Sometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest…

When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.

But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.

With an Introduction and Notes by Stuart Hutchinson, University of Kent at Canterbury. Tom Sawyer, a shrewd and adventurous boy, is as much at home in the respectable world of his Aunt Polly as in the self-reliant and parentless world of his friend Huck Finn. The two enjoy a series of adventures, accidentally witnessing a murder, establishing the innocence of the man wrongly accused, as well as being hunted by Injun Joe, the true murderer, eventually escaping and finding the treasure that Joe had buried. Huckleberry Finn recounts the further adventures of Huck, who runs away from a drunken and brutal father, and meets up with the escaped slave Jim. They float down the Mississippi on a raft, participating in the lives of the characters they meet, witnessing corruption, moral decay and intellectual impoverishment. Sharing so much in background and character, these two stories, the best of Twain, indisputably belong together in one volume. Though originally written as adventure stories for young people, the vivid writing provides a profound commentary on provincial American life in the mid-nineteenth century and the institution of slavery.

A hilarious story of everyone’s favourite bear, Paddington – now a major movie star!

When Paddington goes to an outdoor painting exhibition he is inspired to work on his own masterpieces. And it’s not long before he sells some of his paintings to a mysterious art collector!

Stories of Paddington Bear have delighted children all over the world for more than sixty years.

An adapted and illustrated edition of Jane Austen's romantic classic - at an easy-to-read level for all ages! Eight years ago, Anne was persuaded not to marry Captain Wentworth. Now he is back, rich, handsome and still unmarried. While everyone wonders which lucky lady will become his wife, Anne can't help hoping for a second chance. A chance to prove that her mind may have once been changed, but her heart never had. About Jane Austen Children's Stories: From the gardens of Pemberley to the spooky halls of Northanger Abbey, join some of literature's most iconic heroines on their path to self-discovery and true love. An adaptation of Jane Austen's famous stories, illustrated to introduce children aged 7+ to the classics.

"Tanglewood Tales" (1853) is a sequel to "A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys." It retells some of the most famous ancient Greek myths, including Theseus and the Minotaur and Jason and the Golden Fleece.

A stunningly beautiful hardback edition of one of the most famous stories in the world.

After losing her parents, young Mary Lennox is sent from India to live in her uncle's gloomy mansion on the wild English moors. She is lonely and has no one to play with, but one day she learns of a secret garden somewhere in the grounds that no one is allowed to enter. Then Mary uncovers an old key in a flowerbed - and a gust of magic leads her to the hidden door. Slowly she turns the key and enters a world she could never have imagined.

A picture book edition of a much-loved classic, with illustrations by award-winning artist, Robert Ingpen. This timeless tale has never been out of print and is one of the best-loved children's titles in English literature. Kenneth Grahame's wonderful imagination and quiet humour continue to charm children and adults alike, and Robert Ingpen's stunning illustrations bring to life the adventures of Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger. When the Mole leaves his spring-cleaning and heads up into the open air, he embarks on a series of exhilarating adventures with his new friends: the laid-back Ratty, the gruff yet kindly Badger and the self-satisfied, irrepressible Mr. Toad. The impulsive Toad leads the friends from one escapade to the next – from upturned gypsy caravans to stolen motorcars, a daring prison escape and, finally, to a heroic confrontation with the sinister inhabitants of the Wild Wood. Now retold in picture book form by Karen Saunders – with stunning artwork by Robert Ingpen.

A disappearing father, an unhappy marriage, a handsome suitor and a bank robbery all bring challenges to Louisa's life. Will she be able to control her powerful emotions, or will they lead her to ruin? Set amongst the noisy, dangerous factories of a northern industrial town, where the workers struggle to survive, Hard Times explores the power that people can have over others, and the suffering that is caused when human emotions are ignored.

Follow the yellow brick road!

Dorothy thinks she is lost forever when a terrifying tornado crashes through Kansas and whisks her and her dog, Toto, far away to the magical land of Oz. To get home Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and find the wonderfully mysterious Wizard of Oz. Together with her companions the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion whom she meets on the way, Dorothy embarks on a strange and enchanting adventure.

Meet Amelia Jane! She's a mischievous rag doll and she's about to enchant a whole new generation of readers! This big bumper edition contains over 20 short stories by the world's best-loved children's author, Enid Blyton. Amelia Jane has an uncanny knack for getting herself into mischief and trouble with the rest of the toys in the playroom, from throwing a big pile of alphabet blocks out the window and pushing shoes into a mouse hole to hiding clockwork keys and popping balloons. But really, Amelia Jane has a brave and adventurous heart of gold - and when the toys need help, it's Amelia Jane to the rescue! These short, entertaining and accessible stories make The Amelia Jane Collection perfect for bedtime reading and for newly independent readers of five and upwards.

The Stocking Stuffer is the ultimate Christmas gift, as this sweet picture book is designed to fit perfectly in a stocking, and adds a new chapter to Christmas lore: an explanation of just how Santa manages to fill all those stockings on Christmas Eve! 'Twas the night before Christmas, when not long ago, A tradition began that few children know . . . It’s Christmas Eve and for the first time ever, Santa’s naughty list is empty! With a terrible blizzard raging outside, how will Santa be able to deliver Christmas magic to every single home before morning? Meet Tinsel, the Stocking Stuffer! A little mouse with a big heart, Tinsel is ready to be Santa’s special helper on this important night. As Santa places gifts under the tree, Tinsel stuffs each stocking with care. But what about when a stocking is missing from the mantel? This festive story introduces a loveable new character into the classic holiday lore and celebrates spreading Christmas cheer to all. 

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this epic edition of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

A mission to rid the seas of a monstrous creature becomes a terrifying nightmare when Professor Aronnax, Conseil and Ned Land are thrown overboard. The huge marine animal which has haunted the water is no living beast, but a spectacular manufactured vessel, and the three men find themselves the helpless prisoners of Captain Nemo. Resigned to their fate, they begin a miraculous journey on the submarine ship which can travel through waters never before explored. For the Professor, at least, this voyage is one he would not have missed for the world.

An illustrated adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes mystery - at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages! Also includes a QR code for the free audiobook! 'There are no other beryls like these in the world, and they would be impossible to replace. I leave it with you, Mr Holder, trusting that it shall stay safe and sound.' Mr Holder's life is turned on its head when a piece of the priceless crown he's been asked to guard goes missing. The police have no clues and only one suspect: Mr Holder's own son. Everyone's hopes lie with Sherlock Holmes. But can the genius detective find the missing treasure before time runs out?

Sixty years ago, on October 15, 1952, E.B. White's Charlotte's Web was published. It's gone on to become one of the most beloved children's books of all time. To celebrate this milestone, the renowned Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo has written a heartfelt and poignant tribute to the book that is itself a beautiful translation of White's own view of the world--of the joy he took in the change of seasons, in farm life, in the miracles of life and death, and, in short, the glory of everything.

We are proud to include Kate DiCamillo's foreword in the 60th anniversary editions of this cherished classic.

Charlotte's Web is the story of a little girl named Fern who loved a little pig named Wilbur--and of Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider who lived with Wilbur in the barn.

With the help of Templeton, the rat who never did anything for anybody unless there was something in it for him, and by a wonderfully clever plan of her own, Charlotte saved the life of Wilbur, who by this time had grown up to quite a pig.

How all this comes about is Mr. White's story. It is a story of the magic of childhood on the farm. The thousands of children who loved Stuart Little, the heroic little city mouse, will be entranced with Charlotte the spider, Wilbur the pig, and Fern, the little girl who understood their language.

The forty-seven black-and-white drawings by Garth Williams have all the wonderful detail and warmhearted appeal that children love in his work. Incomparably matched to E.B. White's marvelous story, they speak to each new generation, softly and irresistibly.

Joel Chandler Harris was born in Eatonton, Georgia, the illegitimate son of Mary Harris. At 13 Harris became an apprentice printer on "The Countryman," a plantation newspaper edited and published by Joseph Addison Turner, a highly literate planter, lawyer, and writer. Harris then worked on newspapers in several Southern cities. In 1876 Harris began a twenty-four-year association with the "Atlanta Constitution." He used folklore, fiction, dialect, and other devices of local color to picture both black and white Georgians under slavery and Reconstruction.

Harris's work as a columnist led to his creation of Uncle Remus, the black singer of songs and teller of stories. The tales, collected in "Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings" (1880) and elsewhere, are based upon folklore and are told by the venerable family servant to a little boy on a Georgia plantation. Remus, the old storyteller, is wise, perceptive, imaginative, poetic, and gifted with a sly sense of humor. Their hero, Brer Rabbit, is "the weakest and most harmless of all animals," but he is "victorious in contests with the bear, the wolf, and the fox." Thus "it is not virtue that triumphs, but helplessness; it is not malice, but mischievousness."

An illustrated adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes mystery - at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages! Also includes a QR code for the free audiobook! 'This is not danger. It is definite destruction. Even with all your cleverness, you do not realise it. You must stand clear, Mr Holmes, or you will be crushed underfoot.' Holmes is facing a problem - a big one. He's on the tail of his most dangerous criminal to date, Professor Moriarty. But it seems that the professor is one step ahead. Can the detective unwind Moriarty's web of crime before it's too late? Or could this really be Holmes' last case?

Eleanor Estes's "The Hundred Dresses "won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn't and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it's too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda's classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again." This powerful, timeless story has been reissued with a new letter from the author's daughter Helena Estes, and with the Caldecott artist Louis Slobodkin's original artwork in beautifully restored color.

When the Velveteen Rabbit first arrives in the nursery, he's snubbed by the other toys. But the Rabbit soon makes friends with the Skin Horse who explains how toys can become 'real',if only they are loved enough. But when Boy is ill with Scarlet Fever, and Rabbit is thrownaway, Rabbit finally discovers what it truly means to be real.