A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy and is known as @agatharoza on Wattpad.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children. Angelica is also the author of Hunt A Killer, a PERFECT SCORE novel, under the pen name A.M. Ellis, which she wrote as an IP for Scholastic in the US.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

Aaron Edwards is a senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, specialising in terrorism and counter-insurgency. He is the author and editor of several books, including Defending the Realm: The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945, and has lectured all over the world on aspects of national and international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

Aaron Shapiro

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Dick King-Smith

Adrienne  Kennaway

Blessu is a very small elephant who suffers from dreadful hay fever - and although he's very small, he has a very large sneeze! Blessu doesn't grow very fast, except for one part of him - his trunk. And every time he sneezes, his trunk grows even bigger.

Blessu

Zoë Armstrong

Shelly Laslo

Psst! Calling all super-cunning spies. Yes, I mean YOU. 
 
Can you find the real-life spies hidden throughout this book? With 8 fiendish spotting scenes, only the most cunning reader will be able to find these spies. 
 
Discover the true stories of 8 fascinating spies: one who crawled across the rooftops of Paris, one who hid secrets in her wooden leg, and even the grandma-next-door who turned out to have been a spy . . . 
 
Along the way you'll learn top-secret skills such as the art of disguise, coding secret messages and writing in invisible ink. 
 
With spotting scenes, real-life incredible stories from throughout history, and devious spy skills to learn - this book will keep all budding spies busy. Published in partnership with the experts at the Imperial War Museums.

Find The Spy

Claire Freedman

Shaw Davidson

Rediscover the magical story of Mary Lennox, who arrives in the wild and windswept Yorkshire a sickly and miserable girl - until she discovers a forgotten, Secret Garden. 
 
As Mary works hard to bring the garden back to life, its magic begins to work on her too . . . 
 
This classic and beloved story has been beautifully retold by Claire Freedman and brought to glorious visual life by new illustration talent Shaw Davidson

The Secret Garden

Ellie Wharton

Tamara Macfarlane

Paula Franco

This journal is full of magical discoveries waiting to be explored. Meet the mermaids of the oceans, bake some of their favourite food and uncover the facts about these secret, mystical creatures. Read about their secret skills, their special pets and how to seek out a mermaid in the big wide ocean blue. 
 
Learn how to become a mermaid seeker, how to care for these creatures and join Ruby, Head Mermaid Seeker, as you promise to look after your mermaid companion and protect their secret and their home. 
 
With mermaid stories to read, secrets to learn and much more, this is the perfect book for mermaid believers everywhere.

My Secret World of Mermaids

lockable story and activity book

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

Ciara Ní Dhuinn

This story and activity book is full of magical discoveries, waiting to be explored. Meet the unicorns of the world, bake some of their favourite food and uncover the facts about these secret, magical creatures. Read about their secret skills, their favourite hairstyles and how to spot a unicorn in the big wide world. 
 
Join Celeste, Unicorn Seeker and head of the Secret Society of Mythical Creatures, and learn how to look after your unicorn companion and protect their secrets. 
 
With unicorn stories to read, secrets to learn and much more, this is the perfect book for unicorn believers everywhere.

My Secret World of Unicorns

Puffin

Penguin presents the audio CD edition of Are We Nearly There Yet? read by Daniel Weyman and Michael Obiora. 
 
A collection of some of Puffin's best-loved stories all about travel and adventure featuring books by... 
 
Quentin Blake, Giles Andreae &amp; Korky Paul, Benedict Blathwayt, Matt de la Pena &amp; Christian Robinson, Emma Thompson, William Steig, Joel Stewart, Shirley Hughes, Peter Bentley &amp; Helen Oxenbury and Nadia Shireen. 
 
These stories are brought to life with amazing sound effects.

Are We Nearly There Yet?

Puffin Book of Stories for the Car

Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Annabel Tempest

Could you be EXTRAORDINARY? This book will inspire you with the real-life stories of extraordinary people, showcasing a total variety of personalities and talents. Whoever you are, and whoever you want to be, read about the extraordinary stories of these 15 people, and decide how YOU will be extraordinary too! 
 
From around the world and throughout history, discover unsung heroes - and some well-known faces - brought to life with astonishing story-telling and illustration. 
 
Meet an artist, scientist, medic, environmentalist, musician, activist, writer, politician, and even a spy . . . above all, discover that there are MANY ways to be extraordinary and to make a real difference in the world. 
 
Featuring the real-life stories of: Aeham Ahmad, David Attenborough, Mo Farah, Keiko Fukuda Sensei, Stephen Hawking, Frida Kahlo, Abdul Kalam, Judith Kerr, Wangari Maathai, Nelson Mandela, David Nott, Michelle Obama, Krystyna Skarbek, Alan Turing, Sau Lan Wu

How To Be Extraordinary

Matthew A. Cherry

Vashti Harrison

It's up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style in this story of self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters. 
 
Zuri knows her hair is beautiful, but it has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Mum always does Zuri's hair just the way she likes it - so when Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her - and her hair - happy. 
 
Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair - and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.

Hair Love

Based on the Oscar-Winning Short Film

Allan Ahlberg

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

David Walser

Jan Pienkowski

"Bold and intensely satisfying for children and adults alike" The Guardian 
 
The ultimate adventure retold for children! Odysseus must battle his way home from war with the Greek Gods pitted against him. But what will he find when he gets there? 
 
From the gory tale of the Cyclops to the trickery of the Trojan Horse, Homer's classic, The Odyssey, is filled with stories of bravery, cleverness and heroism. This picture-book retelling of Odysseus's epic journey is the perfect introduction to this essential story. 
 
"Pienkowski is a genius" Independent

The Odyssey

Barack Obama

An inspirational picture book for young readers from former President of the United States, Barack Obama. 
 
In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, former President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to the ideals that have shaped his nation and thirteen groundbreaking Americans, including: 
 
The artistry of Georgia O'Keefe 
The courage of Jackie Robinson 
The patriotism of George Washington 
 
Barack Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children and within all children. 
 
Evocative illustrations by the award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans, and the innocence and promise of childhood. 
 
This book celebrates the potential within all of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths.

Of Thee I Sing

Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world. 
 
Featuring the true stories of 40 inspirational women creators - from writers to inventors, artists to scientists - this book is as inspirational as it is educational. Readers will meet trailblazing women such as revolutionary architect, Zaha Hadid, actor/inventor Hedy Lamarr, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, modernist painter and animator Mary Blair and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. Some names will be familiar, some will not - but all these women had a lasting impact on their fields.

Little Leaders: Visionary Women Around the World

Christopher Wormell

When Molly wakes up in the middle of the night, she hears the sound of a step on the stairs. It could be a crocodile creeping up to catch her . . . Or a giant giraffe outside on the landing . . . Or an enormous elephant turning the doorknob and opening the door . . . Or even a night monster come to gobble her up . . . 
 
But when Molly surprises the tiptoeing beast, she gets an even bigger surprise of her own! 
 
This edition is a beautiful reissue of a children's modern classic.

Molly and the Night Monster

William Steig

Doctor de Soto, a dentist who also happens to be a mouse, is the best dentist in town. He treats animals of all shapes and sizes - that is, except for "cats and other dangerous animals". When a fox appears in his surgery with bad toothache, kind-hearted Doctor de Soto agrees to help. But is he foolish to trust a fox? Could a small mouse outwit the foxiest of animals? This modern classic is full of mischief, warmth and humour.

Doctor De Soto

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

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

The Enormous Crocodile is planning what to have for his lunch. This foul fiend - the greediest croc in the whole river - wants to eat something juicy and delicious. His teeth sparkle like knives in the sun and he's getting hungrier and hungrier. But what can the greedy grumptious brute guzzle up? 
Beware - he's looking for someone . . . someone who looks a lot like YOU! 
 
Read the story and listen to the AMAZING audio CD!

The Enormous Crocodile (Book and CD)

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

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

Pete is in a bad mood. It's raining and he can't play out. 
 
But never fear, Pete's dad has just the idea to cheer Pete up - turn him into a pizza! He kneads the dough, adds oil and tomatoes, and with some tickles and giggles along the way, before long the sun comes out... 
 
A picture book classic from the creator of Shrek.

Pete's a Pizza

Puffin Books

A lively collection of nineteen five-minute stories, ideally suited to the audiobook format. Here are stories old and new, from Perrault's LITTLE RED-RIDING HOOD and the traditional tale of THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF to Margaret Mahy's HORRENDOUS HULLABALOO and Dick King-Smith's BLESSU. There are stories about animals, magic and mermaids, in this fascinating audiobook anthology.

Puffin Book of Five-minute Stories

"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

Penguin presents a phizz-wizzing treat for the ears with 2 favourite Roald Dahl stories: 
 
Billy and the Minpins by Roald Dahl read by Bill Bailey 
 
Billy's mum says he must never go out through the garden gate and explore the 
dark forest beyond. So, one day, that's exactly what he does! There he meets 
the Minpins, tiny tree-dwelling people whose children are the size of 
matchsticks. They live in fear of the terrible, galloping GRUNCHER. Will it 
gobble Billy too - or can he find a way to defeat the hungry beast? 
 
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl, read by Kate Winslet 
 
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 . . .

Billy and the Minpins & The Magic Finger

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

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

Read the book that inspired the famous film franchise in this wonderfully funny picture book. 
 
Before Shrek made it big on the silver screen, there was William Steig's SHREK!, a book about an ordinary ogre who leaves his swampy childhood home to go out and see the world. Ordinary, that is, if a foul and hideous being who ends up marrying the most stunningly ugly princess on the planet is what you consider ordinary.

Shrek!

Wizzil the witch is bored stiff and out to cause trouble at Frimp Farm. Little does she know that she will meet her match in Mr DeWitt Frimp. As the two compete in the battle of revenge, they soon realise that there's more to life . . . 
 
 
Two masters of picture books, William Steig and Quentin Blake, have collaborated to create a brilliantly funny tale about an unlikely friendship. You will not be disappointed.

Wizzil

Michelle Porte Davies

Jim Peacock

George Kranky created his own Marvellous Medicine to deal with his grizzly old grunion of a Grandma. You definitely can't do that at home (so don't even try!), but here's some amazing science that you can do! 
 
From concocting home-made slime to creating your own volcano, these fun experiments are all easily done, following simple step-by-step instructions and using everyday household objects. 
 
Inspired by Roald Dahl's terrific tale, this is the book for budding young scientists everywhere!

Roald Dahl: George's Marvellous Experiments

Catherine Storr

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

The very funny stories of Clever Polly and the stupid wolf, gathered together in one volume, including Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf, Polly and the Wolf Again, Tales of Polly and the Hungry Wolf and More Stories of Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf. 
Drawing occasionally on well-known fairy tales, and skilfully blending fantasy and reality, these stories are bursting with humour, originality and charm. And Polly, not scared at all, outwits the wolf on each and every occasion!

The Complete Adventures of Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf

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

A Private Thriller

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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