754 ratings | 27 reviews | avg rating:3.70

Emma’s Year In Books

Emma’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Emma’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Emma’s 2025 Year in Books

Emma Laybourn’s Followers (36)

Emma’s Bookshelves

to-read (61)
currently-reading (18)
read (762)
abandoned-try-again-later (4)
own-book (1)
to-read-again (19)

Emma’s Friends (5)

Matthew Brough

114 books | 412 friends

Cate Whittle

199 books | 17 friends

Hasan

0 books | 1 friend

Laurie H

1 book | 1 friend

Gal

0 books | 1 friend

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

edit data

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 »

Like • 1 comment • flag

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

View all 45 posts »

Combine Editions
Emma Laybourn’s books

Average rating: 4.03 · 188 ratings · 40 reviews · 52 distinct works

	Missing Magic 3.82 avg rating — 89 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

More books by Emma Laybourn…

Series by Emma Laybourn

WHEElers (2 books)
by

Emma Laybourn (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings

Emma is Currently Reading

Emma is currently reading

Meet Me at the Surface

by Jodie Matthews (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Dec 18, 2025 03:17AM

Emma is currently reading

Moonfleet

by John Meade Falkner

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Dec 11, 2025 03:19AM

Emma is currently reading

The Art of Poetry: How to Read a Poem

by Shira Wolosky

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Dec 11, 2025 03:18AM

rss
Emma’s Recent Updates

Emma is currently reading Meet Me at the Surface by Jodie Matthews (Goodreads Author)	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
Dec 18, 2025 03:17AM · like
Emma wants to read Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans (Goodreads Author)	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
Dec 15, 2025 08:32AM · like
Emma is currently reading Moonfleet by John Meade Falkner	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
Dec 11, 2025 03:19AM · like
Emma is currently reading The Art of Poetry: How to Read a Poem by Shira Wolosky	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
Dec 11, 2025 03:18AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Art of Poetry by Shira Wolosky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Art of Poetry by Shira Wolosky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Emma finished reading An Expert in Murder (Josephine Tey, #1) by Nicola Upson (Goodreads Author)	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
Dec 08, 2025 08:26AM · like
Emma rated a book really liked it The Man with Six Senses by Muriel Jaeger	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
Nov 29, 2025 02:24AM · like
Emma is currently reading An Expert in Murder (Josephine Tey, #1) by Nicola Upson (Goodreads Author)	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
Nov 29, 2025 02:24AM · like
Emma finished reading The Man with Six Senses by Muriel Jaeger	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
Nov 29, 2025 02:23AM · like
Emma is currently reading The Slowworm's Song by Andrew Miller	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
Nov 27, 2025 08:42AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Slowworm's Song by Andrew Miller. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Slowworm's Song by Andrew Miller <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Emma is currently reading The Man with Six Senses by Muriel Jaeger	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
Nov 27, 2025 08:41AM · like