Hilary McKay Books In Order

The Exiles

The Conroys are no ordinary family. For a start, they don’t have a television. Nor are they allowed to keep pets. And Mr and Mrs Conroy never take their daughters Ruth, Naomi, Rachel and Phoebe on holiday. But then Mr and Mrs Conroy inherit GBP5000, and, to their daughters’ dismay, decide to spend it redecorating the house over the summer. So the girls are packed off to Big Grandma’s house for the holidays, where lots of chores and horribly long walks await them. At first it seems as though Big Grandma is determined to put a stop to any fun. But, being Conroys, the girls soon find novel ways to entertain themselves, and start having as many adventures and mishaps as usual…
and after a while, even Big Grandma doesn’t seem so bad…

The Exiles at Home

When Ruth Conroy decides to sponsor a child in Africa, she is unprepared for the difficulties involved in finding GBP10 a month. So she enlists the help of her sisters Phoebe, Naomi and Rachel who are only too eager to dream up hare brained fund raising schemes…
Undisciplined baby sitters, unhygienic caterers or fraudulent pavement artists, their hilarious projects never fail to cause chaos and mayhem.

Exiles in Love

Once again, Hilary McKay has written another very funny, realistic story about the irrepressible Conroy sisters that readers of her earlier books, THE EXILES and THE EXILES AT HOME, will welcome with delight. THE Exiles in Love is sure to make new friends for Hilary McKay.

Dog Friday

Cheerful mayhem carries the day in this new middle grade novel from the author of ‘The Exiles’. Ten year old Robin Brogan’s life takes a turn for the interesting when a new family with five children moves next door. And when Robin, who’s terrified of dogs, finds a starving, abandoned dog on the beach, it’s his new neighbors who help him overcome his fears to save an animal that desperately needs him Ages 8 12. Pub: 12/97. .

Dolphin Luck

‘Some Dolphin Luck would be very useful,’ said Beany. It’s a wet, cold, and miserable Christmas. Mrs. Robinson is ill and so is Old Blanket, the Robinsons’ beloved dog. Following the doctor’s orders, Mr. Robinson takes Mrs. Robinson off to recuperate in a warmer climate, leaving Beany and Sun Dance, their two younger children, in the capable care of Mrs. Brogan, who with her son, Robin, lives in the other half of Porridge Hall, an old seaside mansion. The twins, Ant and Perry, are shipped off to Great Aunt Mabel. To Beany and Sun Dance, it seems as though things can’t get any worse. Sun Dance settles down to capture any burglar who may attempt to rob their house, and Beany determines to find an ancient sword, with a hilt in the shape of a dolphin, that is supposed to bring luck and grant wishes. Meanwhile, Ant and Perry find their old aunt not quite what they expected. She eats porridge and nothing else and lives with two large dogs, four cats, and a parrot. Before the Robinson family is reunited, each one of them has had extraordinary, sometimes scary, frequently harrowing adventures that make for touching, often hilarious, utterly absorbing reading. This companion to Hilary McKay’s earlier Dog Friday and The Amber Cat, with its rich characterization and great originality, is an outstanding achievement.

Amber Cat

The heroes of Dog Friday are back! Robin Brogan and his best friend, Dan, have caught chicken pox and are suffering through their illness in comfort at Robin’s house. When Sun Dance, a boy from next door, happily develops a case of the disease, the chicken pox club is formed! As the boys convalesce, Robin’s mother tells them a strange and wonderful story from her childhood. The summer she was eleven, she and her friends Nick and Charley played on the beach with an unusual girl named Harriet. Who was Harriet? And where had she come from? The answer to the mystery is more amazing than anyone could have imagined.

Treasure in the Garden

Danny, Anna, and Nathan live in the flats of Paradise House, but they are far from angelic and get up to all sorts of mischief. Nathan moves into the cupboard under the stairs to escape his sister’s wailing, but he doesn’t expect to find a clue to buried treasure. What will he unearth in the garden?

The Echo in the Chimney

One night, Danny is woken by a strange shrieking noise from behind his bedroom wall. Could it be a ghost? His mother doesn’t think so, but then again, what else could it be? Soon, everyone in Paradise House is involved. But what emerges is beyond Danny’s wildest dreams.

The Magic in the Mirror

Anna is disappointed when she discovers the scientific explanation for upside down reflections in spoons, for she thought it was magic. But her Chinese great grandmother’s dragon coat and some silken juggling balls help her make some special, messy magic of her own.

Keeping Cotton Tail

There are no pets allowed in Paradise House. So when Kathy arrives with a secret rabbit there are big problems for everyone. Nathan and Anna do their best to help, but in the end it is Danny who comes up with a plan for Keeping Cotton Tail that just might work!

The Birthday Wish

Miss Gilhoolie is one cool teacher. She wears diamonds in her hair, decorates the classroom in spangly colors, and actually manages to make school really interesting. But mad Mr. Bang Bang Jones, the horrible headmaster, is on a mission to get her sacked. The award winning Hilary McKay has here created an extraordinary school filled with the kind of smart, feisty children you just wish had been your own best friends. As they fight to save their favorite teacher from the axe, Simon, Madeline, and Dougal bicker and banter like every other child, each dealing with their own problems yet at the same time letting their intelligence and wit sparkle and save the day.

A Strong Smell of Magic

A special Class Prize will be awarded to the children who make the most money at the Pudding Bag School Summer Fair. With their teacher ill in bed, and only a rather mangy moose for company, Class 4b despair of winning anything at all. Something special is needed, and it arrives just in time. But could it be a bit too special? After all, it smells very strongly of magic!

Saffy’s Angel

Those of you who have read Hilary McKay’s earlier books, among which are The Exiles, Dog Friday, and Dolphin Luck, will happily welcome her new story, Saffy’s Angel. Whether you have read her work or not, you have a special treat in store in Saffy’s Angel. You’ll meet the four Casson children, whose mother, Eve, a fine arts painter, has given them the names of paint colors. Cadmium, called Caddy, is the eldest; then comes Saffron, known as Saffy; Indigo, the only boy; and Rose, the youngest. When Saffy discovers quite by accident that she has been adopted, she is deeply upset, though the others assure her it makes no difference at all. Saffy is the daughter of Eve’s twin sister, who lived in Siena, Italy, and died in a car crash. Grandad brought Saffy, as a very small child, back from Siena. At Grandad’s death, he leaves something to each of the children. To Saffy, it is ‘her angel,’ although no one knows its identity. How Saffy discovers what her angel is, with the help of an energetic new friend, lies at the heart of this enchanting story. Unforgettable characters come alive in often deeply humorous and always absorbing events to make a book to be treasured for a long, long time.

Indigo’s Star

It’s back to school for the start of a new term, and the eccentric Cassons are up to their old tricks! Indigo, having just recovered from a bout of mononucleosis, must return to school after missing an entire semester. Only his younger sister and loyal sidekick, Rose, knows why he’s dreading it so much. As it turns out, the school bullies are eagerly awaiting Indigo’s return so that they can pick up where they left off flushing his head in the toilet. But Indigo hasn’t counted on meeting Tom, an American student who is staying with his grandmother in England for the year. With his couldn’t care less attitude and rock and roll lifestyle, Tom becomes Indigo’s ally, and together they work to take back the school. Meanwhile, eight year old Rose is desperately trying to avoid wearing horrible glas*ses, nineteen year old Caddy is agonizing over her many suitors, Saffy is working overtime with her best friend, Sarah, to protect Indigo from the gang, and with their father, Bill, in London at his art studio, their mother, Eve, is just trying to stay on top of it all! In this hilarious, heartwarming companion to her award winning Saffy’s Angel, Hilary McKay shows us a new side of the Cassons and reminds us that nothing is stronger than the bonds of family.

Permanent Rose

Feisty Rose takes center stage as the highly original Casson family faces a long, hot summer.

As usual, things are a bit chaotic. Eldest daughter Caddy is now engaged to darling Michael, and she’s not altogether sure she likes it. Saffy and Sarah are on a mission to find Saffy’s biological father while cultivating hearts of stone. Indigo is cautiosly beginning a friendship with a reformed bully, who desparately wants to feel like part of the Casson family. Rose, while missing Tom who none of them have heard from dreadfully, enters into a life of petty crime, shoplifting small items until her misadventures nearly bring disaster. An accidental trip to London and a visit with Rose’s father lead to a startling revelation, but through it all Rose’s single minded determination to find Tom remains as fierce as it is hopeless. Oris it?

Hilary McKay has painted the fond mayhem of this delightul family with such humor, warmth, and authenticity that readers will fall in love with them all over again. Once you’ve visited the Casson household, you may never want to leave.

Caddy Ever After

Love is in the air for the Casson family! Four hilarious, endearing tales unfold as Rose, Indigo, Saffy, and Caddy each tell their intertwining stories. Rose begins by showing how she does special with her Valentine’s card for Tom in New York. Not to be outdone, Indigo has his own surprise in store for the Valentine,s Day disco at school. For her part, Saffy has an unusual date in a very, very dark graveyard, and is haunted by a balloon that almost costs her her best friend.

But it is Caddy who dares everything as she tells all about love at first sight when you have found the Real Thing. Unfortunately the Real Thing is not darling Michael. What is Rose going to do?

Forever Rose

Rose knows that nothing stays the same forever. Still, it’s hard to watch her sisters and brother growing up and moving so far ahead of her. Caddy is back, but she’s not living at home. And worse she’s broken up with Darling Michael. Saffy and Indigo are so busy, they are seldom home. With her father in London and her mother painting in the shed, Rose is often alone in the house. Maybe that’s why she agrees to her new friend Molly’s crazy scheme. At least it seems crazy when Rose finds herself locked in the zoo at night with a roaring tiger. Maybe she should have been paying more attention to what Molly was saying. But on that spooky night, Rose finds out a secret that just might change everything and help bring her family and friends together and new life to their old house. Hilary McKay infuses her charming characters with much love and laughter in this final visit with the delightfully daffy Casson family.

Pirates Ahoy

Simon and his teddy Snowdrop are off to stay at Gran’s for a day and a night. So is his cousin Peter who thinks he is too big for childish things: possibly Simon and definitely teddy bears. But after spending a day turning Gran’s garden into a pirate adventure playground, Peter realises that friendship comes in all shapes and sizes.

There’s a Dragon Downstairs

There’s a Dragon Downstairs at Sophie’s house. She knows he is there. She can hear him rattling and snuffling slinking through the rooms. She is scared, and hides beneath the bedclothes. But when he comes again, Sophie grows bolder…
she picks up her sword and shield. She will go downstairs and fight that dragon. This is a book about childhood imaginings. Sophie grows braver through the story and the dragon of course is no longer there.

Wishing for Tomorrow

Nothing is quite the same at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies since Sara Crewe went away with the Indian gentleman. Lavinia is once again the girls leader, but she hungers for a more interesting life. Lottie is still busy making mischief, as is the new neighbor, the red headed boy. Alice, the new maid, brings a breath of fresh air and slapdash practicality to the school. But Sara is much missed especially by her best friend, Ermengarde. Can Ermengarde find her own way and be happy? Will she and Sara ever be able to be friends the way they were before? Hilary McKay opens the door to Miss Minchin s again and invites listeners to take a peek at the new adventures beginning in a beloved tale.

Strange Bear

Simon’s bear is called Snowtop. Snowtop’s fur is a mixture of jam, paint and sandpit. Simon thought he was beautiful. But one day Simon goes out with Gran and when he comes back Snowtop has gone! In his place sits a pure white Strange Bear. How can Simon find his lovely, muddy, smelly Snowtop?

Where’s Bear?

Simon thinks Snowtop is the most beautiful bear in the world. His fur is partly soft and partly hard and sticky, Between his ears and under his chin he is snow white, but the rest of him is Pale gray with patches of wet grass color, sandbox color, and jam color. He’s just perfect! To Simon, that is. Simon’s mother and grandmother feel somewhat differently. One day, Gran whisks Simon out of the house and takes him on a wonderful adventure to the toy store, the fair, and for ice cream and cake. Gran moves so fast that Simon doesn’t have a moment to ask where Snowtop is. When they return home, a new bear is sitting in Snowtop’s place on Simon’s bed. This bear is soft and fluffy and white and smells of soap. This is Strange Bear, and Simon doesn’t like him. ‘Where gone, Snowtop?’ Simon cries. Simon takes Strange Bear to help him look for Snowtop. They look everywhere through the house, outside in the wet grass and the sandbox, and in the kitchen where they have some bread and jam to give themselves strength. Exhausted from their fruitless search, Simon and Strange Bear fall asleep. In the morning, there is Snowtop! But where has Strange Bear gone?Hilary McKay has written a finmy and gently reassuring story that is happily reflected in Alex Ayliffe’s bold and colorful pictures. The story of Simon and Snowtop, will be delightfully appealing to toddlers and grown ups alike.

Was That Christmas?

At preschool Bella learns all about Christmas that Santa Claus will come in his sleigh pulled over the snow by his reindeer. And he will bring a huge brown sack full of presents. Bella tells her beloved cat, Black Jack, about it when she gets home. But when Santa actually comes to her preschool, Bella is bitterly disappointed. He doesn’t seem to be the real thing at all no sleigh, no snow, no reindeer, and, worst of all, no present for Black Jack in his huge brown sack. ‘Was That Christmas??’ Bella sobs to her mother on the way home from the school party. So Bella’s family has to show her all the things that still have to be done before it is really Christmas, like baking mince pies, buying presents for her mother and father, icing the cake, and getting the Christmas tree. This is a delightful story for small children about all the wonderful things that make Christmas so special, told and illustrated by an award winning author and artist team.

Beetle and the Big Tree

Beetle has been planning to climb the big tree for as long as he can remember. But now it’s on the other side of the fence and suddenly it’s someone else’s tree. That posh kid on the other side of the fence is not going to get to the top of the big tree first…