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Cornelia Funke’s bestselling Inkheart trilogy has been a huge hit and been made into a major motion picture. She has won the Book Sense Children’s Literature Award twice and the Roswitha Prize. She was voted into Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in 2005.
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A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month August 2019 | Interest Age 5-8 | Pirates ahoy! This is a lively, swashbuckling story with great characters and a pacey story – all vibrantly illustrated in an attractive and easy-to-read, small size book. Barbarous Bertha is a fearsome pirate as well as the guardian of a wide stretch of emerald green sea and the Purple Shell Islands which are home to both people and special animals and birds. It is no surprise therefore that her daughter Molly Rogers is never going to stand for anyone who threatens to invade the islands or destroy their inhabitants. When reports come of Captain Firebird doing damage to Monkey Skull Island, Molly Rogers enlists all of her best animal and bird friends – including Kracken the octopus – to chase down Captain Firebird and to make sure he never does anything so dastardly again.
Molly Rogers is one tough little girl. Kidnapped by pirates she stands up to Captain Firebeard and refuses to tell him her parents’ names, even when the pirates set her to work cleaning and scrubbing their boat (and boots). But instead of laughing they should have listened to her when she warned them about not making her mum angry, and the tables are thoroughly turned by the end. This jolly story of girl-pirate power will have everyone laughing, the text is full of gusto and bravado, great fun for reading aloud, and the scribbly illustrations are brim-full of life and detail. Oooh-arrrrs all round! ~ Andrea Reece
A terrific magical adventure that will set your imagination off on a rollercoaster of emotions and ideas. We were captivated and spellbound by the power of the story and the quality of the narrative and I’m confident that children from 8 upwards and adults too, will devour it. You don’t have to be a fan of fantasy or of stories with dragons in it to love it. A Piece of Passion from Barry Cunningham, Publisher To dream of flying is one thing, but to fly on the back of a dragon is a dream really worth having! Believe me, you'll have the journey of a lifetime with the marvellous characters on board, sharing what will seem like a thousand adventures, all rolled into one. Brilliant!
A Piece of Passion from Barry Cunningham, Publisher ‘When I first started flying on a dragon’s back in Cornelia Funke’s amazing Dragon Rider, I couldn’t catch my breath. Now, I’m ready to embark on new adventures: extraordinary animals and devious foes await. Luckily, I’ve already made some brilliant friends. Come with us – there’s plenty of room on my dragon! But be sure to look carefully at the map at the front for the book, and the really useful WHO’S WHO on page 343 . . . oh, and try not to fall off!’ The comment from Lovereading will follow.
November 2016 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: mesmerising tale of love and adventure set in a dark fairy tale world | Cornelia Funke has an extraordinarily fertile imagination, which is fed and inspired by the old fairy tales and in this the third episode of the Reckless series, she draws on stories from Eastern Europe in another distinctive, thrilling and complex novel. Once again, she sends her hero Jacob Reckless and his brother through the magical mirror into another world. The book opens with a bloody labour and the birth of a baby, a scene her original editors felt would upset readers, causing Funke to find a new way to publish. The scene however sets the tone for the book, which examines love, its power as much a threat to protagonists as a strength. As ever, she weaves together the different plotlines brilliantly, maintaining character development and sustaining the excitement to keep readers breathlessly turning the pages. It’s recommended that readers start with books one and two, The Petrified Flesh and Living Shadows. They will also enjoy Francesca Simon’s The Monstrous Child or Margo Lanagan’s The Brides of Rollrock Island. ~ Andrea Reece
Best-selling Cornelia Funke has an exceptional gift for creating gloriously gothic otherworlds in which the unusual and seemingly impossible can – and does- happen. Part two of the Mirrrorworld series, Living Shadows, follows The Petrified Flesh and catches up with Jacob who desperately seeks a cure to overcome the curse imposed on him by the fairies. Jacob’s cure is such a dark magic that it must be deeply hidden; the search for it takes him where no one should tread. That would be dangerous enough but, worse still, someone else is desperate for the cure too. Luckily, Fox, a shape shifting girl is willing to help in the quest. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Best-selling author Cornelia Funke, whose Inkheart was a world-wide phenomenon, has created a wonderful imaginary world peopled with a gigantic cast of original and outlandish characters. Searching for his missing father, Jacob Reckless steps through the mirror into a strange, story-filled world in which danger is never very far away. When Jacob mistakenly allows his brother to follow him through the mirror he discovers the awesome powers he is working against and needs to use all his skill and cunning to save his brother from a horrible death as he is gradually turned to stone. Cornelia Funke’s original storytelling captures the hearts and minds of all young readers. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Interest Age 5-8 | When a tiny dragon escapes from the pages of the story he has been reading, Patrick can hardly believe his eyes. But when a White Knight on a charger follows, Patrick soon finds himself playing a very big part in the story! Award-winning Cornelia Funke brilliantly lifts a story off the page and turns it into a ‘real’ adventure.
Interest Age 5-8 | One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2014 - Interest Age 5-8 When a tiny dragon escapes from the pages of the story he has been reading, Patrick can hardly believe his eyes. But when a White Knight on a charger follows, Patrick soon finds himself playing a very big part in the story! Award-winning Cornelia Funke brilliantly lifts a story off the page and turns it into a ‘real’ adventure. ~ Julia Eccleshare About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child | There’s a definite air of chivalry to this new picture book from the bestselling author of the Inkheart books. Raven Castle is overrun with mice, so the lord does the logical thing and gets in a cat, a champion mouser at that. Now things look bad for the mice of the castle, at least until the famous mouse knight, Gawain Greytail, comes to their rescue. With little suits of armour welded from cutlery and forks, the mice are able to drive the cat away. It’s a classic underdog (undermice?) story, and very satisfying. Special Barrington Stoke features, including dyslexia-friendly font, slightly increased character spacing to make letters easier to read and a clean syntax to minimise potential obstacles to comprehension make this particularly good for dyslexic readers.
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child There’s a definite air of chivalry to this new picture book from the bestselling author of the Inkheart books. Raven Castle is overrun with mice, so the lord does the logical thing and gets in a cat, a champion mouser at that. Now things look bad for the mice of the castle, at least until the famous mouse knight, Gawain Greytail, comes to their rescue. With little suits of armour welded from cutlery and forks, the mice are able to drive the cat away. It’s a classic underdog (undermice?) story, and very satisfying. Special Barrington Stoke features, including dyslexia-friendly font, slightly increased character spacing to make letters easier to read and a clean syntax to minimise potential obstacles to comprehension make this particularly good for dyslexic readers. ~ Andrea Reece Publisher Barrington Stoke was inspired to create the Picture Squirrel Books titles after meeting a man with dyslexia at a book event. “We were approached by a gentleman who told us that it broke his heart that he couldn’t read to his child because of his dyslexia,” M.D. Mairi Kidd told The Bookseller. “So we talked to Michael Morpurgo, who we were already working with on low text books [textbooks that use a limited number of words]." The layout of picture books can be difficult for adults with dyslexia as the language and typeface are often very varied, the text can be cut into small chunks or is sometimes spun around a picture, which can make a book tricky if you don’t have good reading skills. Barrington Stoke worked with the authors and illustrators to ensure that the books are suitable for dyslexic readers and thereby helping more families grow a love of reading. On the Picture Squirrels...Michael Morpurgo says: “I was immediately taken with the idea of the Picture Squirrel books, a picture book list that dyslexic parents and less confident readers can read with theirchildren too.”
Interest Age 5-8 Rosa and her friend Ivan have three monster escapades in this short but satisfying little collection. There’s an encounter with a real life monster in a ghost train for Rosa – Ivan comes to the rescue; high jinks at school when new teacher Mr Troll turns out to be just that; and a narrow escape for their school party when the school–bus accidentally drives down the throat of a Grubbybats! Cornelia Funke’s deadpan telling gives each story a true fairy tale feel while Gladys Ambrus’s lovely illustrations match the text perfectly. Each story is a model of invention, short but really satisfying. One of Barrington Stoke’s Little Gems series the book is accessible to all children, including those with dyslexia. About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
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Interest Age 5-8 Zaleb lives on the planet Balbaz. She’s fascinated with stories of the little blue planet called Earth and the monsters that live there and goes there to find herself a pet. Izzy, the little girl she captures, is not happy to find herself on a spaceship, but Balbaz sounds so exciting that she agrees to stay for three weeks. She has wonderful adventures there, including a ride on the back of a wishing moon dragon, and a less pleasant encounter with a fridge monster. By the time she goes home, Izzy and Zaleb are friends. There’s a lovely matter-of-factness to these stories that gives them a proper fairy-tale feel. Elys Dolan’s two-tone illustrations add to the fun. Written in Barrington Stoke style to be short and accessible, on cream paper and in a special easy-to-read font, these satisfying stories will have children dreaming of adventures in space. ~ Andrea Reece About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
This a special 10th anniversary edition of Dragon Rider, a terrific magical adventure that will set your imagination off on a rollercoaster of emotions and ideas. We were captivated and spellbound by the power of the story and the quality of the narrative and I’m confident that children from 8 upwards and adults too, will devour it. You don’t have to be a fan of fantasy or of stories with dragons in it to love it. A Piece of Passion from Barry Cunningham, Publisher To dream of flying is one thing, but to fly on the back of a dragon is a dream really worth having! Believe me, you'll have the journey of a lifetime with the marvellous characters on board, sharing what will seem like a thousand adventures, all rolled into one. Brilliant!
Interest Age 5-8 Best-selling author Cornelia Funke has created five great seaside mini-adventures which capture all the delights of a holiday in Sandy Cove. Mia, Joe, Anna, Tom and Ben all have quite different kinds of adventures – some real and some imaginary – as they enjoy their days on the beach. About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 Matt was your average boy until a dangerous encounter awakens a wolf inside of him! This is a fun supernatural story from the internationally bestselling author of Inkheart. It will grip you from the very first page (why not read a taster right here by downloading the extract?) and being a slightly longer novel than the ones usually published by Barrington Stoke it offers readers a more substantial read and helps to begin to bridge the gap into enjoying longer stories. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers of 8+. If you enjoy Cornelia Funke's Young Werewolf you'll probably also love Hagurosan by Darren Shan and Zombie! by Tommy Donbavand.
November 2012 Book of the Month A thrilling ghost story set in a boarding school situated right in the heart of Salisbury Cathedral. Eleven year old Jon Whitcroft doesn’t want to be packed off to boarding school and is sure that he won’t like it because the food will be disgusting, the teachers fierce and he will have to share a room. But he soon finds that everything he had been worrying about was as nothing to the things he had not thought to worry about. When three ghosts looking as if the blood has been sucked out of them turn up outside his dormitory, Jon really begins to worry. But his haunting adventure is fun, too and his brush with history brings the past to life.
Cornelia Funke’s acclaimed Inkheart trilogy, whilst rooted in the real world, sweeps beyond words to the Inkworld, a richly imagined parallel place that is the stuff of classic fairy tales that rivals Tolkien in its mastery. Inkdeath is a magnificently fast-moving tale that will see wrongs of the past put right in a tumultuous conclusion that will surprise and leave you in awe and wonder. In addition to being available in this paperback edition, it is also available in a wonderful slipcased package and in hardback. The first two in the trilogy, Inkheart and Inkspell are also available in paperback. A message from the author:Inkdeath came to life in my new home in Los Angeles. For the first time I had enough room to put up all the photographs and paintings that inspired me to write. Hundreds of notes with ideas and plot points covered my bookshelves, and in front of the windows my son played. When I sat down to write the first chapter, it felt like meeting up with very old friends and soon Inkdeath became as great a writing adventure as Inkheart and Inkspell.
This superb trilogy transports the reader to the Inkworld, where the words of one man become reality. Follow Meggie as she enters this magical place, and experience the adventure which culminates in the truly enthralling Inkdeath. Inkheart the movie, released on 12th December 2008, stars among others Helen Mirren, Eliza Bennett and Jim Broadbent and has been made by the makers of The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass.Click here to see the trailer https://www.inkheartmovie.com/
Impeccably written, this is a real treasure trove of imagination, nail-biting drama and characters so cleverly drawn that you feel you know every one of them personally. Inkworld is a marvellous place of magical realism, full of adventure, passion and excitement and you’ll feel utterly compelled to read this one and its sequels Inkspell and Inkdeath. Inkheart the movie, released on 12th December 2008, stars among others Helen Mirren, Eliza Bennett and Jim Broadbent and has been made by the makers of The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass.Click here to see the trailer https://www.inkheartmovie.com/
This is the perfect book to introduce younger siblings of Inkheart fans to the world of Inkworld prior to the movie release in January. Inkheart is an enthralling tale of loyalty, passion and betrayal, with Cornelia’s trademark wit, warmth and humanity and this is a simple retelling of the story and illustrated throughout with movie stills. A perfect taster of what’s to come. Inkheart the movie, released on 12th December 2008, stars among others Helen Mirren, Eliza Bennett and Jim Broadbent and has been made by the makers of The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass.Click here to see the trailer https://www.inkheartmovie.com/
A wild adventure with a gentle undertone of sibling love. The illustrations are full of character, wit, and child-like imagination. A great picture book to settle those wild brothers and sisters at bedtime.
This is a charming fairytale with a twist from a much-loved, best-selling author. With Cornelia’s trademark wit, warmth and quirky characterization, readers from 7 upwards can’t fail to be charmed by a feisty heroine and her big-hearted adventures amongst her mad-cap family, friends and foe.
This is a charming fairytale with a twist from a much-loved, best-selling author. With Cornelia’s trademark wit, warmth and quirky characterization, readers from 7 upwards can’t fail to be charmed by a feisty heroine and her big-hearted adventures amongst her mad-cap family, friends and foe.
A fantastic, magical adventure in which 12 year old Meggie finds out the perils of reading as the imaginary becomes real. A sequel to Inkheart, Meggie’s first adventure with characters who came out of a book, here Dustfinger the fire-eater is desperately in search of someone who will read him back into the safe world of story. But a crooked story teller is not the right person to do that. In the charmed Inkworld nothing is as it seems and Meggie has a wonderful new adventure to deal with. Finish the exciting trilogy with Inkdeath. Inkheart the movie, released on 12th December 2008, stars among others Helen Mirren, Eliza Bennett and Jim Broadbent and has been made by the makers of The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass.Click here to see the trailer https://www.inkheartmovie.com/
Captain Firebeard may be the terror of the high seas and the ability to make honest seafaring folk shake like jelly but Pirate Girl Molly isn’t afraid of him. This tale of feisty Molly and how she ‘bests’ Captain Firebeard beautifully written by Funke and illustrated by Kerstin Meyer will have lots of little girls heading to sea for adventures of their own.
Shortlisted for the Marsh Award 2006. A terrific magical adventure that will set your imagination off on a rollercoaster of emotions and ideas. We were captivated and spellbound by the power of the story and the quality of the narrative and I’m confident that children from 8 upwards and adults too, will devour it. You don’t have to be a fan of fantasy or of stories with dragons in it to love it.
Impeccably written, this is a real treasure trove of imagination, nail-biting drama and characters so cleverly drawn that you feel you know every one of them personally. Inkworld is a marvellous place of magical realism, full of adventure, passion and excitement and you’ll feel utterly compelled to read this one and its sequels Inkspell and Inkdeath. Inkheart the movie, released on 12th December 2008, stars among others Helen Mirren, Eliza Bennett and Jim Broadbent and has been made by the makers of The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass.Click here to see the trailer https://www.inkheartmovie.com/
The second book in Cornelia Funke's internationally celebrated trilogy - magical, thrilling and mesmerising. 'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading' Diana Wynne Jones on Inkheart Although a year has passed, not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of the extraordinary events of Inkheart, and the story whose characters strode out of the pages, and changed her life for ever. But for Dustfinger, the fire-eater, torn from his world of words, the need to return has become desperate. When he finds a crooked storyteller with the magical ability to read him back, he sets in motion a dangerous reversal that sees the characters of Inkheart transported to a charmed Inkworld, about to be fought over by rival rebels and princes.
The third and final book in Cornelia Funke's internationally celebrated trilogy - magical, thrilling and mesmerising. 'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading' Diana Wynne Jones on Inkheart Life in the Inkworld has been far from easy since the extraordinary events of Inkspell, when the story of Inkheart magically drew Meggie, Mo and Dustfinger back into its pages. With Dustfinger dead, and the evil Adderhead now in control, the story in which they are all caught has taken an unhappy turn. Even Elinor, left alone in the real world, believes her family to be lost - lost between the covers of a book. But as winter comes on there is reason to hope - if only Meggie and Mo can rewrite the wrongs of the past and make a dangerous pact with death.
A gorgeous new edition of the first book in Cornelia Funke's internationally celebrated trilogy - magical, thrilling and mesmerising. 'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading' Diana Wynne Jones Meggie loves stories, but her father, Mo, hasn't read to her since her mother disappeared. When a stranger knocks at their door, Mo is forced to reveal an extraordinary secret - when he reads aloud, words come alive, and dangerous characters step out of the pages. Suddenly Meggie is living the kind of adventure she has only read about in books, but this one will change her life for ever ... Also a major film starring Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany and Brendan Fraser!
International bestselling children's author Cornelia Funke has long been inspired and fascinated by fairy tales. This wonderful anthology is Funke's personal selection of fairy tales from all around the world - not just from her native Germany but from Russia, Japan and the Native American tradition. It's the perfect Christmas gift for any young reader wishing to discover the wider world of fairy tales. This wonderful selection of 13 tales includes: The Tale of the Firebird (Russia) The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japan) The Frog Princess (Ukraine) The Six Swans (Germany) The Girl Who Gave a Knight a Kiss out of Necessity (Sweden) Kotura, Lord of the Winds (Siberia)
In a land of elves, mermaids and trolls, true magic is where you least expect it... In the snow-covered city of Londra, young Tabetha survives by finding treasures in the mudbanks of the river Themse. On Christmas Eve, a sinister stranger asks her to keep her eyes open for a priceless, long-lost magical object: the Glass of Lead and Gold. As word of the Glass spreads across the city, Tabetha finds herself with some unlikely companions, not least a one-armed girl and a rather impressive soup chef. But will Tabetha discover that there are even greater fortunes to be found than the magical Glass?
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month August 2019 | Interest Age 5-8 | Pirates ahoy! This is a lively, swashbuckling story with great characters and a pacey story – all vibrantly illustrated in an attractive and easy-to-read, small size book. Barbarous Bertha is a fearsome pirate as well as the guardian of a wide stretch of emerald green sea and the Purple Shell Islands which are home to both people and special animals and birds. It is no surprise therefore that her daughter Molly Rogers is never going to stand for anyone who threatens to invade the islands or destroy their inhabitants. When reports come of Captain Firebird doing damage to Monkey Skull Island, Molly Rogers enlists all of her best animal and bird friends – including Kracken the octopus – to chase down Captain Firebird and to make sure he never does anything so dastardly again.
International bestselling children's author Cornelia Funke has long been inspired and fascinated by fairy tales. This wonderful anthology is Funke's personal selection of fairy tales from all around the world - not just from her native Germany but from Russia, Japan and the Native American tradition. It's the perfect Christmas gift for any young reader wishing to discover the wider world of fairy tales. This wonderful selection of 13 tales includes: The Tale of the Firebird (Russia) The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japan) The Frog Princess (Ukraine) The Six Swans (Germany) The Girl Who Gave a Knight a Kiss out of Necessity (Sweden) Kotura, Lord of the Winds (Siberia)
In a land of elves, mermaids and trolls, true magic is where you least expect it... In the snow-covered city of Londra, young Tabetha survives by finding treasures in the mudbanks of the river Themse. On Christmas Eve, a sinister stranger asks her to keep her eyes open for a priceless, long-lost magical object: the Glass of Lead and Gold. As word of the Glass spreads across the city, Tabetha finds herself with some unlikely companions, not least a one-armed girl and a rather impressive soup chef. But will Tabetha discover that there are even greater fortunes to be found than the magical Glass?
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