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773 ratings | 27 reviews | avg rating:3.70

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Emma Laybourn

Goodreads Author

Born

The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.megamousebooks.com

Genre

Children's Books, Ebooks, Classics

Member Since

June 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/emmalaybourn

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I'm an author based in the north of England. Although I've spent most of my working life in schools and libraries, I've also had seven children's books published, as well as about 60 short stories in various magazines in the UK and Australia.
In 2012 I set up a child-friendly story website, Megamousebooks.com, to offer free online children's stories, downloadable ebooks and puzzles. It's proving a full-time job, but a very enjoyable one.
I've also been slowly producing free, abridged ebook versions of classic English novels, and selections of well-known poetry. These are now available from my second website, Englishliteratureebooks.com. ...more

45 posts
Emma Laybourn's Blog

Which is the bleakest house in Dickens's 'Bleak House'?

While I was abridging Charles Dickens's Bleak House, one thing kept bugging me: why did Dickens give the book that title?

Indeed, why did he give the house in the book that name? For Bleak House is not bleak at all; it is a haven of comfort and affection for the orphaned heroine, Esther. But it is only so because of the kindness and care of its owner John Jarndyce, who has transformed it from its p Read more of this blog post »

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Published on April 30, 2020 02:36 • Tags: charles-dickens, classic-novels-abridged, victorian-fiction

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Emma Laybourn’s books

Average rating: 4.01 · 193 ratings · 40 reviews · 52 distinct works

	Missing Magic 3.83 avg rating — 88 ratings — published 2006 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Monster Shoes really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 1999 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The King of Custard Castle 4.57 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Petrol Paws (WHEElers #1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Bundle of Dinosaurs: Three Dinosaur Stories 4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ghost of Custard Castle it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	One Thousand Lollipops 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Save the Unicorn! 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Robopop by Emma Laybourn (Goodreads Author), Nick Sharratt (illustrator) 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2000 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cold Cuthbert's Journey 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by Emma Laybourn

WHEElers (2 books)
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Emma Laybourn (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings

Emma is Currently Reading

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The Secret World of Weather

by Tristan Gooley (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 14, 2026 01:56AM

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Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov

by Anton Chekhov

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Feb 18, 2026 01:52AM

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Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts

by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)

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Feb 16, 2026 02:27AM

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