It's not the taking part, it's the winning that counts for Patina!
Patty, as she's known to her friends and family, has lost a lot in her life - her dad died when she was young, her mum has lost her legs and now she has to live with her uncle and his wife. On top of that Patty has to go to the poshest school that ever existed. Now her running team has become a relay team and independent ""I can do everything by myself"" Patty has to work with her team mates to win.
Anneli hates art. She doesn't like looking at it or thinking about it, and when the paints come out in the art class at school, she just can't stand it. But behind a hidden door in her house, Anneli finds a painting that draws her into an extraordinary story.
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.
Bad Dad, from Children's author David Walliams.
Dads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
There are fat ones and thin ones, tall ones and short ones.
There are young ones and old ones, clever ones and stupid ones.
There are silly ones and serious ones, loud ones and quiet ones.
Of course, there are good dads, and bad dads …
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.
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.
–––
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.
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
When Andy's school announces a new no-uniform policy, her classmates
are over the moon - but her heart sinks. All she wants is to
dress like everyone else, but her mum's the owner of a run-down kooky
vintage boutique, so she's bound to look - well - different.
But when Andy finds a gorgeous bag full of designer goodies in the
shop's storeroom, everything changes. Can she learn to love vintage,
and help transform her mum's shop into something truly special?
Renowned children's author Michael Morpurgo teams up with bestselling illustrator Jim Field in this stunning Christmas picture book.
Dearest little Mia,
This Christmas, instead of a Christmas card – you’ll have plenty of those – and instead of a present – you’ll have plenty of those too, I am sending you a letter …
Every Christmas Mia and her family read a letter which her Grandpa wrote to her. His letter is a warm, impassioned and heartfelt wish for a better world for Mia to live in. He remembers fondly the times they spent in his garden finding frogs and worms and planting seeds.
But Grandpa worries that all the things they love so much are in danger …
His letter is a hopeful plea to Mia (and to all of us) to continue to care for and protect our precious world.
Michael Morpurgo frames his powerful message about protecting the environment in this beautiful personal story about a grandpa’s wish for his granddaughter to live in a better world. This vital and timely story is paired with Jim Field’s emotive illustrations in this gorgeous Christmas picture book, perfect for the whole family to share.
Michael Morpurgo is a master storyteller who has written over one hundred books and won countless awards. In 1976 Michael and his wife Clare started the charity Farms For City Children, which aims to relieve the poverty of experience of young children from inner city and urban areas. In 1999 they were awarded the MBE for their work in creating these farms and in 2006 Michael received an OBE. His novel War Horse has been adapted into a hugely successful and critically acclaimed West End play as well as a film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg. Michael is a tireless champion for children's books and was formerly the Children's Laureate.
Jim Field is an award-winning illustrator, character designer and animation director. He is perhaps best known for drawings frogs on logs in the bestselling picture book series Oi Frog! He has illustrated children's books with Kes Grey, Michelle Robinson, Rachel Bright, Jeanne Willis, Steve Cole and comedian David Baddiel. His first picture book Cats Ahoy won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and he has been nominated for several other awards including the Kate Greenaway Award and the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award. In 2016, The Bookseller listed Jim as the 6th top selling illustrator. Jim grew up in Farborough and now lives in Paris with his wife and daughter.
Successful film and TV star, Chris O' Dowd, collaborates with friend and screenwriter Nick Vincent Murphy in Moone Boy: The Blunder Years, the first in this hilarious, illustrated series.
Martin Moone is eleven and completely fed up with being the only boy in a family of girls. He's desperate for a decent wingman to help him navigate his idiotic life. So when best mate Padraic suggests Martin get an imaginary friend – or 'IF' for short – he decides to give it a go.
His first attempt is Loopy Lou, a hyperactive goofball who loves writing rubbish rap songs. But Martin soon gets fed up with Lou's loopiness and decides to trade in his IF for someone a little less wacky. Enter Sean 'Caution' Murphy, an imaginary office clerk in a bad suit with a passion for laziness and a head full of dodgy jokes. Sean is full of tips and tricks to guide Martin through the perils of the playground, from dealing with his sisters' pranks to beating the bullying Bonner boys. But getting rid of Lou is not that easy, and having TWO imaginary friends is a recipe for trouble!
Olivia and her friends are auditioning for a production of Romeo and Juliet in the West End. It makes Olivia realise just how much she wants to be an actress, like her mum was. But her father asks her to perform with him in a high-wire stunt instead. How can she choose between her parents? And love is in the air at the Swan School of Theatre and Dance. But when the curtain falls, will everyone get their fairytale happy ending?
Ruby and her sausage dog puppy Coco can't wait for a family trip to the seaside – but when Coco goes missing on the busy beach, will she be able to find her way back to her family?
Ruby’s dad has arrived home with a wonderful surprise – Coco the sausage dog puppy! And when the family go on holiday to the seaside, of course Coco will be coming too. The beach is a thrilling place for a dog – so many sights, smells and holes to dig! Ruby and Coco can’t wait to spend the day splashing in the waves and playing in the sand. But disaster strikes when Coco disappears. Suddenly she’s lost and all alone on the huge, busy beach … Will she ever find her way back to Ruby?
