round blue, red and yellow baubles hanging from its branches and has sparkling gold tinsel draped across it. Near the bottom of the page is the tree's trunk standing in a red ceramic pot.
Father Christmas (Large Print)
by Rnib BookshareThis picture shows Father Christmas standing up and facing forward dressed in his familiar costume. Next to him is a sack of presents. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. Father Christmas's red hat with its white bobble is at the top right of the page and down from this is his head, with two bushy white eyebrows, two eyes, red nose, moustache, mouth, long hair and flowing white beard. On either side of his beard is the fleecy white collar of his red coat, and down from this a wide belt. To the left and right he holds his hands and arms out from his side, showing the sleeves of his coat with fleecy white trim at the wrist. Down the page again is the white trim of his coat, his red trousers and his big brown boots. The sack of presents is at the bottom left of the page.
Father Christmas (UEB Contracted)
by Rnib BookshareThis picture shows Father Christmas standing up and facing forward dressed in his familiar costume. Next to him is a sack of presents. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. Father Christmas's red hat with its white bobble is at the top right of the page and down from this is his head, with two bushy white eyebrows, two eyes, red nose, moustache, mouth, long hair and flowing white beard. On either side of his beard is the fleecy white collar of his red coat, and down from this a wide belt. To the left and right he holds his hands and arms out from his side, showing the sleeves of his coat with fleecy white trim at the wrist. Down the page again is the white trim of his coat, his red trousers and his big brown boots. The sack of presents is at the bottom left of the page.
Father Christmas (UEB Uncontracted)
by Rnib BookshareThis picture shows Father Christmas standing up and facing forward dressed in his familiar costume. Next to him is a sack of presents. There is a locator dot shown, which will be at the top left of the page when the image is the right way up. Father Christmas's red hat with its white bobble is at the top right of the page and down from this is his head, with two bushy white eyebrows, two eyes, red nose, moustache, mouth, long hair and flowing white beard. On either side of his beard is the fleecy white collar of his red coat, and down from this a wide belt. To the left and right he holds his hands and arms out from his side, showing the sleeves of his coat with fleecy white trim at the wrist. Down the page again is the white trim of his coat, his red trousers and his big brown boots. The sack of presents is at the bottom left of the page.
Winter Tales
by George Mackay BrownThis collection celebrates winter and its festivals, light and darkness. It includes the tales of Lieutenant William Bligh at the port of Hamnavoe, an Edinburgh man rediscovering his roots in Shetland, Baltic-men shipwrecked on the Orkney coast, and Norse warriors setting out for the Holy Land.Through these stories George Mackay Brown explores the effects of new ways of thinking and working on the ancient patterns and traditions of Orkney life.
A Christmas Carol (Oxford Literature Companions) (PDF)
by Charles Dickens and Peter Buckroyd and Carmel WaldronEasy to use in the classroom or as a tool for revision, Oxford Literature Companions provide student-friendly analysis of a range of popular GCSE set texts. Each book offers a lively, engaging approach to the text, covering characters, themes, language and contexts, whilst also providing a range of varied and in-depth activities to deepen understanding and encourage close work with the text. Each book also includes a comprehensive Skills and Practice section, whichprovides detailed advice on assessment and a bank of exam-style questions and annotated sample student answers. This guide covers A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Blackthorn Winter
by Sarah ChallisIn April, when blackthorn blossom clothes the hedgerows like a wedding veil, there sometimes comes a frost so severe that it seems as if the summer will never come. Country people call this a blackthorn winter.For Claudia Barron, arriving in the Dorset village of Court Barton that April, blackthorn winter seems like a metaphor for everything that has happened to her. Hiding from her previous life, she adopts an assumed name and applies for a job in the local school. But villages don’t much like mysteries and secrets and soon the inhabitants of Court Barton set out to find out what it is that Claudia Barron is hiding from and why.
Alex and the Winter Star
by Ann CoburnIn this hilarious sequel to Alex and The Warrior, Alex and Cat are once again faced with keeping the unruly Warrior under control, not an easy feat for the pair as I'm sure you all know. One year older, Alex has started to doubt his old friend Warrior, but Warrior cannot leave until he's vanquished his deadly enemy the Skarg... Somehow the dreaded Skarg, who still can't decide whether to destroy the Earth or star in the next Hollywood movie, have found a way to break out of the game and with their new found freedom are planning world domination! Only through securing the help of his friend Alex can Warrior stop the villains dastardly plans and save the world from invasion... Incorporating the themes of friendship and what it means to belong, Alex and the Winter Star is not only play jam packed with adventure, danger and magic, but is underlined by important concepts and issues. Ideal for young actors and schools, Alex's new adventures are sure to capture the imagination of young readers, sending them spinning into a mystical world of possibilities.
Mistletoe Winter
by Roy DennisMistletoe Winter is a collection of essays on our environment, nature and wildlife, covering biodiversity, habitat conservation, rewilding and individual species. As in his companion volume, Cottongrass Summer, Roy Dennis balances his alarm at the crisis confronting the natural world with his own sense of optimism that new generations can make crucial changes for the future. His essays are informed by his considerable experience of working in nature to tackle species decline, degradation of habitats, the impact of farming practices, and to promote better stewardship of the land.One of our most prominent advocates for our planet and its species, Roy Dennis writes with insight and originality. This volume will provide inspiration and ideas for everyone who cares about our planet and its species.
Bookworms, Stage 3
by Clare West and Charles DickensThe Oxford Bookworms Library offers enjoyable reading at seven levels (Starter to Stage 6). To find your required reading level please take the Oxford Bookworks reading level test. Ebeneezer Scrooge is a cross, miserable, mean old man. When his nephew visits him on Christmas Eve to wish him a merry Christmas, Scrooge is not at all pleased. Bah! Humbug! he says. Christmas is humbug! Everyone who goes around saying 'Merry Christmas' should have his tongue cut out. Yes, he should! Oh yes, Scrooge is a hard, mean man. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, gets only fifteen shillings a week, and has to work in a cold little office, with a fire too small to warm even his toes. But that Christmas Eve Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his long-dead partner, Jacob Marley. And after him come three more ghostly visitors ... It is a long night, and a frightening night, and when Christmas Day finally arrives, Scrooge is a very different man indeed.
A Charles Dickens Christmas
by Charles DickensA compendium of four of Charles Dickens's Christmas stories, A Charles Dickens Christmas includes The Chimes (1844), The Cricket on the Hearth (1845), The Battle of Life (1846) and The Haunted Man (1848).
A Christmas Carol
by Charles DickensIn October 1843, Charles Dickens ― heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher ― began work on a book to help supplement his family's meager income. That volume, A Christmas Carol, has long since become one of the most beloved stories in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favorite continues to delight new readers and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill.
With its characters exhibiting many qualities ― as well as failures ― often ascribed to Dickens himself, the imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge's eerie encounters with a series of spectral visitors. Journeying with them through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warmhearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England's greatest and most popular novelists, A Christmas Carol has come to epitomize the true meaning of Christmas.
A Christmas Carol
by Charles DickensA Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 to great popular and critical acclaim. Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation into a kinder, gentler man after visitations by a series of ghosts has become an inseparable part of Christmas tradition. It seems impossible to imagine what the holiday season would be like without its familiar charms.