Wendy Leighton-Porter
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Wendy spent 20 years as a teacher of French, Latin and Classical studies before a change of career led her to writing children's fiction. Originally from the UK, she now lives in France with her husband and their beautiful Tonkinese cat.
Shadows from the Past is an award-winning series of time-travel adventures featuring three children and a talking cat named Max. Wendy is currently working on the 18th book, The Shadow of the Slave Ship. As she takes her young readers on a magical mystery tour through the past, Wendy hopes that her love of history, myth and legend will rub off on them too.
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The Shadow of the Great Fire
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Juvenile Fiction
The seventeenth book in the Shadows from the Past series: In 1666, as London recovers from a deadly plague, the old medieval city with its narrow streets has become a tinderbox. After a long, hot summer, a small spark is all it takes for the whole place to go up in flames – but is this a simple accident or a deliberate act of sabotage? Towards the end of August, just days before the Great Fire will break out, three time-travelling children and their talking cat land on the doorstep of one of the most famous figures of the 17th century. Can they discover why they’ve been sent there before it’s too late? Time is running out… 
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The Shadow of Atlantis
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Juvenile Fiction
Ten-year-old twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot have no idea why their parents have disappeared, but a mysterious old book belonging to their father holds the answer … and so begins a quest to uncover the truth. Together with Max their Tonkinese cat, and Charlie from next door, the children embark on an epic adventure, travelling back in time to the lost city of Atlantis, unaware of the dangers that await them. Can they save the people of Atlantis from the disaster which is about to destroy their land forever? And will they find their way back to the safety of their own time before it’s too late? 
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The Shadow of the Minotaur
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Juvenile Fiction
Ten-year-old twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot continue the search for their missing parents who are trapped somewhere in the past. Together with best friend Charlie, and their talking cat Max, they are transported back in time to ancient Crete and the Palace of Knossos, where the fearsome Minotaur lurks in its labyrinth, feeding on human flesh. Can they help Prince Theseus of Athens destroy the terrifying monster before it devours them all? And will the children survive the storm that threatens to wreck their ship as they attempt to flee the island? 
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The Shadow of the Trojan Horse
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Juvenile Fiction
The Trojan War is just a game for the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, but it’s no laughing matter for Jemima and Joe Lancelot when they are transported back in time to Troy, slap-bang in the middle of the deadly conflict. Still on the trail of their missing parents who are lost somewhere in the past, the twins, together with best friend Charlie and their talking cat Max, do all they can to prevent the destruction of the famous city. Can the children persuade the Trojans to reject the Greeks’ gift of the Wooden Horse or will it prove impossible to change the course of history? 
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The Shadow of the Pyramid
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Juvenile Fiction
Max the talking Tonkinese cat is terrified of Egyptian mummies, so is understandably nervous when he’s transported back in time to ancient Egypt, along with his owners, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, and their friend Charlie. As they continue their search for the twins’ missing parents who are trapped somewhere in the past, the young time-travellers arrive at the court of Tutankhamun where they uncover a plot to assassinate the young Pharaoh. Can they save his life and will they make it safely back to their own time before the plotters discover their true identities? 
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The Shadow of the Volcano
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Juvenile Fiction
The ancient Roman town of Pompeii lies in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, but its inhabitants are blissfully unaware of the deadly threat of the volcano that is about to devastate their lives. Still on the hunt for their missing parents who are lost in the pages of history, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot travel back into the past once again, along with best friend Charlie, and Max their talking Tonkinese cat. When the children arrive in the middle of a slave auction in the Forum, they are shocked to find themselves being sold to the highest bidder. Trapped in the household of a wealthy Pompeian, how will they manage to escape before the town is buried by the erupting volcano? 
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The Shadow of Camelot
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Juvenile Fiction
Did King Arthur really exist? Continuing the quest to find their missing parents who are trapped in the past, Jemima and Joe Lancelot uncover the truth behind the legend when they arrive in Camelot. Together with friend Charlie and their talking Tonkinese cat Max, the young time-travellers are plunged into yet another thrilling adventure. Was the famous knight Lancelot related to the twins? Who knows? Luckily, he seems to think so and is on hand to protect them when danger threatens. Meanwhile, Max has a mystery of his own to solve. Will he finally discover why Midnight has been haunting his dreams? 
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The Shadow of the Norman Arrow
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Juvenile Fiction
The Battle of Hastings will soon be fought on English soil. King Harold knows the Norman invasion is coming, but he must first head up north to fight the Vikings. Who will come to his aid? Still searching for their missing parents who are lost somewhere in the past, twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot travel back in time to the year 1066, together with best friend Charlie and Max, their talking Tonkinese cat. Many dangerous adventures await them during a hazardous journey across the country to help the king repel the invaders. Will they be able to turn the tide of history, or will Harold fail to heed their advice? 
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The Shadow of the Two Princes
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Juvenile Fiction
Uncle Richard is kind and caring, isn’t he? Well, Joe and Jemima Lancelot think so, but for the two young princes imprisoned in the Tower of London it’s a different matter entirely – their Uncle Richard isn’t a nice man at all. When the Lancelot twins travel back in time to the year 1483, they have a difficult task on their hands. Together with friend Charlie and their talking cat Max, they know they must rescue the princes from certain death at the hands of their wicked uncle – none other than the infamous villain, King Richard III. Is this a task too far for the intrepid foursome? Will their mission succeed or must they risk their own lives to save the two boys? 
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The Shadow of the Tudor Rose
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Juvenile Fiction
This is the thirteenth book in the Shadows from the Past series, time-travel adventure stories that feature three children and a rather special cat. In 1588, a plot to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth the First is about to unfold. At this crucial moment in English history, four visitors from the future arrive in Elizabethan London. Twins Jemima and Joe Lancelot, together with friend Charlie and their talking cat Max, embark on their next journey into the past as they continue the search for their missing parents who are lost somewhere in the mists of time. Finding themselves tangled in a web of conspiracy, can the young time-travellers solve the mystery of the Tudor Rose? 
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The Shadow of the Witchfinder
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Juvenile Fiction
In 17th century Essex, at a time when most people believed in witchcraft, the name Matthew Hopkins was enough to strike fear into the heart of many a woman who lived alone with only a pet cat for company… for Hopkins was the Witchfinder General. The 15th book in the Shadows from the Past series takes the time-travelling foursome back to the year 1646. It isn’t Max’s first visit to the village of Mistley Thorn, but this time his friends Jemima, Joe and Charlie are by his side. Their mission is to bring an end to Hopkins’ campaign of terror. Will they succeed, or might this prove to be their most dangerous challenge yet? 
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Max's Arabian Adventure
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Juvenile Fiction
In this spin-off adventure from the SHADOWS FROM THE PAST series, Max the talking Tonkinese cat goes on a solo mission without his usual time-travelling companions. Snatched from the house where he lives with eleven-year-old twins Joe and Jemima Lancelot, Max is dragged back into the past by an evil magician who has lined him up to perform a special task. Torn away from all he holds dear, the despondent cat fears he may never be able to return to the present and his beloved owner, Jemima. What will become of him? Will he make it back or will he be condemned to remain forever in a distant time and place, far from home? 
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Max's Christmas Adventure
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Juvenile Fiction
A second solo adventure awaits Max the time-travelling Tonkinese cat in this Christmas short story. Invited to accompany a well-known figure on a whirlwind trip into the past, he sets off on a mission to search for something very precious to his owners, Jemima and Joe Lancelot - their missing parents. The hunt reveals tantalising clues to this mystery and ends with a special surprise for the twins. 
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Max's Midnight Adventure
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Juvenile Fiction
Max the talking Tonkinese cat has a third solo adventure in this seasonal short story. What happens when the feline hero is trapped in the attic one night? Will he escape the clutches of the Christmas fairy, a regiment of soldiers and three obstreperous French hens in time to enjoy a holiday with his family? One thing’s for sure, the Twelve Days of Christmas will never seem quite the same again … 
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Max's Undercover Adventure
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Juvenile Fiction
Max the talking Tonkinese cat has his fourth solo adventure in this short story to accompany the Shadows from the Past series. Snatched from his home in the middle of the night, Max is spirited away to a secret location. There, in the company of other animals, he is put through exhausting physical exercises and tough endurance tests – a true nightmare for the comfort-loving feline. But who are the shadowy figures in charge and why has he been taken to their training camp? Will Max discover the truth about his mysterious undercover adventure? 
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Max's Hallowe'en Adventure
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Juvenile Fiction
In his fifth solo mini-adventure, Max the talking Tonkinese cat, the feline hero of the SHADOWS FROM THE PAST series travels back in time to the mid-seventeenth century. He doesn’t understand how this has happened until he recognises his surroundings and realises it isn't the first time he’s been to this place. Why has he been brought to this tumbledown cottage in the middle of nowhere? All is about to be revealed… 
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Max's Royal Adventure
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Juvenile Fiction
The rightful King of England is on the run. With a price on his head and in fear for his life, Charles Stuart is desperate to escape his pursuers, the Parliamentarians who executed his father. A rich reward has been offered for his capture and everyone is on the lookout for the young man. Nowhere is safe. How will he ever manage to flee the country without help? Never fear, the Guardians of Time have a Special Agent lined up for the job … but he just so happens to be a cat! 
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