Adventures of Hare and Elephant (Sahara Series Book 3)

Or buttons, or paper clips, or postage stamps? Perhaps it's because you unwittingly live with Borrowers, tiny people who furnish their secret homes with castoffs "borrowed" from "human beans. Harry, Ron and Hermione must master their craft and battle the machinations of the evil wizard Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The three Baudelaire children are sent to live with the dastardly fortune hunter Count Olaf when their parents die in a fire, and that is just the beginning of their misfortunes.

Luckily for readers, the children encounter enough misery to fill 13 books of this deliciously morbid series. A stern but magical English governess is blown into the Banks' lives by the east wind. She slides up the banisters, can produce enormous objects from her carpet bag, and takes the children to a tea party on the ceiling in this beloved children's classic. In Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the lives and adventures of the four independent, creative March sisters — Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy — are set against the backdrop of 19th century New England while their father is away during the Civil War.

Ramona Quimby, irrepressible owl-wrecker, burr-crown-maker, one-bite-apple-eater, anti-smoking campaigner and toothpaste squeezer, goes from pesty little sister to grown-up year-old over the course of this beloved, humorous series by author Beverly Cleary. Ramona began as an incidental character in a different series, but quickly became a kid-lit icon in her own right.

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle sets off on a cross-country road trip with her grandparents to try to find her mother, who recently left her and her father. On the way, Sal tells them about her friend Phoebe Winterbottom, whose story of an absent mother begins to illuminate Sal's own.

They arrive in Birmingham in time to see the deadly bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in this elegant blending of fact and fiction. The daughter of a medieval English nobleman, Catherine has been raised for just one thing: But she has other ideas, and does her best to drive away any potential suitors, until she meets the dreadful and persistent Shaggy Beard, whom she fears she'll never escape. Danny lives in a converted gypsy caravan with his dad, who runs a gas station and garage — and secretly spends his spare time poaching pheasants from the forest of villainous local landowner Mr.

When Danny's father is injured by one of Mr. Hazell's man-traps, the two hatch an ingenious plan to wreck the landowner's annual pheasant shooting party by stealing all the pheasants first. Illustrated by Quentin Blake. Every Saturday, a different child can use the whole amount on an activity of their choice, from concerts to museums to utterly unexpected adventures.

When their widowed father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother, Sarah, who sings and makes her own clothes. But when she goes back home, the children fear she'll never return. In this collection of eight novels by Lucy Maude Montgomery, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a rather prim and elderly brother and sister pair, send away for an orphan boy to help them run their farm on Canada's Prince Edward Island.

But when the orphan arrives, he's not a he, he's a she — the loquacious and dreamy red-haired Anne-with-an-E Shirley — who quickly takes up a central place in their hearts. In the tumultuous summer of , Delphine and her two sisters travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, Calif. There, they begin to learn about the fraught relationship between race and power. Welsh mythology forms the basis for this tale of assistant pig-keeper Taran, who dreams of being a hero and eventually realizes that dream.

Along with his companions Princess Eilonwy, and Gurgi the half-man and of course, Hen Wen the oracular pig , Taran defends the mythical land of Prydain from the Death-lord Arawn, and in the end must decide if wants to rule Prydain himself. Barrie's classic story about how "all children, except one, grow up.

Alice follows a talking white rabbit in a waistcoat down a rabbit hole, and from there, things only get curiouser and curiouser. After run-ins with a Mad Hatter, a hookah-puffing caterpillar, and a disappearing cat with an enigmatic grin, Alice incurs the wrath of a dangerous enemy: The Queen of Hearts. In the year , year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day — the day schoolchildren are told what their jobs will be — to become a Messenger so she can run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, and perhaps even glimpse Unknown Regions.

With help from an eccentric professor, three children succeed in locating the last of the really great Whangdoodles, a wondrous, mooselike creature living in Whangdoodleland. There, they work to grant his heart's greatest wish: Yearning for knowledge and power, Sparrowhawk, a young student at the School for Wizards, becomes overanxious and tries his dangerous powers too soon, unleashing a terrible evil throughout the land, as he prepares for his destiny as the greatest sorcerer in the history of Earthsea.

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The four Pevensie children have been evacuated from London to the countryside during the Blitz — but when youngest child Lucy stumbles through a strange wardrobe and into the magical land of Narnia, an even wilder adventure begins. These six books lay out the history of Narnia from creation to destruction and beyond to its re-creation by the mythical lion Aslan. Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect world: Everyone has an assigned role, there are no choices, and no one experiences pain. But at 12, Jonas is given his lifetime assignment and he becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community — and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

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In a remote corner of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, a young witch-to-be named Tiffany Aching teams up with the Wee Free Men, a clan of rowdy, 6-inch-high blue men, to rescue her baby brother and ward off a sinister invasion from Fairyland. In this hit series, young Lyra Belacqua tries to prevent kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments; helps Will Parry — a boy from another world — search for his father; and finds that she and Will are caught in a battle between the angelic forces of the Authority and those gathered by her rebel uncle, Lord Asriel.

Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return. Sixth-grader Dwight is a total loser. But things start to look up when he begins to dispense eerily good advice from an origami finger puppet of Yoda.

When a classmate and his Darth Vader finger puppet become determined to end Dwight, can Yoda save him once more? Sixth-grader Margaret Simon talks to God about faith, bras, periods and boys, in between bosom-building exercises and preteen chants of: Bratty Mary Lennox, born in India to wealthy and neglectful parents, is sent back to England after a cholera epidemic to live in a rural manor with her uncle. At first rude and angry, Mary is transformed by the kindness of the staff and by her discovery of a neglected garden that once belonged to the late lady of the manor.

A poignant tale of bullies and bystanders, The Hundred Dresses tells the story of Wanda Petronski, a Polish schoolgirl whose classmates tease her for wearing tattered clothes. The story, which is illustrated by Louis Slobodkin, was inspired by a little girl author Eleanor Estes remembered from her own childhood who was picked on by other kids. Harriet wants to become an author, so she keeps a secret notebook full of thoughts and observations about her classmates and friends. But when she misplaces her notebook and it falls into the wrong hands, Harriet knows she is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Born with a facial deformity that initially prevented his attendance at public school, August "Auggie" Pullman enters the fifth grade at Beecher Prep and struggles with the dynamics of being both new and different in this tale about acceptance, self-esteem and the transformative power of human kindness. Jess Aarons is the fastest runner in his class — until a newcomer, the tomboyish Leslie, challenges him.

Not only is Leslie a tomboy; she's also an atheist and a misfit at their school. But after that rough beginning, Jess and Leslie become close friends, inventing together the magical forest kingdom of Terabithia. A story of friendship, imagination and learning to deal with tragedy. When Stanley Yelnats, the unlucky hero of Holes , is wrongfully accused of stealing baseball player Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston's shoes, he is sent to a juvenile detention facility in the desert where the inmates must dig 5-foot holes all day.

It doesn't help that Stanley carries a family curse passed down from his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. Fourteen-year-old Doug Swieteck has just moved to a new town where he doesn't have any friends. His teachers and the police think of him as a "skinny thug. When he notices that some of the pages are missing, he resolves to track them down.

Jeffrey Lionel Magee, also known as "Maniac Magee," is an orphan and a runaway. He ends up in a small Pennsylvania town torn apart by racial strife, and astounds everyone with his extraordinary athletic feats as he works to heal the painful divide between the town's black and white citizens. Nine-year-old Peter Hatcher has it rough: His little brother, Farley Drexel who prefers to be known as Fudge , gets all the attention, despite his tantrums and infuriating behavior.

Peter's one consolation is his pet turtle, Dribble — but even Dribble falls victim to Fudge, who ends up in the hospital after swallowing the unfortunate critter. Matilda is the story of an exceptionally gifted girl who outsmarts her cruel parents and the brutish school headmistress Miss Trunchbull with the help of her magical abilities and her kind teacher Miss Honey. Illustrated with vivacious drawings by Quentin Blake. Norton Juster's classic fantasy — with wry illustrations by Jules Feiffer — follows bored young boy Milo after he receives a mysterious gift: Sad-sack sixth-grader Greg Heffley just wants to fit in.

His preteen diaries chronicle the dramas of junior high as he and his best friend, Rowley, try to survive as undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily. When Rowley grows more popular, Greg takes drastic measures to save their friendship. Inspired by Pogo and the Disney comics of Carl Barks, the Bone graphic novels tell the epic tale of cousins Phoney, Smiley and Fone Bone, who are exiled from their hometown of Boneville after Phoney's mayoral campaign goes wrong.

After wandering across a desert, the cousins eventually end up in a mysterious valley where they are drawn into a battle to defeat the dark Lord of the Locusts. In this lovely, wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself. The evocative sepia drawings capture the heartbreak and longing of leaving home, as well as the wonder of arriving in a strange new land. Graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang's funny and sensitive drawings weave together the stories of Jin Wang, a Chinese-American kid who just wants to fit in at his new school; basketball player Danny, whose life is bedeviled by his stereotypical cousin Chin-Kee; and the mythical Monkey King, whose desire to become a god gets him in rather a lot of trouble.

In an alternative-history version of England during the reign of the fictitious King James III, Bonnie, Sylvia and Simon try to foil the plots of their detestable governess, Miss Slighcarp, who holds the household in an iron grip while Bonnie's parents are abroad. Illustrated by Edward Gorey, a master of macabre, this sinister novel follows Lewis, an orphan who goes to live with his magician uncle in a house that holds a clock counting off the time until the end of the world.

When Lewis accidentally raises the dead, he must stop the clock before it strikes for the last time. When Claudia decides to run away from home, she knows any old place won't do, and so settles on the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She and her little brother, Jamie, move into the museum, sleeping in a 16th century bed and bathing in the fountain. While there, they uncover a tremendous secret. In this magical novel written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, year-old Hugo is an orphan, clock-keeper and petty thief living within the walls of a Paris train station in Before he died, his father left him a broken automaton, and Hugo labors to uncover the secret hidden inside the machine.



In the s, as her mother prepares to be a contestant on a television game show, Miranda tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space. Melanie and April are fascinated by ancient Egypt and decide to play their own Egypt game in the storage yard of a mysterious professor's antique shop. But the imaginative game soon takes on a life of its own as the kids get entangled in a murder mystery. With illustrations by Alton Raible. Five novels steeped in British and Welsh mythology follow the story of year old Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son and last of the Old Ones, in his quest to vanquish the powers of the Dark.

Married couple Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire wrote and illustrated this luminous guide to the Greek gods, from cold, beautiful Artemis — goddess of the hunt — to the mighty father Zeus who lives on Olympus, "a mountain so high and so steep that no man could climb it and see them in their shining palace. An aviator whose plane is forced down in the Sahara encounters a little prince who has fallen to Earth from a tiny planet and relates his adventures in seeking the secret of what is important in life.

The poetic French novella was translated by Richard Howard. At birth, Ella is given the "gift" of obedience by a meddling fairy — with the result that she's forced to obey any command anyone gives her. When she finds herself falling in love with Prince Char, she knows she can't marry him because anyone who discovers her secret could force her to destroy the kingdom — so Ella must choose between her own happiness and the safety of her country.

Inspired by Chinese folk tales, Grace Lin's novel tells the story of Minli, who lives in the shade of Fruitless Mountain. The bitter Jade Dragon keeps the mountain barren and empty, but Minli whose name means "quick thinking" sets out to find a solution from the Old Man of the Moon. This thrilling fantasy quintet follows the life of Percy Jackson, a demigod and the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. Though heavily inspired by classical mythology, the series feels thoroughly modern thanks to Percy's funny, smart-aleck narration.

Maria Tatar collects 26 classic fairy tales, pairs them with exquisite illustrations and supplements them with literary, cultural and historical commentary. This children's classic chronicles the boyhood of Wart, the future King Arthur, as he comes under the tutelage of the great wizard Merlin.

In this charmingly quirky tale, Merlin teaches Wart about the world by transforming him into various kinds of animals. The story of Ha, a young girl living during the end of the Vietnam War, is told in a series of understated poems. Ha chronicles the life-changing year of , when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama. Young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, bred to be a genius, is drafted to Battle School where he trains to lead the century-long fight against the alien Buggers. In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.

Escape is his only chance to survive — but even that may not save him. Madeleine L'Engle's bestselling series revolves around the precocious Murray children. Plain, bespectacled Meg, brilliant Charles Wallace, the sensible twins Sandy and Dennys, and their friend Calvin travel through time, encounter strange creatures and battle the forces of darkness in these metaphysical science fiction novels.

Sam Gribley runs away from his family's cramped, crowded apartment in New York City and lives alone with his pet falcon in the Catskill Mountains, struggling to survive. Hunting and fishing sustain him in the wilderness, but when a terrible storm approaches, Sam has to fight for his life. Fleeing from an arranged marriage, a year-old Eskimo girl gets lost in the desolate Alaskan wilderness and is taken in by a pack of wolves. Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski Translator: This glorious book will introduce you to the bee world.

It is fantastically illustrated in a cartoonish style that is big, bold and great fun. Translating the letters of sixteenth century alchemist's daughter Elizabeth Weston, Nora finds herself on the trail of a powerful secret encoded in the mysterious Voynich Manuscript. This wonderful book about the magic of clouds is full of surprising and original poems, perfect for upper key stage two children either at school or at home.

Malcolm is drawn into a dangerous world of secrets and intrigue — and a mission to protect baby Lyra, whatever the cost. Joshua Pearl is a fairy prince in a human world, trying to make his way back to his one true love through our history. This sweeping fairy tale of love and memory will bewitch readers who long for epic romance and otherworldly magic. A powerful story narrated by Death, about: B J Novak Publisher: Demanding to be shared, this is a fresh and enormously funny book that children will want to hear time and time again. When Property Jones's family win the amazing opportunity to take over a huge bookshop in London, they can't wait to move.

But Property thinks there's something fishy going on. This crime caper has lots of warmth and laughs. The Borrowers are tiny people who live in the secret places of old houses - behind the mantlepiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. Travelling on a gigantic train, The Boundless, Will witnesses a brutal murder - and it is up to Will to save the train.

A rollercoaster of a read, with thrilling turns, dazzling characters and non-stop action. The Box of Delights. A magical old man has asked Kay to protect the Box of Delights, a Box with which he can travel through time. But Kay is in danger: Abner Brown will stop at nothing to get his hands on it. The police don't believe Kay, so when his family and the Bishop are scrobbled up just before Christmas, he knows he must act alone When Toby goes to the Globe theatre to thieve, he meets a sad and despairing figure: This funny chapter book celebrates the power of art and imagination in all its forms - and has some wonderfully arch illustrations.

This is the story about how four classmates have a massive impact on the life of Ahmet, a boy that comes to their school as a refugee from Syria. But Vix is regretting being a host — she already has enough to do caring for her disabled mother. Taking place in a believable urban, multicultural environment that will be familiar to many young readers, Polly Ho-Yen's debut is an impressively moving and thought-provoking story that will touch children and adults alike.

A child's imagination is a wonderful thing and Paul's is more wonderful and vivid than many. He has a theory - that the moon is not really the moon but a great big hole in the sky. A funny, life-affirming quest for identity that sees year old Elvis Crampton Lucas and his adoptive dad racing across Norway, pursued by a shadowy villain. Becket Rumsey decides to investigate the reasons behind the strange actions of some of the adults in his life.

With the help of his brother Billy and his pet snail Brian, he uncovers some difficult truths - and some beautiful ones. Multi-award-winning author David Almond returns with this pleasingly eccentric story of a ordinary boy who embarks on an unusual adventure. Marcel turns off the sun and plunges the world into the cold and dark. Can he find a way to put things back to normal — and quickly? Bright, glossy, humorous and thought-provoking. A P Winter Publisher: Everyone in Penvellyn has grown up on the stories of Ferenor, an abandoned land of mages and magic that now lies in myth and ruin.

Touches of steampunk and fantasy mix together in this magic-filled adventure. Written, unusually, in the present tense, this dystopian fable expresses an idea about the way the relationship between nature and society could develop. The book moves along quickly, never boring, always painting an interesting picture of a family dealing with mental illness and a family dealing with the cultural differences of old and new, East and West.

Allora is a small town so close to the ocean that fish fly out of the tumultuous sea; it's a town so small that secrets are impossible to keep. It is , and in Oldbury Town there is to be a football competition. Rood End Primary enters its two best teams, but there are a few others who want to make their mark too. The Beast is enjoying a lovely bit of peace and quiet when terrified villagers from a nearby island beg for his help in finding the source of a horrifying howling.

Sahara Hare

Grorks are shy, easily frightened creatures, and the one in this story is no exception. When his friend, the greep, suggests going for a walk to the wood, the grork is terrified This book oozes personality and with so much going on it promises to maintain the attention of young readers for hours at a time. Tomas sets out to find his father, terrified that the Brockenspectre - a mountain monster which his father had told him about - has got him. B R Collins Publisher: Celebrating the th centenary of the Children's Crusade, The Broken Road imagines the story of a group of young people to Jerusalem to regain the city from the Saracens for the Christianity, which took place in the 13th century.

Joe has always lived in a sterile room in a hospital. He's the 'bubble boy': Charlie goes in search of something he is good at, that will make him feel better after being picked on at school. When he discovers skateboarding his whole life changes, but can he persuade his overprotective Mum to let him develop his talent?

The boy loves his grandmother dearly. Best of all, he loves the stories about her life as a prize-winning architect. One day, she promises she'll build him an extraordinary house. Now his grandmother's gone, and he's heartbroken. But in her garden there are bricks and girder and he begins to build…. Norman the bear loves honey, so he thinks up an ingenious plan to get his paws on as much as he can eat - by enrolling at Bee School!

An endearing tale about friendship and loyalty. It's World War Two and Britain is on the brink of invasion. A fast-paced adventure that zips along and mixes up the facts with tantalising mythical and magical elements. With bold, easy to read rhyming text and beautiful pictures to fire the imagination, this book, exploring all manner of transport and adventure, is one to be treasured and shared. Blending a tense and compelling murder mystery with a thoughtful story of self-discovery , this is an impressive debut novel.

Twins Bul-Boo and Madillo are determined to save their friend Winifred from an arranged marriage with her uncle's friend, who is old enough to be her grandfather. An imaginative, entertaining story about scary new beginnings, featuring some comical, crazy characters and sprinkled with funny illustrations. The Call masterfully blends fantasy, horror and folklore. They take their revenge by 'calling' teenagers to the Grey Lands - where they are hunted, tortured or killed.

When year-old space mad Stella visits NASA, the last thing she expects is for a black hole to follow her and live in her house as a pet. A heartwarming, sensitively funny and uplifting illustrated story of one girl's journey in confronting her grief. Britain is in a bad way. Flooding, fuel shortages and overseas military commitments have taken their toll on the environment and the economy. The Castle is a fast-paced adventure story that is sure to keep readers turning pages. It also touches upon issues of domestic slavery, politics and human rights.

Two orphaned peasant children, Pia and Enzio, find a pouch, stolen from the King and dropped in their path. A fairytale about rich and poor. David Henry Wilson Illustrator: This is a timeless fantastical story about overcoming greed, power and corruption. Lorina is a brave heroine, who fights for what is right against all odds. There are lots of other fun characters, too - all illustrated by the wonderful Chris Riddell.

The Mice and the Elephant

Frances Lincoln Children's Books. The bold, earthy colour palate and close observation of the human and natural world make this a striking collection to be treasured — and remembered. When the royal castle is destroyed in an Unfortunate Incident involving a fire-breathing dragon, the King and his best friend, the cat, are forced to find an alternative home.

When Sally and her brother are left alone on a rainy day, they think they are in for a dull time - but then the Cat in the Hat appears. Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

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After causing havoc at home, Jingles the playful kitten disappears, and the family spends Christmas frantically searching for their beloved pet. This amusing festive tale, with comical illustrations, is ideal for newly-confident independent readers. Annie M G Schmidt Translator: Miss Ponsonby is reclusive and eccentric. She is certain that she has living with her, in feline form, not only her dead parents and friends, but Queen Victoria. There is a cave that is home to a creature: A laugh-out-loud story with a very BIG surprise and some glorious artwork: How often do we wonder if things might have turned out differently but for a single random act or event?

Gripped by a strange fear, England closes its doors to the outside world. In a tunnel beneath Wales one man opens a crack in a mysterious stone wall, and all over the island of Britain people react with horror to perfectly normal machines. Abandoning their cars on the roads and destroying their own factories, many flee the cities for the countryside, wh…. When a bad fairy plots to kidnap the baby prince, Princess Peony must act fast to save her brother. Engaging characters, plenty of humour and a smattering of magic combine in this contemporary fairy tale for confident independent readers.

Roman has a lot of misadventures, and this book is a non-stop comical disaster ride. Ideal for kids who find bodily functions, scabs, bogeys and toilet humour hilarious. Brilliantly written, this is an original and exciting story set in England and London during the Blitz. Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen Publisher: Aspiring concert pianist Lisa Jura is just 14 when she is forced to leave Germany behind and travel to England on the Kindertransport. Told by her daughter Mona, it's an eye-opening insight into life as a young refugee during World War Two.

Ahlberg and McEwen's fourth fast, funny and improbable story about the Gaskitt family is as ingenious as its predecessors. Bat lives with his grandmother in the central African savannah and rears cows. One day he finds an orphaned baby elephant, and so begins a special relationship. Ying Chang Compestine Illustrator: Amy is feeling alone: The only one who seems to have any time for her is her loyal dog, Choc. Set in a dystopian world where technology is flawed and magic abounds, this is the second instalment in the Worldquake sequence.

This exciting fantasy adventure is peppered with portals into other dimensions, evil plots and monsters. When Father Christmas sets off to deliver the presents, poor Bear is left behind in the workshop! How will he make it to Tom's house in time for Christmas morning? Lift the flaps to find out, as he chases Santa's sleigh through icy seas and snowy forests, all the way from the North Pole to Tom's cosy bedroom. From the creator of Miffy, comes a beautiful edition of Dick Bruna's charming Christmas Book complete with a press-out crib scene. In this delightful title he retells the birth of Jesus using simple text and charming illustrations.

In s Liverpool, young Bronwen and Dylan find kindness from an unexpected source when they are frightened by what they think is a ghost on Christmas Eve. It's Christmas Eve, and two mice are curled up in their mouseholes. One is comfortable and warm with a candied plum to eat, but the other has nothing at all. Milly is awakened in the night by a beautiful unicorn who helps to create a magical Christmas for her family.

If you ever doubted that dinosaurs and Christmas would work well together, read this book. It is bursting with loveable characters, fast-paced adventure and, of course, Christmas spirit. Bestselling author and columnist Caitlin Moran wrote The Chronicles of Narmo when she was just a teenager herself. An attractive story interspersed with rhymes, telling of two sisters, Churki and Burki, and their dog, based on the artist's own childhood memories in an Indian village. Manil Suri's new novel, The City of Devi , is a weird postmodern dystopia, a thriller and a love story.

Jacob Sager Weinstein Illustrator: Hyacinth Hayward is on a mission to save her kidnapped Mum. A delightfully silly, surreal and addictive adventure. Orphan Seren Rhys has been sent to live with her mysterious Godfather after living for 12 years in an orphanage. The possibility of her first happy family Christmas seems like it might finally be within her reach.

On her solo journey to Wales, Seren is given a mysterious package to look after by a stranger and ends up feeling obliged to take it with her. Everyone loves art class; everyone except the little girl who sits alone and draws nothing, a black cloud glowering above her. Many years after an unspecified cataclysm, the Earth has been shattered into a myriad of tiny planetoids floating in a vast ocean of air. Franklin was called 'The Cloudspotter' - and he didn't want to share his clouds with anyone. That's why he pops the infuriating Scruffy Dog into a hot-air balloon and lets her fly away.

A charming story about a lonely little boy who finds a friend. Humour, adventure, mystery and plenty of innocent childhood antics pepper this comical chapter book for young readers. Once you enter, you can never leave. Delightfully dark and gorgeously gothic, it is certain to enchant fans of all things chilling and supernatural. An original and entertaining picture book using colour, collage-effect illustrations and a delightfully cute monster to help youngsters identify and understand different emotions. On Hassan's first day at school he paints a colourful picture of his home and family in Somalia, but then adds soldiers, flames and bullets.

Drawing on personal experiences of living in a family blighted by depression, this unusual, yet important, book may help youngsters to make sense of an illness they cannot see. It offers a wide range of opportunities and new ideas for parents and schools, working across the curriculum through art, history and beyond. This adventure book is a total rollercoaster ride that will catch your breath as gutsy Cass weaves in and out of peril. After all, who doesn't want swashbuckling fun and women warriors with the hearts of lions?

Fortunately she meets Morag, a friend from orchestra, who says she can stay at her house. The comic-strip adventures of Calvin, a naughty boy with a philosophical bent, and his soft toy tiger companion Hobbes, delighted readers from to The General of a powerful country sends his troops into the last unconquered territory, but to their surprise, when they march across the border, they meet with no resistance. Gareth P Jones Publisher: Ever woken up to an eerie howl in the night and wondered what it was? This creepy tale about the Considine family might just have the answer. Laura Knowles and Jennie Webber Publisher: The great beauty and diversity of the coral reef is explored in this stunningly beautiful picture book, which is a true work of art.

The rhyming non-fiction text scans well and the information about coral reef conservation is pitched at the right level. Barrington Stoke Picture Squirrels. This accessible and diversely illustrated picture book gives helpful suggestions for more or less any reading issue. It's likely to especially interest schools.

A madcap, yet moving, story about having the courage of one's convictions, even when others doubt you. One night, a little cow falls to earth from the moon, but none of the earth animals speak her language. Jane Doe appeared on the steps of the mysterious Manor with her sick father as a baby, and ever since the residents of Bluehaven have considered her The Cursed One. But Jane's about to find out who she really is in a storming, funny and gripping adventure romp. Monsters under the bed AKA The Creakers are acknowledged as scary, but the warm and humorous narrator will make more nervous children feel they are in safe hands.

After reading this brilliantly creepy book, you'll never look at a potato in the same way again. Kurtagich has created an incredibly assured, claustrophobic horror with a fractured and troubled teen narrator that will have you gripped to the very last page. Who has left it, and where is its matching pair?

An engaging story with a rhyming text and a fun Croc puppet attached to bring the story to life. Witty, colourful and delightful. Matty is sick, and very sad because he's too sick to go to the Queen's birthday party! But when he gets an unexpected visitor, it seems that Matty might not miss out after all Jennifer Bell has built a wonderful new world in which readers can immerse themselves, in this pacey, magical adventure.

There are twists and turns, new creatures and strange, 'uncommon' objects to discover around every street corner. In the dark depths of winter, Brave Crow sets out on a dangerous journey to find the Sun, and beg for warmth. Inspired by a Native American myth, this beautiful picture book shows how courage and kindness are what really matter.

Will finds a small creature caught in a trap in the woods; a hob. The discovery of this magical creature signals the beginning of an incredible adventure for Will. A more challenging read that really fires the imagination. The Hunter is a cold, cruel man who lives only to kill rare animals and collect their skins. When the Hunter discovers that a pack of English wolves, long thought to be extinct, live in the Surrey countryside, he resolves to kill them all at any cost.

This is a fantastic sequel for this dystopian series. Interspersing her text with archive photos, Cat Winters combines history with the supernatural in her celebration of independent women in early twentieth-century America, and highlights the fight for women's suffrage. Amanda Wood and Mike Jolley Illustrator: Natural World is an extremely beautiful reference book that explores the way that habitats, plants and animals are connected, and the way that all elements of nature work in harmony.

This funny, touching and compelling novel was the winner of the inaugural Booktrust Teenage Prize. One night, the night-light goes out, and the dark calls Laszlo down into the basement to meet it. James and Webster, a pair of unlikely friends, embark on a curious rampage across the Devonshire countryside: This is probably one of the greatest fantasy sequences ever written. Darkly magical and intense Cooper weaves her storytelling wonder over fully realised characters and worlds, drawing in the reader and leading them on a journey that will leave them clambering for the rest of the series.

This is a gripping and unsettling story with some disturbing characters and a menacing atmosphere which pervades throughout. A dark but compelling read. Chris Hadfield with Kate Fillion Illustrator: The Fan Brothers Publisher: One night as a boy, Chris Hadfield watches the Apollo 11 moon landing and decides to be an astronaut. This atmospheric book draws on the Commander's childhood fear of the dark, and his realisation that dreams can come true.

With a refreshing spin on the traditional roles and full of sinister undertones and dark magic, this is a bewitching and exciting modern fairy tale for this generation of readers of YA fiction. A warm, reassuring tale about individual talents and about belonging, which will appeal to small children everywhere. Glorious illustrations swirl through the pages in a crescendo of appealing, harmonious images. But when Mike tries to get his dad back, he finds he's already been traded for an electric guitar.

How were they to know it would pinpoint the exact location of Planet Earth to Alan, the grumpiest alien in the universe? One day, a surprising stack of postcards arrives for Duncan. They are all from his old forgotten crayons, demanding to be brought home to the crayon box. A captivating, comical sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit. Award-winning illustrator and artist Oliver Jeffers has teamed up with film writer and director Drew Daywalt to create this gorgeously colourful picture book.

Long ago, when the world was new, Lindiwe gazed down from the heavens, proud of the earth and the creatures she'd created. A heartbreaking picture book that perfectly explains the displacement of people, and especially children, in war, and the trauma experienced by people forced to leave their homes. Jack and Ed think things are looking up after they escape boarding school in this sequel to The Enemy , but then something terrible happens that will put them in more danger than ever.

This is an utterly compelling and creepy psychological thriller which has the reader gripped from the very first page. In this reinvention of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' a young boy sets out to sea with his uncle, but the voyage is soon damned by a curse that throws them off course. The Government has a plan to clean up the environment — closing down motorways and returning the roads to nature.

When Scott Williams' father is found dead in his government office, Scott resolves to find out the truth behind his death. The story has many twists and turns. Through Uncle Pogo we are introduced to interesting inventions and unusual inventions and the monsters help Nelson to become better at making friends. For all of his short life, Pepper Roux has been waiting to die. Now, on his fourteenth birthday, he knows he won't have to wait much longer. A chilling story of a future where Longevity drugs have made sections of the population almost immortal.

This is a thought-provoking read. A sweet little girl happily sets off to visit her best friend for tea through a deep dark wood full of lurking witches, trolls and giants. Edgy Taylor has a gift - he can see demons in the crowded streets of Victorian London. A gripping, gothic, horror story lightened by its dark humour and unpredictable characters. Strange things are happening in the dead of night. Children who put a tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy wake to find Have you ever wondered if magic spells actually work?

Well, Grace and her four best-friends have. Joseph is a half-goblin boy leading a miserable life as a tavern servant. When he finds a mysterious parcel he hopes that by returning it to its owner he might be offered a new, exciting life as a sailor or pirate.

But he soon discovers that there are dangerous magical forces abroad that will stop at nothing to regain the package. Detective Dog Nell is famed for her sleuthing skills in this witty detail-packed book, full of exuberant rhyming couplets - perfect for sharing and reading aloud. Ella has a secret so toxic she dare not share it - not even with Max, the guy she loves.

Soon the couple get caught up in a cycle of revenge and violence, in this pacey and engaging thriller for young adults. Twins Sam and Niamh accompany their father to Florida each summer while he tries to unravel the mystery of their mother's disappearance at sea nine years ago. Aimed at older readers, this novel deals with adult themes of birth, sexuality, teen pregnancy, gang-culture, abuse and post-natal depression, but all in Wilson's usual credible, accessible style.

Watch as a new estate is built, from the demolition of old properties to families moving into their new homes. J C Hysu Illustrator: This retelling of an old Chinese folk tale is beautifully illustrated in a contemporary, cinematic style and offers a glimpse at the culture and traditions of an ancient civilisation. Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter Illustrator: Danny is greedy and spoilt - he already has so many toys there is no space in his room. When he sends Santa a long list for Christmas, St Nick decides to teach him a lesson.

Dinah is having a bad day — nothing seems to be going right: Lars Joachim Grimstad Translator: Don Bartlett and Sian Mackie Publisher: This enjoyable and very funny story of adventure and intrigue is a brilliantly witty political satire appealing to a wide age range from early teens to adult.

Nine-year-old Mafalda has a degenerative eye condition. She starts to keep a list of all the things she'll miss when her sight goes, but also the constants that surround her. Tender and thought-provoking, with a powerful but unforced message. In this lively and atmospheric tale of s New York, party girl Evie finds herself investigating a sinister string of occult murders. The valley was a picture of harmony until the dog appeared and ate everything up.

A sensitive and fascinating portrayal of how Christmas might be experienced by a boy on the autistic spectrum, and how a therapy dog provides reassurance and helps him enjoy the festive season. Spooky and atmospheric, The Dogs is everything you could want from a murder mystery and ghost story. Doll Karolina is saved from war in her native Land of the Dolls and transported to Poland to live with a man known as the Dollmaker - only for their lives to be turned upside down by World War II. An unusual novel blending reality with folklore and fantasy that will have a lasting impact on readers.

There's a Dickensian flavour to this satisfying time-travel tale, which takes its teenage hero on a journey from gritty modern-day London, to the city of the s. Jenny Valentine presents another enthralling, perplexing and thought-provoking novel exploring family, friendship and identity.

Sally Gardner lives up to her reputation for delivering ambitious and highly imaginative writing for teenagers in this unusual and complex historical novel. Peanut butter sandwich Nancy McNutty must battle a giant killer doughnut in this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek picture book full of puns and spot-the-joke illustration. An uplifting story about a timid baby dragon and a friendly young knight who discover they have much more in common than people think - and refuse to fight.

Freya Hartas chapter headings Publisher: When spirited young dragon Aventurine is tricked into drinking some enchanted hot chocolate, she is turned into a human girl. Dragons, magic and chocolate combine in this captivating fantasy adventure. In this collection of 11 stories about Vikings, you will encounter sailors, traders and explorers.

It had sounded so easy: Edward was going to look after Uncle Morton's unusual pet for a week while he went on holiday. But soon the fridge is empty, the curtains are blazing, and the postman is fleeing down the garden path. An exceptional debut novel that is packed with adventure, magic and humour. Emigrating to America, a girl loses the trunk that contains her beloved dress. The dress then embarks on an epic around-the-world journey to find her. A poetic and exquisitely illustrated story about love, loss, the passing of time and the power of memory.

Life" series, which focuses on musical instruments from around the world, created by award-winning picture book author and artist Ken Wilson-Max. In this book, we meet the drum. Seventeen year old Bianca believes her friends are all much more attractive to boys than she is herself. Wesley, a boy whom she hates, confirms this when he tells her she is 'The Duff' - the designated ugly fat friend chosen by other girls to draw attention to themselves. Lynne Reid Banks Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books. Paul Hansen must follow the dangerous Eagle Trail through the Pyrenees Mountains to get to England and escape Nazi persecution in this well-researched historical drama.

Learn about the inner workings of our earth, including earthquakes, volcanoes, thunderstorms and tsunamis; animal life on earth; the earth regions and the impact of humans on the planet, including information on migration, population and sustainability in this comprehensive hardback book celebrating the biodiversity and structure of this fascinating planet. Engaging, harrowing and thought-provoking, this is a story that should not be forgotten. Danny and his mother Cathy are on the run from her abusive boyfriend, Chris. They go back to the Edge, Cathy's childhood home, which she left after having Danny at the age of sixteen.

The first book of The Edge Chronicles which sees Twig start his quest to find out who he really is. Cade and his friends are forced into action to defend their beloved home; they must summon the combined forces of the Deadwoods to repel the force of their enemies. A storm is brewing far in the open sky, headed straight for the floating city of Sanctaphrax. But, when Twig has lost his memory of being warned of this catastrophe, he must find his crew and save the day. The second part of the Twig Saga follows Twig as he joins the crew of the Stormchaser in a dangerous quest to collect stormphrax to save the floating city of Sanctaphrax.

Fleeing the scene of his father's murder in the city of Great Glade, Cade Quarter smuggles himself onto the Xanth Filatine , a floating skytavern that journeys over the vast landscape of The Deadwoods. A mythic-feeling story about a girl who lives on the flat marshes, fishing for eels, and soon befriends an otter that will help her flee danger. Professor Ohms, a scientific detective, takes you on a journey of discovery around the periodic table. Packed with many weird and wonderful facts, it's perfect for any aspiring scientists or detectives! One day, an elephant offers a baby a ride through the town, and the set off on a great adventure.

Who is the culprit? This is a magnificent magical mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end about who the culprit might be. This story provides an engaging context in which much wider, complex environmental issues are explored. A foolish greedy lion and a disloyal crocodile are two of the animals who get their just deserts in this quirky and beautifully-presented collection of traditional Indian folk tales. In a distant future in which wars, riots and environmental crises have changed the world as we know it, year-old Silver is an Elite, specially chosen to guard the city of Neo-Babel.

Detailed and original, yet never sacrificing the human story for fantasy, this is a fabulous book that will enchant and inspire. This new fantasy adventure will appeal to lovers of Narnia and Harry Potter. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in …. An unusual and atmospheric story set in the run-up to World War II. As London's children prepare for evacuation to the countryside, they are horrified to discover that their beloved pets are due to be put down. The Emperor of Absurdia awakes one morning and can't find his snuggly scarf, so after checking with The Wardrobe Monster, begins to search for it.

This is a satirical story about a very vain Emperor who adores beautiful new clothes and has wardrobes full of them! Marina Le Ray Publisher: The story is told simply, using short sentences and a small number of frequently repeated words. Award-winning writer and director Richard Curtis turns his hand to picture books in this magical festive story, beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. A magical tale of a little girl whose enduring love brings a very special horse to life.

With a traditional feel and timeless quality, it could be a future family favourite. When Joe, Beth and Frannie move into a new home, they discover a mysterious wood on their very doorstep. When the sickness came, the adults became ill. The lucky ones died but many mutated into brainless, deformed monsters with a seemingly insatiable appetite - for children. In full colour throughout with great, modern design, this book is extremely well written and fun. Every page is full of genuinely fascinating and unusual facts.

F C Yee Publisher: An emotionally powerful story about friendship and grief, family and secrets, with a good dose of mystery and a dramatic, race-against-time conclusion. It's very readable and feels like a future classic. This picture book about a missing toy bear somehow seems like a classic already - with a lovely whiff of nostalgia about it all, while also feeling very current and gently inclusive. The crowds at the Tower of London love nothing better than the grisly spectacle of an execution.

But as the executioner's daughter, Moss has seen more than her fair share of horror. Now, lost in the Amazon rainforest, they must figure out the basics of survival. S M Wilson Publisher: And one is inhabited by vicious, predatory dinosaurs. A tense, brutal fantasy adventure: The Hunger Games meets Jurassic Park.

George loves helping out at Wormestall Farm, a secret sanctuary for exinct and mythical beasts, where unlikely things are always happening. An utterly nonsensical but engaging romp through the weirdest town in the world, featuring a warty witch, a creepy scientist, vegetarian piranhas and a dastardly plot that could change the town forever.

M L Peel Illustrator: Fabulous hairdresser to the fairy-tale stars Kittie helps Cinderella meet her Prince in this fun and light-hearted reworking of a favourite fairy story. Eighteenth century Edinburgh and a dark faerie underworld collide in this fast-moving, gripping Steampunk fantasy romance. Romance, art, monasticism and murder in Umbria, Hoffman has specialised in creating atmospheric historical novels, filled with intrigue Edgar Allan Poe Publisher: This selection of Poe's short fiction demonstrates his intense interest in aesthetic issues and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind.

Adam Epstein and Andrew Jacobson Publisher: Orphaned alley cat Aldwyn is bought by Jack, a likeable young wizard, and has a home and family at last. But when Jack is kidnapped, Aldwyn and his fellow familiars must rescue him. A joyous picture book about the importance of family and all the strength it can give you, this celebrates family in all its wonderful, diverse glory.

The message is subtle, but a crucial one: The Famished Road is the story of a spirit child Azaro. Azaro meaning 'born to die' has been born to his parents many a times only to die shortly after birth. Mammoth has a problem. His tiny friend Bug brings him food, but one gulp later, it's gone - and Mammoth is gloomy and starving, all over again. A charming, comical, rhyming tale of two unlikely friends.

John Green tackles the subject of teenage cancer with sensitivity in this witty, life-affirming young adult romance. Children quake in the darkness as they hear the terrifying roar of the fearsome beastie as it searches for food Jeremy De Quidt Publisher: The first part of J R R Tolkien's epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings , this is the story of young hobbit Frodo Baggins, who finds himself faced with an immense and terrible duty. Dunmore has spun a magical story to show how a small boy in a remote island setting who misses his Dad is reassured by a make-believe trip to visit him in the Far North.

Laura McGloughlin from Catalan Publisher: When crisis strikes, a girl convinces her brother that they are the stars of a film to protect him from the harsh realities of their new life. Darcy might be a dolphin, but her daily life at school and home will be incredibly relatable to primary school children. When Bobby begins a new school and endures sadistic cruelty at the hands of his new teachers, he is drawn away from his old friends and towards newcomer Daniel.

Jan Pienkowski's silhouette illustrations lend an air of mystery and drama to this text, taken from the King James Bible. The message is that working as a team is the best way forward. This book is testament to Blake's belief that all children need to be able find themselves in books. When her new baby brothers are born critically ill, Jess becomes convinced that the strange and beautiful flask in Aunt Edie's desk has the power to help them. Energetic illustrations and some lift-the-flap sections add interest as the humble housefly buzzes through this lively book.

But can she really change the future? What will happen when the fourth and final rider appears, will his appearance signal the end of the world? This sweet story weaves Morpurgo's effortless storytelling with ancient and very recent history: Leicester City's win of the Premiership title. Beautiful illustrations make it a lovely gift: Told in dual narrative, this story follows Reema and Caylin as they negotiate a shaky friendship: A truly excellent and ultimately uplifting book with plenty of heart.

A clever and thoughtful picture book showing how much fun the older generation can be and the valuable contribution they can make to young lives. After the Princess kissed the frog, he turned into a handsome prince, and they lived happily ever after… or did they? Hannah and her brother Benjy are on holiday. But instead of relaxing, Hannah is terrified: The suspense builds chillingly in this pared-down, atmospheric ghost story.

Author James Campbell Illustrator: This outlandish encyclopaedia covers everything a child could ever need to know about pets. Children will get lost in its mix of hilarious pet-related misinformation, trivia and educational facts. At the end of Edward Lear's much loved poem, the happily married Owl and the Pussy-cat are dancing hand-in-hand on the edge of the sand Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson has turned her hand to children's books in this new continuation of Peter Rabbit's adventures.

Alexander Gordon Smith Publisher: Cal, Brick and Daisy are three very different teenagers, living very different lives, but one horrific day they are thrown together in unimaginable circumstances. This gently humorous chapter book was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize ; black and white line drawings add to its appeal and the length is perfect for emerging readers.

This lovely new series of baby books includes games with art, patterns and light, all designed to get very young children to have fun with exploring and using their imagination. This pacy coming-of-age adventure concentrates on the private hopes, dreams and feelings that drive its characters along, but also keeps enough sense of the gritty realities of street life.

Alfie's parents are very silly, and it's no time at all until young Alfie shows common sense beyond his years. Soon, he is headteacher, town mayor and prime minister of the country - all before his ninth birthday. Giggles and guffaws aplenty. Notorious cheese thief Fingers McGraw is on the run or rather, on the moped from chief law enforcer The Elephant. Set in s Malaysia, this is the story of seventeen-year-old Li Lan, whose quiet life with her father is dramatically altered when he returns one evening with a proposition for her. Helen Watts and Taffy Thomas Publisher: This slim volume includes 14 'war stories' made up of poems, songs and re-tellings of ghostly sightings and mysterious coincidences, themed around World War One.

Jamal wakes to find that everyone in his West African village have been killed. He alone has survived because of how others perceive his epilepsy. This is a powerful, moving and mesmerising story, set in a violent world and seen through a year-old's eyes. Creakie Hall is falling down but there is no money in the bank so Aunt Gardenia Bogey-Mandeville needs to come up with a money-making scheme pretty quickly The Ghosts of Heaven is an excellent book that will open up new avenues of thought and future reading and introduces teenage readers to a more inventive understanding of storytelling.

Elli Woollard and Benji Davies Publisher: The illustrations brim with jokes and delightful details, the rhyming text is breezy fun, and the line between darkly gruesome and good-hearted is deftly maintained. The children in Miss Honeywood's class decide to grow vegetables in their school garden. What a shock they get when they discover a huge turnip that they are unable to move. Jumbeelia, a young girl giant from Groil, the Land of Giants, loves the stories of the iggly plop who climbed up the bimblestonk and was chased back down again by a giant.

A giant is caught short when his loo roll drops to the floor and rolls away. As it rolls through the town the people make use of the enormous sheets to devise all sorts of useful creations. We are taken right back to the action, with Podkin, his sister Paz and the poor rabbits they rescued sheltering in the Dark Hallow warren. Everything about this book is exquisite. When seven-year-old Echo, a runaway and thief, is discovered in the library by a mysterious lady covered in feathers her life is changed for ever.

This is a book all tween girls should have. Like a chat with a friend with an excellent sense of humour, The Girl Guide is precisely the straight-talking and empowering read girls need at what can be a confusing and awkward time. Kiran Millwood Hargrave Publisher: When her closest friend disappears into the island's Forgotten Territories, Isabella Riosse volunteers to guide the search.

A stunning debut, full of myth, magic and mapmaking. When Wilhelmina Silver's home is sold, she is torn from her best friend, her adopted monkey and her pet horse, and banished to an inhospitable boarding school in England. Catherynne M Valente Publisher: When the Green Wind turns up and carries September away to Fairyland, she soon finds herself battling to stop the evil Marquess. When babies are left in the forest as an offering, the witch Xan protects them and feeds them on starlight.

But one day, Xan feeds a baby the moon by mistake — and fills her with a dangerous amount of magic. A thoughtful book about belonging and fear. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is the story of year-old schoolgirl Kazuko, who accidentally discovers that she can leap back and forth in time after a strange encounter with a shadowy figure at school. Stella sets out to discover if her mother really was a mermaid. Louie is a feisty heroine, loyal to her friends and determined to succeed in this engaging historical adventure.

Life is tough in Victorian times, the world into which Alice Peasbody is born - and Alice is a girl with no nose. A wonderful, thoughtful book that teaches compassion, celebrates difference and tackles some weighty issues with a gentle touch. Hollie's hatred of the hair brush results in her tangled curls attracting a range of nesting birds.

When mysterious men kidnap her mother, Minnow has to set sail alone for the magical, dangerous and beautiful Wild Deep. Four friends find a tree that becomes their Secret Meeting Place. As they grow into four very different young women, their friendship stays as strong as the tree. This touching picture book perfectly encapsulates the value and joy of female friendship. After the death of her father, Billie and her mum are moving to a new town for a fresh start. But the house - or somebody in it - is trying to drive them out. Legend has it that Bonschariant, the demon, haunts a medieval stained glass window and emerges from it to bring death and destruction to anyone who sees him.

Jan Pienkowski and David Walser Publisher: A wonderfully entertaining collection of Polish fairy tales, with striking illustration by Pienkowski. Lauren St John Publisher: Part gripping adventure, part love story, this powerful novel travels through an exhilarating yet terrifying landscape. A mountain goat, a girl called Kid and a boy who speaks in spoonerisms are the main characters in this quirky novel about love, fears and friendship. Surprising, tender and engaging.

Al Haji has three wives, seven children and an assortment of animals including five goggle-eyed goats. But his goats eat everything in sight and Al Haji's family have had enough. Matthew has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Can he help an investigation into the abduction of a child, perhaps without even leaving his house?

A captivating read, combining a compelling whodunit with an engaging protagonist. Jesus is a passionate, charismatic preacher, while Christ is his cynical and introspective twin, with an eye for posterity. The finger puppets are back for another adventure. This time the finger puppet experiences various morning rituals: Red Fox Picture Books. In this second adventure in the series, Max and the Goozillas must navigate through the monstrous maze, avoiding the pixelated ghosts.

This fast-paced, accessible series will appeal to fans of computer games, comics and all things slimy. While Max is playing on his favourite game on his tablet, he manages the impossible. With just one sneeze, Max manages to transport himself into the game itself, World of Slime. This gang of slimeballs need Max's help. Their world is being take over by the obnoxiously sweet and fluffy…. Like everyone else in town, River is obsessed with the Graces: But are they really what they seem?

A beautifully written, deliciously dark YA fantasy with a fresh take on witches. Orphan Hans is running away from a life of grave-robbing; Countess Angela wants to avoid death at the hands of the evil Archduke and his Necromancer. Together, can they escape? Ben and his friend Becky work for the Ministry of Pandemonium, guiding recently dead souls safely to the afterlife. But the enemy, the Lords of Sundown, are never far away and have unfinished business. Simon the squirrel and his friends head to outer space in a hot air balloon in this lively picture book.

How does the human body develop and change in a lifetime? Hoffman and Asquith explore these questions and more in this honest, entertaining and fact-filled celebration of the human body, which also reflects the diversity of the world we live in. The simple message is that every family is unique and special and that there is no such thing as "normal" or "abnormal". How are you feeling today? This warm-hearted and thoughtful picture book explores a whole range of emotions that children might experience. The Great Big Green Book is filled with facts about our planet, and asks lots of questions to help children think about green issues.

The book also gives simple tips on how you can save the environment. Tom's cat likes to kill small animals. When it kills the Vicar's expensive Koi carp, Mum is so cross that the cat is locked out of the house. But then it goes missing When the skirting board mice kidnap the ship's cat for a cheese ransom, the pirates are ready for action. An easy-to-read and exciting adventure story, which is perfect for readers starting to read alone.

Flamie Oliver is a terrifying dragon with a secret: F Scott Fitzgerald Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Books. But that doesn't stop Anna and her friends from hatching a plan to persuade Mum to let them get a hamster. Shy Eva lives a quiet life with her protective Dad - until the noisy McIntyre family move in next door. This is an intelligent and entertaining picture book, with unique and fascinating illustrations. Davies attracts young readers with her familiar plot, engaging characters, and understanding of nine year-olds' minds. Nathan Kumar Scott Illustrator: Kanchil, the mouse deer, boasts he is the fastest animal in the forest - but Pelan the snail believes he can beat him in a race.

This read-aloud story also provides a great stepping stone for introducing other cultural ideas to young children. Lou Pine is one hungry wolf who cunjurs up a cunning plan to catch a sheep for his dinner. But the sheep are not as dumb as they first appear… This hilarious romp from the award-winning creators of The Great Dog Bottom Swap , which was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize will have you rolling in laughter. Detective genius, Shelby Holmes, may be small but she comes up trumps when the police are flummoxed by a 'dognapping' in a wealthy part of New York.

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In the little town of Blackbird Tree, friends and fellow orphans Naomi and Lizzie are startled when a strange boy, Finn, falls out of a tree. Each story is inspired by a different object from World War I, from a soldier's writing case to the nose of a Zeppelin bomb.

Matt Edmondson and Garry Parsons Publisher: A sweet story about believing in yourself with a series of fantastic magic tricks included in various ingenious slots, boxes and envelopes — all engineered to provide an exciting book full of brilliant activities, as well as a storyline. Kitty's predestined role is to marry, have children and keep house, but her dream is to work with horses. So she disguises herself as a boy and runs away to join the circus.

Kitty's story is about following your dreams and staying true to your values. Haifaa Al Mansour Publisher: Wadjda's dream is to ride through Riyadh on a green bicycle. She develops plans, schemes and enlists the help of her friend Abdullah to help her achieve her dream.

Benjamin J Myers Publisher: Atmospheric illustrations with a nostalgic feel help build suspense in this delightful rhyming story about how your mind can play tricks on you. In this much-loved picture book, a little mouse walks through the woods and encounters a fox, an owl and a snake. The ever-popular Gruffalo returns in musical form in this book of songs to sing and play from Julia Donaldson.

Five years after the publication of multi award-winning The Gruffalo , author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler return with a much-awaited sequel. Meet deliciously disgusting duo The Grunts in the first of an irreverent series from Philip Ardagh.