How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini


Book Description

Ali Ferguson has just moved into Lever Tower with his mum. It's not long before he meets Caitlin and the Alsatian dog she looks after, Falcon, who doesn't take too kindly to being walked on a lead. Caitlin introduces Ali to her best friend, Gez, and together the three set out to discover, firstly, why the foxes have disappeared from the area, secondly, why the owls have appeared and, thirdly, why Miss Osborne has, it seems, vanished . . . And how exactly her disappearance is related to the previous two. With the help of his friends and, significantly, Caitlin's dad, Ali and his mum begin to feel comfortable and happy in their new life without Ali's dad.




How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant


Book Description

Kirsty Jenkins adores the allotment her grandfather lovingly tends and, just before he dies, he asks Kirsty to look after it for him. But when horrible Mr Thomas from the council insists it must go to the next person on the waiting list, Kirsty is determined to find a way to keep her promise. After pleading with Mr Thomas and demonstrating at the council offices, Kirsty and her half-siblings undertake their most daring plan of all: to 'borrow' the stuffed elephant from the museum that Mr Thomas loves so much, in a last-ditch attempt to gain his attention and understanding. Perhaps this risky ruse might also shake Kirsty's dad from the quiet sadness he has fallen into ever since her grandfather died. A warm, funny and moving novel about family relationships, dealing with bereavement, green beans and marrows.




The Great Ice-cream Heist


Book Description

'Those McIntyres are nothing but trouble!' When the McIntyre family moves in next door, Eva is intrigued - it is the first interesting thing to happen for ages. But her ever protective Dad - even more protective since Eva's mum died - does not agree. And the McIntyres are certainly noisy! But Eva is curious about Jamie, who she often sees on the roof of his garden shed, escaping the family chaos.Then Eva gets to know Jamie a bit better. And when he is accused of vandalising the local park, Eva is sure he didn't do it. It is up to Eva to stick up for him - but then Jamie disappears. Eva is now in a race against time, which snowballs into a helterskelter race with a 'borrowed' ice cream van, lots of irate keep-fit enthusiasts and lashings of ice-cream!A warm, funny adventure about sticking up for your friends.




The Mystery of Wickworth Manor


Book Description

Paige Owens, bright, cheeky, confident, cannot wait to go to secondary school. Curtis Okafor, wary and much less confident, is not so sure. The only thing they share in common is the first letter of their surnames - which ensures they are forced into each other's company on a school trip to Wickworth Manor, the local stately home. Then Curtis finds a portrait in his bedroom of a young black servant dressed in livery. But why is the portrait hidden in the bedroom, and not in pride of place alongside the other portraits in the manor? And then Paige finds an intriguing letter, written over 200 years ago by Miss Verity Burton, who used to live at the Manor, that mentions the portrait. There is a mystery begging to be unravelled! So Paige and Curtis, in their very different ways, start work to find out what happened all those years ago . . . An exciting adventure with lots of humour and action, which also gives some background on the slave trade.




Operation Eiffel Tower


Book Description

A touching and funny story about surviving family break-up




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!




Escape the Rooms


Book Description

A high-energy, laugh-out-loud, fully illustrated adventure story by much-loved actor Stephen Mangan and talented artist Anita Mangan. The last thing Jack expected when he bungee-jumped at the fairground was to go plummeting right through the ground into the weird, wonderful Rooms... There he must face a series of puzzles and traps alongside a mysterious girl called Cally, in order for them to find their way home. Throw in a murderous polar bear, hundreds of tiny yet ferocious lions, some mind-blowing riddles, and get ready for a hilarious, helter-skelter adventure like no other!




The Puppy Plan


Book Description

In my life I have wished a million thousand times for a puppy, so I was officially over the moon when I finally obtained Parental Consent to get Honey - the most absolutely softest and velvetest golden Labrador you have ever imagined. Since she moved in we have had some extremely funny adventures while dealing with my weird sister April's frankly unfortunate love crush on Honey's vet. It has all been rather manic, but luckily I am an expert in Defusing the Tension and Staying Ahead of the Game when it comes to this sort of situation, as you will see. This is the first book in a precisely charming new series about me and Honey.




Moon Bear


Book Description

Both torn from their homes in Laos, a boy and a moon bear cub form a deep bond in this “moving and memorable” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) tale of impossible odds and resilient hope, based on true and tragic conditions in Eastern Asia. Twelve-year-old Tam, on a dare, ventures into a moon bear den in the mountains of Northern Laos. His goal is to steal the cub and sell it, making a fortune for his family. But the mother bear’s unexpected return upends Tam’s plan, and he barely escapes with his life. Then his life implodes anyway: his entire mountain village is forced to relocate to make room for a new highway. Lured by the promise of electricity, running water, and a television, Tam’s people move to an overcrowded village, where Tam’s father is killed by a stray landmine. Now the family breadwinner, Tam is forced to work hundreds of miles away in the city of Laos, at a moon bear farm where bile from bear gall bladders is used for medicine. It is a cruel, miserable place, and when a familiar face—the very cub he’d seen in the den in Vietnam—is sold to the bear farm, Tam knows he must save this moon bear, no matter what it takes. Deeply and powerfully moving, Moon Bear is an unforgettable story of compassion, hope, and bravery against overwhelming odds, and brings to light the real-life, heartwrenching plight of Asia’s endangered moon bears.




RSPCA: The Abandoned Kitten


Book Description

Lily's mum works at an RSPCA centre as an Animal Care Assistant. Lily thinks it's the best job ever. Sometimes Mum has to care for animals at home, and one evening, Mum arrives with three tiny abandoned kittens. Together, Mum, Lily and their crossbreed dog Meg will be able to nurse the kittens back to health.