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Another knife landed just below his left arm.

It’s all part of the show, thought Anna.

No one will really get hurt.

“But this trick has a twist,” said the escape artist. “I will not be doing it.”

He looked at Shazia. “You will,” he said.

“Who dares to join Zena?” asked the Ringmaster.
“Who will win the prize of a lifetime?”

Eve put her hand up.

The lights had gone out. The show was about to begin.

A big man wearing a cloak and a top hat was in the centre of the ring.

“No, Ash, don’t!” cried Beth.

But Ash wasn’t listening. He climbed
inside the box, and was gone.

The clown’s voice had changed.
He sounded evil. Then, he put his hand 
to his face and pulled.

Roll up, roll up! Boys and girls… take your seats… come and see what the Big Top of Horrors has in store…

This April we publish a new horror series specifically for struggling and reluctant readers of secondary school age. The six titles have been written by accomplished and well-respected authors, who, under the guidance of children’s literacy consultant, Dee Reid, have ensured that the vocabulary and sentence structure are accessible for very low level readers — without compromising the exciting plot lines and complex characters that classically appeal to teenagers.

With an interest age of 12+ and a word count of 400–600, these gruesome quick reads are perfect to inject fresh, new titles into your resources for struggling teenage readers. Each 32-page title has eye-catching illustrations by talented illustrators Abby Ryder and Szabolcs Pal, helping to keep the attention of the reader.

Here’s a sneaky peek

It feels like Christmas all over again as we have taken delivery of Papercuts, our new eerie fiction series for struggling readers.

The extraordinary, eye-catching covers are even better in the flesh. We know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but the illustrators, Mark Penman and James Lawrence, have created six phenomenal covers that will grab the attention of any reluctant reader.

These sinister new titles have been written by respected and accomplished authors to appeal to teenage readers with a reading age of 8–9. The realistic word count of 5000–6000, ensures that these titles are perfect for students who are intimidated by full-length novels. The stories include elements of horror, the supernatural, action and adventure.

To celebrate the launch of this sensational new series, if you order your copies in January 2018 you will also receive an A3 double-sided poster free of charge*. We are also giving you the opportunity to win a signed set of all six

Lucas likes to visit his great gran. She's ninety and in a care home. Her mind has gone. She thinks she's still a little five-year-old girl.

Lucas's girlfriend, Kay, has no time for the old woman. Until she and Lucas go looking for a long-lost doll that has been locked away in a wardrobe these past eighty years.

How could they know the horror their search would unleash?

Trina is searching for buried treasure. But in her dreams she's the one who's being buried.

Buried alive.

The terrors of the past are reborn in the present and no one is safe. Can Trina and her friends solve the mystery of her nightmares in time to stop the sickness spreading?