Terrible True Tales

The Bike Escape: Northampton, 1939. A young tearaway unwillingly evacuated to the countryside is unjustly accused of theft. He decides to make his way back home, never mind the Blitz – but he'll need to steal a bike to do it... The Apple Spy: Scotland, 1940. A pair of children realise that the odd strangers they see in their tiny village are German spies. Can they alert the authorities or will the ruthless spies find them first?

The Prince, the Cook and the Cunning King: King Henry VII is a mean and ruthless king and when a young boy named Lambert Simnel lays claim to the throne, Henry is furious. Lambert is no match for the powerful king – can he escape the extraordinary punishment he faces? The Thief, the Fool and the Big Fat King: Eleanor becomes troubled by her family's cunning and foils their plans to catch a coney. Meanwhile, fearsome King Henry VIII has some rather cruel ideas of justice... for everyone.

The Fabulous Flier: Henri Gifford invented the first powered airship, eager to fly across Paris. All was going well until the thunder began rumbling... Will young Marie help Mr Gifford before his airship tumbles out of the sky? The Sea Monsters: It's 1838, and Patrick and Grace Leary are aboard The Sirius, set to become the first ever ship to sail from Dublin to New York using only steam power. But they're racing their cousin Ben who is on board the giant steam ship the Great Western. Fire, injury and a lack of coal... Who will win this race?

The Great Flood Jay loves to listen to his grandfather's stories of the Great Spirit and the Earth Mother, but outside, danger is at their door. Food is getting scarcer, tribes are at war and the river water is rising... The Great Storm On the cold and windy island of Skara Brae, Tuk and his sister Storm are hunting. But when a thief steals half their tribe's winter food stores, it's up to the siblings to solve the mystery. What if they starve? And even worse, what if it's true that their father's the thief?

The Gold in the Grave A group of thieves plot to rob Tutankhamen's tomb of its vast wealth. If they succeed, it'll be the greatest robbery in history. If they fail, the consequences are severe... The Magic and the Mummy When the pharaoh dies, it's Neria's job to mummify his cat. The trouble is, the cat is still alive. Can Neria find a way to save the cat without being caught and punished?

The Witch Who Faced the Fire: Follow young Ardith Hutton on her journey as a cunning man's apprentice, learning magical cures for diseases and pains. But are they really magical? Does Ardith have the ability to cure the villagers when they seek out her assistance? They might just accuse her of witchcraft... The Lord Who Lost His Head: With royalty, bandits, blacksmiths and gold coins, this tale is packed with humour and trickery. Local village girl Marian needs to play it safe and smart; her family and the village are counting on her.

The Pirate Captain: Captain Fly is the greatest pirate to sail the seven seas - or so he says. But his captives Jed and Arthur think he's a bad-tempered bully. Now Captain Fly has ordered his prisoners to work for him as pirates! It's time to stop him for good... The Pirate Lord: Tom is a cabin boy for Captain Francis Drake, on his mission to steal South American gold from the Spanish fleet. Can Tom survive the trip through waves three times the height of their tiny ship, help Drake defeat the Spanish galleons - and come back rich?

The Lion's Slave The great inventor Archimedes has just one problem – his clumsy servant, Lydia. But when the Romans besiege Syracuse, and the Greeks turn to Archimedes for help, it is she who comes up with the answers… The Tortoise and the Dare Elena's freedom is at stake. She needs all her cunning to make sure her brother wins a race in the Olympic stadium. But will he?

The War Game: Flanders, 1914. The German and British soldiers in the trenches make an unofficial Christmas truce, with carols and a football match. But the officers aren't happy... The Bomber Balloon: November 1916 – the war on the Home Front. A German Zeppelin crashes during a raid on Essex. Can a constable and a schoolgirl round up the armed air crew?