A hilarious, touching and extraordinary new fable from David Walliams, number one bestseller and one of the fastest growing children's author across the globe.
Joe has a lot of reasons to be happy. About a billion of them, in fact. You see, Joe's rich. Really, really rich. Joe's got his own bowling alley, his own cinema, even his own butler who is also an orangutan. He's the wealthiest twelve-year-old in the land.
But Joe isn't happy. Why not? Because he's got a billion pounds... and not a single friend. But then someone comes along, someone who likes Joe for Joe, not for his money. The problem is, Joe's about to learn that when money is involved, nothing is what it seems.
The best things in life are free, they say - and if Joe's not careful, he's going to lose them all...
Penguin presents the audiobook edition Billy and the Minpins by Roald Dahl, read by Bill Bailey.
Billy's mum says he must never go out through the garden gate and explore the dark forest beyond. So, one day, that's exactly what he does! There he meets the Minpins, tiny tree-dwelling people whose children are the size of matchsticks. They live in fear of the terrible, galloping GRUNCHER. Will it gobble Billy too - or can he find a way to defeat the hungry beast?
Read by the inimitable Richard Attenborough. Billy was a champion soccer star, playing for Chelsea in the 1930s. But that was before war broke out...Billy the Kid is told through the voice of an 80 year old man, who looks back on his life as Chelsea's champion striker until the outbreak of war in 1939 and on through his subsequent life. Billy joins Chelsea as a football apprentice, rises through the reserves to become a real champion. His passion for football sees him through the war years - even as a prisoner of war he organises a friendly against the Italians - but, having been injured by a mine he cannot play for Chelsea on his return to England. Billy turns to vagrancy and alcohol and for years he wanders up and down the country. he re-settles in London in a derelict house and is befriended by a family who move him to a shed in their garden. He, in turn, helps their son with his football who in his turn becomes a Chelsea player. Billy becomes a Chelsea Pensioner and his 80th birthday is celebrated when Chelsea play at home. A novel for both children and adults which deals with some difficult issues. Michael Morpurgo's storytelling is superb.
Enter the magical world of 'Bird Being', beautifully brought to life with narration by Peter Moreton (The Secret Garden, Rosemary & Thyme) and original theme music by author and film composer Nick Hooper (Harry Potter, My Family and Other Animals, African Cats, Prime Suspect).
It is post World War One Britain and a ten year old boy finds himself mysteriously transformed into a blackbird whilst exploring a sinister part of his local woods for a dare. As he desperately tries to find his way back to his family and friends, he navigates the perilous dangers of life as a bird and develops newfound appreciation for the natural world around him. Told through the voice of a grandfather to his grandchildren, 'Bird Being' is a heart-warming tale of youthful independence, flight, adventure and human respect for nature.
In order to provide English learners with extensive reading pleasure, it consists of jewels that span the East and West, from literary works of famous writers such as Aesop's fables, Andersen, Shakespeare, and picture brothers to traditional fairy tales from all over the world.
Britt Phieffer is not that adventurous. She has followed the leads of others her whole life; her brother, her best friend, her boyfriend. But when her boyfriend, Cal, breaks up with her, Britt is through with playing it safe.
For spring break, she convinces her best friend, Korbie, to hike the Grand Tetons with her, something she has never even considered. But Cal is an expert hiker and if there is one thing that will impress him, it's this. She'll train and plan the perfect trip and show everyone how strong she can be.
When a freak storm strands the girls in the woods and she is certain she has made the dumbest decision of her life, they come across a cabin and two knights in shining armor, Shaun and Mason.
But soon they find out that Shaun and Mason are on the mountain for very different reasons than hiking. They have done something terrible and they need to get off the mountain. Fast. They need Britt's knowledge of the area to guide them and won't take no for an answer so they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold. Britt realizes the only way to get out of this alive is to pretend she is on their side. So she plays nice with the (admittedly sexy) Mason and becomes so entangled she can't keep track of who is actually in control. It is only a matter of time before things turn deadly and Britt truly has no one to rely on but herself.
The next fast-paced, thrilling adventure from bestselling author D. J. MacHale! Check out a book and fall under its spell . . . literally.
Marcus is an agent of the Library-a place filled with tales that don't have an ending. Mysteries that won't be solved until Marcus and his friends Theo and Lu step in to finish them. Before it's too late.
Because mysterious accidents are disturbing a middle school in Massachusetts. Windows shatter for no reason. Bleachers collapse at a pep rally. Most of the students think they're just having a string of bad luck, but Marcus suspects something a lot more dangerous. Something like witchcraft. When the black moon rises, this story must come to an end . . . one way or another.
Kids love Surrender the Key (The Library, Book 1):
"A mysterious, hard-to-put-down book with a twisting plot, funny characters, and haunting souls. I can't wait to hear what adventures they have next." -A.J. H., age 11
"I read enough in just one day to fill my school reading log for a week." -Michael C., age 10
"A unique, intriguing book filled with page-turning adventures." -Madeline H., age 12
"Couldn't put it down. I stayed up reading until 11:00 p.m. with only one thought in my mind: one more chapter!" -Ben H., age 11
Black Panther. Ruler of Wakanda. Avenger.
This is his destiny. But right now, he's simply T'Challa-the young prince.
Life is comfortable for twelve-year-old T'Challa in his home of Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation. When he's not learning how to rule a kingdom from his father-the reigning Black Panther-or testing out the latest tech, he's off breaking rules with his best friend, M'Baku. But as conflict brews near Wakanda, T'Challa's father makes a startling announcement: he's sending T'Challa and M'Baku to school in America.
This is no prestigious private academy-they've been enrolled at South Side Middle School in the heart of Chicago. Despite being given a high-tech suit and a Vibranium ring to use only in case of an emergency, T'Challa realizes he might not be as equipped to handle life in America as he thought. Especially when it comes to navigating new friendships while hiding his true identity as the prince of a powerful nation, and avoiding Gemini Jones, a menacing classmate who is rumored to be involved in dark magic.
When strange things begin happening around school, T'Challa sets out to uncover the source. But what he discovers in the process is far more sinister than he could ever have imagined. In order to protect his friends and stop an ancient evil, T'Challa must take on the mantle of a hero, setting him on the path to becoming the Black Panther.
Just when fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon thinks he understands his purpose as a Traveler—to protect the territories of Halla from the evil Saint Dane—he is faced with an impossible choice. The inhabitants of Eelong are in danger of being wiped out by a mysterious plague. The only way Bobby can stop it is to bring the antidote from another territory. Since moving items between territories is forbidden by the Traveler rules, if Bobby chooses to save Eelong he could endanger himself, his friends, and the future of every other being in Halla.
You don't know who you are. But they do.
You wake up on the subway tracks in Los Angeles with no memory of who you are. A backpack is at your feet. Inside is a fresh set of clothes, one thousand dollars in cash, a phone number, and the instructions Do not call the police.
As you try to figure out your identity, the questions swirl. What is your name? How did you get here? What is the meaning of the tattoo on your wrist of a blackbird and the code FNV02198? There is only one thing you know for sure: people are trying to kill you.
The virus has spread... and four teens are infected.
This new life isn't what I asked for. And if I can't learn to protect myself, it will destroy me.
My mission is clear. My enemies will fall. And nothing will stand in my way.
I knew there was something wrong with me. But maybe I can be more than just a freak.
People always underestimate me. They only see a pretty face. And that mistake is going to cost them.
Robison Wells is the author of the YA science-fiction thrillers Variant and Feedback. Variant was a Publishers Weekly Best Book and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. Robison lives in the Rocky Mountains in a house not too far from elk pastures. His wife, Erin, is a better person than he will ever be, and their three kids cause mischief and/or joy.
A mothballed power station, a teenage drug dealer and a cult. The mix is electrifying. Young James Bond meets Breaking Bad... A counter-terrorism operative shows up tortured to death. An elderly prof goes missing. An eco-cult is recruiting at a weekend concert for young people at Battersea Power Station. A teenage felon's got to make a simple swap: Some photos for his freedom. Only he's trapped inside Battersea Power Station. No swap. No way he can tell anyone about it. And the dawning horror that this time the missing and the dead will bring England to its knees. He's got his GCSEs, his guitar, and a grasp of engineering. That's got to be enough. To free himself. And save London.
