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Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK

Geoffrey Gets the Jitters

Picturebook

From the creator of Barbara Throws a Wobbler – the ultimate story to chase (and laugh) your worries away.

Geoffrey’s got the jitters! It started last night when he was thinking about school – a funny, wiggly feeling in his tummy that grew and grew. But when Geoffrey’s tummy jitters started talking to him – that’s when he knew they were out of control. Geoffrey had to do something…

Through a laugh-out-loud story and loveable character, Nadia Shireen shows how to understand and dispel anxieties, one jitter at a time.

The Guggenheim Mystery

Robin Stevens & Siobhan Dowd

Chapter book

My name is Ted Spark. Three months ago, I solved the mystery of how my cousin Salim disappeared from a pod on the London Eye. This is the story of my second mystery.

This summer, I went on holiday to New York, to visit Aunt Gloria and Salim. While I was there, a painting was stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works. Then Aunt Gloria was blamed for the theft, and I realised just how important it was to find the painting, and discover who really had taken it.

Black Beauty

Anna Sewell

Chapter book

‘Yes,’ she said, ‘he is really quite a beauty, and he has such a sweet good-tempered face and such a fine intelligent eye – what do you say to calling him Black Beauty?

Black Beauty is a handsome, sweet-tempered but strong-spirited young horse, used to galloping free in the fresh green meadows with his beloved mother, Duchess, and their kind master. But when his owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty goes from a life of comfort and kindness to one of hard labour and cruelty. He bravely works as hard as he can, enduring hardships and fostering loyal friendships along the way.

Charming and timeless, Black Beauty is an uplifting story of strength, survival and empathy in the face of adversity. The original horse story that inspired a thousand pony books, Black Beauty sparked a new wave of animal cruelty awareness and remains a must-read for any animal lover!

Lizzie and Lucky: The Mystery of the Lost Chicken

Megan Rix & Tim Budgen

Chapter book

Join young detective Lizzie and her adorable puppy Lucky on another mystery-solving adventure! With charming illustrations throughout, and fun activities to try.

Lizzie and Lucky are visiting the Five Freedoms Sanctuary. It’s a lovely place for all sorts of rescued animals.

When a local farmer announces some terrible plans for his land that could endanger the surrounding wildlife, our dynamic duo know they must investigate the case. Can they use their detective skills to stop him?

While looking for clues, Lizzie spots some strange footprints and an unusual blue creature that stands out from the rest! But what is it, and where did it come from? Could it be the key to saving the day?

The O.D.D. Squad: Rise of Invisidog

Stuart Heritage & Vincent Batignole

Chapter book

When you start reading this book you think it’s going to be a typical super hero book – but it’s far from it! There are lots of things that scream a typical superhero comic but lots of things that make this younger graphic novel a unique and fun read for Lower KS2.

Invisidog has superpowers that mean he is invisible and he is desperate to use them to get rid of Captain Bad. The problem is he can’t help, because no one can see him. The other heroes, Quack Attack and Detective Octopus, continue to fight crime until they have a disagreement and Quack Attack decides to go it alone. All the time Captain Bad continues to devise a plan to destroy Planet Earth. Whilst trying to stop Captain Bad, Invisidog learns that when you believe in yourself you can have mighty powers and the importance of working in a team. Will they save Planet Earth?

This is a brilliant book for children who enjoy graphic novels or for those ready to be introduced to the format. The chapters are short, which makes it easier for children who are just reading chapter books to enjoy the story. Some entertaining chapters reflect the news reports and follow a more traditional comic strip format. The book is humorous and the author often talks directly to the reader, which offers extra insights to what is happening and excitement about what will happen next.

This is a brilliant start to a series of books about the ODD squad.

The Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found

Jordan Lees & Vivienne To

Chapter book

Benjamin Creek is an eleven-year-old boy who lives in Wyvern-on-the-Water and can often be found sitting in the ‘Once Upon a Time’ bookshop reading (non-fiction only). He doesn’t believe in magic and doesn’t like fantasy stories, unlike his dad. He receives a mysterious parcel in the post one day which contains a strange doll. His grandma tells him it’s a poppet, a type of doll used for witchcraft, but of course, Benjamin isn’t remotely interested in that, he prefers a scientific explanation for everything.

Meanwhile, in Wreathenwold, twins Edwid and Elizabella are surrounded by magic. Edwid hears whispering coming from a crack in the wall and doesn’t know whether to listen to the voice or not. Benjamin and Elizabella’s lives collide when Benjamin accidentally finds his way into Wreathenwold and can’t find his way out again.

I love the contrast between Benjamin and Elizabella – his scientific mind and thoughts struggling to process what is going on around him, Elizabella’s blunt refusal to accept his explanations. Wreathenwold is described as a labyrinth and that’s what reading the book feels like – at first, you know nothing, but then you slowly start to uncover its secrets and find your way around as you learn more about the characters and the surroundings.

This is a brilliantly written adventure for older readers in KS2, perfect for fans of fantasy and magic-based stories. And perhaps those who generally prefer a scientific explanation too.

Red Rockets and Rainbow Jelly

Nick Sharratt & Sue Heap

Picturebook

A unique look at colours and friendship, now available in paperback.

This very simple text is about two friends, Sue and Nick, who like different colours but are still good friends. The artwork is stunning with each artist contributing alternate pages in their own inimitable style. The deceptively simple text is perfect for children learning to read.

Cops and Robbers

Allan Ahlberg

Picturebook

This is a new Puffin edition of Allan Ahlberg’s best-selling Cops and Robbers classic picture book, with a brand new cover! The robbers of London town plan a desperate crime one Christmas Eve – to steal all the toys they can lay their hands on! Fortunately, the robbers meet their match in brave office Pugh who leaps into action and arrests the villains – all except Grandma Swagg who manages to get away.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Mini Grey

Non-fiction

Here we are at 4.6 billion years ago, and as we raise the curtain . . . the STORY OF LIFE is about to begin! (Yes, that’s right – we’re telling the story of the ENTIRE history of Planet Earth).

Take your seats for the ENTIRE history of Planet Earth, as we take a whistle-stop tour from the birth of Earth, to the age of bacteria, the era of dinosaurs . . . to the moment of people (blink and you’ll miss it).

Narrated by a friendly troop of insects and with mind-blowing, lively illustrations, this illustrated non-fiction book will entertain and educate, as we put on a show, the greatest show, the show of the evolution of life on Earth.

From internationally bestselling creator, Mini Grey, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, this is her first non-fiction book and it’s told with wit, humour and heart.

BIG

Vashti Harrison

Picturebook

Big by Vashti Harrison makes such a visually powerful statement about the way words can both hurt and heal us. A poignant story about a journey towards self-love and the power of words to both hurt and heal.

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Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK

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