In the Variety Stage 9 books, Elisabeth Beresford describes adventures on Riduna Island in Pirate Gold, Tommy in Trouble, and Tessa on TV. Riduna is normally a quiet little island, but on three occasions, there is a big story to tell. Joan Aiken retells folk tales of a wise girl who winsherself a king, a young man who finds himself a useful servant, and a very kind girl who finds herself in trouble, but has her kindness repaid.Variety books support and extend the reading skills acquired from reading Duck Green School Stories. They are divided into consolidation stories (Pirate Gold, Tommy in Trouble, Tessa on TV) and extension stories (The Wise Girl, Serve Me, Stefan, Helena and the Wild Man).