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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Mitchell Symons

Did you know THAT: 
 
The first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal was Shredded Wheat in 1893 (it beat Kellogg's Corn Flakes by just five years) 
 
Scarlett Johansson, Ashton Kutcher and Simon Cowell all have twin brothers. 
 
Everton were the first British football club to introduce a stripe down the side of their shorts. 
 
The word DUDE was coined by Oscar Wilde and his friends. It is a combination of the words 'duds' and 'attitude'. 
 
Well you do now! Filled with fantastic facts and figures to amaze and intrigue . . . once you start reading you'll be hooked for hours!

How to Avoid a Wombat's Bum

Pat Thomson

There's something for everyone in this collection of funny short stories. It's packed full of talking pigs, UFOs, gorillas, witches, mischievous house elves, flying postmen and lots more! Find out how Bozo the gorilla helps Jimmy deal with his lazy big brother, what Dinah Price does when she finds the three bears tucked up in her bed and what fate Agnethia Toadfax, trainee witch, has in store for Mr Smike the rude librarian . . .

You Can't Bring That in Here!

Philip Caveney

Sebastian Darke has the world on his narrow shoulders. The son of a human father and an elvish mother, he is deperately trying to become the family breadwinner and has taken on his late father's job - celebrated jester, Prince of Fools. 
 
Trouble is, Sebastian can't tell a joke to save his life. Dressed in his father's clothes and accompanied by his talking (and endlessly complaining) buffalope, Max, he sets off for the fabled city of Keladon, where he hopes to be appointed court jester to King Septimus. On the way he encounters a tiny but powerful warrior called Cornelius; the beautfiul Princess Kerin; blood-thirsty Brigands and enough perils to make him wonder why he ever decided to leave home. 
 
A hilarious and swashbuckling adventure!

Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools

Babette Cole

Meet Doctor Dog, he's the Gumboyle family's favourite pet and their very own trusty physician. When Doctor Dog jets off to a medical conference in Brazil the Guimboyles decide they can't survive without him and so he returns to rescue them from all sorts of ailments: itchy nits, tickly tonsils and worms to name but a few. . .

Dr Dog

John Burningham

Every day, John Patrick sets off along the road to school, and although he hurries, strange and improbable happenings repeatedly make him late. To make things worse, his teacher never believes his story.

John Patrick Norman McHennessy

The Boy Who Was Always Late

Mark Haddon

Ben's repulsive cousin, T.J., comes to stay. He discovers an incriminating videotape of Agent Z activities and blackmails Ben into becoming his slave.Meanwhile, Ben, Jenks and Barney embark on their first film, entitled Invasion of the Killer Bananas, in which T.J. unwittingly has a starring role. When T.J. disappears, however, the film points towards Ben, Jenks and Barney as murder suspects!In an attempt to clear their names, the boys use all the cunning of Agent Z to try and lure T.J. home and into the hands of the police . . .Mark Haddon has a sharp understanding of what makes children tick, and they will delight in the ever more daring, ever more hilarious missions of Agent Z and his three creators.

Agent Z and the Killer Bananas

Hugh Lofting

Dctor Dolittle heads for the high seas in another amazing adventure and takes nine-and-a-half-year-old Tommy Stubbins along as his assistant. Tommy tells the story of their exciting voyages

The Voyages Of Dr Dolittle

Quentin Blake

A bouncing, read-aloud rhyme about a very special friend, from the nation's favourite llustrator, Quentin Blake! 
 
Meet Fantastic Daisy Artichoke. She's got three fat cats we like to stroke and a pond in which she likes to soak. . . . She isn't quite like other folk! 
 
"Blake is beyond brilliant . . . I've never met a child who doesn't love Quentin Blake" - Daily Telegraph 
 
Quentin Blake is one of Britain's best-loved and most successful author-illustrators, and was made the first Children's Laureate in 1999. He has won the Whitbread Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, and the Kate Greenaway Medal. among others.

Fantastic Daisy Artichoke

Kes Gray

Nick Sharratt

Garry Parsons

When three actual burglaries happen in Daisy's town, Daisy is beside herself with excitement. Two houses and the fish and chip shop have been broken into (and lots of cods and haddocks have been stolen). Anyone could be next! 
 
Daisy wants to help. Together with Gabby and Dylan, she forms her own detective agency. Armed with a notebook, a magnifying glass, a camera and a box of icing sugar, she sets out on the burglars' trail. 
 
Trouble is, detective work is hard when you're not allowed to go further than the end of the road . . .

Daisy and the Trouble with Burglars

Chloe Rayban

These days falling in love can happen at the touch of a button and when it happens to Justine, it happens in a BIG WAY! A few e-mails and she's head over Gucci heels in love with Los, but there's just one snag: He's from the year 3001. Justine is going to have to time travel to be with the one she loves but will she adjust to the technically advance society Los lives in? And will Los be able to adjust to Justine's way of seeing things? All's fair in love and cyberspace. A fun and stimulating look at life in the future. Will future scientists really prove that love is just a hormone imbalance curable with medication? What will be the role of men as cloning and genetics advance? And as technology and medicine improve - where will we put all our great-great-great-great-great grandparents?

Terminal Chic

Russell Ash

What's your name? Is it Chloe? Jessica? Jack, Sam? Is it Emily? Rebecca? Matthew, Dan? 
 
...Or is it Fart Bear? 
 
Noah Zark? 
 
Piggy Banks? 
 
Be grateful for your ordinary name - this funny, fascinating book is full of the silliest, the strangest, the weirdest and the wackiest names from around the world (and some of them are quite rude too)!

Big Pants, Burpy and Bumface

Hilaire Belloc

Mini Grey

Award-winning illustrator Mini Grey turns her inimitable hand to Hilaire Belloc's classic cautionary tale of Jim: who ran away from his Nurse and was eaten by a Lion! 
 
First published in 1907, Belloc's wickedly funny poem describing the sad end of Jim is fabulously illustrated in a magical picture book edition. This is darkly comic, word of warning about the dangers of being spoiled is the perfect tongue-in-cheek corrective for little ones who have been a little overindulged!

The second brilliant book in the Jack Beechwhistle series. 
 
The world's a dangerous place. Luckily, Jack Beechwhistle is around to protect it. He might look like an ordinary boy, but really he's a junior secret agent. He's tackled all sorts of missions - exploding conkers, zombie sweet-shop owners, and man-eating giant slugs - with a bit of help from his best friends and sidekicks, Colin and Harry (as long as it's not past their bedtime). 
 
Then Jack notices something strange and suspicious about the hairdresser in town, Valentino. Every time Valentino cuts someone's hair, he sweeps the hairs up and collects them in a big plastic bag. But what is he using them for? 
 
Everything points to Valentino being an evil enemy agent! And Jack Beechwhistle's on the case . . .

Jack Beechwhistle: Rise Of The Hairy Horror

Ars Armitage arrives on the beach with her surfboard and her faithful dog Breakspear, and paddles out to sea to wait for the Big Wave. But, of course, Mrs Armitage can't be satisfied with just an ordinary surfboard and she is soon adding a hilarious variety of gadgets and contraptions. And when the Big Wave finally arrives, Mrs Armitage certainly surfs with style!

Mrs Armitage And The Big Wave

John Farman

Everyone knows the story of Jesus' birth, and everyone knows how he died, right? But what about the bit in between - those formative teenage years? No-one knows if Jesus had crises with spots, girls or parents . . . until now. 
 
John Farman, author of the bestselling The Very Bloody History of Britain, takes a cheeky but affectionate look at those missing years in Jesus' life. You think you've had teenage-type problems to contend with? Wait till you read what Jesus had to go through!

Jesus - The Teenage Years

Warning: This book could change your ideas about history for ever!! 
 
Do you know why the Celts got the best girls? Or who had his portrait painted after he was dead? And have you any idea who planned the first Channel Tunnel? From the dawn of civilization to the end of the Second World War, it's all here in the factually accurate and hilariously funny Very Bloody History of Britain. 
 
Bizarre, barmy and almost beyond belief, you've never had a history lesson like it!

The Very Bloody History Of Britain

The First Bit!

Don't panic, but you're in danger. 
 
At least, you would be, if Jack Beechwhistle wasn't around to protect the world from alien attacks, zombie sweet-shop owners, and exploding conkers - with a bit of help from his trusty sidekicks, Colin and Harry (as long as it's not past Colin and Harry's bedtime). Their missions are daring, dangerous, and deadly. They even have top-secret headquarters (the shed by the rhubarb patch). 
 
But now Jack's about to face his most challenging challenge yet. The Attack of the Giant Slugs. 
 
And they're on their way to Jack's school - right in the middle of maths!

Jack Beechwhistle: Attack of the Giant Slugs

Kaye Umansky

Margaret Chamberlain

A rhyming picture book in which a group of children prepare for a party. The bright, action-packed illustrations feature all kinds of delicious food. 
 
'While a group of children prepares for a party, Jim has just one job. He must pass the jam. As the pages fill with piles and piles of food, the jam is still missing. Gradually, it becomes apparent that Jim will not be able to pass the jam - some has been eaten, some has been spilled and quite a lot is covering the walls, floor and Jim... Pre-school children and infants will find much to amuse them.' - JUNIOR BOOKSHELF 
 
'Marvellously memorable... very funny' - SCHOOL LIBRARIAN 
 
'Great fun to read aloud' - BABY MAGAZINE

Pass The Jam, Jim

Steven is sent out for groceries on to the mean street of the city with only a shopping basket for protection. There are several shady characters about who are offering to lighten the load of the basket by helping themselves to his provisions! Stephen's having none of it and with the help of some of the city's less attractive sights he outsmarts all of them and makes it home in time for tea. With the pictures telling as much of the story as the text, children and adults alike will appreciate the humour and observations from this well known children's author.

The Shopping Basket

Ben's a born daydreamer. He's much rather be in the Sahara, or on a Viking ship than sitting in a boring maths lesson. Then Agent Z appears on the scene - and THAT means secret missions, cunning plans and careful strategies. And soon Ben and his friends, Barney and Jenks, realize that life on planet earth is RATHER exciting after all!

Agent Z Meets The Masked Crusader

Nicholas Fisk

Tom and his little sister, Polly discover a huge, colourful parrot in their kitchen called Mister Macaw. He is a loquacious and very bossy bird who has swallowed an English dictionary and is DESPERATE to get back to his tropical rainforest. The threesome must find a way of paying for the parrot's airfare - and come up with the mega-wacky solution of robbing a bank with a . . . banana!

Not A Dickybird

Can Snuff's great idea save the day? A marvellous tale of creativity and quick-wittedness from the nation's favourite illustrator, Quentin Blake. 
 
Snuff dreams of being a brave and noble knight. But no matter how hard Sir Thomas Magpie tries to teach him, Snuff just can't seem to get anything right! The one day the Bootmaker gets raided by thieves, and Snuff might just have a clever idea to save the day - in his own unique and creative way! 
 
"Blake is beyond brilliant . . . I've never met a child who doesn't love Quentin Blake" - Daily Telegraph 
 
Quentin Blake is one of Britain's best-loved and most successful author-illustrators, and was made the first Children's Laureate in 1999. He has won the Whitbread Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, and the Kate Greenaway Medal. among others.

Snuff

Part of the BBC’s Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures

Keith Gray

Brook High is a great grey concrete ants' nest of a school. John Malarkey is the new kid, thrown in at the deep end of Year 11. He's the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. 
 
Through what at first appears to be a random meeting, he helps a girl called Mary Chase out of a tricky situation, but is subsequently accused of stealing report cards to sell to students so they can write their own bogus reports. He quickly realises it was all a set-up, and that he's been used to take the fall. The teacher who accuses him of the crime gives him one day to prove his innocence. Malarkey tries to track down Mary Chase, but it's difficult in such a huge place. He does, however, discover strange goings-on beneath the surface of the normal school day. The more questions he asks the deeper he becomes involved in the corrupt under-belly of the school. He's also noticed the peculiar fact that so many kids at Brook wear Adidas trainers - black with the three white stripes. He realises that these are the badge of membership worn by those involved in the school's 'mafia'. He discovers that the name of the organisation's leader is Freddie Cloth, and Mary Chase turns out to be Cloth's girlfriend. Malarkey is soon noticed for asking so many questions, and receives warnings and then threats to back down. But, with time quickly running out for him, he still has to prove his innocence. And the only way to do this is to get to Freddie Cloth.

Malarkey

Gretel Killeen

Catherine Vase

Join Eppie and Zeke as they get sucked down the plughole and into a brand-new adventure. It's a giggle-filled non-stop underwater romp with man-eating seaweed, magic mermaids, pirates in petticoats, fat fisherman and elastic eels . . . and that's all before breakfast. Will Zeke and Eppie ever get back on dry land and back to their normal size? This slapstick adventure, bursting with anarchic energy has enormous child-appeal even for the most reluctant reader.

My Sister's A Sea Slug

Justine only goes to the Virtual Reality Exhibition in the hope she might get lucky with fit hunk Alex. Instead she gets unlucky with an Alternative Reality machine and leaves the exhibition as Jake! 
 
Once she's got over the shock, Justine starts to see the potential of her new situation. As Jake she has the opportunity to hang out with the lads and find out what really makes them tick. But when her real self develops a major crush on her virtual self, things start to get just a bit too complicated . . .

Virtual Sexual Reality

Another BRILLIANT laugh-out-loud Daisy adventure, from the bestselling author of the Oi Frog series, Kes Gray. 
 
Here comes trouble! 
 
Daisy has a lot to learn when it comes to saving and making money. 
 
When her best friend Gabby gets the most awesome, immense, water-squirting micro-scooter Daisy’s ever seen, she MUST have one too! 
 
The trouble is, is they cost a LOT of money. So Daisy and Gabby hatch a money-making plan. Surely nothing will go wrong?

Daisy and the Trouble with Piggy Banks

Meet the extraordinary baby, Zagazoo! A classic tale from the nation's favourite illustrator, Quentin Blake. 
 
Zagazoo is a baby like no other. In this quite exceptional picture book young readers will be delighted by the hilarious and unexpected changes in his behaviour as Zagazoo grows up. Parents may detect some strange echoes of family life. There have been many classic picture books from the incomparable pen of Quentin Blake, but never one more extraordinary. 
 
"Blake is beyond brilliant . . . I've never met a child who doesn't love Quentin Blake" - Daily Telegraph 
 
Quentin Blake is one of Britain's best-loved and most successful author-illustrators, and was made the first Children's Laureate in 1999. He has won the Whitbread Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, and the Kate Greenaway Medal. among others.

Zagazoo

Tom Fletcher

Dougie Poynter

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER! 
 
Danny and Dinosaur sailed out to sea on a ship that was crooked and old. 
With a map in Dan's hand of a faraway land, where a pirate had buried his gold . . . 
 
So begins this hilarious, swashbuckling adventure for Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter's much-loved characters Danny and Dinosaur! 
 
This poop-filled extravaganza is brought to life by the preposterously talented illustrator Garry Parsons, and the brand new sea-shanty rhythm is perfect for reading out loud. 
 
Join Danny and Dino on this rollicking, rhyming delight, packed with action and adventure, pirates and peril...plus some very silly surprises! 
 
A brilliant book for children new to this ridiculously funny picture book series, and a fun new reading experience for all those who loved: 
 
The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas 
The Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet 
The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past 
The Dinosaur that Pooped the Bed 
The Dinosaur that Pooped a Princess

The Dinosaur that Pooped a Pirate!

Nicholas Allan

A special new enlarged edition of the bestselling Christmas story told from the point of view of the grumpy innkeeper. When a night of angels, shepherds and bright stars keeps him from his sleep, is there anything that will cheer him up?

Jesus' Christmas Party

Ben's in danger of spending his holidays cooped up in a caravan with his mad Aunt Gwen. But by luck (and bribery), he gets a place on the school trip to an outward-bound centre in Wales, along with Barney, Jenks and of course, Agent Z. Abseiling, orienteering, sinking enemy canoes and sabotaging toothpaste are all in a day's work for the Crane Grove Crew. But then they uncover a news clipping which reveals that their centre manager, the affectionately nicknamed 'Grenade-head', is in fact an escaped bank robber. He's planning to recover the buried loot any night now and Agent Z and the crew intend to be there when he does. If you think that sounds like a downright ridiculous plan, you'd be right. Especially as the escaped criminal story turns out to be the invention of the crew's new pal, Roz and for once, the joke's on them! Mark Haddon has a sharp understanding of what makes children tick, and they will delight in the ever more daring, ever more hilarious missions of Agent Z and his three creators.

Agent Z Goes Wild

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