Showing results by author "Margaret Ryan" in All Categories

With the 2020 US presidential election looming, the emerging contest doesn’t seem so much a battle of ideas as it does a war of two tribes bent on the other’s destruction. The Far Left and Far Right aren’t much interested in a conversation, and they’ve dropped any pretense of it. But in fact, according to a recent study, two-thirds of the country are part of an “exhausted majority”, who “share a sense of fatigue with our polarized national conversation, a willingness to be flexible in their political viewpoints, and a lack of voice in the national conversation.”

Long ago, when wolves roamed the land, and before underpants had been invented, the Romans conquered Britain. But not everyone liked the Romans. Lots of people fought back, and none more than Queen Goodica's youngest daughter Roodica the Rude! The rotten Romans have dammed Roodica’s river- and that means no more swimming. But she’s thought up a great way for getting the river back- and getting revenge!

In these four stories - "The Curse of Captain Cross-Eyed", "The Treasure of Mr Tipp", "The Riddle of Dr. Sphinx", and "The Mystery of Miss King" - Jonny meets a range of oddballs and mysterious neighbours, including the shady figure at number 13 with a parrot on his shoulder; the inventor at number 34 1/2, who has a hall full of robots; the archaeologist with the overgrown garden at number 36; and the lady at number 57 with a foot in her shed.

It's Roodica's birthday and she has big plans - but things are ruined when everyone is invited to a party for the birthday of Magnus Maximus instead. Roodica is not going to let that stand in her way, especially when she finds out how superstitious the Romans are....

Long ago, when wolves and bears roamed the land and before underpants had been invented, the Romans conquered Britain. The Romans built fine houses and straight roads, and encouraged the Celts to take baths. But not everyone liked the Romans. Lots of people fought back, and none more stubbornly than Queen Goodica's youngest daughter, Roodica the Rude!