AFTER THE FIRST DEATH is a brilliantly tense hostage drama, by Robert Cormier, the acclaimed author of THE CHOCOLATE WAR. It is one of The Originals from Penguin - iconic, outspoken, first.

On the outskirts of a small American town, a bus-load of young children is being held hostage. The hijackers are a cold and ruthless group, opposed to the secret government agency Inner Delta. At the centre of the battle are three teenagers. Miro is the terrorist with no past and no emotions. Kate is the bus driver, caught up in the nightmare, and Ben is the General's son who must act as a go-between.

The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers, After the First Death - Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty, The Endless Steppe - Esther Hautzig, Buddy - Nigel Hinton, Across the Barricades - Joan Lingard, The Twelfth Day of July - Joan Lingard, No Turning Back - Beverley Naidoo, Z for Zachariah - Richard C. O'Brien, The Wave - Morton Rhue, The Red Pony - John Steinbeck, The Pearl - John Steinbeck, Stone Cold - Robert Swindells.

Robert Cormier was a journalist and author, acclaimed for his young adult novels with their uncompromising examination of contemporary issues. His novels included the prize-winning THE CHOCOLATE WAR and I AM THE CHEESE. Robert Cormier lived all his life in Massachusetts, USA; he died in 2000 aged 75.