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Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter book

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course).

Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there’s his sidekick, Stephanie. She’s… well, she’s a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

“So you won’t keep anything from me again?”
He put his hand to his chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Okay then. Though you don’t actually have a heart,” she said.
“I know.”
“And technically, you’ve already died.”
“I know that too.”
“Just so we’re clear.”

Stephanie’s uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn’t fiction.

Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it’s lucky for Skulduggery that he’s already dead. Though he’s about to discover that being a skeleton doesn’t stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there’s anything Skulduggery hates, it’s torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing’s for sure: evil won’t know what’s hit it.

Picturebook

Do you love pirates? How about aliens? And jungle animals? Find them ALL in the pages of this laugh-out-loud ‘pick your own’ picture book adventure!

Vincent’s dog, Trouble, has DISAPPEARED and he needs YOUR help. Has Trouble been stolen by aliens? Or pilfered by pirates? Is she exploring the jungle? It’s up to YOU to decide!

Pick a Story is the ONLY series where young readers choose between three completely different worlds – firing their imaginations and promoting agency.

Choice and value! Readers choose the direction of the adventure on every page. With endless story paths to be taken, the adventure is always different.

Packed with activities! Each page includes an activity, such as search-and-find, odd-one-out, mazes and more, woven seamlessly into the narrative – perfect for immersing and engaging young readers.

Chapter book

A charming domestic comedy, with a dash of magic, and the occasional moment of mayhem!

These are the memoirs of ME, Holly Hopkinson, aged almost ten, except without any of the rubbish adults usually put in, thank you very much.

My dad just lost his job, which means me and the rest of my family have to leave London and move to the middle of nowhere, which is a TOTAL DISASTER! There’s no Wi-Fi, the local kids are FERAL and there’s animal poo EVERYWHERE.

But then for my birthday, my eccentric aunt gave me a magic pocket watch, which I can use to hypnotise and CONTROL people. I actually wanted a new phone, but I won’t complain because this new power is REALLY FUN and has led to the MOST unexpected things – including a visit to the QUEEN.

Maybe the countryside isn’t so bad after all…

Chapter book

Mysterious miaowing from the empty flat upstairs sets Liam and Sav on a quest to find the ghost cat in this charming gem from award-winning author Pamela Butchart.

The flat upstairs from Sav is empty, so who or what is making the strange yowling noises she can hear at night? Could it be a ghost cat?!

Sav and her best friend Liam decide to investigate, but their ghost hunt takes a very strange turn when Liam gets stuck in the stinky bin room of the flat and it’s a new feline friend who helps to get him out.

Nothing is quite as it seems in this brilliant new addition to the Little Gems list.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

Try as he might, Arun simply cannot wriggle his way out of taking the maths test at school. Instead, he must learn to face his fears in this encouraging and relatable school story from Serena Patel.

Maths test? Nightmare! Arun is determined to get out of a Maths test at school. But how? A school-wide protest against all tests? Pretending to be sick? He’s ready to try anything, but maybe he’s not the only one who feels this way, and maybe in the end it’s better to face your fears?

Poetry

Inspiring poems to connect with nature.
This collection of 50 poems will spark a love of nature, bring calm and happiness and let the outside in.

Beautifully illustrated, it is filled with poems for children to read alone or enjoy with the whole family.

With poems about the seasons, senses, wildlife, weather and the joys of mud, it’s the perfect gift book for children to treasure.

From poet, Daniel Thompson, author of Being You: Poems of Positivity – 2023 City Kids Green Awards Winner and selected for the Reading Agency’s 2023 Summer reading challenge.

Product De

Chapter book

The second book in the laugh-out-loud cartoon-filled adventure series for 7+ readers, featuring the world’s funniest fairy, from the bestselling author of The Land of Roar. Perfect for fans of Loki, Tom Gates and Wimpy Kid

Ridiculously funny and packed full of cartoons on every page!

Before you read my diary here is some stuff you need to know:

1 I’m 11 years old
2 I love drawing cartoons
3 I have two pet rats called Tony and Noah.
4 I also have a FAIRY called Stink . . .

Danny’s life hasn’t been the same since a REAL fairy flew out of a fairy door, attached herself to his hair and turned his life upside down.

In this book Stink tries to help Danny with his lead role in the school play, makes a Malteser adventure playground in the science cupboard and accidentally unleashes a giant all-powerful wizard into the world.

Chapter book

Dimple the gnome is upset and he doesn’t know how to talk about it – but then along comes the Boo … A charming new Gem from the bestselling author of Squishy McFluff.

Yucky cabbage pie! Mean Mrs Miskin! Stupid spelling test!

Oh dear, Dimple the Gnome is having a very bad day and he just can’t find the right words to tell anyone how he’s feeling. Then Dimple finds the Boo, who lets everyone know what’s going on. But the Boo’s rude words and naughty noises just get Dimple into trouble. Can Dimple find another way to express himself?

Non-fiction

Immerse yourself in the world of the spellbinding genius Leonardo da Vinci, master of art, architecture, engineering, mathematics and more. From his futuristic inventions to the breadth of his artistic skill, discover the fascinating life and legacy of the Renaissance man.

The award-winning author and illustrator behind Darwin’s Voyage of Discovery and Really Remarkable Reptiles turns his attention to the Renaissance man: Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci was a master of art, architecture, engineering, mathematics and more. Discover his relationship with the natural world, his futuristic inventions and the breadth of his artistic skill in this spellbinding celebration of his genius.

Follow his early years – born to a poor mother and receiving no formal education, it is amazing that an innate fire of curiosity and imagination fuelled this man to achieve extraordinary success and a place amongst history’s elite. Learn about his legacy today – the bewitching power of the world’s most famous portrait, the Mona Lisa – as well as the influence of his inventions in modern daily life.

This gorgeous hardback is filled with Jake Williams’ characteristically stylish illustrations.

Chapter book

A charming village story about a little girl, a dare gone wrong and one crazy horse! From bestselling author Gillian Cross. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+

A charming village story about a little girl, a dare gone wrong and one crazy animal! When Alice Brett moves from the city to a little village school, she’s never seen a real live horse before. And famous village resident Mozart’s Banana is not just any old horse – he’s crazy! The children are banned from riding him, but when Sammy Foster dares Alice to get on Mozart’s Banana’s back, she takes it very seriously…just what does she have up her sleeve?

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