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Enjoy more than 100 extraordinary stories of unusual species, behaviours, and objects all told by author Ben Hoare. Why do Mexican jumping beans jump? How do sea cucumbers defend themselves? What causes the northern lights? This book is filled with facts about the most surprising and curious plants, animals, rocks, and phenomena in nature. Children can read stories of more than one hundred unique animals, plants and phenomena and learn about the weird and wonderful side of the natural world. This fascinating nature book for kids offers: Facts from a range of topics, from animals to plants and rocks to natural phenomena, that are guaranteed to wow adults and children alike - Large photographs that show each species or item in incredible detail, with diagrams help to support understanding - A gold foil cover and beautiful illustrations, making this book an ideal gift for young nature lovers. In Weird and Wonderful Nature, Ben Hoare's friendly, informative explanations are paired with photographs and charming illustrations to make sure every page captivates the imagination, while a glossary and index help to navigate the chapters. Great for Ages 7-12. -
Con O'Neill is stuck in a world of brutal gang violence, sectarian vendettas and personal tragedy. The lack of opportunities for him and the rest of his gang is all too apparent. No money. No prospects. A social design that entraps inhabitants of Treacle Towns up and down the country. Connor is desperate to get away, to find another life where he can experience happiness and fulfilment. When he stumbles upon the new world of slam poetry, Con senses a glimmer of hope - a hope that might just lead to his escape from Treacle Town. But it won't be easy... Great for Ages 13+. -
From tales of hot roasted chestnuts to shared gifts and falling snow, celebrate the festive season with these short stories by Enid Blyton. These traditional tales are ideal for younger children being read to and for newly confident readers to read alone. Each story stands alone and is the perfect length for reading at bedtime or in the classroom. Enid Blyton remains one of Britain's favourite children's authors and her bumper short story collections are perfect for introducing her to the latest generation of readers. Great for Ages 6-10. -
Father Christmas needs a holiday. He isn't feeling well and someone seems determined to ruin the festivities. It's up to Christmas Elves, Tog and Holly, to find a way to deliver the presents on time and bring the Christmas magic back for everyone. A laugh-out-loud race against time with a heartwarming message of teamwork, and the perfect stocking filler for all the family to enjoy this Christmas. Discover more of Tog and Holly's adventures with Diary of a Christmas Elf and Secrets of a Christmas Elf. Find out what life is like as a Christmas Elf in these laugh-out-loud stories that will take you round the world on Father Christmas' sleigh. Great for Ages 6-10. -
The perfect gift for any child this Christmas. From Alex T. Smith comes a gorgeous retelling of children's Christmas classic The Nutcracker - a Christmas Story in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters. The Mouse King is up to some very sneaky shenanigans. The night before Christmas, he steals the key to the Kingdom of Sweets and sets out to cause as much festive mayhem as he can! Clara and Fritz Strudel, and their new friend the Nutcracker, are the only ones who can stop him. But when a magical curse is put on Fritz, it's a race against time to make it to the Kingdom of Sweets and find the Sugar Plum Fairy - the only one who can break the spell! Can the adventurers stop the Mouse King's naughty plan and save Fritz, before it's too late? With irresistible colour illustrations, a festively foiled cover and a chapter to enjoy each day in December, this gorgeous hardback is the perfect gift for any child at Christmas. Great for Ages 6-8. -
Dark, moreish and chilling - the countdown to Christmas is on ... and time is running out. Every day in December, a gift is left for Eleri in the abandoned tower block opposite her flat. At first, she can't help but be flattered, hoping that her Secret Santa is enigmatic Ras - a boy she has history with. But with each day that passes, the gifts get darker and more dangerous. Is this a harmless bit of festive fun? Or does this have something to do with Nina's disappearance last year? If so ... will Eleri be next? This thriller is the ultimate blend of haunting and festive. Foregrounding themes of disability and broken families: Eleri's single mum has cerebral palsy, Sarah Naughton was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award with her YA novel THE HANGED MAN RISES. Great for Ages 13+. -
Mirabelle's mum is a witch, her dad is a fairy, and she is a bit of both! When Mirabelle's pet dragon Violet goes missing in the woods, the sensible thing to do would be for Mirabelle and her brother, Wilbur, to stick together to look for her in the creepy abandoned cottage she disappears into. But the two just can't get along, and Mirabelle gets so cross that she says she wishes Wilbur would just disappear. She doesn't mean for it to actually happen though! Can she sort things out and get Wilbur to come back? Thankfully help is on hand, as the cottage isn't quite as abandoned as it first appears... -
Mabel lives with her parents in The Mermaid Hotel, by the sea. Mabel likes to keep an eye on the comings and goings of all the guests, particularly their most interesting guest and Mabel's best friend, Madame Badobedah. Madame Badobedah has pirouetted through pyramids, skated across rivers, swum with mermaids and even helped a Triceratops with a toothache. In this new adventure, the duo set off on a mission to the Natural History Museum. And, just maybe, they will meet a dinosaur along the way... "Illustrated with airy, light-hearted charm by Lauren O'Hara [...] This longer-form picture book taps astutely into the imaginative life of an adventurous child, is lovely both the read and listen to." The Guardian Great for Ages 4-8. -
Clara is a small, strong-willed princess who likes running wild, jumping ditches and climbing trees... but most of all, she loves collecting creepy-crawlies and making them her friends. That's not easy with a bossy butler and a pernickety nanny always on your case. When Clara discovers that an ogre she keeps in her shoe under her bed isn't an ogre at all, he offers her a way out of her predicament. There's only one thing she needs to do... Written by acclaimed author Michael Morpurgo and illustrated by the award-winning Emily Gravett. Great for Ages 3-7. -
From L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, comes a heartwarming and hilarious story about a girl who is convinced her new stepdad is actually Father Christmas... Structured like an advent calendar, this is the perfect story to read one day at a time in the lead up to Christmas (with an extra special chapter for Christmas day!) It's 25 days until Christmas and 10-year-old Harper gets a surprise when Mum announces she's bringing her new boyfriend Nick home for the holidays! Nick seems nice enough. But why do strange Christmassy things happen whenever he's around? Like snow falling only in the family's garden? Or a reindeer suddenly appearing on the roof?! Harper's convinced that Nick must be Father Christmas! And if her mum and older brother won't believe her, she'll just have to find a way to prove it herself... Great for Ages 7-11. -
A sweeping romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author David Arnold about the power of soulmates and love. Evan Taft has plans. Take a gap year in Alaska, make sure his brother and single mother are taken care of, and continue therapy to process his father's departure. But after his mum's unexpected cancer diagnosis, and as Evan's plans begin to fade, he hears something - a song no one else can hear, the voice of a mysterious singer ... Shosh Bell has dreams. A high-school theatre legend, she's headed to performing arts college in LA, a star on the rise. But when a drunk driver takes her sister's life, that star fades to black. All that remains is a void - and a soft voice singing in her ear ... Over it all, transcending time and space, a celestial bird brings strangers together: from an escaped murderer in 19th-century Paris, to a Norwegian cosmonaut in low-earth orbit, something is happening that began long ago, and will long outlast Evan and Shosh. With lyrical prose and breathtaking storytelling, I LOVED YOU IN ANOTHER LIFE explores the history of love, and how some souls are meant for each other - yesterday, today, forever Great for Ages 13+. -
A high-energy, brilliantly silly, fully illustrated festive adventure story by much-loved actor Stephen Mangan and talented artist Anita Mangan. One of Santa's reindeers, Dave, is FED UP. He's seething about having to spend Christmas stuck behind Rudolph, who is forever droning on about his role as the Star of the Show. Most of Santa's OG Reindeer Crew (Blitzen, Prancer et al) have retired or been fired in disgrace, leaving some rookie reindeers to take the sleigh reins. This Christmas Eve, Dave is behind Rudolph in the procession flying ahead of Santa's sleigh, and is the recipient of a fart-in-the-face that is the LAST STRAW. He unclips Rudolph's harness, and Rudolph blithely flies off, monologuing away to himself. Santa makes an emergency landing on the roof of 9 year old Holly's family, where her dad is wobbling about on the roof trying to switch on the exterior Christmas lights. The lights explode and blast the reindeers to far-flung corners of the Earth. Holly must fly Dave around the globe rescuing the reindeer from various outlandish situations - one is on a beach in Tahiti and has no intention of putting down his cocktail and working flat-out all Christmas eve, thank-you-very-much, one is perched precariously on top of the Empire State Building, one has landed slap bang in the middle of the icy Arctic, perilously close to a very hungry polar bear. Rudolph has made it to Las Vegas and has a sell-out one-reindeer show to put on. Can Holly and Dave work together to return the reindeers to Santa and SAVE CHRISTMAS? Wildly funny, delightfully imaginative storytelling and packed with pictures by Stephen Mangan's sister Anita Mangan. Great for Ages 8-11. -
Suddenly orphaned and alone, Rosie Frost is sent to the mysterious Bloodstone Island - home not only to a school for extraordinary teens, but also a sanctuary for endangered species. There, Rosie confronts a menacing deputy headmaster, a group of mean girls bent on destroying her, and shocking family secrets. She also discovers that history can come to life in ways she never could have imagined. When the island itself comes under threat, Rosie knows she must enter and win the Falcon Queen Games in a desperate bid to save it. But Rosie can't do it alone. She finds that believing in herself - and her friends - is the first step to finding the power she never knew she had. Written by Spice Girl, songwriter and author Geri Halliwell-Horner. With a thrilling mix of history, mystery, nature, music and adventure, this book is a brilliant read for everyone. Determined and big-hearted, Rosie Frost is a new kind of hero for today's young readers. Great for Ages 9-12. -
The Christmasaurus is back and ready to soar into a new festive magical adventure! Have you ever heard of Ebenezer Scrooge? The most miserly, miserable Christmas-hating miser from that very famous old book? The man who is more BAH HUMBUG than HO HO HO? Well, what if I told you that he was about to step out of HIS story and into this one? And I'm afraid he's got some grand plans... he wants to CANCEL CHRISTMAS! But don't panic - William Trundle and his very best friend, the Christmasaurus, are on the case. They're determined to track down Scrooge and save Christmas from total Scrooge-ification! And they're not alone; the whole Trundle family, William's new friends Eddie and Lucy and, of course, Santa himself are here to help! Can this Christmas crew stop Scrooge before it's too late and Christmas is BAH HUMBUGGED for good? Great for Ages 7-11. -
During your life you're going to come across people who will change your life. People who will inspire you to be the best version of yourself that you can be. From the #1 bestselling authors of You Are a Champion and You Can Do It, Marcus Rashford and Carl Anka, comes Heroes: How to Turn Inspiration into Action! Marcus Rashford is not only an England International footballer - he's also a campaigner who has been on a mission to end child food poverty. Starting on this journey was never something that he could have done alone, and in Heroes Marcus wants to shine a light on ten brilliant people who have inspired him to make a difference. Each person has changed Marcus's life in their own way, and now he wants to show YOU how his heroes can inspire you to be your best self, and make a difference to the world around you. Featuring profiles of 10 inspirational people from around the world who have inspired Marcus, this book is full of brilliant advice and top tips. Includes:- Sir Alex Ferguson - Beyonce - Muhammad Ali - Serena Williams - and many more! Great for Ages 8-15. -
Number One for Fiendish Fun! Join Horrid Henry in a special bumper book of mayhem with this brilliant collection of twelve of his best stories!Perfect for new readers and existing fans alike, this BIG story collection features a year's worth of mischief and fun. From antics at school to summer fun and Christmas chaos, there's something for everyone in this twelve-story collection. Bonus fun activity section also included! Great for Ages 6-8. -
A fully illustrated collection of Irish poems, ranging from medieval to modern poems in English and Irish, edited by Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb and illustrated by Ashwin Chacko. This includes old favourites and new voices. Great for Ages 7-12. -
Josh Van Der Flier is the current World Rugby Player of the Year and star of the all-conquering Ireland and Leinster rugby teams. Growing up in Wicklow, Josh was sports mad, but rugby was his passion. He took his early footsteps on the pitch at school, where he first donned his famous red scrum cap. Through hard work and dedication, he eventually earned selection to the Leinster Academy and began climbing the ladder towards his dream of becoming a professional rugby player. Despite injury setbacks, Josh established himself as a key player for the province. And soon he was called up to play for his country, starting a glorious run of honours including two grand slams, surpassing even his own expectations when he was named World Player of the Year in 2022. Great for Ages 8-12.
