Alex vs Axel: The Impossible Quests


Book Description

The hilarious new fantasy adventure from the author of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken. Alex is a normal, everyday kid, living in a normal, everyday city. Axel is a monster-slaying hero, living in a world of magic. Unfortunately, when the two boys mysteriously swap places, each of them ends up being mistaken for the other. With zero experience of heroism, Alex is thrust into an epic quest to defeat the evil Felonius Gloam, who has stolen the Book of Lifetales and is using it to unravel the very fabric of the world of Aërth. Meanwhile, Axel is faced with double maths, a gran who's six months behind on the rent, and a crucial chess tournament he's got to win – when he doesn't even know how to play. Can the two boys complete their Impossible Quests and find a way back to their own lives, or will they both discover they don't have a life to come back to . . . ?




Greta and the Ghost Hunters


Book Description

The hilarious tale of a family coming to terms with its ghosts - literally. Greta Woebegone did not believe in ghosts until the day she was knocked over by a car and almost died. Then everything changed... Now Greta can not only see the spirits that haunt her ancestral home, she can talk to them too - from her grumpy Grandpa Woebegone and Percy the poo-pushing plague victim to the sinister spook in the cellar. Can Greta help the ghosts avoid being exorcised (a fate worse than undeath)? Can the ghosts help Greta stop her beloved Grandma being put in a home? And can they all help each other overcome the pain in their past that's holding them back from the future? From the acclaimed author of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken comes a touching and side-splitting new story guaranteed to delight readers of nine and up. 'Hilarious, fast-paced and full of heart' - Sunday Express 'Funny, engaging and utterly heartfelt' - LD Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency




Uma and the Answer to Absolutely Everything


Book Description

'Fresh and funny' - Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week The hilarious and moving new book from funny fiction superstar Sam Copeland, author of the bestselling Charlie Changes Into a Chicken. Uma Gnudersonn has a head full of questions: How can I save my home from being sold? Will my dad ever start talking again? And how do alpacas get drunk? But since her mum died, Uma's life has been short on answers. Then she finds a genius artificial intelligence called Athena who knows everything. Suddenly Uma has the answer to any question she can imagine - from the capital of Mozambique to the colour of her headteacher's underpants - and she's going to use them to save her home and her father. Along the way, Uma will have to confront the sinister inventor who will stop at nothing to get Athena back - and face up to the fact that not all questions have answers . . . 'Utterly brilliant' - Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl 'This fast paced adventure is full of warmth and wit' - Sunday Express 'Slapstick, satire, silliness . . . truly cheering entertainment' - Sunday Times Best Books for Children 2021 'Hilarious and full of heart' - Jasbinder Bilan, author of Costa-award-winning Asha and the Spirit Bird 'Original, hilarious and delightfully madcap' - Katie Tsang, author of Dragon Mountain 'Funnier than an alpaca with a well-honed stand-up routine' - David Solomons, author of My Brother is a Superhero 'Fast, funny and full of heart' - Amy Sparkes, author of The House at the Edge of Magic 'A brilliantly funny story . . . I loved it!' - Cat Doyle, author of The Storm-Keeper's Island 'Comedy gold' - Sibeal Pounder, author of Witch Wars




Charlie Turns Into a T-Rex


Book Description

A Waterstones Paperback of the Year! What happens when you feel stressed? Maybe you start sweating, or your heart beats faster. When Charlie McGuffin gets stressed, something a little bit different happens: he turns into an animal! Unfortunately, things are getting quite stressful for Charlie: - His dad's business is in real trouble - He might have to move in with his Aunt Brenda and her seventeen cats (and wooden leg) - And it's getting harder and harder to control his powers Luckily, Charlie's best friends Flora, Wogan and Mohsen are on hand to help. If they can break into the fortress-like offices of Van Der Gruyne Industries and recover the McGuffins' stolen gold, maybe Charlie won't have to move away after all. Can Charlie's friends help him master his powers once and for all, or will he end up stuck as a pigeon forever? Praise for Charlie Changes into a Chicken: 'This is a really funny book!' Alice, age 8 'My body couldn't help but shake with laughter' Maren, age 10 'Belly-busting hilarity' The Guardian 'Laugh-out-loud funny' The Mail on Sunday 'The modern masterpiece . . . this savvy, comic tale ticks every box' The Daily Telegraph 'Cleverly daft storytelling at its very, very best' Maz Evans, author of Who Let The Gods Out? 'The best kind of silly' The Observer 'Full of heart and humour, wit and wisdom' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs 'Wonderfully heart-warming and absolutely hilarious' Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island Charlie Changes into a Chicken has been: Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize! Longlisted for the Brandford Boase Award! Longlisted for the Blue Peter Award! The Guardian and The Telegraph's Book of the Year!




The Underpants of Chaos


Book Description

"I should have realised that there was going to be something SERIOUSLY weird about a town called Little STRANGEhaven." Something BAD is happening at Little Strangehaven Primary. What are the peculiar SHIVERS that keep striking the school, bringing Strangeness in their wake - from uncontrollable ballroom dancing to an attack by military chickens? Spy-detective Agatha Topps is determined to find out. She's the only person who doesn't forget the Strangeness as soon as it's over. At least, until new boy Lenny Tuchus turns up and remembers too. Their spy-detectoring leads them to the Book of Chaos, an ancient text which has been hidden away in the Room of Forbidden and Dangerous Books. Can Agatha and Lenny fight off attacks from evil underpants and Transylvanian gargoyles to stop the SHIVERS before their town is sucked into oblivion? Because power lies in books - especially this one . . . The perfect story for 7 to 9-year-olds (or STRANGE adults) and fans of Ben Miller, David Walliams and Tom Fletcher. Packed with hilarious illustrations and easy-to-read text, discover the secrets of Little Strangehaven.




Charlie Morphs Into a Mammoth


Book Description

Named as a Best Book to Look Out for in 2020 by Waterstones! The third hilarious adventure for Charlie McGuffin, the boy who changes into animals when he gets nervous. Charlie McGuffin is an actual superhero. He's gained control over his wacky ability to change into animals - he's even able to use it to turn the tables on school bully Dylan. But there are some things Charlie can't control, like the arguments his parents keep having (which are making him more worried than ever) or the mysterious animal disappearances spreading through town (which might be connected to Charlie himself). Can Charlie unravel the mystery of the pet-nappings before his biggest secret is revealed to the world...? Praise for Charlie Changes into a Chicken: 'This is a really funny book!' Alice, age 8 'My body couldn't help but shake with laughter' Maren, age 10 'Belly-busting hilarity' The Guardian 'Laugh-out-loud funny' The Mail on Sunday 'Cleverly daft storytelling at its very, very best' Maz Evans, author of Who Let The Gods Out? 'The best kind of silly' The Observer 'Full of heart and humour, wit and wisdom' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs 'Wonderfully heart-warming and absolutely hilarious' Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island Charlie Changes into a Chicken has been: Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize! Longlisted for the Brandford Boase Award! Longlisted for the Blue Peter Award! The Guardian and The Telegraph's Book of the Year!




Axel Honneth


Book Description

With his insightful and wide-ranging theory of recognition, AxelHonneth has decisively reshaped the Frankfurt School tradition ofcritical social theory. Combining insights from philosophy,sociology, psychology, history, political economy, and culturalcritique, Honneth’s work proposes nothing less than anaccount of the moral infrastructure of human sociality and itsrelation to the perils and promise of contemporary sociallife. This book provides an accessible overview of Honneth’s maincontributions across a variety of fields, assessing the strengthsand weaknesses of his thought. Christopher Zurn clearly explainsHonneth’s multi-faceted theory of recognition and itsrelation to diverse topics: individual identity, morality, activistmovements, progress, social pathologies, capitalism, justice,freedom, and critique. In so doing, he places Honneth’stheory in a broad intellectual context, encompassing classic socialtheorists such as Kant, Hegel, Marx, Freud, Dewey, Adorno andHabermas, as well as contemporary trends in social theory andpolitical philosophy. Treating the full range of Honneth’scorpus, including his major new work on social freedom anddemocratic ethical life, this book is the most up-to-date guideavailable. Axel Honneth will be invaluable to students and scholarsworking across the humanities and social sciences, as well asanyone seeking a clear guide to the work of one of the mostinfluential theorists writing today.




The Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Dog


Book Description

Trevor's mum has offered him £30 to walk the dog every day of the holidays. But Streaker is no ordinary dog, she's a rocket on four legs with a woof attached! Trevor enlists the help of best friend Tina to keep Streaker under control - with some hilarious results! A favourite story from a prize-winning author.




Charlie Changes Into a Chicken


Book Description

The first book in a hilarious new series for fans of Roald Dahl and David Walliams! Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize! Longlisted for the Brandford Boase Award! Longlisted for the Blue Peter Award! The Guardian and The Telegraph's Children's Book of the Year! _______ Charlie McGuffin has an incredible secret . . . He can change into animals. All sorts of animals: a flea, a pigeon, even a rhino. Trouble is, he can't decide when - it only happens when he gets worried. And right now, Charlie has quite a lot to worry about: · His brother (who is in hospital) · His parents (who are panicking about it) · And the school bully (who has Charlie in his sights) And even though every kid wants a superhero power, Charlie isn't keen on changing into a chicken in the middle of the school play. So with the help of his three best friends, Charlie needs to find a way of dealing with his crazy new power - and fast! Praise for Charlie Changes into a Chicken: 'Belly-busting hilarity' The Guardian 'The modern masterpiece . . . this savvy, comic tale ticks every box' The Daily Telegraph 'The best kind of silly' The Observer 'Laugh-out-loud funny' The Mail on Sunday 'Cleverly daft storytelling at its very, very best' Maz Evans, author of Who Let The Gods Out? 'Full of heart and humour, wit and wisdom, and rivers of rhino poo' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs 'Wonderfully heart-warming and absolutely hilarious' Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island




Russian Literature


Book Description

For most English-speaking readers, Russian literature consists of a small number of individual writers - nineteenth-century masters such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Turgenev - or a few well-known works - Chekhov's plays, Brodsky's poems, and perhaps Master and Margarita and Doctor Zhivago from the twentieth century. The medieval period, as well as the brilliant tradition of Russian lyric poetry from the eighteenth century to the present, are almost completely terra incognita, as are the complex prose experiments of Nikolai Gogol, Nikolai Leskov, Andrei Belyi, and Andrei Platonov. Furthermore, those writers who have made an impact are generally known outside of the contexts in which they wrote and in which their work has been received. In this engaging book, Andrew Baruch Wachtel and Ilya Vinitsky provide a comprehensive, conceptually challenging history of Russian literature, including prose, poetry and drama. Each of the ten chapters deals with a bounded time period from medieval Russia to the present. In a number of cases, chapters overlap chronologically, thereby allowing a given period to be seen in more than one context. To tell the story of each period, the authors provide an introductory essay touching on the highpoints of its development and then concentrate on one biography, one literary or cultural event, and one literary work, which serve as prisms through which the main outlines of a given period?s development can be discerned. Although the focus is on literature, individual works, lives and events are placed in broad historical context as well as in the framework of parallel developments in Russian art and music.