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Celebrate 30 years of stories with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler as you learn how to draw ten of your favourite characters from their bestselling picture books - from The Gruffalo to The Snail and the Whale and much more! Have fun learning to draw the Gruffalo, the Witch or even George the Smartest Giant in the step-by-step guides. Then put the finishing touches on your art as you follow the tips for drawing expressions, creating movement and even using colour in your illustrations. With never-before-seen character sketches and step-by-step guides, plus top tips from Axel Scheffler on everything from character development to cover design, How to Draw the Gruffalo and Friends is the perfect gift for budding artists of all ages. Includes characters to draw, scenes to colour and activities. Great for Ages 7-12. ISBN 9781035001491 -
Friend by day. Traitor by night. The second book in the dark, twisting YA trilogy about a teen assassin's attempt to live a normal life. Teen assassin Isabel Ryans now works for Comma, and she's good at it: the Moth is the guild's most notorious killer, infamous throughout the city of Espera. But Isabel still craves normality, and she won't find it inside the guild. She moves in with a civilian flatmate, Laura, and begins living a double life, one where she gets to pretend she's free. But when Isabel's day job tangles her up with an anti-guild abolitionist movement, it becomes harder to keep her two lives separate. Forced to choose between her loyalty to her friends and her loyalty to Comma, she finds herself with enemies on all sides, particularly those from the rival guild Hummingbird, putting herself and Laura at risk. Can Isabel ever truly be safe in a city ruled by killers? Great for Teens and Young Adults. ISBN 9781398507371 -
From beloved powerhouse author Katherine Applegate comes The One and Only Ruby, starring the adorable baby elephant from the Newbery Medal-winning modern classic The One and Only Ivan and its bestselling sequel, The One and Only Bob. Ruby's story picks up a few months after the events of The One and Only Bob. Now living in a wildlife sanctuary, Ruby's caretaker from the elephant orphanage in Africa where she grew up is visiting. Seeing him again brings back a flood of memories both happy and sad of her life before the circus, and she recounts the time she spent in the African savannah to Ivan and Bob. In the timeless way that only Katherine Applegate could craft, this highly anticipated novel in verse is the perfect mix of heartfelt and humorous, poignant and sweet. Great for Ages 7-10. ISBN 9780008470746 -
Through this rhyming tale, we follow our young narrator through a series of stressful situations. She wants to try out for the school play and make a new friend at dance camp - but the pain in her chest always gets in her way. She finally opens up to her Mum who explains the pain in her chest is called 'anxiety'. With her Mum's understanding and support, she slowly cures the pain in her chest. Great for Ages 3-7. ISBN 9781788493550 -
The greatest magic is hidden in plain sight... Evie is used to not being noticed. But when she meets the mysterious Wainwright, she discovers that going unnoticed might just be what makes her unique. Recruited into a secret magical organization, Evie finds herself at the heart of an ancient and magical battle. Evil is returning to the land, and Evie is the only person who can stop it. But how can she defeat the most dangerous magician in the world, when she doesn't even know her own powers? "Another absolute triumph from one of my favourite children's authors. Spellstone is both heartfelt and humorous, while fizzing with magic and fun." Catherine Doyle. Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9781529501933 -
"The Lost Cup? You don't want to know about that". Aidan has been thwarted at every turn, in his efforts to find out where the mysterious lost cup is hidden, or if it even really exists. A year after the escapades of Gaelic football mad twins, Aoife and Aidan Power, along with their four best friends in Twin Power: Throw In, the Droichead Beag gang are back! However, all is not rosy. Cracks are starting to show as the gang's strong foundation creaks under the strain of new friendships with players from their rival club Gorman, along with football injuries and tense must win matches. With all this tension in the background, Aidan becomes fixated on finding the mysterious Lost Cup which was allegedly hidden 100 years ago during the Irish Civil War. Why will no one talk to him about it? Will a school trip to the GAA museum in Croke Park shed any light on this mystery? How is the lost cup linked to rivalries between Droichead Beag GAA and Gorman GAA? Can Aoife and Aidan solve this mystery, reunite their gang of friends and return to having fun on the football field? Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9781788494106 -
A heart-wrenching exploration of grief from a bestselling YA author, set in a landscape corrupted by fame and the scrutiny that comes from living in the shadow of a star. To the world, Lizzie Beck is a superstar: famous, talented and beloved. To Emmy, she is simply Beth: her brilliant older sister, her idol. But then Beth takes her own life, and all the light in the world disappears. Now Emmy is lost. Amidst the media storm and overwhelming public grief, she must fight to save her own memories of her sister - and find out who she is without her. Great for Teens and Young Adults. ISBN 9781529509137 -
Do you ever pretend to like something you don't, just to fit in? Is it sometimes hard to tell others how you're feeling? Do you wish there was less pressure on you to 'man up'? Explore these questions and many more in this empowering and inclusive guide to masculinity for readers aged 10+ by everyone's favourite doctor, Dr Ranj. Whether it's thinking about hobbies or standing up to your mates, Dr Ranj is here to encourage boys to grow up happy with confidence, positivity and kindness. In his signature warm and conversational voice, Dr Ranj reflects on what it really means to be a boy in today's world, looking at everything from stereotypes and peer pressure to mental health and respect for women. In a world where everyone seems to have an opinion about what it means to be a man, Dr Ranj is here to reassure readers that there isn't one way to be a boy - just one way to be true to yourself. Great Ages 9-14. ISBN 9781526364968 -
Have YOU ever had a bad week? The hilarious new series taking the world by storm. His cat has been abducted by aliens, his dad is dating his new head teacher, and he's unexpectedly gone viral online in the most embarrassing way. Justin Chase is having the WORST WEEK EVER! At least his new-found inter-fame (or inter-shame) won't stand in the way of getting the perfect school photo, right? Maybe not... As the school's Super Science Spectacular is destined to blow up into a hair-raising, teeth-shattering disaster of epic proportions! He barely made it through Monday, but now it's... Tuesday! The second book in the hilarious new seven-part highly-illustrated series for fans of the globally bestselling Treehouse series. Great for Ages 7-10. ISBN 9781398521940 -
Before you start reading, there are a few things you should know: 1. I, Esha Verma, am a genius inventor extraordinaire. 2. I like lists. 3. I did not mean to open up an inter-galactic portal. Some things just can't be helped. Esha Verma, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his secretly cunning pet tortoise are on their third adventure - this time it's an inter-galactic mission through outer-space to stop an alien from stealing their planet! When Esha invents the Inviz-Whiz, a device designed to make the user invisible, she does not expect it to open a portal to outer space - and things go from bad to worse when Esha, Broccoli, Archibald and Broccoli's annoying cousin Bean are immediately abducted by Goospa, an alien with an evil plan! With the help of a surly alien called Nix, Esha and the gang must race across the galaxy, navigate a Lava Marsh, fight vicious Ice Bats - and stop Bean getting into too much trouble! - to stop Goospa's plan before it's too late Great for Ages 6-9. ISBN 9781529070729 -
A magical story about finding your identity from one of the most acclaimed storytellers of his generation, richly illustrated in full colour by an internationally renowned artist. My mother says that all things can be turned to tales. I thought she meant tales like fish tails, but I was wrong. She meant tales like this, tales that are stories. But this tale of mine is very like a fish tail too... Annie has never been like the other girls. Her mam tried sending her to school when she was small, but Annie couldn't seem to make words or numbers stick. She prefers instead to be swimming in the sea, or sunbathing on the shore at Stupor Beach, her head full of tales. She should have been a fish, her mam always tells her, and Annie knows the truth of it. Then a stranger who comes to town is struck by the beauty and the wonder of her, and Annie Lumsden realizes that perhaps she really is half a creature from the sea. Great for Ages 7-10. ISBN 9781406394559 -
Blumwald is a town overshadowed by an ancient curse: in a sinister castle in the depths of the wild wood lives a monstrous Witch. Once a generation, she comes to claim a companion to return with her - never to be seen again. Now that time is drawing near once more... Mina, daughter of the duke, is grieving and lonely. She has lost all hope of any future for herself in Blumwald. So when the Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up - though she has no idea what fate awaits her. Stranded with her darkly alluring captor, the mystery of what happened to the previous companions draws Mina into the heart of a terrifying secret that could save her life, or end it. Great for Teens and Young Adults. ISBN 9781839132957 -
Cosima Unfortunate has spent all her life at the Home for Unfortunate Girls - a school where any disabled children, or children deemed different, are sent, whether their families want it or not. It is there that she meets her friends - Pearl, Mary and Diya - and they start to practise mini heists involving the theft of cakes, biscuits and other sweet goodies. But when Cos finds out that Lord Francis Fitzroy, the explorer behind the Empire Exhibition, is planning to adopt them, she and her friends plot the biggest heist of their life. Instead of fondant fancies, they're going to steal Fitzroy's prized tiara, containing the legendary Star Diamond of India! But, as they start preparing for the day, Cosima finds herself drawing ever closer to discovering the one secret she's always wanted to know - the truth about her parents... Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9780008579050 -
Before there were dragons, there were dinosaurs... Imagine a world in which the dinosaurs weren't killed by a meteor hitting the earth. A world in which dinosaurs learned to speak. To dream. To wage war. Eleri is an oryctodromeus, a small dinosaur raised in an underground warren. He dreams of becoming his herd's storyteller but when he saves an enemy soldier from a pterosaur attack, he is exiled to the Deadlands. To survive this scorched desert full of carnivores, he joins a herd of other young exiles, including a peppy stegosaur, a stoic sauropod, an irritable triceratops ... and a mysterious spy. Can five young misfits save their warring kingdoms? Includes bonus content: a map and extra dinosaur facts. Perfect for fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, How to Train Your Dragon and Percy Jackson. Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9781529504736 -
Meet Jim Panzee. He's in a BAD mood. Nothing feels right!Nothing will do, and Jim just doesn't know why... His friends can't understand it - HOW can he be in a mood when it's such a beautiful day!? They have lots of suggestions for how to make him feel better. But Jim can't take all the advice... and has a bit of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy? This modern classic is the perfect reminder that 'grumpy monkey' days never last long. Great for Ages 1-6. ISBN 9780241628690 -
Every Lunar Eclipse signifies the beginning of The Immortal Games: an epic set of games played by the Gods of Olympus, with randomly-selected humans as their Tokens. The stakes are high; the Gods covet entertainment and glory above all else, for the Tokens, it's about survival. 17-year-old Ara wants revenge. Revenge on the Gods for allowing her older sister to die in the Games. She's determined to be selected as a Token and find a weapon powerful enough to kill a God. But when she's plucked from the clutches of death by Hades, God of the Underworld, the odds are stacked against her. Hades is the outcast of the Gods, and the only one who has never won the games. But he soon realises that Ara does not fear death, just as she does not fear him, and when a wager with Zeus and Poseidon puts both their futures at stake, the games take on a new meaning. With each challenge, the games become more brutal. Can Ara put aside her rage and survive? Great for Teens and Young Adults. ISBN 9780702306099 -
The best-selling National Geographic Almanac is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, National Geographic exclusives, games, activities, and fascinating features about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. This new edition features: EXCLUSIVE National Geographic Explorer interviews and features EXCLUSIVE Interactive Almanac Challenge 2024, plus the results of the Almanac Challenge 2023 BONUS SECTION of sidesplitting jokes and riddles NEW fun-tastic things to see and do in 2024 NEW cutest animal superlatives and animal rescue stories NEW science and dinosaur discoveries NEW fun games, quizzes, and activities NEW weird and wacky places around the world NEW experiments to do, places to explore, and ways to change the world UPDATED reference material, including fast facts and maps of every country. Whether you're looking for homework help, want to learn more about another country, or just need a cute animal fix, the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2024 has you covered! Great Ages 7-13. ISBN 9781426375323 -
My own Yara, if you are reading this, then something terrible has happened, and you are on your own. To return to the city of Zehaira, you must read out the words on the back of this letter. Good luck, my brave girl... When Yara's mother passes away, she leaves behind a letter and a strange set of instructions. Yara must travel from the home she has always known to a place that is not on any map - Zehaira, a world of sorcerers, alchemists and simmering magic. But Zehaira is not the land it used to be. The practice of magic has been outlawed, the Sultan's alchemists are plotting a sinister scheme - and the answers Yara is searching for seem to be out of reach. Yara must summon all of her courage to discover the truth about her mother's past and her own identity... and to find her place in this magical new world. 'Enchanting, immersive and beautifully imagined. Once I'd finished, I couldn't stop dreaming of this magnificent magical world' A.F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief 'Spellbinding storytelling - lyrical, heartfelt, and glittering with possibilities' Sophie Anderson Great for Ages 9-12. ISBN 9781398517707
