Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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Eoin Colfer

Will has four brothers and it's chaos in his house! If he's not being teased by his big brother Marty, he has to deal with the terrible, three-headed bundle of cuteness that is his three younger brothers. Even worse, his mother has the brilliant idea of packing Will and Marty off to the library during the holidays. She just doesn't understand! Not only is the library no fun, it's also the habitat of the legendary librarian Spud Murphy. If you put a foot wrong, it's rumoured she will use her dreaded gas-powered spud gun and you don't want that - just ask Ugly Frank how he got his nickname! Eventually Will and Marty discover a love of books and that Mrs Murphy isn't so bad after all!

The Legend of Spud Murphy

Allan Ahlberg

Mcnaughton Colin

Mr and Mrs Brick are builders, just like their mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers. But their new baby doesn't seem to be following in their footsteps. Instead of building things up, she keeps knocking things down! 
 
Based on the classic 'Happy Families' card game, this highly entertaining series is ideal for reading and sharing at home or at school. It is guided by the Education Adviser, Brian Thompson, and written by the award-winning author, Allan Ahlberg. 
 
'The best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' Children's Rights Workshop.

Miss Brick the Builders' Baby

Vivian French

Chris Fisher

Hector and Hattie and Harry and Hester set off to find a nice juicy hamburger. But Fox doesn&rsquo;t want a hamburger, and neither does Badger. What they want are four nice fat juicy hedgehogs for their tea! 
 
Two funny stories about four friendly hedgehogs, perfect for beginner readers.

Hedgehogs Don't Eat Hamburgers

Natalia O’Hara

Lauren O'Hara

"O Bandit Queen!" the bandits cried. 
"Little horror! Poison weed! 
We'll give you everything a queen could ever need..." 
 
The bandits give their queen treasure, tigers, mischief and mayhem. But sometimes a little girl needs something more... 
 
A book about finding family in unexpected places, from the creators of Hortense and the Shadow.

The Bandit Queen

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

Every Saturday morning the Gregg family goes off to shoot animals and birds. But the girl who lives next door hates hunting. 
Now it's made her so angry she's PUT THE MAGIC FINGER ON THEM ALL. And very strange things have begun to happen . . .

The Magic Finger

Think of your favourite Roald Dahl moment and surely a song or verse cannot be far away... 
 
SONGS AND VERSE has seven sections bursting with rhymes about monsters, gruesome children, magical creatures, ghastly adults as well as a few unusual surprises. From the strange and scrumptious dishes enjoyed by James's Centipede to George and his marvellous medicine, and from greedy Augustus Gloop to the Giraffe and the Pelly and Me there are many classics here together with some previously unpublished treats. 
With a foreword and opening illustrations by Quentin Blake, and illustrations throughout from other award-winning artists such as Babette Cole, Lauren Child, Chris Riddell, Alel Scheffler and Tony Ross, you will find a touch of magic on every page.

Songs and Verse

Dick King-Smith

Jo Davies

Dumpling wishes she was long and sausage-shaped like her two brothers and other dachshunds, instead of being short and stumpy. One day she goes to the woods and meets a witch's cat who grants Dumpling her wish, but the spell goes wrong and Dumpling gets longer and longer! She's very happy to return to her own shape again.

Dumpling

Boggis is an enormously fat chicken farmer who only eats boiled chickens smothered in fat. 
Bunce is a duck-and-goose farmer whose dinner gives him a beastly temper. 
Bean is a turkey-and-apple farmer who only drinks gallons of strong cider. 
Mr Fox is so clever that every evening he creeps down into the valley and helps himself to food from the farms. 
Now the farmers have hatched a plan to BANG-BANG-BANG shoot Mr Fox dead. But, just when they think Mr Fox can't possibly escape, he makes a fantastic plan of his own . . .

Fantastic Mr Fox (Colour Edn)

Shirley Hughes

Down by the railway a white face looks out of a spooky old house, and Jim and Arthur hardly dare investigate.

It's Too Frightening for Me!

Every Saturday morning the Greg family goes off to shoot animals and birds. But the girl who lives next door hates hunting. 
Now it's made her so angry she's PUT THE MAGIC FINGER ON THEM ALL. And very strange things have begun to happen . . .

(Colour Edition)

Mr Twit is a foul and smelly man with bits of cornflake and sardine in his beard. 
Mrs Twit is a horrible old hag with a glass eye. 
Together they make the nastiest couple you could ever hope not to meet. 
Down in their garden, the Twits keep Muggle-Wump the monkey and his family locked in a cage. But not for much longer, because the monkeys are planning to trick the terrible Twits, once and for all . . .

The Twits (Colour Edition)

Fritz Wegner

Bertie Bun was born to be a baker. His mum is a baker. His dad is a baker. Even his grandparents were bakers. But Bertie has a big problem - he's bored of bread! He wants to be a butcher's boy, or a bus-driver's boy or even a balloonist's boy - and his wishes are going to land him in lots of trouble ... 
 
Based on the classic 'Happy Families' card game, this highly entertaining series is ideal for reading and sharing at home or at school. It is guided by the Education Adviser, Brian Thompson, and written by the award-winning author, Allan Ahlberg. 
 
'The best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' Children's Rights Workshop.

Master Bun the Bakers' Boy

Penguin presents Happy Families: The Audio Collection by Allan Ahlberg, read by Alexander Armstrong. 
Families come in all shapes and sizes, big ones, small ones, funny ones and even silly ones. In this first ever audio collection you can discover the story of Mrs Wobble the Waitress, Mr Biff the Boxer, Miss Dirt the Dustman's Daughter and many more of Allan Ahlberg's beloved Happy Families. 
 
This audio collection features 11 classic tales brought to life with original music and dazzling sound effects, all read in Alexander Armstrong's unique style. 
 
'Happy Families are the best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' - Children's Rights Workshop.

Happy Families: The Audio Collection

Arden Jones

The start of a spellbinding, new illustrated series featuring Witchy Boo, a little ghost with a BIG magical secret! Perfect for fans of Isadora Moon and Kitty’s Superhero Adventures. 
 
Even though she’s a ghost, Boo has never liked being scary – not like her brothers Shock and Shriek. 
 
But when a witch’s hat finds its way onto her head, Boo learns that not all ghosts have to be scary. Some ghosts can be . . . witchy! 
 
Follow Witchy Boo on her magical journey, as she learns to accept herself—with the help of some very cute friends. 
 
Perfect for 5-7 year-olds, reading independently or with assistance.

Witchy Boo: Casts Her First Spell

Mike Terry

Laurence Higgins, an enormously fat black cat, has breakfast with Mrs Higgins, lunch with the Normans, tea with old Mr Mason and supper with the Barclay-Lloyds. None of them know why he is so fat on just one meal a day! Lawrence is happy until he finds the walking from house to house tiring and begins to get indigestion. His friends tell him to lose weight if he wants a girl friend so he begins to spend one day in four with all his owners. He gets thinner but the cat he fancies down the road tells him she doesn't like slim boys - she's lost her heart to an enormously fat black cat she used to see up the road! Triumphantly Lawrence returns to his four meals a day, spurred on by the thought of meeting Bella when he's back to his normal size.

Fat Lawrence

Jess Brallier

Jack Keely

Meet Tina and Tuck - two unlikely friends ready for adventure! A fun, full-colour series for 6+ children, ideal for readers moving from picture books to chapter stories.Strange bumps! Spooky Shadows! Odd noises! No wonder Tina and Tuck think that Boone School is haunted! 
But when the two mice spot burglars prowling in the school corridors, they wonder if maybe the school “ghost” might not be so bad after all. And that perhaps the Boone School spook can even help them scare off the crooks . . .? 
 
Praise for the Tuck and Tina series: 
'Heartwarming and hilarious!' Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Tuck and Tina and the Haunted School

Mrs Lather is getting quite worked up in her laundry. She hates washing socks, she hates washing vests, she really doesn't much like washing trousers or dresses either. But her job gets rather more difficult when her customers start bringing in more unusual washing loads ... 
 
The 'Happy Families' series is designed for use at home or at school. It is guided by the Education Adviser, Brian Thompson, and written by the award-winning author, Allan Ahlberg. 
 
'The best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' Children's Rights Workshop.

Mrs Lather's Laundry

Meet Tina and Tuck - two unlikely friends ready for adventure! The first in a fun, full-colour series for 6+ children, ideal for readers moving from picture books to chapter stories. 
 
Tina lives at Boone Elementary and LOVES listening in to Ms Pigeon’s lessons and seeing all the kids having fun with their friends. She just wishes she had a real friend of her own.Then Ms Pigeon announces that a new class pet is arriving and Tina wonders if her wish might come true.Tuck is a ball of energy with a knack for causing chaos and the opposite of who Tina expected. She’s sure he’s going to be nothing but TROUBLE!Then Boone Elementary is faced with closure and Tina and Tuck decide to work together to find an ancient treasure that’s rumoured to be hidden somewhere in the school – can these two unlikely allies save the school before it’s too late?! 
 
'Heartwarming and hilarious!' Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Tuck and Tina and the Lost Fortune

Meet Tina and Tuck - two unlikely friends ready for adventure! A fun, full-colour series for 6+ children, ideal for readers moving from picture books to chapter stories. 
 
Boone School is in trouble! Taps dripping slime, classrooms full of bugs and lots of other disasters mean Principle Bruno might lose his job. 
 
Then Tuck and Tina discover that a masked troublemaker is causing mischief, just so he can take over the school and steal rare dinosaur bones buried beneath the building! 
 
Cue a high-speed chase across land, sea and air. . . but can the two mice track down the culprit and save the day? 
 
Praise for the Tuck and Tina series: 
'Heartwarming and hilarious!' Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Tuck and Tina and the Dinosaur Thief

Vashti Harrison

A book of black heroes, role models and everyday women who did extraordinary things. 
 
Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world's history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations. Debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison pairs captivating text with stunning illustrations as she tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history - from nurse Mary Seacole, to politician Diane Abbott, mathematician Katherine Johnson and singer Shirley Bassey.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Humphrey Carpenter

As a rule, magic carpets don't turn up in schools, but this is exactly what happens when Class Three's new teacher flies in through the classroom window and lands on the floor with a bump. 
 
Mr Majeika can behave just like any ordinary teacher if he wants to, but something has to be done about Hamish Bigmore, the class nuisance, and so he uses a little magic to turn him into a frog. And to everyone's delight it looks as if Hamish will have to remain a frog because Mr Majeika can't remember the spell to turn him back again! With Mr Majeika in charge, suddenly life at school become much more exciting - there's even a magic-carpet ride to Buckingham Palace!

Mr Majeika

Mr Tick loves teaching his six children at their little school. But then they hear news that all small schools must close, so Mr Tick starts teaching some rather unusual lessons - in how to trick stern school inspectors. 
 
Based on the classic 'Happy Families' card game, this highly entertaining series is ideal for reading and sharing at home or at school. It is guided by the Education Adviser, Brian Thompson, and written by the award-winning author, Allan Ahlberg. 
 
'The best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' Children's Rights Workshop.

Mr Tick the Teacher

Richard Curtis

Rebecca Cobb

It's Christmas Eve and there's one very important question on everyone's mind - have YOU been good this year? 
 
For twins Sam and Charlie this is a big worry. Charlie has been especially naughty and everyone is sure that she won't get any presents AT ALL. But when Santa makes a mistake, it's up to naughty Charlie to put things right. Will her last-minute secret act of kindness be enough to redeem her after all? 
 
A brilliantly funny and heartwarming story for Christmas Eve from acclaimed scriptwriter Richard Curtis and award-winning illustrator Rebecca Cobb

The Empty Stocking

"Through the dark and wolfish woods, 
through the white and silent snow, 
lived a small girl called Hortense. 
Though kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing . . . 
Hortense hated her shadow." 
 
A beautifully illustrated dark fairy tale that will remind you of the fables you read as a child. A treasure not to be missed.

Hortense and the Shadow

Jeremy Strong

Ian Cunliffe

A very funny story about the children at Pirate School. Fourth in the series within Colour Young Puffins. The children are planning to raid Patagonia Clatterbottom's food store - but grown-up pirates, the Woppagobs, are trying to steal the goodies as well. But the children outwit them all, particularly when Ziggy brings out his bun gun - a cannon that fires sticky buns and doughnuts.

Pirate School: The Bun Gun

William Steig

Amos the mouse and Boris the whale are friends who have very little in common. Boris rescues Amos, who has set out to sail the seas - but might there be a time when Boris needs rescuing too? 
An awardwinning fable and New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year from classic creator, William Steig.

Amos & Boris

Mary Pope Osborne

Jenny Laird

Kelly Matthews

Nichole Matthews

Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. Mummies!! 
 
Visit ancient Egypt with Jack and Annie in this full-colour graphic novel adaptation of a children’s classic, perfect for readers aged 5–7. 
 
Be careful what you wish for in the magic tree house – it might just come true! This time, Jack and Annie have been whisked away to ancient Egypt. 
 
After getting lost inside a pyramid, the siblings meet a real-life mummy who needs their help solving a centuries-old riddle. Join Jack and Annie as they learn about the past and try to solve the ancient mystery – if only they can find their way through the pyramid’s maze! 
 
This adventure-filled series of graphic novel adaptations teaches kids about the past and helps them develop reading confidence, all while solving exciting magical mysteries alongside Jack and Annie. Perfect for young readers aged 5–7

Magic Tree House: Mummies in the Morning

(A Graphic Novel)

One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make all his wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish with unexpected consequences. Will Sylvester find his way back to his family? Winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal, this modern classic is full of warmth, humour and joy.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

"On a hill above the valley there was a wood. 
In the wood there was a huge tree. Under the tree there was a hole. 
In the hole lived Mr Fox and Mrs Fox and their four Small Foxes. . . " 
 
Mr Fox is a very clever fox - every evening he creeps down into the valley and helps himself to food from the nearby farms. 
 
Chickens from Farmer Boggis, ducks and geese from Farmer Bunce, and turkeys from Farmer Bean. 
 
But now the farmers have had enough, and together they hatch a plan to get rid of Mr Fox for good! 
 
But what they don't know is Mr Fox has some help, and a fantastic escape plan of his own...

Fantastic Mr Fox

The third very funny story about the children at pirate school. The children hide a stray dog on board, while Patagonia Clatterbottom, the head teacher, is plagued by school inspectors, who are not impressed by the lessons. So, the children decide to sail the school away. The inspectors give chase, but the children fire on their boat and take it over - full marks for the lessons they have learnt about being pirates. And they're allowed to keep the dog!

Pirate School: Where's That Dog?

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