Ping is a slave in a royal palace on the edge of the Emperor's kingdom. Under her master's watch, the Emperor's dragons have dwindled from a dozen to a miserable two. When one dragon dies, only the wise Long Danzi remains. His fate seems sealed - until Ping comes to his rescue in a moment of bravery that reveals her destiny as a Dragonkeeper.

Nicholas Barber stumbles across a group of travelling players. In the town where they perform, a young woman is to be hanged for the murder of a twelve-year-old boy. They decide to enact the murder of Thomas Wells. But as the actors rehearse, they discover that the truth about the boy's death has yet to be revealed.

* 'The divine Spark is shining at her brightest ... Pure delight' Claire Tomalin, Independent

Jean Brodie is a teacher whose unconventional ideas put her at odds with the other members of staff at the Marcia Blaine School in Edinburgh, as she endeavours to shape the lives of the select group of girls who form her set .

On a peat and heather island off the west coast of Scotland, Effie and her mother Nora take refuge in the large mouldering house of their ancestors and tell each other stories. But strange things are happening. Why is Effie being followed? Is someone killing the old people? And where is the mysterious yellow dog?