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Thursday’s Child

Brief Description
A thrilling, classic children’s adventure with a courageous heroine, from the beloved author of Ballet Shoes. Margaret Thursday was named after the day she was found on the church steps as a baby. But she isn’t really an orphan – each year a bag of gold... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$1999
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Releases 28th July 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Thursday’s Child" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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A thrilling, classic children’s adventure with a courageous heroine, from the beloved author of Ballet Shoes.

A Classic Historical Adventure of Courage and Determination

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A thrilling, classic children’s adventure with a courageous heroine, from the beloved author of Ballet Shoes.

Margaret Thursday was named after the day she was found on the church steps as a baby. But she isn’t really an orphan – each year a bag of gold coins is left at the church for her keep. However, when Margaret is eleven years old, the money suddenly stops and her guardians have no choice but to send her away to an orphanage.

The orphanage is worse than they could have imagined. The children are poorly treated and barely fed, and fearless Margaret soon makes herself the enemy of the evil matron who runs it. Vowing to protect her new friends, Peter and Horatio, Margaret plans their daring escape… but she’ll have to outwit Matron at every turn.

Margaret’s action-packed adventure, set in turn-of-the-century England, takes her from orphanage to canal boat to the world of the theatre. Through it all, Margaret is propelled by her unwavering sense of self and determination.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008778729

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 April 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: HarperCollins

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 200g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Mary Noel Streatfeild was most famous for her children's books including Ballet Shoes. She was born in Sussex, England, the second of three daughters of a local vicar. Her life is described in three semi-autobiographical novels: A Vicarage Family, Away from the Vicarage, and Beyond the Vicarage. Noel was considered the 'plain' sister in her family, but she shone in performances with her sisters for charity. Upon reaching adulthood she sought a career in theatre, and gained ten years of experience as an actress, working for the Charles Doran and Arthur Bourchier companies. Her familiarity with the stage was the basis for many of her popular books for children, which are often about children struggling with careers in the arts.Ballet Shoes has a number of connections to other Noel Streatfeild books and short stories. What Happened to Pauline, Petrova and Posy is a short story in which we are told a little about the way things turne

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