For the very first time, young Moonshadow is flying south. Grandfather is leading the swans as they travel to a warm place for the winter. But when a terrible storm strikes, not all the swans make it through. Though his heart is heavy, Moonshadow finds the strength to continue the journey. Gillian Lobel’s beautifully written tale deals gently with loss and bereavement, while Karin Littlewood’s enchanting paintings create a memorable world for young readers.
Ama has a new baby brother! And when she asks Grandma Sisi what gift she can give him, Grandma tells her to simply give him the gift of love. But where can Ama find this precious gift? Ama sets off to find out, but in the end, the gift of love comes to her instead.
A gloriously atmospheric tale about the joy of new life and the power of love.
Being a teenager is hard enough, but it’s even harder in a world you’ve never known …
Eighteen months ago, 17-year-old Rose and 13-year-old Rudder escaped a strict religious sect with their mum. They are still trying to make sense of the world outside – no more rules about clothes and books, films and music, no more technology bans. But also no more friendship with the people they’ve known all their lives, no community and no certainty. It doesn’t help that their mum has to work all hours to pay rent on their cramped, smelly, one-bed flat above a kebab shop in Hackney.
While Rudder gorges on once-taboo Harry Potters and dances to Simon and Garfunkel and show tunes, Rose swaps the ankle skirts and uncut hair of the Woodford Pilgrims for Japanese-cute fairy dress and her new boyfriend, Kye. Kye, who she wants with all her being. But there’s loads of scary stuff about their new life that Rose and Rudder have no idea how to handle – it’s normal for girls to let their boyfriends take naked pictures of them, right?
When Rudder accidently sets a devastating chain of events into action, Rose must decide whether to sacrifice everything and go back to the life she hates, in order to save the people she loves.
A story about coming of age, slap-bang in the middle of a strange new world.
Once Upon a Time… stories of our time, the here and now. What challenges do we face when we have to grow up? Look through the eyes of different people as they deal with their personal battles, face the truth and determine their futures. Life’s lessons can only be learnt from living it.
London 1800. Jupiter is young, black, living at the African Academy in Clapham with other boys from wealthy Sierra Leonean families. His life is a mixture of privilege and dispossession as he copes with the cruelty of his teachers, the rivalries and tensions among his schoolmates, a sense of duty towards his younger brother Robert and guilt over the death of another brother in Africa. Throughout, Jupiter strives to maintain his dignity, his Christian faith and pride in his roots.
But beyond the relative ease of Clapham lies another London, where poor black communities struggle for survival along the squalid reaches of the Thames. A world where Jupiter’s education and background mean nothing and skin colour alone determines fate. Into this world his younger brother Robert vanishes, and Jupiter is obliged to follow …
Archie, Cupcake, Oliver, Valentine… the cat who lives on Blossom Street is called something different by everyone, and loved by all. But there is one house on the street that he hasn’t visited yet…
In this sweet story, Katie Harnett explores how one well-loved cat can change a lonely woman’s life and bring a small community together.
The grown-ups are having a party, and Meena would really love to join in but instead she’s sent to bed. Only grown-ups get to stay up late. So the next day she makes a very important announcement to her parents: “I’m actually really grown-up now!”
In this very funny story we join Meena as she plans her very own grown-up party and explores what it REALLY means to be a grown up. She has a lot of fun experimenting with fashion, going to work and party planning, but she soon finds out that being grown-up might not always be as easy as it seems.
I’m Actually Really Grown-Up Now by Maisie Shearring is the follow-up to the wonderful Anna and Otis. Maisie has a special talent for capturing the bittersweet highs and lows of childhood and the humour to be found in everyday situations.
Anna and Otis the snake are great friends and they love having fun together. But Otis knows people are scared of snakes, so he usually just plays at home or in the garden. He is nervous when Anna suggests a new adventure.
At first people are afraid, and Otis feels he isn’t welcome in the town. But Anna encourages Otis not to give up, and it soon turns out that maybe snakes aren’t as scary as people thought! The hairdresser enjoys shampooing a reptile for a change, and at the skate shop Sally has a lot of fun fitting Otis with his own set of awesome wheels.
Anna and Otis is full of endless rich details to spot and Maisie’s artwork is a real treat to pore over.
I’m a little monster, I am smiley, small and sweet,
With gorgeous little monster eyes and furry monster feet.
There’s just one thing that you should know .
I have to be the boss. And if you don’t remember .
I’ll get very VERY CROSS!
It’s Little Monster’s birthday and his friends are coming to his party. But it’s not much fun playing party games with someone who always has to win . or having birthday tea with someone who wants ALL the food for himself. It’s time this grumpy, grouchy Monster learned how to behave!
With funny rhyming text and delightful illustrations, this is the perfect picture book for little monsters everywhere.
A heartwarming father/son story with a familiar school setting – the perfect gift for Father’s Day.
Bertie wants to drive trucks and diggers, just like his daddy. But today there’s a special surprise waiting for him at school that might mean that Bertie’s day and Daddy’s day won’t be so different . . .
