Rachel spent 11 years studying and teaching philosophy at the universities of London and Oxford before joining Usborne. Since then she has written books on subjects ranging from knights, to food, to philosophy, as well as retelling folk stories, and writing children's versions of numerous novels.

'Irresistible for children learning to read' - Child Education Plus; 'Crack reading and make confident and enthusiastic readers with this fantastic reading programme' - Julia Eccleshare; 'For every parent, child and teacher weary of the monotony of the average reading scheme, Usborne's First Reading series will offer rays of sunlight. The books are carefully levelled and offer a huge variety of accessible and fun, fiction and non-fiction' - Tamara Linke, Tales on Moon Lane Bookshop