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Age Group: KS2

Chapter book

An Alien Stole My Planet is a laugh-out-loud, wacky adventure through space by Pooja Puri, brilliantly illustrated by Allen Fatimaharan. It is the third book in the A Dinosaur Ate My Sister series.

Before you start reading, there are a few things you should know:

1. I, Esha Verma, am a genius inventor extraordinaire.
2. I like lists.
3. I did not mean to open up an inter-galactic portal. Some things just can’t be helped.

Esha Verma, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his secretly cunning pet tortoise are on their third adventure – this time it’s an inter-galactic mission through outer-space to stop an alien from stealing their planet!

When Esha invents the Inviz-Whiz, a device designed to make the user invisible, she does not expect it to open a portal to outer space – and things go from bad to worse when Esha, Broccoli, Archibald and Broccoli’s annoying cousin Bean are immediately abducted by Goospa, an alien with an evil plan!

With the help of a surly alien called Nix, Esha and the gang must race across the galaxy, navigate a Lava Marsh, fight vicious Ice Bats – and stop Bean getting into too much trouble! – to stop Goospa’s plan before it’s too late!

Non-fiction

Brilliantly curated and beautifully illustrated, the Welcome to the Arts series offers all-hours admission to some of the world’s most wondrous performances.

From Swan Lake to Riverdance, flamenco to tap, Dance features some of the most iconic performances and popular dances from around the world. Learn about the history, culture, evolution and technique of each dance, while also discovering the stars of past and present, including Fred Astaire, Carlos Acosta, Martha Graham and much more. Exclusive backstage access also allows you to see what goes on behind the theatre doors, including prop and costume design.

Expertly written by Sir Alistair Spalding and published in conjunction with Sadler’s Wells, this beautifully illustrated book is also a large format, so the whole family can be immersed in the wonderful world of dance.

The perfect gift for any Strictly fan, musical lover or budding dancer.

Non-fiction

Do you ever wonder where the stuff around you all came from? No, not from the shops. I mean, who had the amazing idea of making video games or the annoying idea of building a school?

In the latest laugh-out-loud book from the record-breaking and extremely handsome Adam Kay and Henry Paker, you’ll learn about everything ever invented, from the daft to the disgusting to the downright dangerous.

You’ll discover all about:

– The queen who pooed on the first ever toilet
– How velcro was invented by a dog
– Why the Ancient Greeks wiped their bums on dinner plates

As well as 48,762,851,208 other facts. (Approximately.)

Non-fiction

Embark on a journey across millennia and around the world, from the latest understanding of the origins of the universe, the birth of the Earth, the very first life, the age of dinosaurs, the rise of humans, ancient civilizations, colonialism, wars, technology, everyday life, global struggles for freedom and equality, pandemics – and much more. Eye-catching and informative illustrations and photographs throughout join with author Christopher Lloyd’s engaging narrative to bring to life the most remarkable true stories of all time. The 2nd edition is revised for fuller global coverage and updated with the latest research, as well as with events that have occurred since the first edition. The design has received a fresh treatment and many new photographs have been included.

Picturebook

A beautifully illustrated collection of 5 minute bedtime stories about the wildlife found in woods around the world.

Every forest contains a thousand secrets… In this charming anthology of stories by Alicia Klepeis readers will be guided into forests to meet the amazing animals that live there. In one story a squirrel hunts for an elusive acorn it buried earlier in the year, while another looks at an Alaskan wood frog as it freezes itself alive to survive a harsh winter. Children will be thrilled by the tale of a reindeer that gets separated from its herd in the snowy woods of Scandinavia, and marvel at a chameleon changing colour in the forests of Madagascar.

Other stories feature elephants, wild cats, pangolins, badgers, foxes, monarch butterflies, otters, walking fish, a tree that can live for thousands of years, and even forest-dwelling penguins! All of these creatures and their habitats are brought to life with impressive skill by illustrator Kristen Adam.

Each story in Secrets of the Forest is based on the real biology and behaviour of these amazing wild animals, and at the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story. So as they drift off to sleep, they will know a little bit more about the world around them.

The cover features a timeless design with colourful foil and a cloth texture, making this book the perfect gift.

Chapter book

Max and Chaffy can’t wait to search for more CHAFFIES.

And today is a very SPECIAL day – a snow day!

So, a SURPRISE visitor has arrived to look for one of the rarest chaffies of all, and YOU CAN HELP!

Chapter book

Princess Minna loves to sort out mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom! In this full-colour, illustrated chapter book, join her on a funny, exciting adventure to help Granny and her friends, and still have time for a snowball fight!

Princess Minna lives in Castle Tall-Towers with the King and Queen, Raymond the Wizard and her best dragon friend, Lorenzo. There are often mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom and Princess Minna loves to sort them out!

She can tame unicorns, kiss frogs and fight dragons (apart from Lorenzo) and she is very good at fixing things before it’s time for bed.

In The Big Bad Snowy Day, snow has fallen overnight and poor Granny Hoody is snowed in! Princess Minna has to fix things. But Granny Hoody lives in the dark forest and there’s a big bad wolf who lives there too. Can Princess Minna find Granny’s cottage or will she stray from the path and meet the WOLF instead?

Full of colourful illustrations, these short, funny stories are perfect for readers just moving on from picture books and visual readers.

Chapter book

Meet the princess who loves breaking the rules and her Royal Unicorn, who happens to be a pig!

A madcap and much-loved adventure series for 6-8 year olds, perfectly bridging the gap from picture books to chapter books, from award-winning author-illustrator Hannah Shaw, filled with pictures in all the colours of the rainbow and interactive extra material.

Princess Pea and Unipiggle are thrilled when it snows! They can’t wait to party at the Twinkleland Palace Snow Ball.

But the Festive Fairies haven’t delivered their usual sparkle and cheer across the kingdom. And without it, the Snow Ball can’t go ahead.

Where could the fairies be? It’s up to Princess Pea and Unipiggle to find out and save the Snow Ball!

Chapter book

Half vampire, half fairy, totally unique! Isadora is special because she is different. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she’s a bit of both. Isadora and her family are visiting the Frost Festival, a huge celebration of the winter fairies! There’s ice skating, fairground rides, gingerbread houses and lots of delicious fairy hot chocolate. It’s magical! But in the hustle and bustle Isadora gets separated from both her family and Pink Rabbit. Can she find them before the grand fairy lights are switched on?

Non-fiction

A fascinating animal for every day of the year!

Dip in each day to discover a new animal to enjoy sharing with friends or family – make sure to find YOUR birthday animal!

Travel through the incredible ecosystems and habitats of our beautiful planet, and meet some of the most fascinating animals that call them home. Dive into the oceans to find whales and giant squid, journey across the icy poles with penguins and polar bears, race across the African savanna with lions and wildebeest – and so much more.

Each day’s entry is filled with fascinating facts – learn about completely new animals, and find out some incredible new sides to animals you might see often in everyday life.

This stunning book is packed with breathtaking illustrations to bring each animal to life. It also features information about conservation, and how we can protect endangered animals and the places they call home.

The ULTIMATE gift for animal lovers aged 6 and up.

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