"The English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues.
From the Celtic languages of pre-Roman Britain to Norman French; from the Vikings' Old Scandinavian to Persian, Sanskrit, Algonquian, Cantonese and Hawaiian – amongst a host of others – we have enriched our modern language with such words as tulip, slogan, doolally, avocado, moccasin, ketchup and ukulele.
May We Borrow Your Language? explores the intriguing and unfamiliar stories behind scores of familiar words that the English language has filched from abroad; in so doing, it also sheds fascinating light on the wider history of the development of the English we speak today.
Full of etymological nuggets to intrigue and delight the reader, this is a gift book for word buffs to cherish – as cerebrally stimulating as it is more-ishly entertaining.
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Philip Gooden writes books about language as well as historical crime novels. The former include 'Who's Whose? A No-Nonsense Guide to Easily-Confused Words', 'The Story of English', and (as co-author) 'Idiomantics' and 'The Word at War'."
"An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
Pip’s just your average boy. He has no parents, lives with his scary sister and once met an escaped criminal on Christmas Eve – in the middle of a graveyard. Totally normal.
And things get even stranger when a mysterious stranger starts paying him loads of money. Sure, Pip’s loving his new life of luxury, but will he ever find out who’s paying the bills, and what they want from him in return?"
"An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
In Coketown, there’s no place forimagination. There are facts and figures and absolutely nothing else – or so Thomas Gradgrind thinks.
When the circus appears in town, it brings Sissy Jupe with it. A young girl who has been abandoned by her father and is taken in by Thomas Gradgrind. Full of fun and energy, will Sissy save the Gradgrind children from a life of fact-and-figure-filled misery before its too late?"
"An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
David’s life isn’t easy. His father is dead and his mother is getting married to the meanest man in the country. And when he is sent off to a truly terrible school, David discovers punishments more terrible than he can imagine. Surely life can’t get any worse!
The only happy ever afters David knows are in the pages of his favourite books. Can he rewrite his own ending?"
"An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
With daily beheadings and famous buildings being burnt to the ground, Paris during the Revolution is not the safest place to be.
When Dr Manette is released from prison and reunited with his daughter, everything seems to finally be getting better. But his daughter’s boyfriend is keeping some dangerous secrets that lead the family on a deadly adventure. How long can ‘happy ever after’ really last?"
"An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
Kate and Nicholas Nickelby’s life is bliss until their father dies. After that they’re left penniless, living in London with only their horrible uncle to help them.
Sent away to work as a teacher, Nicholas soon learns that things can get worse. Dotheboys Hall isn’t the marvellous manor of education it’s supposed to be, and the vicious trickery is just beginning. Nicholas needs to save family (and quick!), but how?"
"An illustrated adaptation of Charles Dickens's Victorian classic – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages!
Filled with rusting relics and tattered treasure maps, The Old Curiosity Shop is Nell Trent’s favourite place in the whole world. This is lucky because it’s also her home.
Nell and her grandfather have always been happy with their simple lives. But when money gets tight, the pair are thrown out of their beloved shop and into the unknown. Poor and hungry, with no one to turn to, how will they cope now?"
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