The charming tales of one mischievous cat from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo.
A cat's nine lives are full of adventure and excitement and none more so than Montezuma, the farmyard cat. From a young kitten to a grand old cat, he is cunning and proud while establishing his kingdom, but to Matthew, he's always loving and adorable. A great read that kids aged 9+ will love.
Michael Morpurgo, again demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller with this collection of stories. Famed for animal stories such as Little Foxes, Shadow, The Butterfly Lion and An Eagle in the Snow, The Nine Lives of Montezuma is every bit as enthralling. Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books for children and 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.
It's the end of chocolate - for good! At least, that's what they're
saying on TV. Eleven-year-old Jelly is horrified, but a trail
of clues leads to a posh chocolate shop and its suspicious owner,
the dastardly Garibaldi Chocolati. Is it really the chocopocalypse,
or is there a chocoplot afoot?
The heart-warming festive tale of one boy and the dog that changes his life, from award-winning author Nicola Davies.
Jake is different from the other kids at school. He struggles when routines change and people's emotions are so hard to understand. Christmas can be even worse and often the festivities are just too much to bear. But when Jake finds a little dog lost in the street he unlocks a connection he's never had before. Together Jake and Susan form a special bond that helps him to understand the world around him, changing his life for the better.
Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
It's not easy being the son of a supervillain! Jonny and Tommy Atomic are not like ordinary boys. Their dad is the most famous superhero in the world - making them pretty super too. The boys have to keep their identity a secret. But what's even more secret is the fact that their mum is a supervillain!
Book Band: Lime, ideal for ages 6+
A powerful and personal story from Joyce Dunbar about what it's like to experience hearing difficulties.
'Joyce Dunbar is one of the best writers for children today.' Guardian
Dylan can't hear as well as he used to be able to and he doesn't want to be different from his friends - he wants things to go back to the way they used to be. As his hearing gets worse he becomes more and more isolated from his friends. Luckily his dog Pluto is there to keep him down to earth...
This heartwarming story from Joyce Dunbar has beautiful black-and-white illustrations by John Shelley and is perfect for children who are developing as readers.
The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With engaging illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyreaders.com.
'Any list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed … Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding.' Books for Keeps
The third book in the heartwarming series about Binny and her family. Binny's new neighbour is a witch and strange things have started happening to the Cornwallis family ...
From two of the world's best-loved picture-book creators, an absolute gem for new-siblings-to-be. When is the baby coming? What will we call it? What will the baby do? We don't really need the baby, do we? As the arrival of a new sibling draws nearer, the questions that stream through a young child's mind are followed with sensitivity and humour in this enchanting book. Exquisitely illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, these pages brim with love, excitement and reassurance as the child in the story imagines all kinds of colourful futures for the brother or sister he is waiting to meet. Full of warmth and promise, this is an instant and timeless classic. It is the first book-publishing collaboration of this award-winning husband-and-wife team. Oozing with loving interaction between parent and child, and with unspoken - yet palpable - reassurance.
Jess's cartoons are actually beginning to take off. A local comic store wants to use them in a campaign and she is in danger of becoming really rather famous (at school). This leads to some tensions with her friends. Why can't people be happy for her?
Dear reader,
There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution…
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.
In The Wide Window the siblings encounter a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leaches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain and a doll named Pretty Penny.
In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted.
Despite their wretched contents, A Series of Unfortunate Events has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned.
Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures?
The Bad Beginning
The Reptile Room
The Wide Window
The Miserable Mill
The Austere Academy
The Ersatz Elevator
The Vile Village
The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope
The Grim Grotto
The Penultimate Peril
The End
And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about:
‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’
‘When Did you Last See Her?’
‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’
‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’
Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else.
Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
Winner of the Klaus Flugge Prize 2020 and the V&A Book Cover Award 2020!
When Sadness arrives, try not to be afraid: give it a name, listen to it and spend some time together. Maybe all it wants is to know that it’s welcome. This beautiful debut by author-illustrator talent Eva Eland takes a poignant but uplifting look at dealing with sadness.
'In an age where the pressure to be permanently happy can be overwhelming, this book oozes empathy and empowers young readers to understand their emotions.' - Storytime Magazine
'This poignant picture book helps children to recognise and understand difficult emotions... A contemplative and ultimately uplifting tale, which will be a welcome addition to any home or school bookshelf.' - Booktrust
'Packs an emotional punch, showing our littlest readers ways to acknowledge and manage sadness.' - Sunday Independent, Best Books of 2019
Hold on to your umbrella and stock up on marshmallows – Judy Moody and Stink face wicked weather in their third full-colour adventure.
In their third full-colour adventure, Judy Moody and Stink face some wicked weather – and a night without any electricity! Hold on to your umbrella and stock up on marshmallows – Hurricane Elmer is coming to town! The Moody family hunker down with baked beans and batteries to wait out the storm. But along with massive rain and strong winds, Hurricane Elmer throws down ghosts, bionic squirrels and aliens. Spooky! Just when things couldn’t possibly get any freakier – flicker, flicker, gulp! – the lights go O-U-T out. The Moodys are smack-dab in the middle of a big bad blackout! Grandma Lou proposes musical board games and some good old-fashioned storytelling. Will Hurricane Elmer go down in Moody family history as bad news, a happy memory or simply an LBS (Long Boring Story)?
When thunder shakes his house and rain pounds the windows, Bear is frightened. But comforting his Mama, Papa and Floppy helps make the storm seem not as scary. Before Bear knows it, the storm has passed, because even storms need their sleep ... and so do bears.
A hugely heartwarming tale about the fear of thunder and how to overcome it.
