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Find out moreReturn to Lewis Carroll's Wonderland with this stunning collection of original stories from today's biggest children's authors - Peter Bunzl, Pamela Butchart, Maz Evans, Swapna Haddow, Patrice Lawrence, Chris Smith, Robin Stevens, Lauren St John, Lisa Thompson, Piers Torday and Amy Wilson.
July 2019 Book of the Month | It’s more than 150 years since the publication of Alice in Wonderland and it is delighting today’s readers as much as it ever has. Both a tribute to and a celebration of Lewis Carroll’s story, this collection includes new adventures by eleven favourite contemporary children’s authors, each of whom has been inspired by Alice. With such an extraordinary set of characters and scenes to take as starting points, the stories are wonderfully varied. Pamela Butchart chooses to write about the Queen of Hearts in a follow up story, while Swapna Haddow picks the Mock Turtle. There’s an environmental message in Lauren St John’s lively story ‘Plum Cakes at Dawn’, while Robin Stevens puts the real Alice into her Oxford set story. Together they make for a sparkling collection, one well worth tumbling back down the rabbit hole to enjoy.
There are all sorts of different animals in this collection of new stories by favourite children's authors and lots of different settings for their adventures; young readers will love them all. Linda Chapman's opening story features snow leopards in Mongolia, while Candy Gourlay's is all about pandas in China. Michael Broad describes a special Christmas truce between moose and wolves, while closer to home, Leila Rasheed sprinkles a bit of Christmas magic over the story of a kitten finding a new home. Whether funny, surprising, exciting or thought-provoking, each story is perfectly told. Just the thing to go under the tree, or to share at bedtime as the nights draw in.
In this handsome book, Michael Morpurgo has collected together some of the animal stories that he grew up with and loved, from Brer Rabbit and the Ugly Duckling, to Puss in Boots and The Fox and the Crow. They are retold by some of the finest children’s writers of today and each one is illustrated in full colour by a talented illustrator. The tellings are fresh, direct and absorbing. Morpurgo himself has chosen to tell the story of Peter and the Wolf and he does so with typical robustness, his prose lean and insistent, grabbing young readers’ attention in the opening line and holding it to the very end. This is a collection that is certain to fan the imaginations of a new generation of readers. ~ Andrea Reece
Longlisted for the 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal | Although this collection of stories about the First World War opens with familiar lines from Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for Doomed Youth, it offers new ways to consider the war and the effect it had on the generation who lived through it, powerfully reminding us too why it’s so important we still remember them. Eleven authors have contributed, acclaimed writers from the UK and overseas. Each takes as inspiration an object connected to the war, something iconic like the Victoria Cross featured in Timothée de Fombelle’s story, oras personal as a compass, which indirectly inspires A. L. Kennedy’s, or the soldier’s writing case at the heart of David Almond’s superb A World that Has no War In It. Illustrations are by award-winner Jim Kay, sharp, stuttering shapes that break into the stories, or beautiful full pages, atmospheric and raw. Unmissable. Stories of World War One, edited by Tony Bradman and War Girls edited by Adele Geras are also fine collections featuring first-class authors, the latter telling stories through the eyes of women. Barroux’s striking graphic novel Line of Fire, based on the real diary of an unknown French soldier, makes one man’s experiences into something that all can understand. ~ Andrea Reece --------------------------------------- What did living through the First World War feel like for relatives at home, especially children, as well as for the soldiers fighting at the Front? Eleven stories inspired by objects from the time of the war are beautifully told by internationally acclaimed authors including David Almond, Tracy Chevalier and Michael Morpurgo. From a butter dish made by a young girl whose life is changed by the war in Maud’s Story by Adele Geras to a Brodie helmet complete with a bullet hole in Our Jacko by Michael Morpurgo the stories bring alive the profound effect of the 1914-18 years. ~ Julia Eccleshare
It’s the perfect time of year for scary stories and there’s a wonderfully varied selection in this excellent collection all written by prize-winning children’s authors. For example, Michael Rosen retells a couple of scary folk tales to deliver thrills with a moral, while Jamie Rix describes the misery suffered by a man whose school dinners return to haunt him – a ghastly thought indeed! Bel Mooney’s story shows that a powerful imagination is not always a good thing, while Ruth Ainsworth tells a ghostly story of loss and remembrance. Chosen by an experienced children's bookseller, the stories are just right for either newly confident independent readers or for sharing with an adult. ~ Andrea Reece
In this handsome book, Michael Morpurgo has collected together some of the animal stories that he grew up with and loved, from Brer Rabbit and the Ugly Duckling, to Puss in Boots and The Fox and the Crow. They are retold by some of the finest children’s writers of today and each one is illustrated in full colour by a talented illustrator. The tellings are fresh, direct and absorbing. Morpurgo himself has chosen to tell the story of Peter and the Wolf and he does so with typical robustness, his prose lean and insistent, grabbing young readers’ attention in the opening line and holding it to the very end. This is a collection that is certain to fan the imaginations of a new generation of readers. ~ Andrea Reece
The eagerly anticipated follow-up to Draw it! Colour it! Creatures, this second, stunning Macmillan activity book for all ages is your chance to join in and complete a drawing with a bestselling artist. Not only is this a book for children who love to draw but it encourages the most unconfident of scribblers to pick up a pencil and have a go. Filled with pages and pages of inspiration from favourite illustrators such as Yasmeen Ismail, Emily Gravett and of course the Children's Laureate himself, Chris Riddell, this provides the perfect opportunity to draw alongside some of the most amazing artists from around the world. A wonderful book for rainy day creativity and fun.
There are fairy tales from all over the world gathered together in this very attractive collection some of which, such as Dick Whittington and Goldilocks and the Three Bears will be very familiar to the audience, while others such as The King’s Pudding, an Indonesian story of the little deer who outwits a tiger, will likely be brand new. Told briskly and cheerfully in short sentences they’re just right for children to read on their own, but also make ideal bedtime reading. There are bright, bold full colour illustrations on every page and a glossary at the back with information on the origin of the stories too. ~ Andrea Reece
If there’s any likelihood of rainy days on your holiday, be sure to pack a copy of this sparkling collection of stories written by some of our wittiest and most inventive authors, as it’s certain to brighten the mood until the sun is shining again. There are eight different stories by stars including David Solomons, Joanna Nadin, Jonathan Meres and Steve Cole. Subjects are varied and while each story is funny, they’re differently funny – you’ll find sitcom, comedy of manners, the absurd, farce and a bit of black humour too – and each one is good enough to stand repeated reading. Summer holidays were made for books like this! ~ Andrea Reece
If your New Year resolution was to spend ten minutes a day reading to your children, then this attractive collection of fairy stories from around the world would be a very good book with which to start. It contains ten stories, each of which will take ten minutes to read, and they are just the thing for bedtime. There are old favourites such as Beauty and the Beast and Pinocchio alongside lesser known stories such as The King’s Pudding, a funny animal story from Indonesia, and, as with all the best fairy tales, they will catch and hold listeners’ attention to the very end. Each story finishes with order restored and the good rewarded, perfect for lights out! ~ Andrea Reece
A beautifully illustrated treasury of captivating animal stories for families to share together. This is the second year of the Mumsnet/Walker Books children's story writing competition resulting in this inspiring collection of 10 winning stories all written by members of the Mumsnet and Gransnet community, and chosen by a celebrity judging panel chaired by Anthony Browne. Each story is accompanied by colourful and lively illustrations. “A wonderful range of funny, lyrical and captivating stories.” Anthony Browne, chair of judges ***You might also like the Mumsnet Book of Bedtime Stories, which features the winners from the 2013 Mumsnet Story Competition and is now out in paperback.
There’s a wonderfully varied set of stories in this jolly-looking collection, by some of our very best authors for children. Pirates make an appearance in Adele Geras’s contribution, while a boy has an unusual and rather magical encounter with Father Christmas in Malorie Blackman’s story. Also included is a favourite Just William episode by Richmal Crompton in which William is forced to celebrate with one of his worst enemies, but triumphs over the boy in spectacular fashion! There’s also a typically fine cat story by the master of the genre Robert Westall, and more treats from Julia Donaldson, Philip Ardagh, Rumer Godden and others - indeed, storytelling this good is for life, not just for Christmas! ~ Andrea Reece
A beautifully illustrated treasury of captivating animal stories for families to share together. This is the second year of the Mumsnet/Walker Books children's story writing competition resulting in this inspiring collection of 10 winning stories all written by members of the Mumsnet and Gransnet community, and chosen by a celebrity judging panel chaired by Anthony Browne. Each story is accompanied by colourful and lively illustrations. “A wonderful range of funny, lyrical and captivating stories.” Anthony Browne, chair of judges ***You might also like the Mumsnet Book of Bedtime Stories, which features the winners from the 2013 Mumsnet Story Competition and is now out in paperback.
Longlisted for the 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal - One of our Books of the Year 2014 - July 2014 Non-Fiction Book of the Month What did living through the First World War feel like for relatives at home, especially children, as well as for the soldiers fighting at the Front? Eleven stories inspired by objects from the time of the war are beautifully told by internationally acclaimed authors including David Almond, Tracy Chevalier and Michael Morpurgo. From a butter dish made by a young girl whose life is changed by the war in Maud’s Story by Adele Geras to a Brodie helmet complete with a bullet hole in Our Jacko by Michael Morpurgo the stories bring alive the profound effect of the 1914-18 years. ~ Julia Eccleshare
A poignant and fascinating anthology of tales to remember and commemorate the fallen of The Great War and those who survived the conflict and its aftermath. Collaborating with a wealth of experienced writers including Malorie Blackman, Geraldine McCaughrean and Oisin McGann, Tony Bradman has collated the definitive First World War collection – showing the horror and futility of war as well as moments of camaraderie and friendship. A note from the editor, Tony Bradman “the best way to remember the war is through the words of writers. This is something Wilfred Owen himself recognised. He wrote that 'truthful poets must be truthful', and by this I think he meant that the truth of what happened is to be found in the poems and stories written about it. That's where you'll find an understanding of the impact of the war on people who lived through it and who came after.”
Romance with all its advantages – and all its difficulties - is in the air in this anthology of stories about falling in and out of love. Hearts flip-flopping, getting noticed – in the right way, surviving school, being in cool and non-cool crowds – each of these stories by best-selling teen authors including Dyan Sheldon, Sarah Webb and Joanna Nadin will set the heart fluttering.
A beautifully illustrated collection of one hundred of the best-loved stories ever told, from Grimm's Fairytales to Aesop's Fables, from Arthurian Legends to Greek Myths and from Hans Christian Andersen's Ugly Duckling to Aladdin from the Arabian Nights. Perfect for parents to read to younger children as bedtime stories as none of them are more than 6 pages long, or for older children who can discover the wonder and magic of these classic tales for themselves. Beautifully presented with enchanting full colour illustrations on every page that capture the warmth and wonder of these classic tales.
A fact-filled introduction to science - its basic concepts, principles and practices that kids of 7 or 8 upwards will find interesting and absorbing without feeling it is educational. Covering plants, animals, space, climate, materials and much more, young readers will enjoy applying new scientific knowledge to their everyday lives.
A fact-filled introduction to science - its basic concepts, principles and practices that kids of 7 or 8 upwards will find interesting and absorbing without feeling it is educational. Covering plants, animals, space, climate, materials and much more, young readers will enjoy applying new scientific knowledge to their everyday lives.
This is an invaluable and authoritative up-to-the-minute encyclopaedia for young readers of 7 and above who are eager to find out more about the world around them, the incredible world beyond and indeed about themselves. Amazing fact boxes on every page draw the reader and provide snippets of info on for example record-breaking feats and events.
Ten absolutely top notch short stories from ten top award-winning authors including Malorie Blackman, Melvin Burgess, Meg Cabot and Jacqueline Wilson to name just four. Perfect to introduce readers to a wide range of writers. Each of the stories reflect the high and lows of being a teenager but they are always highly entertaining.
Gen Alpha-Z is a powerful little book that packs a massive literary punch. The sequel to the successful debut, The Originals, Gen Alpha-Z is a breath-taking collection of incredible short stories written by talented young writers aged between six and 21 years around the world. These hugely authors entered The little BIG Book Competition run by The Lil' Author Skool in 2018-2019. Judged by an independent panel, eight stories selected to be in this new anthology won and a further 16 were chosen as stand-out stories that merited publication. Launching on Universal Children's Day - 20th November 2019 - #GenAlphaZ is set to be a huge success that showcases the astoundingly high quality of writing by today's children and teenagers - the next generation of authors are already showing what they're capable of and it's incredibly excited for the future of literature!
From the inmates of Shotts prison, an accretion of voices not unlike the sounds erupting from the fiddles, flutes and guitars of musicians you might find playing in a Glasgow bar, only these disparate voices are not musical. Instead, a finely tuned array of words expressing thoughts and emotions procured from their writers' time in prison: Porridge, a breakfast people make in pots./ But I'm doing porridge here in SHOTTS. In one of the prose pieces, a grandfather pretends to his visiting grandson that he's a secret agent on his final mission signalling to the reader his retirement from crime; in another, there is the ongoing concern for an elderly father at home with senile dementia: ... he's ducking behind the curtain ... I don't know if I can cope with this today. Haiku and longer poetic forms capture the interminable frustration of being inside and the effect this has on the human psyche: Go off the rails/End up in the cells/Apply for bail/Application fail// Back to jail/howl and wail. One reflection on the emotional difficulty of being transgender in a system that does little to offer support adds poignancy to an anthology that is already thrumming with humour and attitude.
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