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Publisher: Hachette Children's Group

Chapter book

Jack has always wanted to meet a unicorn, and with its black coat, golden hooves and truth-telling powers, the magical xiezhi is the most amazing unicorn ever! But when the xiezhi accuses the Jade Emperor of a crime, Jack doesn’t know what – or who – to believe. Can Jack harness rat’s power over the weather and find out the truth? One thing’s for certain, a storm is coming…

A thrilling action-adventure series with the magical power of the Chinese Zodiac.

Non-fiction

Uncover History and find out about the Mayan civilisation with this fun and humorous guide.

Who were the Mayans? Read about their daily lives, what jobs they did and why they built pyramids. Find out about their gods, why they stargazed and what happened to their civilisation. Find out the answer to questions such as ‘who ruled the Maya?’, ‘what was Mayan writing like?’ and ‘what art did the Maya make?’

Using fun, humorous illustrations, this book tells the story of Mayan people, from farmers to leaders.

Ideally suited for readers age 8+.

Read the other titles in the series: Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, the Vikings, the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age, and the Shang Dynasty.

Non-fiction

Start the New Year with this positive wellbeing handbook.

What if we could think of mental health in a positive way? Sweep away the rain clouds. Talk about what’s on our minds. And care for our mental health in the same way we look after our bodies. In this empowering and hopeful handbook, Youth Mental Health Ambassador Dr. Alex George is here to show children how.

A Better Day is a positive, accessible and practical toolkit guiding young readers in how they can care for their mental health with confidence.

From peer pressure and exam stress to online trolls and anxiety, life is full of ups and downs. But there are ways we can stay on top of our mental health – including overcoming stigma, talking about our feelings, developing resilience and switching our mindset.

This book provides all the scaffolding and practical techniques, so readers can look toward their future with optimism and positivity. Because no matter what, there is always hope for a better day.

Chapter book

A beautiful and uplifting story from L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, about how to make your own place when the world doesn’t think you fit anywhere. For fans of Me, My Dad and The End of The Rainbow.

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.

As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever…

Picturebook

Inventive illustrations and an empowering story combine to introduce young readers to the world of engineering, creative thinking and problem-solving.

Zara is curious about everything! Travelling around the city with her gran, she sees all kinds of fascinating things. How do roller coasters do loop-the-loops? How do planes stay up? As she marvels about how they work, Zara learns about some of the brilliant engineers who have shaped the world around her. Soon she can’t wait to start creating her own amazing inventions and become an engineer too!

With pages encouraging kids to try out their very own engineering experiments such as constructing the perfect paper aeroplane and safely dropping an egg from a height, this brilliant picture book written by engineer and TV presenter Dr Shini Somara unlocks a love of engineering and celebrates women in STEM.

Picturebook

Join Katie as she steps into some of the most famous paintings in the world for an exciting art adventure.

Katie would love to give Grandma a bunch of flowers for her birthday – but just where will she find the perfect bouquet? If only she were able to gather some flowers from the beautiful paintings in the gallery…

‘A wonderful way to engage children with art. A brilliant combination of education and storytelling’ – Parents in Touch (Katie’s Picture Show)

This first introduction to Impressionism features five great masterpieces: The Luncheon and The Field With Poppies by Claude Monet, A Girl With a Watering Can and Her First Evening Out by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas.

Picturebook

Join Katie as she steps into some of the most famous paintings in the world for an exciting art adventure!

The stars in Vincent van Gogh’s painting are so beautiful that Katie can’t resist reaching in and taking one. But what will she do when all the other stars come tumbling out of the painting, too? Will Katie be able to catch the stars before the gallery guard notices they’ve floated away?

‘A wonderful way to engage children with art. A brilliant combination of education and storytelling’ – Parents in Touch (Katie’s Picture Show)

This first introduction to Van Gogh features five of his most brilliant paintings: The Starry Night, Noon, Vincent’s Chair, Fishing Boats on the Beach and The Olive Grove.

Non-fiction

Women in Art is an EMPOWERING and INSPIRATIONAL celebration of some of the most iconic and fearless women who paved the way for the next generation of artists.

From well-known figures such as Frida Kahlo and Dame Vivienne Westwood to lesser-known artists including Harriet Powers (the nineteenth-century African American quilter) and Yoyoi Kusama (a Japenese sculptor), this charmingly illustrated and inspiring book highlights the achievements of 50 notable women in the arts.

Covering a wide array of artistic mediums, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about artistic movements throughout history, statistics about women’s representation in museums, and notable works by women who have inspired the world from the 11th century to today.

This gorgeous gift book with gold foil on the cover, is the perfect present for art-lovers both young and old!

Non-fiction

Explore the science of pulleys, which is a key physical science concept. Young children will enjoy the fun illustrations and learn from the simple diagrams. The book encourages the reader to see science in action in their everyday lives. It is perfect for budding scientists who are curious about machines and how they work, and allows readers to encounter this STEM topic in an approachable way. For children following Book Bands, it is suitable for children reading at band 7, turquoise.

Non-fiction

Explore the science of wheels and cogs, which are key physical science concepts. Young children will enjoy the fun illustrations and learn from the simple diagrams. The book encourages the reader to see science in action in their everyday lives. It is perfect for budding scientists who are curious about machines and how they work, and allows readers to encounter this STEM topic in an approachable way. For children progressing through book bands, it is suitable for children at Book Band 7: Turquoise.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

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