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Steve Cole was our Guest Editor in November 2011. Click here to find out more and see some of his favourite books.
He is a bestselling children's author and lifelong fan of Ian Fleming's James Bond. His other book series include Z. Rex, Thieves Like Us, Doctor Who and Astrosaurs, with collective sales of over three million copies. In other careers he has worked as an editor of books and magazines for readers of all ages. To see more author information click here.
You can see more Steve videos on his YouTube channel - click here.
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | Steve Cole’s gripping treasure hunt story is even more compelling because it is set in a real place, somewhere most of us have never heard of. Theo lives in the world’s biggest e-waste dump, Agbogbloshie in Ghana. The same age as readers, he makes a living sorting through the junk that people like us throw out – mobile phones, old DVD players, Xbox machines – and salvaging scraps of metal that he sells for cash, earning just enough to pay for food but nothing like what he needs to escape. So when Emanuel turns up asking Theo for help to find his big brother’s treasure, Theo is in; this could be his chance to escape Trashland. Their search is even more dangerous than Theo expects. Other people are after the hidden treasure too and Emanuel is anything but trustworthy. The story is tense and exciting, and readers will feel they are there with the boys, digging through the broken electronics, choking on the dump’s noxious fumes. Things work out well for Theo in the end – it would be too agonising for the readership if they didn’t – but readers will be very aware that there are many real life Theos and Emanuels still digging through the rubbish in Trashland. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | This gripping story of kidnap and escape burns with outrage at damage being done to the Amazon. Carlos’ mother is a member of the Special Forces Group of IBAMA, Brazil’s environment agency, which suddenly makes him a target for ruthless men illegally mining in the rainforest. Taken as a hostage to force his mother to turn a blind eye, he manages to escape and survive with the help of a boy his age, whose life has already been devastated by the men’s actions, even as the world burns around both of them. Powerful and absolutely gripping, this is both a terrific adventure story and a wake-up call for young readers about the urgent need to protect our world. Published by Barrington Stoke, it’s accessible to all readers including those reluctant, struggling or dyslexic.
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | September 2019 Book of the Month | Short and, in Barrington Stoke style, accessible to all readers, Tin Boy is a powerful and inspiring story, and one that will get children thinking about the world and their place in it. The hero Tono lives in the Indonesian province of Bangka Belitung and, though he’s only a boy, goes to work to each day, swimming down to mine tin by hand from deep under sea. It’s dangerous work and caught in an accident, he’s lucky to survive. That luck, together with something he finds on the seabed, changes his life. It’s a gripping story, that both vividly describes Tono’s life and plays with the idea of superheroes in a way that will resonate with all readers. Readers who enjoy Tono’s story should also look out for Kick by Mitch Johnson.
There's no ducking out - it's time for this ordinary, wise-quacking duck to become . . . A Hero! Adventure Duck didn't ask for greatness. All he wanted was his nest on the duckpond and plenty of soggy bread to eat. But when a meteor gives him superpowers, he knows he must fly into battle and defeat the forces of evil. Every superhero needs a nemesis, and Adventure Duck finds a pint-sized one in Power Pug. This tiny arch-villain is plotting to take over the world with his hypnotic stare and an army of hench-animals. Luckily, Adventure Duck has helpers, too. There's Yoki - a mystical, moustachioed egg - and Neon Zebra, Adventure Duck's karate-kicking sidekick. Can Adventure Duck and his friends stop Power Pug in this egg-ceptionally funny, action-packed adventure?
The discovery of a lost communication from his father sent just before his tragic death some years earlier, sends the young James Bond off on a dangerous, possibly deadly trip to Moscow and the heart of the old Soviet Union. Once again Steve Cole gives Bond fans (of any age) the action-packed adventure they love, along with the glamorous, sharply described settings that are so important to the books, and he adds more than a touch of sharp humour too. Once again, it works brilliantly. Cole understands exactly what makes Bond Bond, and he seems to have real sympathy for his character and his obsessive fascination with danger. Great stuff.
One of our Super Readable Books of the Year 2016 | Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a Nutshell : accessible | edgy | sinister Branded super-readable Steve Cole’s short novel is just that, and the action moves as fast as thought. Luke has always been good at guessing what people are going to do, but then he finds he can actually hear what they’re thinking inside his head. As the horror of that is sinking in, the situation gets even more frightening and he meets a dangerous girl who is able to control others with her thoughts. It’s an electrifying read created by an author who knows just how to handle tension, and readers will in all likelihood find themselves reading it in one nerve-shredding session. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of super-readable short fiction by some of the very best children’s authors and illustrators in the UK. Each title has a host of unique accessibility features to offer cracking reads to more children including reluctant and struggling readers and those with dyslexia or visual stress. Here at Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting the best of their new and backlist titles to recommend to you. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
In 3 : invisible goodies – dastardly baddies – killer chickens (poultry-geists!) Steve Cole is a national treasure: creator of series such as Astrosaurs and Magic Ink, and now writing the Young Bond books, he’s delighted huge numbers of young readers with his ever inventive, clever, often very funny books and stories. Invisible Inc, in which a young boy is accidentally made invisible and then joins forces with a Victorian lady scientist, medieval knight and horse (all also invisible) to save the world, has all his trademarks: the action is fast and furious, the jokes are many and varied, and it all feels absolutely up to date, exactly the kind of book that today’s young readers want. Jim Field’s illustrations are the perfect complement to the text adding extra tension or humour as required.
November 2015 Book of the Month Steve Cole steps into Ian Fleming’s, and latterly Charlie Higson’s shoes in this brand new adventure for the young James Bond, and finds them a very good fit. This is a clever piece of writing, complete with all the gadgets and ruthlessness that make Bond Bond (whatever his age) and with some excellent action scenes: those on an airship flying slowly across the Atlantic are particularly gripping. All the set pieces in fact feel fresh and original, and it’s great that there are some strong female characters too for a change; there’s a heart beating beneath the 007 tropes. Recommended for fans of Bond, young and old. ~ Andrea Reece
Bob has always loved the idea of monsters so when his house is picked up by a giant whirlwind and, Wizard-of-Oz like, thrown into an underground world populated by the bizarrest creatures, he’s 36% excited, 32% full of wonder, and only 32% afraid. It’s exactly this kind of thing that makes him such a good narrator– no matter how weird things get (very), Bob makes sure the reader knows exactly what’s going on! As he travels deeper into monster land, Bob makes some nutty monster friends, including a Gorgon - called Zola – geddit? - and a toga-wearing, Ninja-kicking hamster called Verity. Cole’s invention and comic style never flags, and Jim Field’s illustrations are worth the cover price alone! ~ Andrea Reece
One of our Books of the Year 2013 & May 2013 Book of the Month A comic strip comes to life with the help of some magic ink... a hilarious adventure that could only have come from the madcap mind of Mr Steve Cole, bestselling author of Astrosaurs, Cows in Action and Slime Squad! No child aged 7 or 8+ can fail to be hooked by the mind-blowing madness that ensues when Stewart's artwork gets out of hand!
Astrosaurs Series - No. 20. The Dinosaurs with a difference are back for a super space adventure in this extra long, bumper story and the 20th Astrosaurs title. Captain Teggs Stegosaur must lead his team against his arch enemy General Loki who has just stolen a time machine. Following Loki leads the astrosaurs down to Earth and back to a time before they left. Having uncovered a deadly plot to destroy history the astrosaurs will need all their powers to stop it before it is too late. Click here to see the whole fantastic series !
Deliciously slimy, the crime-busting Slime Squad are back for a new adventure. Plog, Flup, Zill and Danjo must pit their wits and use all their courage against the dangerous new monster who is threatening to take over Trashland. Can they succeed? Another gross and gloopy adventure in a gloriously imagined rubbish dump. Click here for more Slime Squad books.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 19. Captain Teggs Stegosaur and his team are back for a thrilling new Astrosaurs adventure as they take on a dangerous new challenge. Something is killing crops and making dinosaurs disappear. Captain Teggs and his team boldly go to find out just who the deadly enemy might be. As ever, the space based dinosaurs show just how clever these pre-historic monsters can be... Steve Cole is also the author of a number of other bestselling series’ including Astrosaurs Academy, Cows in Action and Slime Squad. To view them all go to Steve’s author page here on Lovereading4kids - click here. The Astrosaurs Academy series is a spin-off from Astrosaurs which began in 2008. The series focuses on Teggs Stegosaur while he’s at Astrosaurs Academy before he becomes an Astrosaur.
This is the final exciting adventure in Steve Cole's hit spin-off series, Astrosaurs Academy. After years of training they've finally done it! Teggs and his classmates at Astrosaurs Academy are all set to become real space-exploring astrosaurs! But first they must pass one final challenge: a mission into outer space, more dangerous than any they have faced before... This might be the last of the Astrosaurs Academy series, a spin-off from the original Astrosaurs series but for all the fans of Steve Cole's writing don't panic, there's something new afoot from Steve later this year. Click here to see the whole fantastic series !
Astrosaurs Series - No. 18. This series goes from strength to strength. This is the 18th title and it comes complete with free collector cards for kids to play with and to swap with friends. Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! On the incredible spaceship DSS Sauropod, along with his faithful crew, Gypsy, Arx and Iggy, Teggs rights wrongs, fights evil and eats a lot of grass. The reappearance of a dino spaceship lost for 300 years and full of savage sabre-tooths spells danger for Teggs and his crew. Steve Cole is also the author of a number of other bestselling series’ including Astrosaurs Academy, Cows in Action and Slime Squad. To view them all go to Steve’s author page here on Lovereading4kids - click here. The Astrosaurs Academy series is a spin-off from Astrosaurs which began in 2008. The series focuses on Teggs Stegosaur while he’s at Astrosaurs Academy before he becomes an Astrosaur.
Perfect fodder for boys in particular and if you have a reluctant reader then the Slime Squad is great too. Slimy all action adventure fills the pages as a scientific dream gone wrong results in an old rubbish tip becoming home to monsters and giants. Crime lurks everywhere and it's up to Plog and the rest of the Slime Squad to fight crime with slime! Click here to find more Slime Squad books.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 11. The astrosaurs are on their way home for Christmas when they encounter millions of Christmas presents flying through space. Teggs and his crew are ordered to take the presents back to Santa Claus and his elfosauruses. Little do they know that all is not merry this Christmas on the North Pole star...
Mad scientist Godfrey Gunk had a dream - a dream of creating a whole safari park of monsters on an old rubbish dump. It didn't work. Little did Godfrey know that actually after he left the rubbish dump, his dream came true ...Meet the inhabitants of Trashland, a whole world of different types of slimy monsters who all live peacefully alongside each other - at least they used to...When the superhero Slime Squad's all-seeing, all-knowing PIE begins to have his computer compenents stolen they set out to tackle the crinimals. Little do they know they're about to face a whole load of cyber-poos! It's time to fight crime with slime! For more Slime Squad titles and others by Steve Cole, click here.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 17. Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur. On the incredible spaceship DSS Sauropod, along with his faithful crew, Gypsy, Arx and Iggy, Teggs rights wrongs, fights evil and eats a lot of grass. When the astrosaurs are attacked by some baby carnivores, they're in for a shock.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 10. When several spaceships go missing, the astrosaurs investigate - and are attacked by terrifying Star Pirates! The greedy ship-looters have a plan that will wreck the galaxy. Can Teggs stop them in time?
Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! The Sauropod crew are sent on a mission to a planet where a team of diplodocus are mining for a very valuable space mineral. But their work is being disrupted - by space ghosts! Teggs and his crew begin to investigate.
Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! On the incredible spaceship DSS Sauropod, along with his faithful crew, Gypsy, Arx and Iggy, Teggs rights wrongs, fights evil and eats a lot of grass.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 16. Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! On the incredible spaceship DSS Sauropod, along with his faithful crew, Gypsy, Arx and Iggy, Teggs rights wrongs, fights evil and eats a lot of grass!
Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! On the incredible spaceship DSS Sauropod, along with his faithful crew, Gypsy, Arx and Iggy, Teggs rights wrongs, fights evil and eats a lot of grass!
Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! The Astrosaurs are on another mission when they almost crash into a deserted space station. It turns out to be a dinosaur prison that has been hit by a meteor and abandoned. Teggs and Iggy investigate - but are taken captive by two dastardly prisoners who are hiding out in the wreckage.
Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! Teggs and his crew have been sent to a watery planet where a very large and very scary monster has been attacking a local fish factory. When Teggs and Gipsy travel down to the bottom of the sea to check out the monster, they come under attack themselves.
Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! Teggs and his crew are trying to transport some very rare and precious eggs across the galaxy to a safe haven where they can hatch.
Teggs and his crew have been sent to a beautiful - and previously peaceful - island. The clean-living, vegetarian bactrosaurs have always lived in harmony with their sea-dwelling neighbours, the shark-like predatory megalodons. But now the two races are on the verge of war.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 15. Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! Teggs has a nightmare about sabre-toothed bananas and can't believe it when he's actually attacked by them in the middle of a mission. Strange things start happening to the other astrosaurs too - things they dream of are popping into reality to get them. Can Teggs and the gang figure out what's going on?
Astrosaurs Series - No. 14. Captain Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur - he's an astrosaur! On the incredible spaceship DSS Sauropod, along with his faithful crew, Gypsy, Arx and Iggy, Teggs rights wrongs, fights evil and eats a lot of grass! Teggs and the crew are sent on a special mission - to the Carnivore Sector.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 13. To save his schoolfriends Teggs must turn against the DSS and deliver top astrosaur secrets into enemy claws...But When Admiral Rosso finds out, Arx, Iggy and Gipsy are ordered to stop him by any means necessary! To put things right, Teggs must fight friends and foes alike...and his only ally is his biggest rival at Astrosaur Academy - exasperating diceratops Damona!
Astrosaurs Series - No. 12. The astrosaurs are on a mission to help the planet of the woolly rhinos, where one of their three suns has gone missing. What on earth could have swallowed up such a huge ball of fire? Teggs and his team must investigate... But soon, they discover they are dealing with a rare and enormous creature, a solarwurm.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 9. A fantastically thrilling and funny addition to the Astrosaurs series where wrongs are put right, where good fights evil and where peace overcomes war. Perfect both for the keen reader but also the reluctant one as well as every one of the titles in the series is totally unputdownable but unlike some series you don’t feel having read one, you’ve read them all as they all have their own unique attributes. Steve Cole is also the author of a number of other bestselling series’ including Astrosaurs Academy, Cows in Action and Slime Squad. To view them all go to Steve’s author page here on Lovereading4kids - click here. The Astrosaurs Academy series is a spin-off from Astrosaurs which began in 2008. The series focuses on Teggs Stegosaur while he’s at Astrosaurs Academy before he becomes an Astrosaur.
Astrosaurs Series - No. 7. Astrosaurs are a really collectable series offering dramatic space travel stories peopled with dinosaur characters. Teggs is captain of the amazing spaceship DSS Sauropod. With his dinosaur crew, he travels through space fighting evil and doing good wherever he can. This time, DSS Sauropod is sucked into a black hole. Will the crew get out alive? And will things ever be the same again? Steve Cole is also the author of a number of other bestselling series’ including Astrosaurs Academy, Cows in Action and Slime Squad. To view them all go to Steve’s author page here on Lovereading4kids - click here. The Astrosaurs Academy series is a spin-off from Astrosaurs which began in 2008. The series focuses on Teggs Stegosaur while he’s at Astrosaurs Academy before he becomes an Astrosaur.
Freekham high is a school where things rarely go according to plan. Sara and Sam are putting on a school play to celebrate the end of term. Not much could go wrong with that, you might think. But when a plague of pigeons start to take an interest, everything gets completely out of control. The costumes go missing, the teachers get in a flap, Sara thinks there’s a ghost in the store room and there are pigeons just about everywhere. Great fun with a strong school setting.
Whether you’re a reluctant reader or an avid one this brilliant series with four titles out so far – Ouch, Thumb¸ Sock and now Pigeon – is set in a school where weird things happen each and every day. They will certainly provide hours of entertainment and there’s plenty of humour and lots of jokes to make you laugh out loud. The two main characters, Sam and Sara get up to all sorts of mischief as well as solving mysteries – all in a school day’s work!!
Whether you’re a reluctant reader or an avid one this brilliant series with four titles out so far – Ouch, Thumb¸ Sock and now Pigeon – is set in a school where weird things happen each and every day. They will certainly provide hours of entertainment and there’s plenty of humour and lots of jokes to make you laugh out loud. The two main characters, Sam and Sara get up to all sorts of mischief as well as solving mysteries – all in a school day’s work!!
Whether you’re a reluctant reader or an avid one this brilliant series with four titles out so far – Ouch, Thumb¸ Sock and now Pigeon – is set in a school where weird things happen each and every day. They will certainly provide hours of entertainment and there’s plenty of humour and lots of jokes to make you laugh out loud. The two main characters, Sam and Sara get up to all sorts of mischief as well as solving mysteries – all in a school day’s work!!
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | Steve Cole’s gripping treasure hunt story is even more compelling because it is set in a real place, somewhere most of us have never heard of. Theo lives in the world’s biggest e-waste dump, Agbogbloshie in Ghana. The same age as readers, he makes a living sorting through the junk that people like us throw out – mobile phones, old DVD players, Xbox machines – and salvaging scraps of metal that he sells for cash, earning just enough to pay for food but nothing like what he needs to escape. So when Emanuel turns up asking Theo for help to find his big brother’s treasure, Theo is in; this could be his chance to escape Trashland. Their search is even more dangerous than Theo expects. Other people are after the hidden treasure too and Emanuel is anything but trustworthy. The story is tense and exciting, and readers will feel they are there with the boys, digging through the broken electronics, choking on the dump’s noxious fumes. Things work out well for Theo in the end – it would be too agonising for the readership if they didn’t – but readers will be very aware that there are many real life Theos and Emanuels still digging through the rubbish in Trashland. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+
We live forever, barring accidents. Just like everyone else in the universe. The Doctor travels back to the Ancient Days, an era where life flourishes and death is barely known... Then come the Kotturuh - creatures who spread through the cosmos dispensing mortality. They judge each and every species and decree its allotted time to live. For the first time, living things know the fear of ending. And they will go to any lengths to escape this grim new spectre, death. The Doctor is an old hand at cheating death. Now, at last, he can stop it at source. He is coming for the Kotturuh, ready to change everything so that Life wins from the start. Not just the last of the Time Lords. The Time Lord Victorious.
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | This gripping story of kidnap and escape burns with outrage at damage being done to the Amazon. Carlos’ mother is a member of the Special Forces Group of IBAMA, Brazil’s environment agency, which suddenly makes him a target for ruthless men illegally mining in the rainforest. Taken as a hostage to force his mother to turn a blind eye, he manages to escape and survive with the help of a boy his age, whose life has already been devastated by the men’s actions, even as the world burns around both of them. Powerful and absolutely gripping, this is both a terrific adventure story and a wake-up call for young readers about the urgent need to protect our world. Published by Barrington Stoke, it’s accessible to all readers including those reluctant, struggling or dyslexic.
Two action-packed stories about the superheroes-in-training at Hero Academy, who must work together and use their powers to outwit the super-baddies. In Blast from the Past, Cam and Jin meet an old enemy, but is he really who he seems? In Code Red, Cam has to convince a new pupil to join Hero Academy - but it's going to take more than her shape-shifting powers a| This exciting chapter book with carefully-levelled text is ideal for children who are reading independently. Books with short chapters are a great way to build your child's reading stamina and confidence. The stories are packed with dynamic CGI-style illustrations - perfect for fans of comics. Tips for parents help to support your child's developing reading skills and the fun after-reading activities making reading fun while reinforcing comprehension. Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence. Read with Oxford Stage 6 equates to Oxford Levels 10, 11 and 12 used in schools. For more information about the Read with Oxford Stages, as well as practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress, go to readwithoxford.com. Let's get them flying!
There's no ducking out - an Arctic space race is on and Adventure Duck must defeat his new nemesis, the Wicked Walrus! Adventure Duck fluffs up his feathers and heads to the North Pole, where his ice-hearted enemy, Power Pug, has taken over a secret space base. The pug's latest hench-animal, a super-smart walrus, is building a rocket to blast his master into space. But if it launches, the whole Artic will be wiped out! Can Adventure Duck and his new friend - an (occasionally) invisible reindeer - stop Power Pug from expanding his evil empire using mind control ice lollies?
'Even though they're gone from the world, they're never gone from me.' The Doctor is many things - curious, funny, brave, protective of her friends...and a shameless namedropper. While she and her companions battled aliens and travelled across the universe, the Doctor hinted at a host of previous, untold adventures with the great and the good: we discovered she got her sunglasses from Pythagoras (or was it Audrey Hepburn?); lent a mobile phone to Elvis; had an encounter with Amelia Earhart where she discovered that a pencil-thick spider web can stop a plane; had a 'wet weekend' with Harry Houdini, learning how to escape from chains underwater; and more. In this collection of new stories, Star Tales takes you on a rip-roaring ride through history, from 500BC to the swinging 60s, going deeper into the Doctor's notorious name-dropping and revealing the truth behind these anecdotes.
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | September 2019 Book of the Month | Short and, in Barrington Stoke style, accessible to all readers, Tin Boy is a powerful and inspiring story, and one that will get children thinking about the world and their place in it. The hero Tono lives in the Indonesian province of Bangka Belitung and, though he’s only a boy, goes to work to each day, swimming down to mine tin by hand from deep under sea. It’s dangerous work and caught in an accident, he’s lucky to survive. That luck, together with something he finds on the seabed, changes his life. It’s a gripping story, that both vividly describes Tono’s life and plays with the idea of superheroes in a way that will resonate with all readers. Readers who enjoy Tono’s story should also look out for Kick by Mitch Johnson.
The duck with the supersonic quack is back! Adventure Duck, the world's unlikeliest superhero, has a tasty new mission - saving the world from DEATH BY CHOCOLATE! Ay, caramba! Adventure Duck and his zebra sidekick, Ziggy, have a tasty new mission in Mexico. Their nemesis, Power Pug, has a dastardly new scheme to control the world's chocolate supply. With the help of a llama with projectile spit, Adventure Duck and Ziggy set out to foil the pug's nefarious plans to dig up the rainforest to build an enormous chocolate factory. But Armando the Commando and his army of armadillos stands in their way... Can the superhero amigos find a chink in the armadillos' armour and save the world from DEATH BY CHOCOLATE?
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