Runaway Life

Will Sparrow, liar and thief, is running away—from the father who sold him for beer, from the innkeeper who threatened to sell him as a chimney sweep, from his whole sorry life. Barefoot and penniless, without family, friends, or boots, Will is determined to avoid capture and, of course, to find something to eat. Some of the travelers he meets on the road have a kind word for him and a promise of better things to come, such as coins and juicy beef ribs. Eager to go along, Will repeatedly finds himself tricked by older and wiser tricksters....

When a child escapes Madame Strang’s Academy for Incredibly Irritating Children in the dead of night, Madame Strang, her cool and calculating right-hand man, Mr Grule, and her overweight sausage dog, Mangler, will do anything to track him down. But friends Riz and Olly know a good story when they see one, and with the help of runaway Drew Hill, the trio are soon on a mission to uncover the secret that Madame Strang is so desperate to keep...one that involves a dastardly brainwashing invention and an academy full of plain and perfectly behaved children.

Sometimes following your dreams isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…. When I decided I’d stop at nothing to become a Vampire Hunter, even though my older sister and her teammates knew I wasn’t ready, I got myself into trouble—a whole lot of trouble. Now, I’ll never be exactly what I wanted to be—and I’ll never be the same as I was before either. There’s a dangerous Vampire on the loose, and I know I’m the only one who can stop him from continuing to prey on the innocent. But since I’ve already broken my sister’s trust, how can I prove to her that I’m more than just ...

Poppo's mind wandered. And Poppo wandered, too. Sometimes. Not often. Not yet, anyway. Arlo's grandfather travels in time. Not literally - he just mixes up the past with the present. Eleven-year-old Arlo holds on as best he can - because his grandfather is all the family he knows. Arlo fixes himself cereal for dinner and gives money to the owner of the corner store for the sausages Poppo takes without remembering to pay. But how long before someone finds out that Arlo is taking care of his grandfather instead of the other way around?

Noah is running away from his problems, or at least that's what he thinks, the day he takes the un-trodden path through the forest. When he comes across a very unusual toy-shop and meets the even more unusual toy-maker he's not sure what to expect. But the toy-maker has a story to tell, a story full of adventure and wonder and broken promises. And Noah travels with him on a journey that will change his life for ever.

There’s something growing in Snoops Bay. It started as a lump, then it became a bump, then a mound, then a hill. Now it’s a fully fledged mutant mountain. Young detectives Riz, Olly, Drew and Anton know there’s more to the story than meets the eye and are determined to uncover the mystery. Little do they know, the biggest clue is lying a few miles away at Pigtopia, a brand-new pig theme park that’s hiding a mutant-sized secret.

It's the school holidays in Snoops Bay, and Riz, Olly, Drew and Anton are looking for their next adventure. When they decide to visit the town's most unremarkable tourist spot, Bony Beach, they're shocked to discover a long-lost shipwreck that sunk to the bottom of the sea with treasure aboard. But their exploration of the ruin is quickly thwarted when they come face to face with the phantom figure of the ship's captain, Horatio Huxley, and accidentally put a curse on Snoops Bay. Undeterred, our heroes vow to get to the bottom of the mystery once and for all.

In 1965, five teenage friends fled Glasgow for London to pursue their dream of musical stardom. Yet before year's end three returned, and returned damaged. In 2015, a brutal murder forces those three men, now in their 60s, to journey back to London and finally confront the dark truth they have run from for five decades. Runaway is a crime novel covering 50 years of friendships solidified and severed, dreams shared and shattered and passions lit and extinguished.

In a dying country town lives Satchel O'Rye, a young man fighting the future; Chelsea Piper, a young woman fighting the past; and a long-lost creature that can teach them both the art of survival. Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf is a shimmering, ultimately joyful novel, a story of journeying towards courage and freedom, of finding the will to live a life beyond expectation.

Tash has to follow many rules to survive in Tibet, a country occupied by Chinese soldiers. But when a man sets himself on fire in protest and soldiers seize Tash's parents, she and her best friend Sam must break the rules. They are determined to escape Tibet - and seek the help of the Dalai Lama himself in India. And so, with a backpack of Tash's father's mysterious papers and two trusty yaks by their side, their extraordinary journey across the mountains begins.

Quest One: Run Away Feet allows the listener to journey with Self-Elf as he steps into his fears, talks back to his thoughts, and uses his ability to adapt and get back on track when things don’t go as planned.

A gritty drama that will appeal to fans of The Throwaway Children and authors Nadine Dorries and Kitty Neale. When little Terry and Nancy arrive at the door of St Saviour's Children's Home, they seem shell-shocked after being orphaned in the fire that killed their parents. Terry is terribly damaged by his experiences, though the concerned staff, especially Angela Morton, suspect that there is something more sinister behind his disturbing behaviour.

When little Ella's grandmother dies, she is turned out of her home and forced into a life of cruel labour. Even her own mother won't help, too busy with her new husband. Seeking refuge at the Foundling School for Girls, Ella meets Julia, who has been torn apart from her twin, Ned. They must take matters into their own hands if they're to stay together despite their parents' wishes. In a world of hardship and betrayal, three children begin a search for belonging.

Runaway Girl: Aint No Love in the Streets is a great book that awares children about the dangers of sex trafficking. The narrative begins with a typical middle class family. Yolanda is a 12-year-old girl who experiences and unfortunate situation connecting with a stranger online.

Richard feels lost. Born with drugs coursing through his veins, Richard's early years were filled with challenges. Bounced from foster home to foster home, he hides behind a worn comic book, dreaming of a place to belong. Then, a chance encounter with the world of fashion and modeling ignites a spark within him. Can Richard overcome his shyness and find his voice on the runway? Will he discover the forever family he's always longed for?

Daisy Lennox comes home...and for Reid Foster, nothing has changed. Eight years after she bolted on their wedding day, he can't take his eyes off her. Seeing her walk into Steamboat Springs to care for her two little nieces, Reid is hit by an undeniable realization: They belong together...still. Love. Marriage. Children. Daisy wanted them...a long time ago. But loving Reid comes with too high a price-facing the family secrets she ran from. But then Reid makes his move...and Daisy starts to sweat. Reid won't let her go without a fight.

In 1970, Erin Keane’s mother ran away from home for the first time. She was thirteen years old. Over the next several years, and under two assumed identities, she hitchhiked her way across America, experiencing freedom, hardship, and tragedy. At fifteen, she met a man in New York City and married him. He was thirty-six. Through a deft balance of journalistic digging, cultural criticism, and poetic reimagining, Keane pieces together the true story of her mother’s teenage years, questioning almost everything she’s been told about her parents and their relationship.

Ame is an unusual girl. This is her story.

The adventures of a Victorian laundry maid sent to live in a boarding-home for wayward orphans...a high-octane, high-drama romp! The story starts with a young laundry maid by the name of Minnie O’Sullivan, who is whisked away to a nightmarish home for wayward girls. Her friends plot to help her, but first they’ll have to outwit Mrs Haddington, a wicked philanthropist, and Obadiah Marpike, a dastardly conman hiding in plain sight.

There's more than meets the eye to Videus' obsession with Runa and her bloodlines. The only problem is, unraveling the mystery could unleash catastrophe on everything she holds dear. As the prophecy starts to unfold, Runa's left with a severe handicap. Not only has she not completed the trials like she was meant to - she's rocked by a betrayal she didn't see coming. Can Runa stop Videus once and for all - or will the fate of Pendomus be locked forever by one man's madness?