Margaret Mahy is renowned for creating vivid fantasy landscapes that enthral readers of all ages. In each of these five stories fantasy is at work in unusual and powerful ways. There's also a common theme of the pull that buildings have over people, whether they become houses in which characters find safety and comfort or prisons that can trap and oppress. These enchanting stories - by turns hilariously funny and unsettlingly spooky - have been taken from some of Margaret Mahy's best collections that are sadly no longer available. Their return to print will be welcomed by parents and teachers and will also be an exciting introduction to the work of a master storyteller for children themselves.

Author Biography

One of the world's most acclaimed children's authors, Margaret Mahy is twice-winner of the Carnegie Medal (for The Haunting and The Changeover) and five times a winner of the Esther Glen Award in her native New Zealand. Her work includes picture books, novels and short story collections which she has been publishing since 1969.