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Find out moreMark Beech has been a freelance illustrator for the last ten years, and nowadays works a great deal in the world of children’s publishing. From picture books for early readers, to education and fiction books for older readers, he has even made a picture book for the ipad, which allows him to animate illustrations. He also designs greeting cards, and has even been known to work in the world of advertising from time to time.
Clever, funny and on occasion just plain daft, this is the perfect stocking filler for kids and Terry Pratchett fans alike. Open the pages and find eleven short stories which have been fabulously illustrated by Mark Beech. The text marches up hill and down dale, in between, over and under the illustrations, shouting, bursting, capering across the page so the story and illustrations become a glorious Christmas pudding mix of a read, give it a stir and get ready to duck as the tales take flight. The stories made me chuckle, in fact as soon as I had read the first offering, ‘Father Christmas’s Fake Beard’, I promptly insisted my husband read it too (it’s always the sign of a good book when I do that!). Yes this is a kids book, and yes I fully expect that adults will get just as much enjoyment from the stories as the children. A Terry Pratchett book was always on my Christmas list, I treat each and every one of them with love… set a new fan in motion, or delight a well established one - this is a proper little gem.
A truly wonderful kick of escapism, ‘Truckers: The First Book of the Nomes’ may be aimed at children, however you don't have to be a kid to read this (adults can get just as much enjoyment, possibly even a little more). These books are also known as the ‘The Bromeliad Trilogy’, the reason for which will become abundantly clear as you read further into the trilogy. Masklin, Grimma and their rapidly diminishing band of four inch high Nomes (they aren't shrinking in height, but numbers) leave their home in order to survive. They find themselves in a department store, among Nomes who no longer recognise that there are outsiders, or even an outside. When they discover that the department store is closing down and being knocked down, can they persuade the rest of the Nomes that they need to leave? Terry Pratchett has the ability to make words sing together, in such a way, that they make you stop and think. He may excel in fantasy, yet it’s fantasy firmly based in fact, and it’s fantasy that makes you look at life from a new perspective. ‘Truckers’ is eye opening, laugh inducing and sometimes jaw dropping stuff and I absolutely loved it.
Fantastic, funny and weirdly wonderful, with beautifully apt illustrations by Mark Beech. Johnny can see and talk to the dead, not scary zombie ghostly dead people, just rather ordinary dead people who don’t want anyone to build on their cemetery. ‘Johnny and the Dead’ was first published in 1993, yet is still bang up to date in terms of humour, wit, and observations. Terry Pratchett was wonderfully clever at pointing out just how absurd humans can be sometimes. He takes the dead, from the First World War Blackbury Pals, to former magician Mr Vicenti and brings them to life, well, perhaps to life isn’t quite the best way to describe it, but he certainly makes them accessible and approachable. Terry Pratchett makes me laugh, most importantly he makes me think, and I absolutely adore his books. ‘Johnny and the Dead’ walks into ghostly graveyards and makes them interesting, fascinating places, full of information that we really shouldn’t forget, or demolish and build over!
With contents and index pages for easy reference, and links to specially selected websites to take virtual tours of art galleries.
This is an absolutely cracking whiz-bang of a story. Set in an unreality, that is actually scarily real, it plays with your mind and really, really makes you think! Johnny Maxwell loves video games, while shooting invading spaceships, he finds himself contacted by an alien race, suddenly the game is real, can Johnny save the day? This is as valid today, as when it was first written in the early 1990’s, though Terry Pratchett made some updates, along with an authors note in 2013. He explains that Only You Can Save Mankind was written during the first Gulf War when TV computer games about war were in their infancy, the news was showing constant, sometimes even live updates about the war, and so the lines between pretend and real were become very blurred indeed. Terry Pratchett excels in setting questions about mankind for you to ponder without you realising it, all the while enjoying a wild fantastical ride. No one else quite has his magical touch, his books are so witty, thoughtful and wise. Only You Can Save Mankind is the first in a quite spectacular trilogy and another must read from the the truly wonderful Terry Pratchett. Browse inside!
Enid Blyton’s short stories are made for summer reading: whether they are about magic, fairies and pixies, or set in the real world of fields, woods and meadows, they exude a sense of happiness, order and content, of children able to influence things for the good especially if they themselves are kind and helpful. It’s irresistible stuff, and don’t forget too that Blyton is the expert at creating page-turning reads; often addressing her readers direct, she concentrates entirely on plot and action, catering for her audience’s voracious appetite for a good story. The 22 stories in this collection are just the right length for children to read themselves, or for parents to read at bedtime, and are as full of adventure and sunshine as anyone could wish. ~ Andrea Reece
In a nutshell: inventive | readable | hilarious | This collection of 14 rip-roaringly funny stories is a great way to introduce children to Terry Pratchett – indeed, each story is just the right length for bedtime reading – but will have appeal to his existing fans too or, as he wrote in the introduction, to anyone with an imagination. The stories were written when he was a young man working as a junior reporter on a local paper, but the hallmarks of the style that make him one of the most-enjoyed authors of our times are already clear, notably sublimely fantastic and funny set ups, that familiar author voice commenting via footnotes, and some canny, underplayed moral commentary. Highlights include an unusual afternoon in Blackbury, and repeat visits to the town of Llandanffwnfafegettupagogo! Illustrations by Mark Beech capture the silliness and fun. ~ Andrea Reece
Special Slipcased Edition | In a nutshell: inventive | readable | hilarious | This collection of 14 rip-roaringly funny stories is a great way to introduce children to Terry Pratchett – indeed, each story is just the right length for bedtime reading – but will have appeal to his existing fans too or, as he wrote in the introduction, to anyone with an imagination. The stories were written when he was a young man working as a junior reporter on a local paper, but the hallmarks of the style that make him one of the most-enjoyed authors of our times are already clear, notably sublimely fantastic and funny set ups, that familiar author voice commenting via footnotes, and some canny, underplayed moral commentary. Highlights include an unusual afternoon in Blackbury, and repeat visits to the town of Llandanffwnfafegettupagogo! Illustrations by Mark Beech capture the silliness and fun. ~ Andrea Reece
This book tells the story, both lives and works, of 35 of the world's most famous artists, including van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Dali, Pollock and Warhol. It includes reproductions of the artists' creations, as well as photographs of the artists at work, their personal belongings, homes and places that were important to them. Over the centuries, all kinds of artists have been admired and celebrated for many different reasons. For many they were unappreciated during their own lifetimes, becoming famous only after their deaths. Others have gained notoriety for the way they lived, as much as for their art, whilst others have shunned the publicity and let their art do the talking. With timelines for each artist showing clearly the key highlights of their life it is a wonderful compendium to enthuse budding artists into discovering more about some of the most famous artists who have gone before.
February 2013 Book of the Month There’s lots to disgust in this entertainingly grisly sequel to The Curse of the Bogle’s Beard. Barnaby Figg and his father are busy working in Granny Hogsflesh’s pickling factory. Barnaby hates bogles and hopes that his previous encounter will be the end of them. But, after Granny Hogsflesh accidentally pickles her cousin, the bogles are back with vengeance. Can Barnaby stop them? Bogles and the disgusting territory they occupy will delight all fans of those other disgusting heroes such as Mr Gum and Mr Stink. Extract will be available shortly - sorry for any disappointment!
The proud ruler of a vast pickling empire, Granny Hogsflesh hides some strange-smelling secrets. Everything in her mansion stinks of vinegar and is a hideous shade of purple – including Granny herself. When Barnaby is forced to go and live with Granny after his father’s mysterious disappearance, he quickly realises there’s more to her pickling kingdom than meets the eye. Is she behind what happened to his dad, who, burping and slurping, vanished into the night? Or are some wicked bog-monsters to blame? Soon Barney must infiltrate the disgusting worlds of pickles and monsters to save his family from a sticky ending…
Fans of Mr Gum, Grubtown Tales, Charlie Small and Dirty bertie or indeed the Flintstones will love this new series featuring a wonderfully adventurous cave boy called Iggy. Full of humour it will entertain on every page as you discover more and more about Iggy who turns out to be nothing like your usual Stone Age boy, for he isn’t interested in all the usual things like hunting and making flint tools. Instead he’s inventing things and trying them out himself or on others with a mixture of success!
Adventure of the Goblin Dog is a stand-alone Magic Faraway Tree adventure by the world's best-loved children's author, Enid Blyton. Discover the magic! Travel to the top of the Magic Faraway Tree with Peter and Mary on their quest to rescue a princess. Back in print for the first time in a generation, this is a wonderful introduction to the world of the Magic Faraway Tree. Explore Fairyland in this magical story, where you'll encounter the Goblin Dog, rescue a princess and visit the Land of Storytellers. This story first appeared in 1936 and was made part of the Magic Faraway Tree world in 1952, featuring different children discovering the Faraway Tree. The Magic Faraway Tree series is one of Enid Blyton's best-loved and most enduring creations. *** The Magic Faraway Tree (R), Enid Blyton (R) and Enid Blyton's signature are Registered Trademarks of Hodder and Stoughton Limited. No trademark or copyrighted material may be reproduced without the express written permission of the trademark and copyright owner.
An irresistible gift book of fabulous stories by everybody's favourite author, Enid Blyton, chosen and introduced by her famous fans from Jacqueline Wilson to Michael Morpurgo, Gemma Cairney to Mel from Bake-Off. This fabulous treasury contains excerpts from Enid Blyton's much-loved books including The Magic Faraway Tree, The Famous Five and Malory Towers, among others. Every selection is chosen and introduced by one of the legion of superstars who count Enid Blyton among their favourite childhood authors. Discover how Jacqueline Wilson, creator of Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather, was inspired by Enid Blyton to become a writer, why Holly Smale (Geek Girl) fell under the spell of the Enchanted Wood and how Michael Morpurgo thrilled to the adventures of the Famous Five. This big gift book is fully illustrated in colour throughout and is ideal for reading aloud or dipping in alone. This is the perfect gift for children of all ages, so they can share in the magic, adventure and freedom of Enid Blyton's world. The complete list of contributors is: Danny Baker Pamela Butchart Gemma Cairney Mel Giedroyc Andy Griffiths Allegra McEvedy Lucy Mangan Michael Morpurgo Laura Mvula Holly Smale Robin Stevens Nicola Sturgeon Katie Thistleton Jacqueline Wilson Levison Wood *** Enid Blyton (R) and Enid Blyton's signature are Registered Trademarks of Hodder and Stoughton Limited. No trademark or copyrighted material may be reproduced without the express written permission of the trademark and copyright owner.
Find out about the lives and work of the world's most famous artists, including Van Gogh, Dali, Monet and Warhol, in this beautiful information book. Each page is filled with fascinating facts and photographs of the artists' works, and there are over 130 stickers to add to the pages and links to specially selected websites for more information.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY meets BUGSY MALONE for 9+ readers. In a city where candy is a crime and biscuits have been banned, Nelle Faulkner is a 12-year-old private detective looking for her next client. So when a notorious candy gangster asks for her help, Nelle is on the case. Swept into a secret world of sweet smugglers and chocolate crooks, can Nelle and her friends find a way to take the cake. Or will they come to a sticky end...
Find out about the lives and work of the world's most famous artists in this beautiful picture book, including Van Gogh, Dali, Monet, Warhol and more. With illustrations and photographs of the artists' works and internet links to carefully chosen websites for further information.
Have you ever wanted Christmas to be different? Turkey and carols, presents and crackers - they all start to feel a bit . . . samey. How about a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman, or a very helpful partridge in a pear tree? What if Father Christmas went to work at a zoo, or caused chaos in a toy store or, was even, arrested for burglary!? Dive into the fantastically funny world of Terry Pratchett, for a festive treat like no other. These ten stories will have you laughing, gasping and crying (with laughter) - you'll never see Christmas in the same way again. 'Funny, action-packed . . . a rip-roaring read' The Sun
Random House presents the audio CD edition of Father Christmas's Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt. Have you ever wanted Christmas to be different? Turkey and carols, presents and crackers - they all start to feel a bit . . . samey. How about a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman, or a very helpful partridge in a pear tree? What if Father Christmas went to work at a zoo, or caused chaos in a toy store, or was even arrested for burglary!? Dive into the fantastically funny world of Terry Pratchett, for a festive treat like no other. These ten stories will have you laughing, gasping and crying (with laughter) - you'll never see Christmas in the same way again.
Have you ever wanted Christmas to be different? Turkey and carols, presents and crackers - they all start to feel a bit . . . samey. How about a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman, or a very helpful partridge in a pear tree? What if Father Christmas went to work at a zoo, or caused chaos in a toy store, or was even arrested for burglary!? Dive into the fantastically funny world of Terry Pratchett, for a festive treat like no other. These ten stories will have you laughing, gasping and crying (with laughter) - you'll never see Christmas in the same way again.
Delicious and easy recipes, inspired by the beloved stories by Enid Blyton. Bake your own pop-cakes and google buns, and wash them down with homemade ginger beer! Have you ever dreamed of having picnics with the Famous Five, midnight feasts with the Malory Towers girls or party teas with the Folk of the Faraway Tree? With this cookbook, inspired by Enid Blyton's stories, you can! Packed full of yummy recipes, lively artwork and extracts from Enid Blyton's stories, this cookbook will inspire children - and the whole family - to get busy in the kitchen. It's the perfect way to share the pleasure of making and eating food with your child. There are 42 exciting new recipes designed by top chef and Junior Bake Off TV judge, Allegra McEvedy, with fabulous illustrations by Mark Beech and glorious food photography too.
When Cinder Ashok's mother dies in a freak carriage accident, he doesn't think life can get any worse but it does. His dad marries a total horror and Ash Boy inherits bullying step-brothers Rock and Boulder. All Cinder wants is to be left in peace in the library with his side-kick Buttons. But Rock and Boulder are on a mission to compete in Prince Charmless' upcoming jousting tournament. Everything turns upside down when Cinder's fairy godfather magics him into the tournament. Now he's got a happily-ever-after in his sights! Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+
This joke book is full of side-splittingly hilarious jokes and fascinating facts about civilisations found in the British Museum. Full of bite-size facts about amazing ancient worlds and jokes that will have you howling, Maurice the Museum Mouse's comical collection is just as entertaining as the British Museum's own collection.
Can Fish Fly? intrigues children with True or False questions about animals. Do hippos make their own sunscreen? Do octopuses have nine brains? Turn the pages to discover new facts and pore over photographs of some incredible animals. Oxford Reading Tree inFact is a compelling non-fiction series that aims to engage children in reading for pleasure as powerfully as fiction does. The series includes 36 titles which are all phonically decodable, with some high-interest topic words to develop vocabulary and impart knowledge. The imaginative approach and variety of intriguing topics mean there are books to interest every child. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every reader to the right book.
A wonderful selection of 27 short stories about holidays by one of the world's best-loved children's authors, Enid Blyton. Ideal for reading aloud, or for children from about 7 years old to read alone. School's out! So go on a picnic, visit the seaside or throw coconuts at the fair in this enchanting collection of stories perfect for summer holidays. Enid Blyton has been delighting readers for more than seventy years with her endless summers of magic, fun and adventure. Enid's best-loved characters include Noddy the wooden boy, Timmy the dog from The Famous Five and the mischievous twins Pat and Isabel O'Sullivan from the much-loved boarding school series St Clare's! This collection contains the original stories dating back to the 1940s: The Fish That Got Away; The Enchanted Toadstool; Jimmy and the Elephant Man; The Little Button Elves; The Girl Who Was Left Behind; A Story of Magic Strawberries; The Marvellous Pink Vase; When Mollie Missed the Bus; A Bit of Good Luck; The Surprising Buns; Pretty-Star the Pony; The Stolen Shadow; On Jimmy's Birthday; Bonzo Gets Into Trouble; The Roundabout Man; The Fairies' Shoemaker; Something Funny Going On; The Little Toy-Maker; Billy's Bicycle; That Girl Next Door!; The Boy Who Never Put Things Back; Policeman Billy; Think Hard, Boatman; The Wishing Spells; The Girl Who Had Hiccups; Christina's Kite; The Galloping Seahorse
'I can't do it!' 'It's not easy learning to do new things,' said Mum. 'But you've always got there in the end.' Do you remember the first time you got dressed all on your own? You wanted to choose the perfect outfit. Do you remember the first time you jumped with both feet together? You landed right in the middle of a puddle and poor Grandpa got a bit wet, but we all clapped anyway. A touching, warm and intimate look back over the great achievements of a young child's struggles to learn something new, the help of their mother encouraging them to remember all the amazing things they've done before, like smiling, sitting up, and walking. Beautifully illustrated by Mark Beech, Do You Remember? will boost children's self-esteem and bring a tear to every parent's eye. This is the ideal gift for mothers.
When medieval wizardry meets cool street magic, what could possibly go wrong . . .? Wilfred is a young magical apprentice determined to become the best and most wise wizard that ever was. Unfortunately for him, he's not very good. He's got the raw talent, but he doesn't concentrate! In fact, he's become (rather unkindly) known as 'Wilfred the UNwise'. And when one of Wilf's spells goes badly wrong, he's suddenly in more trouble than ever before. A mix-up which sees him catapulted into the future - and more specifically, into Bel's hometown. Bel is an aspiring magician too - she wants to be an amazing street magician like her heroes on TV. She's even got a stage-name sorted, and unlike Wilf, she practises all the time - maybe just a little too much . . . Wilf is delighted by her skills, and begs to learn from Bel. She's not so sure, but agrees that they'll have to work together to try to work out how to get Wilf back to his own time. If only Wilf would stop messing around! Can these two young magicians work together, or will Wilf be stuck here forever?
Enid Blyton's timeless collection of Christmas stories - an ideal gift for anyone who loved the stories during their own childhood to pass on to the next generation of readers. Here is a wonderful selection to read and share. From Santa Claus and his helpers to a family putting up their tree, the characters in these stories embrace the Christmas spirit. There is mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food - many of the ingredients which have been delighting Enid Blyton's readers for more than seventy years. The stories previously appeared in magazines and anthologies from the 40s and 60s. This collection contains the original texts and is unillustrated. The collection contains: The Lost Presents Santa Claus Gets a Shock A Week Before Christmas; The Christmas Tree Aeroplane Good Gracious, Santa Claus! The Tiny Christmas Tree What Happened on Christmas Eve The Little Reindeer Bell The Very Full Stocking In Santa Claus's Castle What They Did at Miss Brown's School Santa Claus Gets Busy The Christmas Tree Fairy The Little Christmas Tree A Family Christmas -Christmas Holidays A Family Christmas - Bringing Home the Holly; A Family Christmas -The Curious Mistletoe A Family Christmas - Balder the Bright and Beautiful A Family Christmas - The Christmas Tree A Family Christmas - A Christmassy Afternoon A Family Christmas -Bringing in the Yule Log A Family Christmas -Christmas Carols A Family Christmas -A Visitor in the Night A Family Christmas -The Story of Santa Claus A Family Christmas -Christmas Day
A wonderful selection of short stories by one of the world's best-loved children's authors, Enid Blyton. Ideal for reading aloud, or for children from about 7 years old to read alone. From sandcastles at the beach to enchanted ice-creams, step into the summer with these delightful characters. Adventure, fun and magic can all be found on holiday with Enid Blyton, who has been delighting readers for more than seventy years. The stories previously appeared in magazines and anthologies from the 40s and 60s. This collection contains the original texts and is unillustrated. The collection contains: At Seaside Cottage The Magic Ice Cream Wagger Goes to the Show A Surprise for Jimmy The Twins Get in a Fix The Enchanted Cloak Adventure Up a Tree John's Hanky The Magic Watering Can Peppermint Rock The Donkey on the Sands In the Middle of the Night A Bit of Blue Sky The Smugglers' Caves Mr Gobo's Green Grass Smokey and the Seagull Adventures Under the Sea An Exciting Afternoon Lazy lenny Pink Paint for a Pixie Shut The Gate Look Out for the Elephant! Stayinh with Auntie Sue A Puppy in Wonderland The Three Sailors The Magic Seaweed
Enid Blyton's timeless collection of Christmas stories - an ideal gift for anyone who loved the stories during their own childhood to pass on to the next generation of readers. Here is a wonderful selection to read and share. From Santa Claus and his helpers to a family putting up their tree, the characters in these stories embrace the Christmas spirit. There is mystery and magic, laughter and mischief, the joy of shared times and plenty of delicious food - many of the ingredients which have been delighting Enid Blyton's readers for more than seventy years. The stories previously appeared in magazines and anthologies from the 40s and 60s are. This collection contains the original texts and is unillustrated. The collection contains: The Lost Presents Santa Claus Gets a Shock A Week Before Christmas; The Christmas Tree Aeroplane Good Gracious, Santa Claus! The Tiny Christmas Tree What Happened on Christmas Eve The Little Reindeer Bell The Very Full Stocking In Santa Claus's Castle What They Did at Miss Brown's School Santa Claus Gets Busy The Christmas Tree Fairy The Little Christmas Tree A Family Christmas -Christmas Holidays A Family Christmas - Bringing Home the Holly; A Family Christmas -The Curious Mistletoe A Family Christmas - Balder the Bright and Beautiful A Family Christmas - The Christmas Tree A Family Christmas - A Christmassy Afternoon A Family Christmas -Bringing in the Yule Log A Family Christmas -Christmas Carols A Family Christmas -A Visitor in the Night A Family Christmas -The Story of Santa Claus A Family Christmas -Christmas Day
Project X Origins is a ground-breaking guided reading programme for the whole school. Action-packed stories, fascinating non-fiction and comprehensive guided reading support meet the needs of children at every stage of their reading development. In The Knockits of Knockity Hoo Jed and Ava explore the caves at Knockity Hoo and discover the never-seen-before Knockits. Each book contains inside cover notes that highlight challenge words, prompt questions and a range of follow-up activities to support children in their reading.
The Legend of Robin Hood describes how Robin Hood became an outlaw, formed his band of Merry Men and met Maid Marion. Captivating versions of some of the best myths and legends from around the world. TreeTops Myths and Legends are fascinating and action-packed stories that will motivate and inspire junior readers. These are some of the oldest and most enduring stories in the world, retold by leading contemporary children's authors to bring out all of the action, drama, humour and depth of the original stories in a way that makes them as exciting and meaningful today as ever. The stories are beautifully illustrated in a range of styles to bring each tale to life. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.
The Lost World tells the story of a daring expedition to the rainforests of South America. The scientist Professor Challenger is determined to prove that he has discovered dinosaurs living in the 'Lost World'. He sets the challenge for a team to go and visit it for themselves, but what will the explorers find? Exciting and powerful classic stories to enrich and extend your children's reading experiences. TreeTops Classics are carefully adapted versions of must-read stories which introduce your readers to significant authors, powerful plots and characters that have stood the test of time. These abridged versions of classics have been sensitively adapted by top children's authors to ensure that language and content is appropriate, but remain faithful to the original. These enchanting stories will appeal to all your junior readers and introduce them to a rich literary heritage. Each book includes author biographies and notes to help with historical and social context and any challenging vocabulary, ensuring the books are easily accessible. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.
In Absolutely Awful Adults, read three hilarious stories and let Mr Peacock, Mr McMeanie and Mr Splatter persuade you that some adults are absolutely awful and should not be allowed within a trillion miles of delightful children like you! Chucklers is a series of funny novels, short stories, anthologies and comics that make reading a pleasure for 7-11 year olds. There is something for everyone in this varied collection which is packed with fantastic illustrations. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The series is written by top children's authors and edited by award-winning author Jeremy Strong. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.
Designed for parents, teachers and home educators to use with children, this third volume in the Core Knowledge UK series presents the knowledge and skills that should be at the core of a challenging Year 3 education, including: Familiar and favourite poems - old and new, from the beloved limericks of Edward Lear to Allan Ahlberg's whimsical 'The Answer'. Literature from around the world - read African, Chinese and Japanese folktales; myths from ancient Greece; British classics including excerpts from A Bear Called Paddington and Peter Pan; and traditional tall tales such as 'Robin Hood and his Merry Men'. Learning about language - learn the basic building blocks of written English, all explained with a touch of humour. Geography of the world and Britain - explore the rivers of the world, learn about the important rivers and basins of the UK and take a ride down the rivers leading into the Humber Estuary. World and British history - travel to Ancient Greece, visit China and Japan and explore British history from the Normans to the Elizabethan Era. Visual arts - try engaging activities while learning about line, form and symmetry; learn how to look at great architecture like the Parthenon, the Great Stupa and the Guggenheim Museum; discuss landscapes, still lifes and mythological paintings. Music - become familiar with basic music theory, great composers, instruments and fun songs to sing including popular songs such as 'Do-Re-Me' and 'The Hippopotamus Song'. Mathematics - challenging activities ranging from topics such as fractions, three-digit addition and subtraction, multiplication and division problems as well as a first look at equations and geometry. Science - learn about the cycle of life and the seasons, simple machines, the wonder of the human body and more, including lots of hands-on activities and stories about famous scientists.
Three Rocks is based on the traditional tale Stone Soup. A poor man arrives in town with three magic rocks, promising that he can use them to make dinner for everyone - how will he manage it? This humorous story written by Monica Hughes and charmingly illustrated by Mark Beech will capture your child's imagination! It has been sensitively rewritten to enable your child to read it with confidence whilst capturing the magic of the original tale. There are useful tips for parents and an engaging story map inside the book to help you and your child retell the story together. The Oxford Reading Tree Traditional Tales series includes 40 of the best known stories from all over the world, which have been passed down for generations. They are a perfect introduction to different cultures, traditions and morals. All the stories are carefully levelled to Oxford Reading Tree levels and matched to the phonics progression in Letters and Sounds, enabling your children to read the stories independently. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with childrens reading development is also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk.
Iggy discovers a young member of the Henna tribe lost in the jungle (Henna, so-named for their fiery red hair and penchant for covering their faces in mud). The girl is wearing some rare and precious firestones, which mesmerise the Urks, especially Borg, who devises a new and devious plot to become Chief Urk. Iggy must embark on a dangerous journey to return the Henna girl safely to her tribe in the Cloud Mountains. But when he gets there, the welcome is not exactly what he had in mind. Time for a very cunning plan.
One night a little boy peeps through his curtains and is horrified to see his mother fly past - on a broomstick (with Tiddles, his cat). Clearly there must be some mistake, but Jimmy doesn't want to take any chances. After consulting a book on how to identify witches, he starts looking for other telltale signs. But just as he begins to feel reassured that his mother is 'normal', Jimmy discovers the ultimate clue right under his nose: stripy stockings on the washing line. This is a fantastically warm, witty rhyming text that ever-so-gently reminds us to challenge stereotypes (even if they do steal your cat).
The villagers of Scoffi are crazy about cooking and chefs have travelled from all over the world to take part in the annual Scoffi cookery competition. There's only one problem - the Yetis! Will Yann's yodelling keep them away, or will the lure of lovely lasagnes and incredible ice-creams be too strong? The I AM READING series provides just the right balance of challenge and support for newly independent readers. Large, easy-to-read type, satisfying stories by top writers and cheerful full-colour pictures help children make the transition from picture books to chapter books. Each book includes a bookmark flap, tips for beginner readers and either short, numbered chapters or two short stories.
Life for Honesty and his sisters Mercy and Patience is not a bundle of laughs. His family are strict Puritans and singing, dancing and anything that sounds like fun is forbidden. Life, Honesty thinks, can't get much worse when Christmas is cancelled by order of the government. But he is wrong - the real problem is Gran who has one tooth, a hooked nose, a very hairy chin and a pet toad called Merlin. Honesty suspects she may be a witch, especially since she's been helping the neighbours with love potions and cures for sick pigs. When the WitchFinder General - Ezekial Bones visits the village, Honesty is convinced his family's terrible secret will be discovered. Can he save Gran from the terrible Three Tests for Witches (eg pond ducking - if she swims she's a witch, if she drowns she's innocent.) For a boy who has never told a lie in his whole life - it's asking a lot.
When King Eggnog rashly offers the hand of his daughter Princess Miranda in marriage, Sir Bigwart sets out on a daring quest with his faithful squire Toby in tow. The quest is to bring back a tooth of the Ogre of Ghastly Fell, a fearsome, flesh-eating giant whose breath is so bad it can knock you at a hundred paces and whose two heads are constantly squabbling with each other. Sir Bigwart's real talent is for empty boasting so he's going to need a lot of help from his resourceful squire on the way - which is a little awkward since Toby is secretly in love with Princess Miranda himself. To make matters more complicated, Miranda is bored of embroidering her dad's coat of arms on cushions - she's coming along for the ride and anyone who tries giving her orders had better watch out.
Based on the dubious members of the Wart family tree, each book will focus on the adventurous life and turbulent times of a different 'Wart' from pirate to gladiator as he (or she) experiences the peculiar misfortunes which befall all Warts throughout the centuries. Book 1 is set in Roman times. Emperor Porcus Maximus is coming for dinner and so Ditherus and his faithful slave Punio are sent (by Ditherus's mother) to market for supplies. But Ditherus is tempted into buying a sword from a mysterious peddler. Searched by centurion Marcus Furius when he gets home, Ditherus is thrown into prison when the sword is discovered and sentenced to death as a traitorous thief (with Punio). At the last minute Gutsus the gladiator arrives, looking to buy new recruits. Ditherus and Punio are taken to Gladiator School where the motto is 'Death or Glory - but most likely Death'. If ever Ditherus needed a cunning plan, it's now .
It's summer and all of Ulrik's school friends seem to be going on something called 'holiday'. Mr and Mrs Troll investigate. Their neighbours, the Priddles have just bought a caravan, and after a muddled conversation, it seems the troll family have been invited to join them. But when they arrive at the campsite in Wales and the Priddles open the caravan to discover it full of trolls they don't seem very pleased. But this is the least of their worries, as stories of a wild Beast living on the moor nearby start to surface, and Ulrik finds himself helping to solve a hairy, scary local mystery. A very funny and brilliantly observed holiday mystery with the lovable Troll family and suffering Priddles.
'Outside! What's it like?' Masklin looked blank. 'Well,' he said. 'It's sort of big-' To the thousands of the tiny nomes who live under the floorboards of a large department store, there is no Outside. Things like Day and Night, Sun and Rain are just daft old legends. Then a devastating piece of news shatters their existence: the Store - their whole world - is to be demolished. And it's up to Maskin, one of the last nomes to come into the Store, to mastermind an unbelievable escape plan that will take all the nomes into the dangers of the great Outside ... The first title in the magnificent trilogy, The Bromeliad.
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