762 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 (62)
currently-reading (17)
read (770)
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: 4.02 · 190 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

Half of a Yellow Sun

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

Jan 18, 2026 07:46AM

Emma is currently reading

A is for Ox: A Short History of the Alphabet

by Lyn Davies

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

Jan 01, 2026 04:01AM

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

rss
Emma’s Recent Updates

Emma is currently reading Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie	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
Jan 18, 2026 07:46AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Emma rated a book liked it 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
Jan 18, 2026 07:45AM · 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 rated a book liked it The Visiting Privilege: New and Collected Stories by Joy Williams	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
Jan 18, 2026 07:45AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Emma finished reading The Visiting Privilege: New and Collected Stories by Joy Williams	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
Jan 18, 2026 07:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Emma rated a book it was amazing 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
Jan 10, 2026 07:46AM · like
Emma is currently reading The Visiting Privilege: New and Collected Stories by Joy Williams	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
Jan 08, 2026 01:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Emma rated a book really liked it The Land in Winter 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
Jan 08, 2026 01:38AM · like
Emma started reading 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
Jan 08, 2026 01:38AM · like
Emma finished reading The Land in Winter 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
Jan 08, 2026 01:37AM · like
Emma and 71 other people liked Christy fictional_traits's review of The Land in Winter: "'There's always a bloody price tag...Nobody gets away with anything'. As 1962 draws to a close in rural southwest England, we're introduced to four people who make up two neighbouring couples. As couples, they have two very different dynamics: one mor" Read more of this review »
Jan 05, 2026 04:01AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">