Special Collections

Paradise on Fire

From award-winning and bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age survival tale set during a devastating wild fire.Haunted by a tragic fire that killed her parents and best friend, Addy has grown up in the Bronx with her grandmother, who enrolls her in a summer wilderness program. There, she joins five other city kids of colour to spend a summer out West.Deep in the forest, the kids learn new skills: camping, hiking, rock climbing, and more. They overcome their suspicion of their white guides and mentors. Most importantly, they learn to depend upon each other for companionship and survival. Then comes the great Camp Fire of 2018 and Addy comes face-to-face with her destiny. Remembering her origins and grandmother's teachings, will Addy be able to use her street smarts, wilderness skills, and spiritual intuition to survive?From NYT bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes, another poignant and gripping story about how the complexities of race and racism in today's world.(P) 2021 Hachette Audio

Date Added: 03/30/2022

Floodland

A gripping, prizewinning novel about a girl surviving in a devastated world.

Imagine that a few years from now England is covered by water, and Norwich is an island. Zoe, left behind in the confusion when her parents escaped, survives there as best she can. Alone and desperate among marauding gangs, she manages to dig a derelict boat out of the mud and gets away to Eels Island. But Eels Island, whose raggle-taggle inhabitants are dominated by the strange boy Dooby, is full of danger too.

The belief that she will one day find her parents spurs Zoe on to a dramatic escape in a story of courage and determination that is handled with warmth and humanity.

This book was the winner of the Branford Boase Award 2001 and marked the start of author Marcus Sedgwick's multi-award-winning career.

(P) 2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited and Listening Library

Date Added: 05/12/2023

You Got This

'A book that every teenage girl needs to read ... and every grown woman will wish she had read' Fearne Cotton'Bold. Brilliant. Bryony! This is the ultimate guide to growing up happy' Dr Max PembertonI wanted to be a unicorn. I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to be an astronaut. But the thing I really wanted to be, more than anything else, was a little less like me.It was only recently that I realised not wanting to be me was at the heart of every dumb decision I ever made. And so now I am writing this book containing all the life lessons I wish someone had taught me. A book for the teenage girl in me. And for every teenage girl out there. Because the most powerful thing you can be when you grow up is yourself.-------Frank and fearless, You Got This openly explores topics like self-respect, body image, masturbation and mental health, making it the perfect companion for young women.

Date Added: 05/25/2022

Wilder

A desperate town. A child who emerges from the marshes. A hawk that helps her save them all.

The child—if child it was—came out of the wild-ness. It came out of the sparse bleak marsh where few dared go and none came back. And though the town grew accustomed to the creature they did not forget from whence it came. And they whispered that there was no knowing whether she was sent as a blessing or a bane.

When the child emerges from the wilderness, no one in the town knows what to do with her. She is odd—half-wild, without speech and seems to have an unnatural bond with animals—especially the falcon, who is always circling above her. The wise-woman of the town takes her in, and names her Rhodd, but the rest of the town remain suspicious.

Over the years, as Rhodd grows, the town realises that the river, which is their connection to the wider world, is beginning to die, and eventually a dark sickness begins to spread. Soon, too soon, the townspeople turn their suspicion on Rhodd and her falcon.

And so, Rhodd sets out to discover what - or who—is causing the river to dry up…to protect her mother, her falcon and herself…

A beautiful and enthralling adventure about love, belonging, the delicate balance of nature—and the wildness within us all, for fans of The Last Wild.

(P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Date Added: 05/12/2023

Five On A Treasure Island

Meet Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timothy. Together they are THE FAMOUS FIVE.'There was something else out on the sea by the rocks - something dark that seemed to lurch out of the waves . . . What could it be?'Julian, Dick and Anne are spending the holidays with their tomboy cousin George and her dog, Timothy. One day, George takes them to explore nearby Kirrin Island, with its rocky little coast and old ruined castle on the top.Over on the island, they make a thrilling discovery, which leads them deep into the dungeons of Kirrin Castle on a dangerous adventure. Who - and what - will they find there?(P) Hodder Children's Books 2013

Date Added: 04/14/2022

Horrid Henry's Revenge

Wickedly subversive, hilariously funny and bang up to date, Horrid Henry's fame is spreading. In this collection, enhanced by Miranda Richardson's inspired reading and really horrid music and sound effects, Henry accompanies his father to the office, hacks into his parents' computer, meets the Demon Dinner Lady and plans the ultimate revenge on Perfect Peter.(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd

Date Added: 03/30/2022

How to Train Your Dragon

The story continues in the ninth volume of Hiccup's How to Train Your Dragon memoirs read by David Tennant.Bad times have come to the Archipelago. Ever since the woods of Berserk burned down, it is almost as if the world is cursed. Dragons are starting to revolt against their Masters. The waters have risen, flooding fields and washing whole villages away. But worse still, the wicked witch Excellinor has returned. Can Hiccup find the King's Things and win the sword-fighting contest to stop Alvin the Treacherous from becoming King of the Wilderwest?How to Train Your Dragon is a DreamWorks film starring Gerrard Butler, America Ferrera and Jonah Hill, out on DVD adapted from the best selling How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. Listen to the rest of Hiccup's exploits in How to Train Your Dragon, How to Be a Pirate, How to Speak Dragonese, How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse, How to Twist a Dragon's Tale, A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons, How to Ride a Dragon's Storm and How to Break a Dragon's Heart. Check out the website for games, downloads, activities and sneak peeks! Hear all about Hiccup and all of your favourite characters, learn to speak Dragonese and train your own Dragon to do tricks!(P) Hodder Children's Books 2013

Date Added: 03/30/2022

Piglet Meets A Heffalump and Other Stories

Join this all-star cast including as they go on adventures and look for heffalumps with Pooh, Piglet and friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.Performed by incredible talent including Finty Williams, Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig, Robert Daws, Jane Horrocks, Geoffrey Palmer and Judi Dench, this classic Winnie the Pooh audiobook is perfect for keeping little ones entertained.Contains the following stories:In which Piglet meets a HeffalumpIn which Eeyore has a birthday and gets two presentsIn which Kanga and Baby Roo come to the Forest, and Piglet has a bathIn which Christopher Robin leads an expotition to the North PoleFor more amazing audio books featuring Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and other favourite friends, try:Winnie the Pooh: Tigger Comes To The Forest & Other Stories Winnie the Pooh: House At Pooh Corner Winnie the Pooh: Pooh Invents a New Game and Other Stories (P) Hodder Children's Books 1998

Date Added: 03/30/2022

Brown Girl Dreaming

A mesmerising story about a young Black girl growing up in America, finding a home and discovering her voice—a multi-award winning New York Times bestseller and President Obama's 'O' Book Club pick.

Brown Girl Dreaming is the unforgettable story of Jacqueline Woodson's childhood, sharing what it was like to grow up as an African-American in the wake of the Civil Rights movement, and discovering the first sparks of an incredible, lifelong gift for writing. It's packed with wonderful reflections on family and on place, in a way that will appeal to listeners from 11 to adult.

Emotionally charged and touching, each line tells the tale of one girl's search to find her voice, her identity and her place in the world.

This book has been a bestseller in the US for almost a decade, winning every accolade and prize including the prestigious Newbery Honor Award, and is now made available to readers in the UK for the first time.(P)2014 Penguin Audio

Date Added: 05/12/2023

How to Train Your Dragon

Hear the books that inspired the Dreamworks How to Train Your Dragon films.THE STORY BEGINS in the first volume of Hiccup's How to Train Your Dragon memoirs read by David Tennant... Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, was a truly extraordinary Viking Hero. Warrior chieftain, awesome sword-fighter and amateur naturalist, he was known throughout Vikingdom as 'the Dragon Whisperer', on account of his amazing power over these terrifying beasts.But it wasn't always like that. In fact, in the beginning, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the most put upon Viking you'd ever seen. Not loud enough to make himself heard at dinner with his father, Stoick the Vast; not hard enough to beat his chief rival, Snotlout, at Bashyball, the number one school sport and CERTAINLY not stupid enough to go into a cave full of dragons to find a pet...Hear the rest of Hiccup's exploits in the How to Train Your Dragon series in How to Be a Pirate, How to Speak Dragonese, How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse, How to Twist a Dragon's Tale, A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons, How to Ride a Dragon's Storm, How to Break a Dragon's Heart, How to Steal a Dragon's Sword, How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel, How to Betray a Dragon's Hero and How to Fight a Dragon's Fury.Check out the Hiccup website at www.howtotrainyourdragonbooks.com. It's the place to go for games, downloads, activities and sneak peeks! Read all about Hiccup and all of your favourite characters, learn to speak Dragonese and train your own dragon to do tricks!(P) Hodder Children's Books 2004

Date Added: 03/30/2022

The Bone Sparrow

Sometimes, at night, the dirt outside turns into a beautiful ocean. As red as the sun and as deep as the sky. I lie in my bed, Queeny's feet pushing up against my cheek, and listen to the waves lapping at the tent. Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention centre after his mother fled the violence of a distant homeland, life behind the fences is all he has ever known. But as he grows, his imagination gets bigger too, until it is bursting at the limits of his world. The Night Sea brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie, a scruffy, impatient girl who appears from the other side of the wires, and brings a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it, she relies on Subhi to unravel her own family's love songs and tragedies. Subhi and Jimmie might both find a way to freedom, as their tales unfold. But not until each of them has been braver than ever before.

Date Added: 05/23/2022

Summer The Holiday Fairy

Summer the Holiday Fairy is getting all hot and bothered, trying to keep Rainspell Island the best place to go on vacation. Jack Frost has stolen sand from the beaches, and three magical shells. The fairies need Rachel and Kirsty's help to get them back!(P) Orchard Books 2013

Date Added: 03/30/2022

Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist

The magic ring that Emily Windsnap - half mermaid, half ordinary girl - finds buried in the sand belongs to Neptune, and he wants it back. But the ring, once on, won't come off, and Neptune sends Emily's boat spinning away across the sea. When it comes to rest, she and her best friend, Shona, can see a mysterious castle shimmering in the mist on the horizon. Another magical adventure full of fun and friendship!Read by Teresa Gallagher(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd

Date Added: 04/14/2022

Goodnight Stories

A bedtime collection of short stories by the world's best-loved storyteller. Perfect for children aged 5 and up!From a wizard on the moon to midnight fairy parties, there's a dreamy story for everyone in this short story collection by Enid Blyton. Drift off to dreamland with these starlit adventures!These traditional tales are ideal for younger children being read to and for newly confident readers to read alone. Each story stands alone and is the perfect length for reading at bedtime or in the classroom.Enid Blyton remains one of Britain's favourite children's authors and her bumper short story collections are perfect for introducing her to the latest generation of readers.Read all of Enid Blyton's bumper short story collections. New in 2024:Goodnight StoriesFive-Minute Summer StoriesMagical StoriesOne-A-Day Christmas Stories***Enid Blyton® and Enid Blyton's signature are registered trade marks of Hodder & Stoughton Limited. No trade mark or copyrighted material may be reproduced without the express written permission of the trade mark and copyright owner.

Date Added: 05/06/2024

How to Train Your Hogfly

Read by David Tennant, this brand new story follows Hiccup on one of his earlier adventures, before the start of the Great Dragon Rebellion.Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is a smallish Viking with a longish name. Hiccup's father is chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribe which means Hiccup is the Hope and the Heir to the Hairy Hooligan throne - but most of the time Hiccup feels like a very ordinary boy, finding it hard to be a Hero.When Hiccup's father decides to host the Inter-Tribe BURY THE HATCHET Games, he fails to invite some rather important guests and ends up in MORTAL DANGER. Can Hiccup save his father's life and prevent a new Blood Feud breaking out? All he has to do is train an untrainable dragon...How to Train Your Hogfly is published in print as part of the 20th anniversary edition of How to Train Your Dragon.

Date Added: 05/06/2024

Bobby Dean Saves Christmas

Meet Bobby: an ordinary kid with an extraordinary voice!Sent off to school for the first time in his life, nine-year-old Bobby Dean is busy making new friends, learning lines for the Nativity Play, and trying to not laugh at the head teacher's terrible jokes. But then Bobby Dean discovers that when he sings magical things can happen! From rescuing kidnapped dogs, helping Santa, and even travelling back in time - Bobby Dean's first term is going to be one full of wonder, adventure, and the magic of song! Bobby Dean Saves Christmas is a magical and fun packed adventure for kids highlighting the importance of friendship, loyalty, accepting differences and above all being yourself it is perfect to be read aloud or for children to read alone.

Date Added: 05/23/2022

Horrid Henry's Nightmare

Four hilarious new HH stories - HH's Mother's Day, probably not the day his mum looks forward to most in the year, HH's Nightmare where Henry's chased by a ghost bunny with huge teeth, a wailing graveyard ghost and, for good measure, a slimy zombie, then a new story about one of his greatest enemies in The Return of the Demon Dinner lady and last but not least Fluffy Struts Her Stuff.Read by Miranda Richardson. Miranda Richardson has appeared in films such as THE HOURS, SLEEPY HOLLOW, THE CRYING GAME, EMPIRE OF THE SUN and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. TV work includes A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME, JACKANORY, Queen Elizabeth in BLACKADDER and Queen Mary in THE LOST PRINCE. She has won two Spoken Word awards for her inspired readings of HORRID HENRY AND THE SECRET CLUB and HORRID HENRY'S STINKBOMB audiobooks for Orion.(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd

Date Added: 03/30/2022

There May Be a Castle

A remarkable story about love and death from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction PrizeEleven-year-old Mouse is travelling to see his grandparents on Christmas Eve with his mother and two sisters. But it's snowing, and visibility is bad, and the car goes off the road, and crashes. Mouse is thrown from the car. When he wakes, he's not in his world any more. He meets a sheep named Bar, who can only say Baaa, and a sarcastic horse named Nonky, who is a surprising mix of his beloved toy horse and his older sister.So begins a quest to find a castle in a world of wonder - a world of monsters, minstrels, dangerous knights and mysterious wizards; a world of terrifying danger but also more excitement than Mouse has ever known.But why are they looking for a castle? As the cold grows, we realise it might just have something to do with the family he's left behind; and that Mouse's quest is more important than ever. This is a novel about love and death. It's about the power of stories to change the way we view the world - and it's about the power of a child to change their own world. Emotionally arresting but ultimately uplifting, this is a remarkable novel for our times.(P)2020 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Date Added: 04/21/2022

Early Reader: The Three Little Pirates

Trixy, Tammy and Trig are three little girl pirates who live aboard The Lucky Lobster with their pets Mullet the dog, Kipper the cat and a seagull called Gulliver. Their friends include some boy pirates and a friendly sea-monster; and whenever they need to buy teabags or telescopes, all they need to do is to go to kind old Mr Spoons at Harbour Stores. When they hear about a nasty pirate who has been catching all the mermaidsin the sea, they set sail to rescue the last mermaid left - tiny Miney-Mo. Here's a delightful splash of ocean fun and adventure, following the same pattern as the highly successful THREE LITTLE WITCHES STORYBOOK. There are eight stories with clues to find and puzzles to solve.Read by Sophie Thompson(P)2004 Orion Publishing Group.Ltd

Date Added: 03/30/2022

The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams

Welcome to the Shop of Impossible Ice Creams! Step inside to discover a delicious world of magical adventure, from bestselling author Shane Hegarty. First in a comic and heart-warming audio series, for 7+ fans of The Nothing to See Here Hotel and Charlie Changes into a Chicken.

Limpet's mum is opening an ice-cream shop, full of her favourite new flavours: mushroom and tuna ice cream, anyone? Roast parsnip and gravy? Limpet's not sure about this. He likes a nice, safe life. His favourite ice-cream flavour is vanilla.

But when wicked Mr Fluffy arrives with his Mega Emporium of Amazing and Spectacular Ice Creams, Limpet knows he's got to fight back. And there are magic ingredients on his doorstep which can solve all his worries, if only he can get the recipe just right….

Written by the bestselling author of Boot, this story will make you fall in love with reading.

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Date Added: 05/12/2023

The Sky Over Rebecca

Winner of The Bath Children's Novel Award 2019.

There was a single trail of footprints, the first I'd seen all morning. They were fresh tracks, I saw, the edges of the impressions in the snow quite hard. Small feet. Like mine. Someone my age. Then they stopped.

When mysterious footprints appear in the Stockholm snow, ten-year-old Kara must discover where they've come from—and who they belong to. They lead Kara to Rebecca, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, and her younger brother Samuel. Kara realises they are refugees—from another time, World War Two—and are trying to find their way home.

The grief and loneliness that Rebecca and Samuel have endured is something Kara can relate to—feeling like you're always on the outside looking in—and she finds herself compelled to help them.

Through her eyes, we rediscover the magic that lies in the world around us, if only we have the courage to look for it. Kara is a heroine for modern times: fragile but fierce, in this utterly compelling story from a stellar new voice in children's literature, Matthew Fox.

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Date Added: 05/12/2023

Noel Streatfeild's Christmas Stories

'The wonderful Noel Streatfeild's Christmas Stories collects, for the first time, nine festive stories originally written for annuals and magazines in the 1940s and 1950s . . . As ever, Streatfeild's children always feel utterly real and relatable. A beautifully produced treat' Anna Carey, Irish Times In this captivating collection of stories by the author of Ballet Shoes, there are auditions on stage and antics on ice, trips to the pantomime, holiday adventures, and laughter shared with family and friends. Charming, heartwarming and funny, this collection will bring joy to readers of all ages.Originally written in 1940s-60s for annuals, magazines and the radio, these stories have never been collected before.With enchanting line drawings by by Peter Bailey.Stories include:The AuditionThe Bells Keep Twelfth NightThe Moss RoseThimbleThe PrincessThe ChainChristmas at CollersThe Pantomime GooseSkating to the Stars

Date Added: 05/17/2022

The Amazing Mr Blunden

A CHRISTMAS SKY ORIGINAL FILM, STARRING MARK GATISS, SIMON CALLOW AND TAMSIN GREIGAN ENTHRALLING GHOST STORY WITH A TIME-TRAVELLING TWIST'When you come to the house, you will hear strange tales. They will tell you in the village that it is haunted, but you must not be afraid. When the time comes ... you will know what to do.'Mr Blunden's words echoed through Lucy's ears as she explored the house. It was such an old house that it seemed to Lucy as if all the past was gathered up inside it as if in a great box; as though it had a life of its own that continued to exist just beyond the reach of her eyes and ears. Did Mr Blunden, who went out of his way to offer their mother the job as caretaker, mean to help or hurt them? Could she and her brother Jamie really help those troubled ghosts from another age?'Charming, magical and life-affirming, Antonia Barber's clever and moving tale has become a much-loved favourite. The Wheel of Time spins - and off we go into an unforgettable adventure!' MARK GATISS

Date Added: 05/17/2022

Noel Streatfeild's Holiday Stories

*'Classic Noel Streatfeild at her warm-hearted best. I absolutely loved it' Hilary McKay, author of THE SKYLARKS' WAR*'Such rewarding reading' Daily TelegraphThere are stories for every reader in this delightful collection - exciting crime-solving adventures; nervous young actors in the spotlight for the first time; unforgettable holidays and unlikely friendships.Featuring beautiful illustrations by PETER BAILEYStories include: The Plain One; Devon Mettle; Chicken for Supper; Flag's Circus; The Secret; Coralie; Ordinary Me; Cows Eat Flowers; Andrew's Trout; The Old Fool; Let's Go Coaching; Howard; The Quiet Holiday; Roberta; Green SilkOriginally written for annuals and magazines from the 1930s-70s, these newly discovered stories make captivating reading for Noel Streatfeild fans of all ages.

Date Added: 05/17/2022

Tigger Comes To The Forest & Other Stories

Join Pooh and Piglet as they make a new friend, Tigger, who bounces his way into the Hundred Acre wood, performed by an amazing all-star castPerformed by incredible talent including Finty Williams, Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig, Robert Daws, Jane Horrocks, Geoffrey Palmer and Judi Dench, this classic Winnie the Pooh audiobook is perfect for keeping little ones entertained.Contains the following stories:In which a house is built at Pooh Corner for EeyoreIn which Tigger comes to the forest and has breakfastIn which Tigger is unbouncedIn which Eeyore finds the Wolery and Owl moves into itIn which Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an enchanted placeFor more amazing audio books featuring Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and other favourite friends, try:Winnie the Pooh: House at Pooh CornerWinnie the Pooh: Piglet Meets a HeffalumpWinnie the Pooh: Pooh Invents a New Game and Other Stories (P) Hodder Children's Books 1999

Date Added: 03/30/2022