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Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Chapter book

Ruby’s dad has arrived home with a wonderful surprise – Coco the sausage dog puppy! And when the family go on holiday to the seaside, of course Coco will be coming too. The beach is a thrilling place for a dog – so many sights, smells and holes to dig! Ruby and Coco can’t wait to spend the day splashing in the waves and playing in the sand. But disaster strikes when Coco disappears. Suddenly she’s lost and all alone on the huge, busy beach … Will she ever find her way back to Ruby?

Worldwide bestseller Holly Webb makes her Barrington Stoke debut with a truly adorable sausage-dog tale!

Chapter book

Brilliantly funny new young series about the bravest scaredy-cat in the world.

Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except when he is). And when a shark TOTALLY tries to eat him at the local aquarium, he decides he’s not going to take any more chances. So at his friend’s birthday party at the beach, Sam refuses to dip even a toe in the water. Nothing could go wrong now, could it?

A wonderful belly-laugh of a book, perfect for young fans of Tom Gates and Pamela Butchart.

‘Intensely likeable and sharply observed comic capers’ – Guardian

Illustrated fiction is still having something of a boom, but if you’re looking for a non-white protagonist it’s slim pickings indeed. Happily Sam Wu is about to change all that. A hero of Asian heritage with a diverse set of friends… it’s enormous fun, madcap and relatable – Bookseller

Also look out for Sam is NOT Afraid of Ghosts and Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of the Dark!

Katie and Kevin Tsang met in in 2008 while studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Since then they have lived on three different continents and travelled to over 40 countries together.

Kevin was born in Copenhagen and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of Sam Wu’s experiences are based on Kevin’s childhood. Katie was born and raised in Southern California. She has previously worked at Booktrust and also writes YA as Katherine Webber.

Chapter book

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is – but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realises that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home – until, one day, her mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide. By turns funny, moving, surprising and dramatic, this is a novel that is as thought-provoking as it is enchanting.

Non-fiction

As the summer sun sets over the Arizonan desert, wildlife gathers to witness a very special annual event. The night flower is about to bloom. This celebration transforms the quiet desert for just a short few hours into a riot of colour and sound, as mammals and insects congregate from miles away to take part in this miracle of nature. From pollinating fruit bats to howling mice and reptilian monsters, explore the unusual wildlife the desert has to offer in this beautiful rhyming non-fiction picture book.

Chapter book

The first book in a thrilling, magical, and action-packed new fantasy series, illustrated throughout and perfect for 7 – 9 year olds.

In the land of Draconis, there are no dragons.

Once, there were. Once, humans and dragons were friends, and created the great city of Rivven together.

But then came the Dragon Storm, and the dragons retreated from the world of humans.

To the men and women of Draconis, they became legends and myth.

Tomas has always been told that now, dragons are extinct, and so he can’t believe it when a mysterious stranger invites him to join a secret society, the Dragonseer Guild – and tells him that not only do dragons still exist, but also that Tomas has a very special power… he can summon his very own dragon!

But Tomas faces a difficult choice, and he and his dragon, Ironskin, must learn to trust each other – and together, they have to save their home from a deadly threat.

Non-fiction

What is it like to live in space? Is there life on other planets? What exactly is a black hole?

Join Professor Astro Cat and the gang as they travel across space to find out everything there is to know about our galaxy, the solar system and the Universe. From asteroids to alien life and rockets to rovers, there’s so much to discover in the Frontiers of Space.

Blast off with this revised edition featuring new content and the latest research and discoveries.

Chapter book

From the international bestselling creator of Claude, comes a brand new hero – Mr Penguin, adventurer and penguin.

Indiana Jones meets Hercule Poirot in this new Alex T. Smith series with plenty of slapstick humour, mystery and adventure. Highly illustrated throughout with a striking black and orange design.

It has been weeks since Mr Penguin’s last adventure and he’s been stuck at his desk, twiddling his flippers ever since. That is until the phone rings!

Mr Penguin and Colin (a spider and Mr Penguin’s silent right hand man) are called in to find the missing treasure somewhere in the Museum of Extraordinary Objects. The quest finds them solving secret codes, fighting ferocious beasts, eating fish finger sandwiches and travelling deep below the museum to a lost jungle…

Chapter book

A poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.

Wilbur the pig’s life has already been saved by Fern, but when he is sold to her uncle, he realises his life is in even more danger. Enter Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider.

Charlotte is determined to keep Wilbur from the chopping block, and comes up with an ingenious way to do just that.

Chapter book

Battle fearsome beasts and fight evil with Tom and Elenna in the bestselling adventure series for boys and girls aged 7 and up.

An evil wizard has enchanted the magical Beasts of Avantia – only a true hero can free the Beasts and stop them from destroying the land. Is Tom the hero Avantia has been waiting for? Join Tom as he braves Ferno the Fire Dragon in the first of this bestselling series…

A vibrant encyclopedia that combines facts and figures with the inspiring stories of sporting legends and icons.

This exciting book for children is packed with fun facts about a range of popular sports such as football, karate, badminton, and skiing, as well as ones you might never have heard of like biathlon or cheese rolling. Whether you’re a fan of team sports, winter sports, water sports, extreme sports, and even board games such as chess and go, this reference book has it all!

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Sport also celebrates the unique talents, lives, and careers of sporting heroes such as Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Yuna Kim, Lin Dan, and Donald Bradman, and chronicles the most celebrated stories in sporting history, such as breaking the Four-minute mile, Nadia Comaneci’s Perfect 10, and Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics. Featuring everything from obscure rules and strange equipment, to moments of triumph and sporting events like The World Cup, Superbowl, Olympics, Paralympics, and more – this is the perfect compendium for budding superstars everywhere.

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