Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations.

The fate of a land depends on one girl

A humourous sequel to Groosham Grange, in which David Eliot is on course to win the Unholy Grail, a cup of magical power presented to the star pupil.

Twelve-year-old Alexa Daley is spending another summer in Bridewell with her father. She looks forward to exploring the old lodge where she stays each year, with its cozy library and maze of passages.