A warm and thought-provoking tale from a master storyteller, winner of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award and author of the Carnegie Medal-winning Skellig.
“Mam, did you think George was,” I say, “a bit … weird?”
“Weird? Yes, I suppose so. But you kids are all a bit weird if you ask me. And to tell the truth, it’d be weird if you weren’t.”
When a new boy joins the class, everyone thinks he’s a bit strange, but he’s brilliant at football and loves crisps, and that’s all that matters to Dan and Maxie. However, the truth about George is stranger than anyone could have imagined ... and more sinister, too. Can his new pals help him to become truly free?
Azzi and her parents are in danger. They have to leave their home and escape to another country on a frightening journey by car and boat. In the new country they must learn to speak a new language, find a new home and Azzi must start a new school. With a kind helper at the school, Azzi begins to learn English and understand that she is not the only one who has had to flee her home. She makes a new friend, and with courage and resourcefulness, begins to adapt to her new life. But Grandma has been left behind and Azzi misses her more than anything. Will Azzi ever see her grandma again? Drawing on her own experience of working among refugee families, renowned author and illustrator Sarah Garland tells, with tenderness and humour, an exciting adventure story to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Endorsed by Amnesty International.
Duck and Bear are BACK – but where has Bear gone? And what will Duck do without him?
Duck just wants to hang out with his best buddy, bear.
But Bear’s gone fishing for a whole week.
What will Duck do without Bear? And more importantly, how will Bear survive without him?
From the bestselling creators of Goodnight Already! and I Love You Already! comes a fun-filled, laugh-out-loud adventure about friendship and family, from the bestselling author Jory John and award-winning illustrator Benji Davies.
Thud! Thud! Someone was heading steadily towards the classroom. Somebody with very heavy feet...At the foot of some spooky mountains is a little town with a little school. And there, in a little classroom, Class 3 are about to meet their new teacher. He's big, he has giant hands and he is very very ugly. He's ...the Frankenstein Teacher! Colour First Readers are perfect for new readers and include notes be reading specialist Prue Goodwin, honorary fellow of the University of Reading.
Introducing Dilly, the world’s naughtiest dinosaur, by internationally acclaimed author, Tony Bradman. Reissued in a special 30th anniversary edition.
In his first four stories, Dilly the Dinosaur gets up to all sorts of mischief.
When he decides he doesn’t want to wash any more, Dilly ends up becoming a very smelly dinosaur indeed! And when he’s told he can’t have his birthday every day he gets very grumpy. And you know what happens when Dilly gets grumpy& cover your ears, here comes the ultra-special, 150-mph SUPER SCREAM!
Tony Bradman’s dinosaur stories are the most fun books for early readers you’re likely to come across. Kids aged 5 and up will love Dilly the Dinosaur.
Look out for Tony's other books:
Flora the Fairy
Polly and the Pirates
The Surprise Party
AJ's grandfather has always been the one to keep his unusual family together, so when he dies things start to unravel at the edges. AJ is worried about his parents but they don't really seem to notice. In order to deal with his grief and to keep his anxiety at bay, AJ does what he and his grandfather did best: running. Round and round the Olympic Park, aiming for the cross country trials. Running to escape, AJ only seems to be heading ever closer to disaster.
Running On Empty is a beautiful book about false starts and emotional journeys, with hope as the ultimate finishing line.
From the author of Little Bits of Sky and Talking to the Moon
Cover illustration by Rob Biddulph.
Winner of the Student Vote, UKLA Book Award 2019
Highly Commended, UKLA Teachers Book Award 2019
Nominated for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal
Shortlisted for the 2018 North Somerset Teachers' Book Awards
Shortlisted for the Little Rebels Award 2019Shortlisted for the Warwickshire Book Award 2019
Shortlisted for the Tower Hamlets Book Award 2019
Lyrical, moving and realistic, SE Durrant's Running on Empty is about the struggle of an 11-year-old carer who is starting secondary school and wants to run like Usain Bolt. With a rich and diverse cast, it sings."" - Sunday Times""Running on Empty is one of the best children's novels of the year."" - Express
""Beautiful writing about family, loss, dreams and small pleasures that packs a real emotional punch."" - The Bookseller
""I absolutely love this book!...it's a light-hearted, tender book, as warm and funny as AJ himself."" - Official Jacqueline Wilson Magazine
""Running on Empty is a deeply moving story of one young carer's struggle to keep his family together... It is beautifully written and thought provoking. A really special book."" - North Somerset Teachers' Book Award
""AJ's situation is described with powerful realism, and yet with the very lightest of touches. He is essentially a young carer, whose parents have learning difficulties, but there is never a sniff of a stereotype or call for pity. Durrant makes important points about avoiding assumptions with huge subtlety, sensitivity and humour. Convincing, uplifting and immensely readable."" - BookTrust
School's out so have a super summer with Horrid Henry! A great value collection of six favourite Horrid Henry summer stories in one book, with loads of fun activities at the back to keep boredom away.
Join Henry as he creates havoc at the swimming pool, goes on stage at the coolest concert ever, and faces Moody Margaret in the battle of the Purple Hand Gang vs The Secret Club -- plus much, much more!
Featuring:
Horrid Henry and the Secret Club
Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine
Horrid Henry and the Swimming Lesson
Horrid Henry Reads a Book
Horrid Henry and the Pirate Party
Horrid Henry Rocks
The third children's book featuring Polly and her puffin Neil, from bestselling adult novelist Jenny Colgan. With gorgeous two-colour illustrations throughout, Polly is perfect for reading aloud.
Polly and her puffin friend, Neil, have wonderful adventures by the sea.
But now the time has come for Polly to go to the place she calls 'Big School'. It might be fun, it might be exciting, and it's definitely a little bit scary.
Making new friends can be harder than it sounds . . . join Polly on her quest and find out if there might be a new feathered friend for Neil too!
Ideal for bedtime stories and early readers. From the author of The Little Beach Street Bakery.
Contains lots of fun recipes and activities in addition to the story.
A hilarious tale of history come to life, from former children’s laureate and master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo.
Living with a ghost can have its difficulties, I discovered, even if he is your friend.
Remember Sir Walter Raleigh, who laid his cloak in a puddle so Queen Elizabeth I could walk across? Well, Bess meets his ghost and finds out she’s his ancestor!
How will Bess explain Sir Walter to her family? Especially when he breaks her brother’s fishing rod, steals a horse and smokes cigars in her room!
Michael Morpurgo demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller, with a uniquely funny take on spirits from the other side.
Look out for Michael's other ghostly stories The Ghost of Grania O'Malley and The White Horse of Zennor.
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Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo needs no introduction. He is one of the most successful children's authors in the country, loved by children, teachers and parents alike. Michael has written more than forty books for children including the global hit War Horse, which was made into a Hollywood film by Steven Spielberg in 2011.
Several of his other stories have been adapted for screen and stage, including My Friend Walter, Why the Whales Came and Kensuke's Kingdom. Michael has won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children's Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.
He started the charity Farms for City Children in 1976 with his wife, Clare, aimed at relieving the “poverty of experience… many young children feel in inner city and urban areas. Michael is also a patron of over a dozen other charities. Living in Devon, listening to Mozart and working with children have provided Michael with the ideas and incentive to write his stories. He spends half his life mucking out sheds with the children, feeding sheep or milking cows; the other half he spends dreaming up and writing stories for children. ""For me, the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches out – the writing down of it I always find hard. But I love finishing it, then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers."" Michael received an OBE in December 2006 for his services to literature.
Life is never boring now that Jams and his family have a monkey to look after. Jams and his mum love Thimble, but Dad is determined to get rid of him - to a zoo, a school, even a demolition site. But when Jams and his dad are in mortal danger, Thimble proves once and for all why he is a Monkey Superstar! Thimble is very clever and very naughty - and just the best friend Jams has been waiting for. Illustrated by Martin Chatterton
'A writer of comic genius – he has something of Roald Dahl's magic, but more heart' – The Sunday Telegraph
The perfect crime - it's a work of art, in bestselling, award-winning Frank Cottrell Boyce's funny, touching story, Framed. Cover illustration by award-winner Steven Lenton.
Dylan has accidentally been caught up in the crime of the century. Up until now he's been bored stiff, as the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod, with only his chickens for company.
Until one day, he spots a mysterious convoy of lorries heading straight for the disused mines. They're carrying a very precious cargo and when Dylan decides to investigate, he is quickly thrown headlong into the greatest art heist in history . . . probably.
A laugh-out-loud story about a very unlikely crime, shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie medal and the Blue Peter Book Award.
'Ingeniously comic' – Independent
