Showing titles in Geography & Cultures

That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of life, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. "My gift is obedience. Ella will always be...

Brought to you by Puffin. Discover the ‘spooktacular’ new collection of real-life ghost stories for readers aged 9-12 from the award-winning writer, creator and host of the hit BBC podcast and TV series Uncanny. Have you ever wondered if ghosts really exist? What is it like to live in a...

The Lost Whale is the enchanting second novel from the author of The Last Bear: the bestselling debut hardback of 2021 and The Times Children’s Book of the Week, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Blue Peter Award and shortlisted for the British Book Awards and the Indie...

Brought to you by Puffin. The very first children's book from the nation's favourite shepherdess! Amanda Owen, also known as the Yorkshire Shepherdess, and her family welcome you to Ravenseat Farm at Christmas. This heartwarming collection of festive stories is inspired by all the countryside...

Embark on a whole new adventure set in a Minecraft version of feudal Japan. A realm where warlords vie for the coveted title of Shogun. Alliances and warfare shape the destiny of the land, and amidst the chaos strides Akira Hanzo, a young samurai without a master--a Ronin! Join him on a gripping journey through towering bamboo forests and sprawling landscapes, where honor clashes with betrayal.

Twelve-year-old Tuva couldn’t imagine living anywhere other than the Stockholm archipelago and her island home of Harö. Even if she mostly keeps to herself at her small school. Even if she sometimes gets kind of lonely. But when a classmate goes missing, Tuva finds herself at the center of the mystery, along with Rasmus, the new boy at school. Neither one of them can understand what they saw that day in the woods near the water: Is something magical at work? Something evil?

Alice and Sonny's family yacht is in Egypt, ready to pick up famous actress Estelle Fortune, and take her to London to film her next blockbuster movie. But just before the boat leaves, Alice discovers that Estelle has vanished! In her room is a note, threatening that unless a large amount of money is paid in Malta in a few days' time, Estelle will be thrown overboard. As the Lady Rose sets sail, Alice, Sonny and their new friend Winnie must work out who is threatening Estelle, but can they save her?

A heart-warming novel about Kaspar the Savoy cat, from the award-winning author of Born to Run and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket – Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he...

After a tumultuous term in Paris, Libby and Connie are looking forward to a quiet Christmas. Along with Libby's aunt, Miss Mousedale, they are to spend the holiday at the Highland estate of Connie's family. But before long they find themselves caught up in strange events. Missing paintings. Lights in the woods in the early hours of the morning. A hidden room behind a wall tapestry. And Connie's parents seem to be keeping an unhappy secret. Can the friends untangle the clues and solve the mystery?

This semi-autobiographical classic, written by Judith Kerr, tells the story of a Jewish family escaping Germany in the days before the Second World War. Tacy Kneale, Judith’s daughter, reads this extraordinary audio edition of the unforgettable adventure Michael Morpurgo called 'The most life-enhancing book you could ever wish to read'. Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in it any longer and you found, to your surprise, that your own father was one of those people. 

An exuberant, hilarious and wildly entertaining fairy tale with a cast of characters who are good, bad and very, very ugly. All is not well in the crumbling castle high above the mountain village of Fracture. The sorceress Lady Lamorna has her heart set on a new robe. A very expensive new robe. To get the cash she will stop at nothing, including kidnapping, blackmail and more than a little black magic.

Brought to you by Puffin. Based on Netflix's hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters! Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are pop stars by day and hunters by night! Meet them along with Saja Boys, the hottest new demon-boy band on the scene, Derpy Tiger, Sussie, and more beloved characters from KPop Demon Hunters...

Prince Fastidious travels the world to find his perfect princess. But something is not quite right about any of them. They either talk too much, or not at all. Some are too old for him, or too young. Others are spoiled or have too many noisy, little dogs. Find out what happens when Princess Rose accidentally comes to the castle at night because of a fierce storm. How does she prove to the Queen that she’s a real princess? A happy ending adds interest to this fairy tale and encourages a lifelong love of great storytelling.

Two brothers: One Good. One Evil. In exchange for power and immortality, they watch over the Endless Woods and rule the School for Good and Evil. Yet all School Masters must face a test. Theirs is loyalty. But what happens when loyalty is corrupted? When the bonds of blood are broken? Who will survive? Who will die? And what will become of the school and its students? The journey that started a hundred years ago throttles towards its end.

The Consolation of Philosophy is one of the key works in the rich tradition of Western philosophy, partly because of the circumstances in which it was written. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c480-c524) was of aristocratic Roman birth and became consul and then master of offices at Ravenna, one of the highest posts under the Ostrogothic Roman ruler Theodoric. But Boethius was unjustly charged with treason in 524, and this led to house arrest, then torture and execution.

Brought to you by Puffin. Why is the world not always a peaceful place? Why do we have wars? And why do we sometimes . . . not? The answer to these questions can be found in one of the strangest tales you'll ever hear. And it's a true story. Find out about what exactly happened, thousands of...

WITH A NEW AFTERWORD BY EMMA CARROLL 'A touching, utterly convincing book' JACQUELINE WILSON 'What a deep, dark, deceptively simple, brilliant novel it is' EMMA CARROLL 'Poignant and realistic . . . Carrie's War captures the true reality of war for a child, and it doesn't sentimentalise war'...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “UNPUTDOWNABLE.”—The Washington Post An Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest Novel A Newsweek Top 100 Book of All Time The Inspiration for the HBO Original Series His Dark Materials DON’T MISS THE EPIC FINALE TO LYRA’S STORY: THE ROSE...

From Alex T. Smith, bestselling author of the Claude series, comes How Winston Delivered Christmas – the irresistible story of the brave little mouse who sets out on an adventure on Christmas Eve. Winston the mouse is on a Very Important Mission. On Christmas Eve, he finds a letter that has...

Snow White loves visiting the Seven at their cottage in the woods. But one day, she takes a wrong turn and finds herself at a very different cottage! Instead of seven little chairs, Snow White sees three enormous chairs. Then suddenly, three giants stomp through the door. Snow White befriends the giants and invites them to a party, but will the Seven be as welcoming?