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Sidewalk flowers
By JonArno Lawson. 2016
Overview: In this wordless picture book, a little girl collects wildflowers while her distracted father pays her little attention. Each…
flower becomes a gift, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter. "Written" by award-winning poet JonArno Lawson and brought to life by illustrator Sydney Smith, Sidewalk Flowers is an ode to the importance of small things, small people, and small gesturesSaving Neverland
By Abi Elphinstone. 2023
'A wonderful whirlwind of magic and adventure, and every bit as enchanting as the original Peter Pan. I absolutely loved…
it!' Catherine DoyleNumber 14 Darlington Road, looks like a perfectly ordinary townhouse - at first glance, anyway, but magic is good at hiding . . . when it's waiting for the right person to discover it . . .Martha Pennydrop is ten, and desperate to grow up. But growing up is a tricky business. It means turning your back on imagination, fun and magic, because those were the things that led to the Terrible Day when something awful nearly happened to Martha's younger brother, Scruff, which would have been All Her Fault.But when Martha and Scruff discover a drawer full of mysterious gold dust in the bedroom of their new house - along with a window that's seemingly impossible to close - it's the start of an incredible adventure to a magical world: Neverland! The Pennydrop's new house used to belong to another family - the Darlings - who once visited this world themselves. Now Peter Pan is back, and in need of their help. Neverland is in the icy grip of a terrible curse - cast long ago by Captain Hook. And only Martha and Scruff can save it . . .A reluctant Martha and excited Scruff are swept off to Neverland and into the company of the Lost Kids. But when Scruff is kidnapped, Martha must rediscover all the imagination, magic and belief she has buried deep inside herself for so long, to save him - and Neverland itself.Praise for Saving Neverland'Abi Elphinstone's imagination is as colourful and enticing as a sweetshop. In reimagining Peter Pan, she blows fairy dust over the classic tale and makes it fly . . . the perfect bedtime story for children of all ages.' M.G. Leonard 'Saving Neverland soars with Joy' Piers Torday'An awfully big new adventure in Neverland that's icy, dicey, delightful and dazzling in equal measure!' Peter Bunzl 'Full of wit, wonder and high-stakes action, with the most brilliant cast of characters . . . a true classic and Abi Elphinstone's best book yet!' Emma Carroll 'Daring, joyful, funny' Maz EvansOutside
By Sarah Ann Juckes. 2019
"This is well-written, sensitive on issues such as sexual abuse, and, whether in her tower or the outside world, Ele's…
voice and vision of the world will keep readers intrigued." Books for Keeps 'Impossible to put down - this is a writer to watch.' C.J. Skuse_____Here's the thing about being Inside. Ain't no one believes that they are.Ele has never been Outside, but she knows it exists - she just has to prove it. Her whole world is Inside. Trapped with her books and the Others and Him. She has never seen a tree or felt the rain but that's about to change. Ele's getting out. For good. ____In the spirit of Emma Donoghue's Room, Outside is a poignant story of strength, friendship and unconditional love, even in the most challenging of circumstances.No Roses Round The Door
By K M Peyton. 1990
Tom and Jo are the perfect professional couple, and think they have it all. But when Tom starts to think…
that he wants to be a father, and Jo can't bear the thought of sacrificing her career for a baby, Tom looks elsewhere. When he meets Camilla, a dangerous triangle begins - one that will spiral into disaster.My Sister Jodie
By Jacqueline Wilson. 2008
There's no one quite like my big sister Jodie . . .Quiet, cautious Pearl has always adored her bold, brash,…
bad big sister Jodie. When their parents get new jobs at a grand, fusty old boarding school, Melchester College, the girls have to move there - and when they arrive, things start to change. Jodie has always been the leader - but now it's Pearl who's making new friends. Jodie just seems to be getting into more and more trouble - arguing with Mum, scaring the little children, flirting with the gardener. She really doesn't fit in with the posh teenagers at the school.Pearl begins to wonder if she needs Jodie as much as she used to. But when Firework Night comes around and a tragic event occurs, Pearl realises quite how much Jodie means to her . . .A touching, powerful story from the mega-bestselling Jacqueline Wilson, told with warmth and sensitivity.The Million Pieces of Neena Gill: Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2020
By Emma Smith-Barton. 2019
*Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2020**Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2020**Shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Debut…
Romantic Novel Award 2020* 'Powerful, relatable and uplifting' - Emily Barr, author of The One Memory of Flora BanksHow can I hold myself together, when everything around me is falling apart?Neena's always been a good girl - great grades, parent-approved friends and absolutely no boyfriends. But ever since her brother Akash left her, she's been slowly falling apart - and uncovering a new version of herself who is freer, but altogether more dangerous. As her wild behaviour spirals more and more out of control, Neena's grip on her sanity begins to weaken too. And when her parents announce not one but two life-changing bombshells, she finally reaches breaking point. But as Neena is about to discover, when your life falls apart, only love can piece you back together.A Little Princess (Puffin Classics)
By Frances Hodgson Burnett. 2008
Alone in a new country, wealthy Sara Crewe tries to make friends at boarding school and settle in.But when she…
learns that she'll never see her beloved father again, her life is turned upside down. Transformed from princess to pauper, she must swap dancing lessons and luxury for drudgery and a room in the attic. Will she find that kindness and generosity are all the riches she truly needs?With deeply poignant introduction written by bestselling author of Chinese Cinderella, A Little Princess is one of the twelve wonderful classic stories being relaunched in Puffin Classics in March 2008.Wolfish
By Christiane M. Andrews. 2022
For fans of Kelly Barnhill, Wolfish is an expansive, adventurous fantasy unlike anything you've ever read, inspired by the myth of twin…
boys Romulus and Remus. Shortlisted for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction! Twelve-year-old Rae is content as the adopted daughter of shepherds, helping with the flock and reveling in the beauty of her family&’s hillside farm. But after a frightening encounter with a wolf—to whom she feels a sudden, peculiar connection—Rae realizes there is much more to her past, and her future, than she could have imagined. Meanwhile, a young girl named Alba goes about her days as an oracle&’s apprentice, a duty that confines her to a distant, watery cave. But when she bestows a troubling prophecy on the rising boy-king, her words unintentionally begin a reign of terror, and send Alba on a desperate mission alongside Rae and the wolf. Inspired by Roman mythology, this mysterious and uniquely magical adventure explores the intricate roles of nature and fate in our lives, the power of language to shape our world, and the boundless importance of love and kindness.6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did)
By Tess Sharpe. 2023
Nina LaCour meets Jenny Han in this beautiful and charming story of six moments that lead to two girls, one…
kiss, and eventually, three little words that were maybe always true. After years of bickering, Penny and Tate have called a truce: they&’ll play nice. They have to. Their mothers (life-long best friends) need them to be perfect, drama-free daughters when Penny&’s mother becomes a living liver donor to Tate&’s mom. Forced to live together as their moms recover, the girls&’ truce is essential in keeping everything—their jobs, the house, the finances, the Moms&’ healing—running smoothly. They&’ve got to let this thing between them go. There&’s one little hitch: Penny and Tate keep almost kissing. It&’s just this confusing thing that keeps happening. You know, from time to time. For basically their entire teenaged existence. They&’ve never talked about it. They&’ve always ignored it in the aftermath. But now they&’re living across the hall from each other. And some things—like their kisses—can&’t be almosts forever. Told through the two girls&’ present, and six moments from their past, this dynamic love story shows that sometimes the person you need the most has been there for you all along.Spotting Dottie (Orca Currents)
By Gail Anderson-Dargatz. 2024
Charlotte is going to prove her grandma is right—the lake monster is real! When Charlotte gets a drone for her…
fourteenth birthday, she’s determined to get footage of Dottie, the elusive lake monster of Dorothy Lake. Her grandma, who has dedicated her life to searching for the monster, is the joke of the town. But when Charlotte manages to capture a video of the monster and posts it online, she’s the sudden target of a media storm. Now everyone is making fun of her too. Worse, droves of monster hunters arrive in her town, crowding the lake. When their boat propellers threaten to hurt Dottie, Charlotte is faced with a difficult choice.Normal Kids (Orca Soundings)
By Melinda Di Lorenzo. 2024
Key Selling Points When her younger brother disappears with their overdue rent money, a self-reliant teenage girl goes searching for…
him and finds unexpected help and romance along the way. This book examines dysfunctional families, sibling conflict and the hardships of poverty and alcoholism, and demonstrates the power of resilience and learning to accept help. A romantic thriller that genuinely depicts a teen meeting and falling for someone while struggling with a high-stakes situation. The author has written many romance novels, and this is her third Soundings title, following Counting Scars and Racing Hearts . Enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.Painting the Game
By Patricia MacLachlan. 2024
In this final middle grade novel by Newbery Award–winning author Patricia MacLachlan, a young girl tries to untangle her love…
of baseball from her complicated relationship with her professional pitcher father.Lucy&’s father is a minor league baseball player, a professional pitcher hoping to get called up to the majors, and Lucy inherited his passion for the game. But she&’s never played pitcher. She worries her skills would be compared to her dad&’s and she&’d never measure up. And his pitching may mean big things for his career and their family, but it&’s also what keeps him away from home so much of the year. Sometimes, Lucy isn&’t sure what would be worse: being bad at pitching or being great. Still, this summer, Lucy wants to learn to throw the perfect knuckleball. She wakes up at the crack of dawn to practice in secret, without her friends Tex and Robin—or even the goats who watch them play. Even as she trains relentlessly, Lucy wonders if she&’ll ever feel brave enough to share her progress with her mom or dad. Can she prove to them, and herself, that she has what it takes?We're Never Getting Home
By Tracy Badua. 2024
HBO’s Insecure meets Dazed and Confused in this messy, tender YA novel about a friendship breakup, set against the backdrop of a chaotic night…
at a music festival, from rising talent Tracy Badua.Jana Rubio and her best friend, Maddy Parsons, have an epic senior year finale queued up: catching their favorite band at the Orchards, an outdoor music festival a two-hour drive away. When a blowup over Maddy’s time-sucking boyfriend exposes a rift that may have already been growing between them, Jana calls off their joint trip and gets a lift to the festival from her church friend Nathan…only to realize Maddy and her boyfriend are along for the ride, too.All Jana wants is to enjoy the concert and get home as soon as possible. But then Nathan loses his car keys crowd-surfing, and it’s up to Jana and Maddy to find them. As they navigate stolen phones and missing friends, scale Ferris wheels and crash parties, the two of them are forced to reckon with the biggest obstacle of all: repairing their friendship.Will Jana and Maddy find their way home—and also back to each other?Fireborn: Starling and the Cavern of Light (Fireborn #3)
By Aisling Fowler. 2024
Phoenix and her friends vow to save Ember from all but certain doom in this final unmissable chapter in the…
sweeping series that New York Times bestselling author B. B. Alston called “the best kind of children’s fantasy story.”Following the shocking events at Icegaard, Phoenix and her friends gather with the Hunters, desperate to unite the warring clans before their enemy, the Master, launches his attack on Ember.The Cavern of Light offers hope in the form of a legendary weapon, but the friends must brave the unknown, facing down new and deadly creatures in search of the artifact that could save their world.As an epic final showdown draws near, Phoenix is determined not to lose anyone else that she loves. But the Master is more brutal and powerful than she ever imagined, and as Phoenix’s past and present collide, unthinkable sacrifices will have to be made to defeat him.Lucky Strikes
By Louis Bayard. 2016
With her mama recently dead and her pa sight unseen since birth, fourteen-year-old Amelia is suddenly in charge of her…
younger brother and sister--and of the family gas station. Harley Blevins, local king and emperor of Standard Oil, is in hot pursuit to clinch his fuel monopoly. To keep him at bay and keep her family out of foster care, Melia must come up with a father--and fast. And so when a hobo rolls out of a passing truck, Melia grabs opportunity by its beard. Can she hold off the hounds till she comes of age?Man Down
By James Goodhand. 2022
Will Parks needs to man up.A man stands. A man fights. A man bleeds.These are the first lessons you learn…
in a town where girls are objects, words are weak and fists do the talking.Will's more at home in the classroom than the gym, and the most important woman in his life is his gran. So how can a boy who's always backed away from a fight become the hero who saves the day?Because a disaster is coming. One that Will can prevent. But only if he learns the most important lesson of all: sometimes to step up, you have to man down.A searingly powerful exploration of toxic masculinity, perfect for fans of Juno Dawson or They Both Die at the End.'Stylish, thought-provoking thriller territory . . . Highly recommended' - The Irish Times'Staggeringly good . . . had me hanging on every word' Louisa Reid, author of Wrecked and Lies Like Love'Good books make you feel something. Great books change the way you feel about everything. Man Down is a great book. No one is writing about young men's lives with as much warmth, empathy and humour as James is right now.' Samuel Pollen, author of The Year I Didn't Eat'Utterly compelling, completely original and will undoubtedly be one of the standout books of 2022. An absolute must read' - Adam Simcox, author of The Dying Squad'An excellent look at what it means to "be a man" amid a culture of peer pressure and toxic masculinity while navigating desire and friendship. Loved it.' - Anna Stephens, author of Godblind'Emotionally complex, dark and clever - a very unexpected, thoughtful and original book. I can honestly think of no other YA quite like it.' - Gina Blaxill, author of Saving SilenceKill All Enemies
By Melvin Burgess. 2011
Everyone says fourteen-year-old BILLIE is nothing but trouble. A fighter. A danger to her family and friends.But her care worker…
sees someone different. Her classmate ROB is big, strong; he can take care of himself and his brother.But his violent stepdad sees someone to humiliate. And CHRIS is struggling at school; he just doesn't want to be there.But his dad sees a useless no-hoper. Billie, Rob and Chris each have a story to tell. But there are two sides to every story, and the question is . . . who do you believe?Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn
By Eve Garnett. 1962
More endearing adventures of the Ruggles family from One End Street.Kate loves the country so much that kind Mr and…
Mrs Wildgoose invite her to spend the whole of the summer holidays with them at The Dew Drop Inn, so she says good-bye to her mother and father and her six brothers and sisters, and sets off by train with a shiny black mackintosh and some brand-new gum-boots. The Wildgooses are just as kind as she remembered them, and there is a big excitement for her when The Dew Drop Inn is to take part in the concert and flower show. Kate is kept busy learning how to make cakes and jam, discovering where all sorts of wild flowers grow, and writing an essay. But the most difficult thing of all is deciding which of her poems to recite at the concert.The Intruders
By E E Richardson. 2006
Joel Demetrius is quite looking forward to moving in with his new step-family, but as far as his sister Cassie's…
concerned, they're nothing but intruders. She doesn't want anything to do with Gerald and his two sons, and to make matters worse their new home is a derelict old house, neglected for decades. Joel thinks it's interesting. Cassie thinks it's a dump.But his sister isn't the only reason the house doesn't feel like a home. As fascinated as he is by the place, Joel has to admit there's something not quite right about it. Not only does he keep seeing things out of the corner of his eye, but his sleep is plagued by nightmares. He can't seem to stop dreaming about a terrified boy who keeps repeating the same fractured prayer:IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE, I PRAY THE LORD MY SOUL TO TAKE . . .As events in the house become harder and harder to explain, it seems that the line between nightmare and reality is getting steadily more blurred. And when the battle between Cassie and her step-brothers draws everyone deeper into the mystery, all four kids are forced to confront the question of just who the intruders really are.Into the Spotlight
By Carrie Hope Fletcher. 2020
Inspired by the much-loved classic Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, Into the Spotlight is a magical new story from bestselling…
author and acclaimed performer Carrie Hope Fletcher.Brilliant Aunt Maude visits seasides the world over and has become quite the pebble collector. Pebbles of all shapes, sizes and colours and even one that looked a bit like Elvis Presley if you squinted a bit.Her favourite pebbles, however, are Marigold, Mabel and Morris. One by one, and by strange and unusual ways, each child arrives at the stage door of Brilliant Aunt Maude's theatre in the heart of London, home to an extraordinary cast of performers. There's Dante the miraculous magician, Petunia the storyteller and seventy-year-old contortionists - the Fortune Sisters! But ticket sales are dwindling and the curtains might have to close - for the final time.Until one day, as the Pebbles are exploring the many nooks and crannies of the theatre, they stumble upon something they were never meant to find . . . something that just might save the theatre after all . . .