Explorer, the graphic novel anthology series that launched in Spring 2012 with The Mystery Boxes and continued with The Lost Islands (autumn 2013), returns with a roster of comics artists creating new fantasy and science fiction stories around the theme of hidden doors both real doors and imaginary. Edited by New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, this latest collection includes clever and beautifully illustrated stories by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet), Jason Caffoe (Flight), Amy Kim Kibuishi (Flight anthologies), Johane Matte (Explorer: The Mystery Boxes), Jen Wang (Koko Be Good), Steve Hamaker (well known as the colorist for Jeff Smith's Bone) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends With Boys). The Hidden Doors is sure to receive the same critical attention and bookseller enthusiasm as its predecessors.

Give fun a chance! Surprise your mum with a chainsaw, be a bigger star than Tom Cruise, save the world with a plate of vegetables, start your new life in a taxi, rescue your family with a tomato, send your dad into a panic with a tractor, do a good deed with a paper bag on your head, pack your suitcase for a trip to the spleen, upset your auntie with ten kilos of chocolate, swap a bomb for three ice creams on a steam train . . . and lots more.

These colourful tales from the West Indies and Guyana are full of unusual characters, including Mr Snake, Monkey, Mancrow the bird of darkness, Anasi the spider and his old adversary, Tiger.

From wicked queens and fearsome beasts to sneaky witches and terrible giants, this stunning collection of darkly magical fairy tales gathers together stories of children who show true courage and face their fears. Rediscover seven classic emboldening tales, Hansel and Gretel, The Selfish Giant, Beauty and the Beast, The Spirit in the Bottle, Vassilissa, The Wild Swans and The Three Golden Hairs from renowned storytellers the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Oscar Wilde and more. Each story is enriched by atmospheric artwork from award-winning illustrator Scott Plumbe. Perfect for bedtime reading, this collection is an ideal gift for fearless children everywhere.

Grouped by genre, this collection of short stories introduces students to a range of fiction genres. Each group includes an introduction to the genre, an example of pre-20th century fiction and reading and writing assignments - helping students explore the characteristics of each genre.

A beautiful anthology of poems for girls, from William Shakespeare to Adrienne Rich

A lovely collection of classic and modern poems that girls will turn to again and again throughout their lives, these poems are arranged by theme. Themes range from Friends to School, from Birth and Death to Nymphs, Mermaids, Fairies, and Witches. Poets include Dickinson, Plath, Milton, Lord Tennyson, Yeats, Auden, Keats, Cummings, Barrett Browning, Frost, and Whitman. Beloved author Jacqueline Wilson has taken great delight in selecting and arranging her favorite poems for this book, making it a truly personal collection. There are poems that will incite smiles, laughs, frowns, and tears, and that will stay with readers for the rest of their lives.

When you are in Somerset you are never far from mysterious caverns, whispering woods, hidden valleys and places which can't decide whether they are seascapes or landscapes. The ancient Kings Arthur and Alfred hid amongst Somerset's secret waterways, waging the wars and making treaties that forged Britain's history. Outlaws and highwaymen lived on the wildest of moors that plummet into the sea. Ordinary people farmed the land and fished the waters alongside the Little People, the Fair Folk, the fairies and goblins that were as tricksy and unchancy to meet as any smuggler... In this collection, professional storyteller Sharon Jacksties has selected and reworked tales for children aged 7-11 to discover.

A collection of 11 best-loved Grimm fairy tales featuring animal characters, including The Bremen Town Musicians, The Hedge King, The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids, The Hare and the Hedgehog, and more, translated by Guardian Children's Fiction Prize winner Kevin Crossley-Holland and wonderfully illustrated by Susan Varley, and bound together in a lavish hardback treasury.

Travel across the world with this beautiful collection of 20 nature stories. From the Ancient Chinese countryside to the dense forests of Norway, this book takes readers on a journey across cultures and continents, exploring the different ways we care for and show respect to our planet. Poignantly retold by Isabel Otter and with breathtaking artwork from Ana Sender, each story in this collection reminds us how important the natural world is to society. Moreover, the universal scape of these tales unites us as one global community. The perfect book for little nature lovers, this is a collection to treasure. Also available: The Lost Fairytales.

A brilliant collection of poems for 8 year olds packed with poems about friends, space, pets, nature, magic, family, school, adventure, compiled by Matt Goodfellow. Includes classic and contemporary poems by , A.F. Harrold, Matt Goodfellow, Charles Causley, Laura Mucha, Jan Dean, Kate Wakeling, James Carter, Roger Stevens, Brian Moses and many more.

Always drawing together the work of 10 leading playwrights - a mixture of established and current writers - the annual National Theatre Connections anthologies offer young performers between the ages of 13 and 19 an engaging selection of plays to perform, read or study. Each play is specifically commissioned by the National Theatre's literary department and reflects the past year's programming at the venue in the plays' ideas, themes and styles. The plays are performed by approximately 200 schools and youth theatre companies across the UK and Ireland, in partnership with multiple professional regional theatres where the works are showcased. For the first time, there is an anthology of monologues for young people available, taken from plays commissioned as part of the National Theatre Connections over the past 20 years. The monologues feature alongside a general introduction by the editor, Anthony Banks (Associate Director for the National Theatre Discover Programme).The volume also contains individual studies of each monologue with the editor's suggested points for discussion, a brief commentary about the play from which the speech is taken, as well as flagging potential performance decisions and offering up dramaturgical suggestions. Each page features one monologue, plus the individual commentary and some background to the play. This anthology of monologues is the ideal resource for teenagers and young people attending auditions either in the amateur or professional theatre world; students leaving secondary school to audition for drama school; as well as teachers of English and Drama looking for suitable dramatic for their students to engage with and perform. It provides suitable scene-study books that are suitable and relevant to the student in terms of tone, style and content. Young actors who have searched for audition material written in the voice of teenage characters will welcome this resource. With a foreword by actor Matt Smith.

*'Classic Noel Streatfeild at her warm-hearted best. I absolutely loved it' Hilary McKay, author of THE SKYLARKS' WAR *'Such rewarding reading' Daily Telegraph There 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 BAILEY Stories 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 Silk Originally written for annuals and magazines from the 1930s-70s, these newly discovered stories make captivating reading for Noel Streatfeild fans of all ages.

This is a unique collection of stories and excerts written by master storytellers. It represents a range of writing for children in India, in the 20th century. From Ruskin Bond's humorous snake trouble and Vikram Seth's animal fable to Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the sea of stories. This anthology has a vibrant mix of styles and forms.

"Wait until the full moon rises, sit at the bank and play a beautiful tune. Then you will see what happens." Giant beanstalks, trickster cats, magic pipers, royal werewolves, marauding trolls, and wooden battle spoons? You may think you know where these are going but take another look; your favorite European folktales are refreshed, rebooted, and totally reimagined in this high-spirited and hilarious comics collection! This third volume of the "Cautionary Fables and Fairytales" graphic novel series is a wildly unexpected romp through some of Europe's most famous fables and lesser known favorites, spanning the realm from sly humor to dark fireside tales and everything in between. Featuring the work of CARLA SPEED McNEIL, MARY CAGLE, K.C. GREEN, KATIE SHANAHAN, and more!

Cuddle up on the sofa with this beautiful book, open the pages, and take a look!

There are lovely pictures and familiar rhymes, to share with your child before sleepytime. Join Mother Goose, kings, and twinkling stars, let your dreams and imagination take you far. A perfect book for reading aloud with your little one right before bed. An absolute treasure that will be enjoyed for years!

Collection of magical, well-loved tales paired with playful illustrations Classics included: Do You Know the Muffin Man, This is the Way, It's Raining It's Pouring, Pop Goes the Weasel, Row Row Row Your Boat, and more! Bond over nursery rhyme favorites you grew up with as a child with your toddler or preschooler. Perfect gift for an occasion: birthdays, holidays, and more!

Follow the yellow brick road into Oz, explore the Snow Queen's icy palace and join Alice in Wonderland in this collection of much-loved stories, including classic fairytales Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Each beautifully illustrated tale in this hardback book takes just ten minutes to read - perfect for dipping into at bedtime.

Funny Stories for 5-Year-Olds is a bright and varied selection of wonderfully entertaining stories by some of the very best writers for children. Perfect for reading alone or aloud - and for dipping into time and time again. With stories from Dick King-Smith, Tony Ross, Alf Proysen, Malorie Blackman and many more, this book will provide hours of fantastic fun.

Forgotten Fairy Tales of Kindness and Courage breathes new life into a collection of once much-loved, now forgotten tales, beautifully retold by Mary Sebag-Montefiore. A disabled prince fights for his kingdom, and learns the importance of understanding others. A princess finds the courage to rescue her friend from goblins. A girl steps into the world of a book, only to find what it means to be herself. Full of magic and enchantment, these stories celebrate kindness, courage and the importance of being true to yourself. With a foreword by Dr Zoe Williams, NHS GP, TV presenter and health educator.

This beautifully presented volume of classic Christmas stories from around the world is written for children aged 7+ to enjoy reading alone, or for reading aloud in a classroom setting or with family sitting round a log fire! A mixture of stories from the Christian heritage and more secular tales, these retellings all evoke the true spirit of Christmas around the world. Included are Nativity stories from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, the stories of Baboushka and Papa Panov, Fir Tree and The Nutcracker. The whole collection sparkles with colourful and detailed artwork from Jane Ray. Praise for Jane Ray: "Rich in detail, Jane Ray's stunning illustrations capture the magic of our world" Julia Eccleshare about Stories for a Fragile Planet

This is a crazy collection of 44 wacky and wonderful works. It presents rhymes from many of the world's most famous writers, such as Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Alexander Pope...and of course the prolific Anonymous! Divided into thematic sections, including Animal Antics, Peculiar People, Nearly Nonsense and Silly Stories, it includes everything from lengthy poems such as "Little Birds", "The Walrus" and the "Carpenter", and "The White Knight's Song", to a multitude of single-verse limericks. Bright, lively illustrations by Cathie Shuttleworth bring all the characters to life in intricate detail - and watch out for a busy bee buzzing around on every page. It is a beautifully presented anthology that the whole family can enjoy. When your woggles are all of a winkle, And your bruggles are chingle and spleed, What you need is a look in a honglemous book Like this one - it's just what you need! There is nonsense that almost means something. There are antics and oddness in rhyme. You will giggle your klurkiest grungles away, And have a pomjinglemous time! And if you are funglous at every stage, There's a bee to be found on each yopplesome page!