by Andy Croft
She and her mum were leaving as soon as her dad got better. He had spent the last few days in the hospital and he was going to be off work for at least a month. They were going to rent a house in the city until he was better.
The local council planned to buy the old orchard land and turn it into a park.
She reached the bridge at the end of the village. There were no more houses here, just fields. She must have passed Ash’s house without seeing it.
She turned round and walked back. There was the village shop. But where was the house? She went into the shop.
“Excuse me,” she said, “I’m looking for two friends of mine. They live here somewhere. A boy and a girl.” Holly didn’t know their surname. “The girl is very tall and she’s called Ash. And her brother is called Willow.”
The old man behind the counter shook his head. “Sorry, miss. There’s nobody called that round here.”
This made no sense. Of course they lived here.
Holly went outside. She stood on the bridge. Some ducks were swimming on the river. There were no houses near the shop, just a field.
And two tall trees, waving in the warm sunshine.
Drawing a Veil
Ellie and Amina are best friends. But when Amina decides to start wearing the hijab, it attracts the attention of the bullies. Does it matter if best friends have different beliefs? A thought-provoking story about friendship, culture and modern life.
Zero to Hero
Will is football mad, but he’s the shortest boy in the year, and one of the slowest. He knows his skills at passing and ball control could make up for his lack of size, but the team coach is looking for fast players. Will he ever get a chance to show what he can do?
Pitch Dark
David wants to be on the school team, like he was before. But Nick, the current goalie, has killed off any hope of that. Walking home one night, David meets a stranger who will change his life forever. But will David’s football dream turn into a living nightmare?
First published 2012 by A & C Black,
an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
www.acblack.com
This electronic edition published in February 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © 2012 Andy Croft
Illustrations copyright © 2012 Sean Longcroft
The rights of Andy Croft and Sean Longcroft to be identified
as the author and illustrator of this work have been asserted by them
in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978 1 4081 6579 9
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved.
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
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