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Find out moreThese stories have been loved by generations and are now beautifully repackaged for our children to enjoy too. Which one will you take on holiday this summer?
The first in a collection of stories for young children in which the resourceful and kind Polly outwits the enthusiastic but dim wolf over a number of encounters which are close enough to be alarming while funny enough to be reassuringly safe.~ Julia Eccleshare
A wonderful adventure as two children flee from the yranny of their wicked guardian and bravely set out on the road to London. Miss Slighcarp is as chilling as her words sound and she is now in charge of Bonnie and Sylvia. How will they ever escape from her clutches? It would be hard in any circumstances but it is especially hard since the snow lies thick on the ground around Willoughby Chase and the wolves are snapping closer and closer. It’s scary enough, but Bonnie and Sylvia are a determined pair and nothing, not even the wolves are going to stop them from getting back to London and Aunt Jane. Helped on their way by Simon and the flock of geese he is taking to market, Bonnie and Sylvia’s journey is a thrilling adventure – and not for the faint hearted!
Winner of the Guardian Fiction Award, this story of life in village India, where children are forced so young to be adult, will appeal to a wide range of ages. Hari and Lila are the eldest of a poor family and life is very hard indeed: their father is often drunk, their mother sick, and there seems no way out of the debt that the family is in. Even growing industrialisation seems to offer a new threat to them. Despite the hardships they face, their tenacity and spirit stays strong and there is a happy ending. A very powerful story that fully deserves its place as a modern classic. ~ Andrea Reece
The roots of this wonderful retelling of the story of Arthur and his knights can be found mostly in Sir Thomas Malory, but also in sources as rich as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Mabinogion and old Irish tragedies. It’s irresistible stuff that calls to the romantic in all of us and Rosemary Sutcliff infuses her version of the legend with a spine-tingling sense of poetry and mystery, while telling the story simply and with a driving narrative. It reads aloud brilliantly, and makes a superb book for sharing at bedtime. ~ Andrea Reece
A tiny doll, unloved by her owner, is accidentally dropped into a freezer in a shop. There she stays, bored and lonely, until another little girl spots her. This one is kind, and immediately goes home to make the doll some new clothes. Even though the little doll is now beautifully dressed, still no one notices her until at last the little girl asks if she can take her home. It’s a short, very simple story, perfect for bedtime and little girls will love the idea of the tiny doll hidden in the freezer. Edward Ardizzone’s illustrations capture a kinder, slower time, but are full of live and action nonetheless. ~ Andrea Reece
The book that Chris Riddell has described as the one that made him a reader, The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm deserves a place on every child’s bookcase. The archetypal absent-minded professor, Branestawm spends his time happily creating bizarre inventions, which then lead him into even bizarrer adventures. Hunter’s sense of fun is timeless and he had a wonderful eye for the humour that lies in the incongruous. Zany plots and characters, action and word-play ensure that the stories feel as fresh today as when they were first published. This edition features Heath Robinson’s illustrations – the one of the professor in his magnetic suspenders is particularly delightful. ~ Andrea Reece Our Guest Editor Charlie Higson: "These stories are about a mad inventor and are madly inventive as well as very funny. I had forgotten all about the absent-minded Professor Branestawm until I rediscovered one of the stories in an anthology of kids fiction I was reading to one of my boys. We both found it absolutely hilarious – no mean feat for a book written in 1933 (let’s face it, most ‘classic’ children’s books are utterly mystifying to modern kids). As a result I tracked down this book and shared it with my son. I remembered how much I’d loved these books as a boy, particularly the first two with their lovely Heath Robinson illustrations." April 2012
A classic detective story told at a cracking pace, this features one of the first fictional child detectives. When Emil is robbed of his mother’s hard earned savings from right out of his pocket as he is asleep on a train, he takes swift action. Emil has no confidence in the police and so recruits his own assistant, Gustav. The two boys round up a group of friends and catch the thief. Emil is handsomely rewarded and all ends happily. Emil is charming and clever, the ideal hero of this terrific adventure.
Geoffrey Trease is the master of historical fiction for children, and for many this is his best book. Set in Elizabethan England at the end of the 15th century it tells the story of fourteen year old Peter Brownrigg who, running from his home to escape his wicked lord, winds up working with a theatre company and apprenticed to William Shakespeare himself. There is treason afoot, and treachery and the story is full of drama, and a little romance too. It’s great to see this handsome new edition of this modern classic. ~ Andrea Reece
This is a unique story of triumph over adversity, told against the background of the Nationalist/Communist struggle for control of China. Adeline Yen Mah’s family considered her to be bad luck because her mother died shortly after giving birth to her. They discriminated against her and singled her out for cruel treatment, eventually abandoning her in a convent school. Yen Mah tells her story with extraordinary honesty and without bitterness, making this an absorbing read for young people. Eventually she proved her worth at school earning the respect of her teachers and friends. ~ Andrea Reece
Best known for Gobbolino and The Adventures of The Little Wooden Horse, Ursula Moray Williams also wrote this funny, inventive story of fantasy, suspense and magic, now reissued as A Puffin Book. Orphan Samantha sets off in high spirits to live with her aunt, Lady Clandorris. Unfortunately Lady Clandorris is hostile towards humankind in general, and to children in particular. Their relationship deteriorates with the unexpected arrival of a strange wide-eyed creature with a long furry tale, feathered wings and two webbed feet. Samantha discovers it is a bogwoppit, and that it’s come through the drains from the outside pond. Samantha of course wants to care for it but Lady Clandorris has other plans for the little thing, and for her niece, too. This lovely little book thoroughly deserves its status as a modern classic. ~ Andrea Reece
Stunning and compulsive are two words that best describe the story of Fiver, of Hazel and the rabbit warren full of family and friends. Rejected by most publishers before eventually being snapped up by Rex Collings in 1972, it was an instant hit and has since sold millions of copies the world over. Beautifully written with some of the best characterisation you'll come across in children’s literature, it tells the story of a group of rabbits and their will to survive despite human attempts to do otherwise. Full of adventure, humour, excitement and sadness it will enthral as much now as it did when it was first published.
Watership Down is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival against the odds. First published in 1972, this paperback reissue with a stunning new cover celebrates its 40th anniversary. Stunning and compulsive are two words that best describe the story of Fiver, of Hazel and the rabbit warren full of family and friends. Rejected by most publishers before eventually being snapped up by Rex Collings in 1972, it was an instant hit and has since sold millions of copies the world over. Beautifully written with some of the best characterisation you'll come across in children’s literature, it tells the story of a group of rabbits and their will to survive despite human attempts to do otherwise. Full of adventure, humour, excitement and sadness it will enthral as much now as it did when it was first published.
Watership Down is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival against the odds. It tells the story of a group of rabbits - of Fiver, of Hazel and the rabbit warren full of family and friends - and their will to survive despite human attempts to do otherwise. Beautifully written with some of the best characterisation you'll come across in children’s literature, Full of adventure, humour, excitement and sadness it will enthral as much now as it did when it was first published. Rejected by most publishers before eventually being snapped up by Rex Collings in the '70s, it was an instant hit and has since sold over 5 million copies the world over. _____________ Puffin Fact! Watership Down is set in the Berkshire and Hampshire countryside. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
A heart breaking and heart warming story of a special friendship that grows between Willie Beech, evacuated to the country to avoid the Blitz on London, and Tom Oakley, the reserved old man who takes him in. Willie has been lonely and neglected all his life as his mother lacks the ability to care for him. Under Mister Tom’s patient and kind guidance Willie grows emotionally and physically to become the boy he should have been. But then his mother wants him back home in London. Must Willie loose everything that has made him happy? Be sure to check out other books by this author. Just Henry, A Spoonful of Jam, A little Love Song, Cuckoo In The Nest. Puffin Fact! The beech tree’s slim trunk gave Michelle Magorian the idea for her skinny evacuee’s name – William Beech. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the classic story of a girl growing up in the deep South. _____________ Puffin Fact! After graduating from the University of Toledo, Mildred D. Taylor spent two years in Ethiopia with the Peace Corps, which she described as ‘the happiest years’ in her adult life. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
The international bestselling fantasy adventure of a lonely boy's quest to save a magical land from evil. Puffin Fact! The first word in each chapter following the Prologue is in alphabetical order. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Time is running out for Mrs Frisby, who must move her family of mice before the farmer destroys their home. But her son is so ill she is convinced he won't survive the move. Help comes in the unexpected form of super-intelligent rats, and little by little Mrs Frisby learns the rats' secret.
A wonderful fable which makes readers reconsider any prejudices they may have about rats! Mrs Frisby needs to move home quickly when the farmer threatens to plough up the field where her home is. But everything goes wrong and she and her sick son Timothy only survive because of the kindness of the rats who have escaped from a research laboratory. Rats are heroes, the humans experimenting on them are villains, in this thrilling and thought provoking story. Puffin Fact! Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was inspired by research carried out on the mice and rat population over twenty years from the 1940s to the 1960s! Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Louis the cygnet may be unable to utter a sound unlike her siblings and his parents but Louis is determined to overcome this impediment by learning to read and write. If at first you don't succeed then try again and so Louis does in this incredibly moving, uplifting and powerful story from the author of Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, two books you may well have heard of but this one may well be new to you. Here at Lovereading4kids we urge you to read Louis's tender, humorous and unforgettable animal tale too. _____________ Puffin Fact! Male swans are cobs, female swans are pens and baby swans are cygnets. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
This is the classic story of an otter living in the Devonshire countryside which captures the feel of life in the wild as seen through the otter's own eyes. It is full of joy and wonder, as well as death, sadness and brutality and yet it is an inspirational portrait of a vanished time, seen from Tarka's viewpoint. Often harrowing, the story details Tarka's constant battle with the otter hounds, and in particular their fearsome leader Deadlock. Most of us will have never seen an otter in the wild or be likely to see one and yet once you've read the story of Tarka the Otter you will not only know exactly what they look like, you will also know their mannerisms and crucially having read the novel, you will also realise how man's impact almost drove them to extinction. A message from Michael Morpurgo about Henry Williamson and his writing: 'It is a rare gift indeed for a storyteller to be a poet as much as a storymaker, to tell a tale so deeply engaging that the reader wants to know what will happen and never wants it to end, and yet at the same tells it in such a way as to leave a reader wide-eyed with amazement at the sheer intensity of feeling that can be induced by the word-magic of a poet. Henry Williamson is just such a story-maker poet.'_____________ Puffin Fact! The iconic character Annie first appeared as the eleven-year-old heroine of a comic strip called ‘Little Orphan Annie’. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Published in the early 1960s and yet as relevant today as it was then, this is a book that will captivate the imagination of a 7 or 8 year old – in fact even the most reluctant reader will be hooked. When Barney falls into a disused quarry he’s confronted by Stig, a caveman but none of Barney’s friends believe the story of Stig. So Barney has the time of his life and the two of them get up to a whole heap of adventures. Just read it – we guarantee you’ll enjoy it.
Chosen as the Puffin Modern Classic 1960 - 1969 Published over 45 years ago and yet as relevant today as it was then. This is a book that will captivate the imagination of a 7 or 8 year old – in fact even the most reluctant reader will be hooked. When Barney falls into a disused quarry he’s confronted by Stig, a caveman but none of Barney’s friends believe the story of Stig. So Barney has the time of his life and the two of them get up to a whole heap of adventures. Just read it – we guarantee you’ll enjoy it.
When Barney falls down the cliff of the chalk pit he lands in what might be a rubbish dump. But the dump turns out to be the home of Stig, a cave-boy who turns what he finds to good use. Stig and Barney have a series of wonderful adventures in Barney’s world from scaring Barney’s enemies to chasing away Granny’s burglars. And then, Barney finds himself back in Stig’s world for a special adventure set way back in the past. Published in 1952 and yet as relevant today as it was then. It will captivate the imagination of 7+ year olds – in fact even the most reluctant reader will be hooked - great one for sharing too. _____________ Puffin Fact! Stig of the Dump is set where Clive grew up in Ash, Kent, and where he spent his childhood building dens. The chalk pit where Clive imagined that Stig livedis now part of a golf course. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Published in the early 1960s and yet as relevant today as it was then, this is a book that will captivate the imagination of a 7 or 8 year old – in fact even the most reluctant reader will be hooked. When Barney falls into a disused quarry he’s confronted by Stig, a caveman but none of Barney’s friends believe the story of Stig. So Barney has the time of his life and the two of them get up to a whole heap of adventures. Just read it – we guarantee you’ll enjoy it.
Smith, though only 12, is an accomplished pickpocket, saved from the gallows by his own stealth and speed. One dark evening he witnesses a murder, a stabbing, and finds a document belonging to the dead man, which he feels must be valuable. The only problem is, Smith can't read.
Smith is a sort of artful dodger character of his time. Set in 18th century London, this is the story of a 12 year old and how, having pickpocketed an elderly man only to see him immediately murdered realises he must put right his wrong and find out who murdered him without being implicated himself. Evocative of time and place with a compelling and often humourous storyline and an array of interesting characters this is a story you'll be drawn into and you won't want to let go. _____________ Puffin Fact! Smith vividly portrays life in London during the eighteenth century, when there was great pickpocketing was rife and the penal system was cruel and inhumane. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Chosen by Jacqueline Wilson. Carnegie winner in 1937. When I re-read this down-to-earth, charming adventure that’s full of humour I felt more than a little sad for although the 1930s was a decade of hardship for most people in England, this family of 7 children had immense freedom and a fun-filled action-packed time despite being very poor; in fact, almost certainly a much more fun and enjoyable time than children of today. It was a time of innocence and trust but nowadays we deny our children freedom and protect our children because sadly that trust in other people and innocence has gone. This is a wonderful evocation of a now vanished world that all children should read and will thoroughly enjoy, not just because of the great adventures but also the heart-warming characters. It has been beautifully published by Puffin with original illustrations. A timeless classic that may be from a different era but it’s a book to cherish. (7-9) To find out more about this book CLICK HERE to visit the Carnegie Greenaway site
A World Book Day 'Recommended Read' for 2011. Chosen as the Puffin Modern Classic 1940 - 1949 - reviewed by Jacqueline Wilson. This book also won the Carnegie Medal in 1937. When I re-read this down-to-earth, charming adventure that’s full of humour I felt more than a little sad for although the 1930s was a decade of hardship for most people in England, this family of 7 children had immense freedom and a fun-filled action-packed time despite being very poor; in fact, almost certainly a much more fun and enjoyable time than children of today. It was a time of innocence and trust but nowadays we deny our children freedom and protect our children because sadly that trust in other people and innocence has gone. This is a wonderful evocation of a now vanished world that all children should read and will thoroughly enjoy, not just because of the great adventures but also the heart-warming characters. It has been beautifully published by Puffin with original illustrations. A timeless classic that may be from a different era but it’s a book to cherish. (7-9) To find out more about this book CLICK HERE to visit the Carnegie Greenaway site
Winner of the 1937 CILIP Carnegie Medal The seven Ruggles children grow up in a household with little money but a lot of action! There’s Kate who spoils her expensive and brand new school uniform on a trip to the seaside, the twins Jim and John who’s adventures so impress the other members of the Gang of the Black Hand, Jo who sneaks into a cinema on his own and the baby William who wins first prize in the baby show. Although pitied by the neighbours for their poverty, the Ruggles children wouldn’t have their life any other way! A message from Jacqueline Wilson. When I re-read this down-to-earth, charming adventure that’s full of humour I felt more than a little sad for although the 1930s was a decade of hardship for most people in England, this family of 7 children had immense freedom and a fun-filled action-packed time despite being very poor; in fact, almost certainly a much more fun and enjoyable time than children of today. It was a time of innocence and trust but nowadays we deny our children freedom and protect our children because sadly that trust in other people and innocence has gone. This is a wonderful evocation of a now vanished world that all children should read and will thoroughly enjoy, not just because of the great adventures but also the heart-warming characters. It has been beautifully published by Puffin with original illustrations. A timeless classic that may be from a different era but it’s a book to cherish. (7-9) Puffin Fact! The Family from One End Street beat The Hobbit to win the Carnegie Medal in 1937. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
For months, Ben had been thinking about dogs. He had picked the biggest and the best from the dog-books in the library. So imagine his disappointment when, for his birthday, he received a picture of a dog. Ben's imagination soon got to work, though, and that's when his adventures began.
Award winning Philippa Pearce captures a child’s longing – and need – for a dog perfectly in this brilliant imaginary story. Ben has always wanted a dog. In fact, he wants one so much that he makes an imaginary one real so that together they can enjoy all the things that boys and dogs can share. ____________ Puffin Fact! ‘Chihuahua’ is a Spanish word meaning very, very small. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Beautifully written, this novel won every award imaginable in the USA when it was published. It is a tense, dramatic and compulsive survival adventure that rivals Robinson Crusoe. This though also touches heavily on prejudice and how the young white boy, reliant for his survival on an elderly black man following a shipwreck, begins to trust someone who through his upbringing by his mother had instilled on him not to trust. The boy discovers a true friend, overcomes his prejudices of ageism and racism, this is their story and is a truly inspiring read and as relevant to read now as it was when it was first published. _____________ Puffin Fact! The Cay is based on a true story. While researching another book, Theodore read about an incident that happened in 1942. The Germans had torpedoed a Dutch ship, slicing it in half. Those who survived the attack crawled into a lifeboat, looked back and saw an eleven-year-old Dutch boy. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Chosen by Jacqueline Wilson, February 2012 Guest Editor: "This is a very touching utterly convincing book about three wartime evacuees billeted to Wales. It's very much a children's story, with a mystery to be solved, but Nina Bawden is very subtle with her characterisation - even hateful Mr Evans with his cruel bullying is seen as sadly pathetic too. Carrie and her little brother Nick are a delight, but my favourite character is their friend Albert Sandwich. He might sport steel spectacles and have a few spots on his chin, but he's one of the most charming boys in all children's fiction." ............................................................................ I loved Carrie’s War from the moment I read it and have enjoyed it more and more with each rereading. At first, I appreciated Nina Bawden’s descriptions of the place and the people: the way she created the stifling atmosphere of the shop and how it contrasted with the freedom of everything that happened at Druid’s Bottom. I read it as the story of a girl being brave when she was away from home. Later, I came to realise that I and all other readers learned tolerance and understanding just like Carrie does. When Carrie is evacuated to Wales with her brother, Nick, she is removed from everything she knows. In a new home and without her parents to advise her Carrie has to work out for herself how she feels about the places around her and how to respond to the unusual circumstances in which she finds herself. While Nick’s emotions are always open, both as he grieves for his missing parents and in how he throws himself without restraint into the new way of life, both embracing Auntie Lou and challenging the bullying councillor Evans, Carrie is more reserved. Carrie waits and watches: she accepts the new situations and considers them coolly. She takes time to adjust to living apart from her parents and to find that she can make decisions for herself. But it’s only when she and Nick are sent to Druid’s Bottom, the strange spooky house set down in the bottom of the valley, that she can really let herself go, having at last found people she can trust. Carrie’s personal journey of discovery is a rich and marvellous one. It’s at Druid’s Bottom that Carrie meets Mrs Gotobed and discovers that growing old is not as terrible as it seems. Here to she meets Mr Johnny with his strange gobbling speech and learns that differences need not be frightening, while from her fellow evacuee Albert sandwich she learns to value her own intelligence. Above all it’s at Druids bottom that she meets the kindly and wise Hepzibah Green whose all-enveloping love and common sense keep Carrie going in difficult times. Despite these themes of separation and the very real dangers posed by the background of the war, Carrie’s War is an upbeat lyrical story containing moments of emotional truth. It is also universal story about growing up, making choices and learning who you can trust. Above all, it’s a story of enormous warmth and understanding, capturing that all-important transition from childhood to adolescence as Carrie grows in her understanding and finds out what really matters to her. One of the most heart-warming and unforgettable stories of the war tells the story of the evacuation of two children to Wales and about growing up amongst strangers and without family. It’s a wonderful evocation of times past and beautifully written. ~ Julia Eccleshare Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
When bombs start falling on London, Carrie and her younger brother Nick are evacuated to Wales. Living with Mr Evans, who has little interest in children, and his kind sister Lou, everything about their new life is strange and different especially when they go to visit their friend Albert who has been evacuated to Druid’s Bottom. The story of Carrie and Nick’s new life is beautifully told in this exceptional story of the evacuee experience. Puffin Fact! Nina Bawden won seven writing awards during her career! Download more Puffin Facts here! ---------------------- Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Chosen by Jacqueline Wilson, February 2012 Guest Editor: "This is a very touching utterly convincing book about three wartime evacuees billeted to Wales. It's very much a children's story, with a mystery to be solved, but Nina Bawden is very subtle with her characterisation - even hateful Mr Evans with his cruel bullying is seen as sadly pathetic too. Carrie and her little brother Nick are a delight, but my favourite character is their friend Albert Sandwich. He might sport steel spectacles and have a few spots on his chin, but he's one of the most charming boys in all children's fiction." Julia Eccleshare's Comment: I loved Carrie’s War from the moment I read it and have enjoyed it more and more with each rereading. At first, I appreciated Nina Bawden’s descriptions of the place and the people: the way she created the stifling atmosphere of the shop and how it contrasted with the freedom of everything that happened at Druid’s Bottom. I read it as the story of a girl being brave when she was away from home. Later, I came to realise that I and all other readers learned tolerance and understanding just like Carrie does. When Carrie is evacuated to Wales with her brother, Nick, she is removed from everything she knows. In a new home and without her parents to advise her Carrie has to work out for herself how she feels about the places around her and how to respond to the unusual circumstances in which she finds herself. While Nick’s emotions are always open, both as he grieves for his missing parents and in how he throws himself without restraint into the new way of life, both embracing Auntie Lou and challenging the bullying councillor Evans, Carrie is more reserved. Carrie waits and watches: she accepts the new situations and considers them coolly. She takes time to adjust to living apart from her parents and to find that she can make decisions for herself. But it’s only when she and Nick are sent to Druid’s Bottom, the strange spooky house set down in the bottom of the valley, that she can really let herself go, having at last found people she can trust. Carrie’s personal journey of discovery is a rich and marvellous one. It’s at Druid’s Bottom that Carrie meets Mrs Gotobed and discovers that growing old is not as terrible as it seems. Here to she meets Mr Johnny with his strange gobbling speech and learns that differences need not be frightening, while from her fellow evacuee Albert sandwich she learns to value her own intelligence. Above all it’s at Druids bottom that she meets the kindly and wise Hepzibah Green whose all-enveloping love and common sense keep Carrie going in difficult times. Despite these themes of separation and the very real dangers posed by the background of the war, Carrie’s War is an upbeat lyrical story containing moments of emotional truth. It is also universal story about growing up, making choices and learning who you can trust. Above all, it’s a story of enormous warmth and understanding, capturing that all-important transition from childhood to adolescence as Carrie grows in her understanding and finds out what really matters to her. One of the most heart-warming and unforgettable stories of the war tells the story of the evacuation of two children to Wales and about growing up amongst strangers and without family. It’s a wonderful evocation of times past and beautifully written.
It's 1945. World War II has just ended and twelve-year-old Rusty comes back home to Britain after being evacuated to the US. The greyness and bleakness of life in England is a shock, but even worse is adapting to the strict discipline of her family, including a brother she's never met, after the warmth and openness of her adopted American family. Rusty is sent to a horrific boarding school, before finally running away as her search for happiness becomes more and more desperate.
Intensely moving this is the story of a young girl coming to terms with getting to know her family again, including a little brother, having been evacuated to America for the duration of WW2. Sometimes sad but also uplifting as you share the young girls feelings as she struggles and quite often fails to live up to expectations particularly when at times she becomes Rusty the rebel. _____________ Puffin Fact! One of Rusty’s favourite memories is making and eating s’mores aroundthe campfire down at the lake. S'mores are an American tradition, and no one is quite sure who invented them. The first known recipe appeared in 1927 in a Girl Scout handbook called Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Download more Puffin Facts here! ___________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
A timeless tale that despite its 1933 setting resonates so brilliantly with kids reading it today. Not only beautifully written but the characters are handled with great sensitivity and aplomb. _____________ Puffin Fact! The iconic character Annie first appeared as the eleven-year-old heroine of a comic strip called ‘Little Orphan Annie’. Download more Puffin Facts here! _____________ Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers, Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the PUFFIN BOOK collection. A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime. Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next... We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on. Love - PUFFIN @puffinbooks #shareapuffinbook
Pack A Puffin Book!
Dear readers, dreamers and adventurers,
Ever wanted a friend who could take you to magical realms, talk to animals or help you survive a shipwreck? Well, you'll find them all in the A PUFFIN BOOK collection.
A PUFFIN BOOK will stay with you forever. Maybe you'll read it again and again, or perhaps years from now you'll suddenly remember the moment it made you laugh or cry or simply see things differently. Adventurers big and small, rebels out to change their world, even a mouse with a dream and a spider who can spell - these are the characters who make stories that last a lifetime.
Whether you love animal tales, war stories or want to know what it was like growing up in a different time and place, the A PUFFIN BOOK collection has a story for you - you just need to decide where you want to go next...
We want to know which is your favourite. Tell us or tweet a photo of your old beloved copy - and we might just send you a new A PUFFIN BOOK so you can pass the story on.
Love PUFFIN
@puffinbook #PackaPuffin
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