Get ready for broomstick rides and bubbling cauldrons in these magical short stories from Enid Blyton - ideal for reading aloud, or for children over 7 to read alone!
This bumper collection of 25 short stories is populated by every sort of magical and mysterious creature, from a grumpy wizard who is outwitted by an elf to pixie who rides on a rabbit. The stories are the perfect length for reading aloud in a classroom or at bedtime. With lots of humour and fantastic characters, these will appeal to newly confident readers to read alone as well as to younger children being read to.
Enid Blyton remains one of Britain's favourite children's authors and her bumper short story collections are perfect for introducing her to the latest generation of readers.
Young Teggs Stegosaur is a pupil at Astrosaurs Academy - where dinosaurs train to be Astrosaurs. With his best friends Blink and Dutch beside him, amazing adventures are never far away! The cadets are set a Christmas challenge - to make the brightest, biggest festive decorations the Academy's ever seen.
The Blythes are a big, warm, rambunctious family who live on a small farm and sometimes foster children. Now Prez has come to live with them. But, though he seems cheerful and helpful, he never says a word.
Then one day Prez answers the door to someone claiming to be his relative. This small, loud stranger carries a backpack, walks with a swagger and goes by the name of Sputnik.
As Prez dithers on the doorstep, Sputnik strolls right past him and introduces himself to everyone in the household. Prez is amazed at the response. The family pat Sputnik on the head, call him a good boy and drop food into his mouth. It seems they all think Sputnik is a dog. It's only Prez who thinks otherwise.
But Prez soon finds himself having to defend the family from the chaos and danger unleashed by Sputnik, as household items come to life - like a TV remote that fast-forwards people: 'Anyone can do it, it's just that people don't read the instructions properly'; and a toy lightsaber that entertains guests at a children's party, until one of them is nearly decapitated by it – and Prez is going to have to use his voice to explain himself.
It turns out that Sputnik is writing a guidebook to Earth called Ten Things Worth Doing on Earth, and he takes Prez on a journey to discover just those ten things. Each adventure seems to take Prez nearer to the heart of the family he is being fostered by. But they also take him closer to the day that he is due to leave them forever . . .
After a horse-riding scare, Gina has lost all her confidence and wants nothing more to do with riding. But when magic pony Comet turns up at the pony rescue centre that her mum runs, Gina finds her love of horses comes cantering back.
That looks dangerous, Violet... A velvet rabbit takes on a dare to ski down Snowdrop Slope, but soon she's dangling over a deep valley. Hurry, Superfairies, she can't hold on much longer!
Hex is the worst space invader on Planet X. He never seems to get anything right. But after discovering that his long-lost father is happily living on Planet Earth, Hex decides to give up space invading for good and join his dad. The only problem is, Hex still can't fly a spaceship... Will he make it in one piece?
From Julia Donaldson, the bestselling author of The Gruffalo, comes Christmas with Princess Mirror-Belle, the exciting adventures of a princess with a difference.
This special hardback edition contains two stories illustrated by Lydia Monks and some festive things to make and do. Christmas with Princess Mirror-Belle is perfect for fans of this bestselling picture book team and who are beginning to read on their own.
Ellen gets a big shock when her reflection climbs out of a mirror. But Mirror-Belle is a double with a difference! She is a princess, and a very mischievous one at that. Join Mirror-Belle as she sweeps Ellen into hilarious Christmassy escapades – from joining in with the Christmas ballet show to attending Ellen's friend's fancy dress party and trying to catch Father Christmas! You can always guarantee that wherever Mirror-Belle goes, trouble will follow.
This book contains the following stories and activity:
- Swan Lake
- The Sleepwalking Beauty
- Ellen and Mirror-Belle's Christmas Activities
