The Button Bottle

by Helen Brain

Published 25 July 2008
Siya is a worrier. And with good reason. His mother and sister just can't keep to a budget, and every month the family gets deeper into debt. But he's not one to sit back and let this situation continue. When his sister finds 'treasure' in a bottle of old buttons he think their problems are solved. But life is never that simple...

No More Secrets

by Helen Brain

Published 30 January 2009

From the outside, Claire and her family seem perfect. But beneath their rich and successful lifestyle are problems that she has managed to hide from her friends. When Claire is put into a group with the two class nerds to research their family histories, she finds that all families have their secrets. Only once these are out in the open, can you stop hiding and find out who you really are.

Hodder African Readers are high-interest books designed to appeal to both boys and girls. They are highly motivating, contemporary adventure and action stories which attract the reader's attention and hold it through the story. Together these titles form a strong, vibrant and attractive supplementary readers series for African schools.


Dear Ms Winfrey

by Helen Brain

Published 25 July 2008
Thandeka has a dream. She wants to leave her rural school and get accepted into the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. When she learns that her headmistress didn't even put forward her name for Oprah's school, she decided to take matters into her own hands and find a way to get to the school hundred of kilometres away. The journey turns into a nightmare and Thandeka lands up in hospital trying desperately to keep her dream alive.