Books to adopt

Adopt a classic title for £40 and receive a personalised e-certificate and decorative card. Your donation directly supports our conservation work, helping us preserve our collection for future generations.

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  • Jane Eyre

    by Charlotte Brontë, 1889 Detailed view Adopt this book

    The orphaned Jane overcomes many hardships in life to become Governess at Thornfield Hall working for the mysterious and enigmatic Mr Rochester. Jane falls in love with Rochester only to discover that he is hiding a dark secret that threatens their future happiness.

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  • A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

    by Jules Verne, 1891 Detailed view Adopt this book

    Jules Verne was one of the first novelists to concentrate solely on science fiction, mixing adventure, romance and technology to create exciting stories that gripped the public imagination. This novel remains one of his best-loved works.

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  • Little Women

    by Louisa May Alcott, 1919 Detailed view Adopt this book

    The story of the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, growing up during the civil war is a classic of 19th century American storytelling. This highly popular autobiographical novel set a trend for family-led dramas in American literature and remains a much-loved story.

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  • The Secret Garden

    by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911 Detailed view Adopt this book

    One of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s most popular novels, The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox, a spoiled and lonely child who is sent to live with her uncle in Yorkshire after her parents' death. She discovers, with the help of her maid, a secret garden on her uncle's estate. The garden and the unexpected friendships she forms along the way changes her life and the lives of those around her.

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  • The Wizard of Oz

    by L Frank Baum, 1906 Detailed view Adopt this book

    A perennial favourite, Dorothy’s adventures in Oz with the Tin Man, the cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow will appeal to all ages. Journey along the Yellow Brick Road with the friends as they defeat the Wicked Witch of the West and discover that there really is no place like home.

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  • Pride and Prejudice

    by Jane Austen, 1907 Detailed view Adopt this book

    The classic, much-loved Jane Austen novel featuring two of the most recognisable characters in English literature - Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy. Perfect for romantics and lovers of classic literature!

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  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

    by Lewis Carroll, 1888 Detailed view Adopt this book

    Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice into a world of adventure, filled with strange and wonderful characters such as the Queen of Hearts, the March Hare, the Mad Hatter and a very tired dormouse.

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  • Bleak House

    by Charles Dickens, 1853 Detailed view Adopt this book

    One of Dickens most intricately plotted novels with a vast array of characters and sub-plots, Bleak House is also one of the first works of English fiction to include a Detective as a main character. It is considered by many to be Dickens finest novel.

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  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

    by A Conan Doyle, 1893 Detailed view Adopt this book

    This collection of 12 stories featuring the most famous detective in British fiction was one of the most popular publications of its day.

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  • The Wind in the Willows

    by Kenneth Grahame, 1908 Detailed view Adopt this book

    The adventures of Ratty, Badger, Mole and Toad have entertained and delighted generations of youngsters with the car-obsessed Toad being one of the best-loved characters in children’s literature.

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  • Just So Stories

    by Rudyard Kipling, 1902 Detailed view Adopt this book

    A selection of wonderful tales to delight young readers, The Just So stories explain, how the camel got his hump, the leopard his spots and the elephant his trunk.

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  • The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

    by Daniel Defoe, 1905 Detailed view Adopt this book

    This classic tale of triumph over adversity tells of the adventures of the young Robinson Crusoe, the sole survivor of a shipwreck who is cast ashore on a desert island.

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  • The Railway Children

    by E Nesbit, 1906 Detailed view Adopt this book

    Roberta, Phyllis and Peter’s have to come to terms with a new life after their father is imprisoned for spying. They have many adventures along their local railway line but when trying to prove their Father’s innocence it’s an elderly gentleman on the 9.15 train who proves life changing.

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  • A Christmas Carol

    by Charles Dickens, 1915 Detailed view Adopt this book

    It is the night before Christmas and the miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future all of whom have a stark warning for him. The classic and much-loved tale is the perfect Christmas gift for the book lover in your life. This edition bears Arthur Rackham's distinctive illustrations.