Tabitha and the Raincloud


Book Description

Tabitha and the Raincloud is about those yucky days when things seem to go wrong from the moment you wake up. When Tabitha wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, she finds a big raincloud next to her taking up most of the space. She tells it to go away, but it won’t budge. Things get worse. At breakfast, the cloud rains all over her scrambled eggs. At school, she tries to draw a giraffe, but the raincloud distracts her and her art teacher compliments her on her dinosaur! Aaagh! By lunchtime, Tabitha is so stormy that none of her friends want to sit next to her. Tabitha realises she needs to change her attitude. It’s not the raincloud that’s making her day unpleasant, but how she’s choosing to react to it. So, Tabitha fetches her umbrella, raincoat and boots from her locker and starts dancing in the rain. It’s not long before her friends join her and they’re all having fun together! This is a story of resilience, choices, optimism and perseverance. It’s a gentle reminder that we all have raincloudy days but we’ll get through them. And sometimes, we can bring the sunshine out a little bit faster if we remember to dance in the rain!




The Wonderer: A Darby, Baird & Co. Novel


Book Description

Not all who Wonder are lost... It's 1941.The Big Apple's striking: a glossy, black & white silent film silhouette. The false bottom disguising Magical Society's hub at its core... Darby's just met Robert Baird.He's an Escape Artist & Connoissuer of mechanisms.She's a Witch of Ruby Kindred royalty, with a Charm for song.Fate introduces her to his breathtaking streetmagic, against the storybook backdrop of Central Park.Now Darby's seeing things: magic in the everyday.Darby's the sort of magic Baird would hang up his hat for. But that heart on his sleeve's riddled with padlocks, and how. There's a trick to his reckless trade: Escapologists don't grow old. Especially with a Magician's Duel afoot- a dare of 12 impossible tasks, initiated by an anonymous rival.The Wonderer brews misdirection and intrigue in this Young Adult Historical Fantasy novel, invoking Baum's timeless American Fairytale notion: with a smidgeon of brains, heart, and gumption, we always hold the power. We just have to find it for ourselves.




Pear of Hope


Book Description

Anna loves the old pear tree that lives at the bottom of the garden. When she becomes seriously ill, her relationship with the tree provides comfort and peace on her journey, particularly when she plants a seed from one of the tree's pears. Pear of Hope is the story of a little girl with cancer and her tale of recovery. This is intertwined with the growth of a pear tree, which symbolises the enigmatic concept of hope. Told through sensitive words and gentle, beautiful illustrations, the story will comfort and inspire any children who are struggling to feel positive, whatever journey they may be on. Author Wenda Shurety wrote Pear of Hope because, as someone living with Multiple Sclerosis, hope has been instrumental in her healing process. The story is a gentle introduction to building a more positive outlook in the face of struggle. As well as adults and children suffering from illness, it will also appeal to educators discussing the topics of hope and symbolism, and to medical staff or counsellors who have to discuss hope in difficult situations. The beautiful story of Pear of Hope and its brave, adventurous and hopeful main character, Anna, will be a crucial step towards children and their carers embracing hope in their lives. With its vibrant images, it is a reminder of the beauty of the world around us and of the fact that, like Anna, with hope you can face any battle!




Scaredy Book


Book Description

Book lives at the library and desperately wants to go outside like the other books, but is intimidated by all the things that might happen ‘out there’. A page might get torn. Book’s cover might get dirty. Book might never be returned to the library! Meanwhile, little Emma loves visiting the library and delights in the many adventures to be had in the stories she finds there. When Emma meets Book, they find they are just what each other needs. Together, Book and Emma move out of their comfort zone to try new things, meet new people, and enjoy a fair few adventures — climbing trees, laughing in the rain, and even cheering along at a football match! On their adventures, Book and Emma discover that ‘out there’ needn’t be scary if you just take it one step at a time. A beautifully illustrated, inspirational tale, Scaredy Book shows the fun that is to be had when you stop letting worry hold you back. Children and parents alike will enjoy this story about being brave, taking risks, and living to tell the tale!




Saying Goodbye to Barkley


Book Description

Olivia and her dog Barkley are inseparable. He's her sidekick, her partner in crime-fighting - they're the perfect pair. But then, Barkley dies and Olivia is heartbroken. She dreads falling asleep because waking up without Barkley is just too sad. Gradually, however, she realizes that Barkley wouldn't want her to be unhappy for the rest of her life. So she thinks of a way that she cannot only get her own happiness back, but also give happiness to another animal, by adopting a new dog from an animal shelter. And so Spud joins the family. Spud is a terrible sidekick and crime-fighter - she wants to play with the bad guys not catch them! In fact, Spud couldn't be less like Barkley, but Olivia grows to love her very much because she's just as special in her own way.




A Year and a Day


Book Description

The Angel of Joy and the Angel of Vengeance are sent together on a mission to New York City, and are assigned to take human form and live among mortals for a year and a day.




Ghostcloud


Book Description

A riveting, magical escapade about finding friendship and the courage to set yourself free against all odds. Kidnapped and forced to shovel coal underground, in a half-bombed power station, 12-year-old Luke Smith-Sharma keeps his head down and hopes he can earn his freedom from the evil Tabitha Margate. Then one day he discovers he can see things that others can’t. Ghostly things. A ghostly girl named Alma, who can bend the shape of clouds to her will and rides them through the night sky. With Alma’s help, Luke discovers his own innate powers and uncovers the terrible truth of why Tabatha is kidnapping children and forcing them to shovel coal. Desperate to escape, Luke teams up with Alma, his best friend Ravi, and new girl Jess. Can Luke and his friends get away before they each become victims to a cruel and sinister scheme? Debut author Michael Mann delivers a wildly imaginative middle grade fantasy set in a smoke-stained world that’s sure to entertain readers who are eager for an adventure with paranormal superpowers. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year




All Powers


Book Description

Ally Powders was a high school junior with a love for science, until her dad takes her to his work. Thanks to some guinea pigs, chemicals, and an experimental laser, it has turned her into All Powers, a superhero who gets a new power every day. Now, she's learning algebra and a new power.




Grey-glasses-itis


Book Description

The fourth book in the popular Lessons of a LAC series, Grey-glasses-itis helps children to understand the link between how they see things and how they feel. Loppy notices that he feels differently when he looks at the world around him through different-coloured glasses. When he’s using green glasses, he feels relaxed. When he’s using yellow glasses, he feels cheerful. But when he’s using grey glasses, he just feels sad. As his friend Curly explains, he has a case of ‘grey-glasses-itis’! Curly shows Loppy that to feel better he can change the colour of the glasses he’s seeing things through! This is a simple but effective way to explain to children how thoughts, perceptions and feelings influence each other. They will grow up knowing that when they are feeling sad, worried or angry, it might be because they have a case of ‘grey-glasses-itis’. They’ll also know that with a shift in perception they can have some influence over their feelings, thereby helping to build their emotional resilience.




The Leaky Story


Book Description

A book sits abandoned on a living room shelf. While the Blossburn family happily gets on with other things like watching TV and playing video games, the book aches to be read. The longer it sits abandoned, the more it aches. At last the book can’t take it any longer. Slowly it starts to swell. Then it starts to leak! At first it’s only a small trickle, but eventually the Blossburns can no longer ignore the octopus, crabs and other marine life that are swirling around their suburban home. And when pirates sail out of the book, the family must band together to reclaim their living room. Can J.J. and his parents find a way to get the characters back in the book? And in the process, will they discover that sometimes books are the best fun of all? The Leaky Story is an action-packed adventure into the wonderful world of books, the power of the imagination, the art of storytelling and the importance of family.