The Adventure Begins
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There had always been otters in the stream running through Farthing Wood - and that had never been a problem for the other animals before: both sets of animals were happy to leave each other alone. But when there is a shortage of fish in the stream, the otters take to coming ashore for new prey - and that is a problem. Suddenly, the Farthing Wood animals have to compete for food - and they don't like it. Lean Vixen and the others are determined not to starve, and that means deciding on a plan to drive the otters out once and for all. |
The Animals of Farthing Wood
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Farthing Wood is being bulldozed and a drought means the animals no longer have anywhere to live or drink. Fox, Badger, Toad, Tawny Owl, Mole and the other animals band together and leave their ancestral home and set off to move to a far-away nature reserve. Their journey is full of adventure and fraught with disasters: a fire, a storm, a treacherous river crossing and a hunt. The animals must unite in adversity and in doing so they learn about each other's habits and limitations. This is a story about tolerance, cooperation, survival and friendship from Colin Dann, which inspired the major BBC children's series of the 1990s. The Animals of Farthing Wood is one of the most popular animal stories in children's literature and is still in print nearly 35 years after first publication. |
In the Grip of Winter
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The Animals of Farthing Wood face their first winter in White Deer Park. It soon becomes apparent that it will be a severe one as the animals struggle against the bitter cold and starvation. Badger disappears and none of the animals know his fate. They fear the worst has happened to him. To make matters worse, as the winter progresses, the warden, protector and guardian of the reserve is taken ill and a new threat looms over the park. |
Fox's Feud
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The fox cub Dreamer has been killed in a vicious attack, and the animals in White Deer Park have no doubt who is responsible. The old fox Scarface, feeling his position threatened by the new arrivals, has lashed out savagely at a defenceless cub. Fox vows revenge. But are he and his young family a match for the formidable strength of Scarface and his clan? Yet again the animals must band together to avert disaster. |
The Fox Cub Bold
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'He saw on man raise his weapon and take aim at him... and, the next instant, felt a fierce sear of pain in his right thigh...' The fox cub Bold has left the sheltered life of the nature reserve determined to make his way in the world. But, exulting in his new-found freedom, he becomes reckless. And now he lies badly wounded by a hunter's bullet. Can Bold survive - lamed and unable to hunt - in the harsh environment of the real world he so eagerly entered? Winter is coming and friends are hard to find. |
The Siege of White Deer Park
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Terror has come to White Deer Park, driving panic-stricken animals before it. A killer beast is on the loose - a predator so silent and skilful that it leaves almost no trace, and has never been seen. As the deaths mount up, Owl Fox, Badger and the elders of Farthing Wood, meet to make a plan. They have fought tough corners before; have they now, finally, met their match? |
In the Path of the Storm
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'I mean to be not only the leader of the deer herd but Lord of the Reserve. So you must stay in your corner of the Park, all of you... otherwise you'll be permitted here no longer.' Trey, the new leader of the deer herd of White Deer Park, has decided that there is no room for the smaller animals in the reserve. The future looks very bleak for Badger, Adder, Owl and the others - and then the night of the great storm brings more danger. |
Battle for the Park
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'I've been looking for him all over the Park. He's just not around any more, Vixen. He's gone.' When Plucky the fox disappears, the other animals soon realise that he isn't the only one missing from the White Deer Park nature reserve. And the Warden, whom the animals have learnt to trust, is responsible! The animals are frightened and confused - and then another threat appears. A stealthy gang of rats, led by the cunning Bully is invading White Deer Park |