Research shows that the seemingly simple act of being read to brings remarkable health and happiness benefits. It stimulates thought and memory, encourages the sharing of ideas and feelings, hopes and fears. It enriches our lives and minds. This unique book offers a selection of prose and poetry especially suitable for reading aloud to children. It includes extracts ranging from modern day favourites (David Almond, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Neil Gaiman) to old classics (Kipling, Dickens, E. Nesbit), and features a foreword from Michael Morpurgo. Each piece has been chosen by the Reader Organisation, whose team has unique experience in the effect and benefits of books that immediately capture children's interest and imagination. All royalties in full will go to The Reader Organisation, the leading UK charity for reading and health.

Stories to spark your imagination - a celebratory collection of stories, poems and illustrations to mark Puffin's 80th birthday.

Perfect for reading aloud or reading independently at bedtime, this wonderful collection features brand new stories, poems and illustrations from well-loved and exciting new Puffin talent including Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman, Anne Fine, Jamie Littler, Jeremy Strong, Tom Fletcher, Sam Copeland, Ed Vere, Nadia Shireen and many, more!

Plus, rediscover carefully curated extracts from Puffin's classic family favourites like Eric Carle, Beatrix Potter, Allan Ahlberg, Michael Morpurgo, Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl.

And with quotes and motivational pieces from brilliantly inspiring leaders, scientists and actors on their own big dreams there is something magical for everyone to enjoy.

5% of the RRP from this book will go towards helping the National Literacy Trust continue their life-changing work - from carrying out vital research, to delivering transformational programmes on the ground.

This includes Puffin World of Stories, a programme funded by Puffin which aims to give primary schools the tools they need to help re-vitalise their school library as a hub of creativity and imagination.

Bursting with magic and mischief, adventures abound with this new collection of classic fairytales authored by bestselling author Margaret Mayo. Join favourite characters as they scale beanstalks, ride in carriages made of pumpkins, and eat poisoned apples ... Much-loved classics that feature in the collection include Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rumplestiltskin, These timeless tales are vivaciously retold by Margaret Mayo, who perfectly captures their enchantment. The highly illustrated edition features artwork by Helen Stephens, whose colourful sketches deliver the stories to their dramatic full potential.

The classic edition of 210 ageless tales of myth and magic - one of the most popular collections of fairy tales ever published.

Explore the Nektons' world as you've never seen it before with The Deep Official Handbook. It's packed with all the fun, mystery and adventure of the hugely popular TV series and will tell you everything you've ever wanted to know about The Deep.

In-depth profiles will allow you to get up close and personal with your favourite characters. Take a tour of the Nektons' submarine, the mighty Arronax, along with other vehicles that have appeared in the show. Take a plunge and learn about the amazing creatures of The Deep, such as what they like to eat and where you can find them!

Go behind the scenes and discover the fascinating back stories and true tales that have inspired episodes. And unravel the secrets and mysteries of Lemuria. You might even bump into some treasure-hungry pirates along the way!

The Deep Official Handbook is the perfect companion to the spectacular series and a must-have for all fans of The Deep!

Magic and mischief abound in this captivating collection. Meet the cheeky kappa from Japan, a clever duende from the Philippines and the loyal foletto of Florence, all fairy creatures who can help or hinder humans as they please.

Spike Milligan's publishing career began over forty years ago when Silly Verse for Kids was published in 1959. His poems were inspired by listening to his own children, and subsequently his grandchildren, and marvelling at the way they could invent new words or incorporate sound effects into their everyday language. Spike did not regard children as small adults, but as entirely different species who lived in a secret, magical world that very few adults understood. For decades he delved into this world, delighting children - and adults - of all ages with his poems and stories. Illustrated throughout with Spike's own drawings and specially commissioned artworks, this is an ideal read-alone or read-aloud book for Spike fans of all ages, featuring: Silly Verse for Kids (1959), The Bald Twit Lion (1968), A Book of Milliganimals (1968), Unspun Socks from a Chicken's Laundry (1968), Sir Nobonk and the Terrible, Awful, Dreadful, Nasty Dragon (1982), and Startling Verse for All the Family (1987).

This edition from the best-selling poetry series brings together the most beloved poems for children, from "The Owl and the Pussycat" through "On the Ning Nang Nong" to "I Know Someone Who Can" to "Us Two". The Nation's Favourite Children's Poems will compel and amuse adults and children alike, with poems drawn from themes as diverse as animals, schooldays, summer holidays, fun with friends and family, and fantastic daydreams - whether it is recalling the anxiety of starting school, as in Roger McGough's "First Day at School", the magical visit of a mythical beast in Adrian Henri's "Kate's Unicorn", or the nostalgic realisation that 'mother always knows best' in Pam Ayres's "Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth". Readers can revisit old favourites by Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc and A.A. Milne, and dip into the modern musings of poets such as Wendy Cope and Allan Ahlberg. Introduced by Spike Milligan and including 30 specially commissioned illustrations, this is the perfect treasury of children's verse and will delight and entertain all generations for years to come.

A beautiful collection of 100 pieces of writing - poems, prose, letters, speeches, song lyrics, quotations, and more - from Shakespeare to Dr Seuss and from Oliver Jeffers to Rosa Parks, which are in turn powerful, funny, moving, wise, and thought-provoking - a perfect way to inspire a life-long love of reads, expertly curated and with accessible, thoughtful commentary by Nicolette Jones, children's book critic for The Sunday Times.

A brand-new collection of Viking myths that tell the story of the Norse gods from creation to the story of how the world will end, including Odin's quest for wisdom, the battles of Thor the thunder god, and the tale of Sigurd the Dragonslayer and the curs. Beautifully bound with head and tail bands and a ribbon marker. Dynamic artwork by Matteo Pincelli brings to life the exciting, strange and sometimes dangerous world of the Norse gods.

In this book of tales from Africa there are stories about an evil-hearted shark, an extremely cunning hare, a very greedy spider, and the strongest man in the world. There are also answers to such questions as why the crab has no head, why the sun and moon live in the sky, and why flies buzz. Drawn from all parts of Africa, these stories illustrate the fierce sense of justice inherent in African peoples, their powers of patience and endurance, and their supreme ability as story-tellers.

Superheroes have always been with us, from gods with mighty powers to human heroes who don disguises to save the day . . . Join six larger-than-life mythic and legendary heroes from around the world in this colourful, illustrated collection of Ladybird Tales. Meet tricksters, fighters, shape-shifters and even people who save the day with just the power of speech.

• Anansi the Spider-Man
• Loki and the Magical Hammer
• Hanuman, Demon Fighter
• Inanna in the Underworld
• Shahrazad the Storyteller
• The Legend of Hua Mulan

Trust Me Too comprises work from over 50 of Australias leading childrens authors and illustrators. Separated into genres such as crime, adventure, romance, science fiction and fantasy, it truly covers all aspects of the classical anthology. It contains fiction, illustrations, poetry and graphics.

A collection of folktales from around the world, all featuring the character of the fool, with tips for telling the stories aloud, related activities, and source notes.

King Arthur Stories: 1. The Sword and the Circle 2. The Light Beyond the Forest 3. The Road to Camlann The legends of King Arthur and his knights of the Round table have passed down throught the generations sinced medieval times. In this spellbinding trilogy, Rosemary Sutcliff recreates all the mystique and mystery of the golden age of Camelot for a new generation.

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries.

Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.

From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie’s New York Times–bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.

Revolting Stories For Ten Year Olds collected by Helen Paiba is a rancidly revolting collection of gross stories that will make any ten-year-old laugh and are perfect for reading time and again.

With stories from Andy Griffiths, Dick King-Smith, Joyce Dunbar and many more, this book will provide hours of fantastic fun.

Stories include:

• School Dinners
• Best Before
• The Veldt
• Of Polymuf Stock
• and Spaghetti Pig-Out! 

Eight Bible tales are retold through the eyes of animals in this chunky paperback compendium. You can read about the lion who went hungry because he missed his breakfast of: Daniel! The raven who helped a stranger in need, the duck who helped find a little baby hidden in the rushes. Each story ends with a Bible reference so you can read more about the story in your Bible. Steve Smallman's illustrations are full of expression, drama and humour, perfect for engaging young children at story time.

Verse vir tieners deur tieners

In hierdie unieke boek is versies opgeneem wat deur hoërskoolleerders geskryf is. Marita van der Vyver, bekroonde skrywer van Al wat ek weet, het die leerders begelei tydens die skryfproses.

’n Voorbeeldversie:

Is jy regtig lief vir my?

Want jy’t nog tyd om rond te gly

Is jy regtig lief vir my?

Want jy laat my keer op keer seerkry

Is jy regtig lief vir my?

Just let me know and I’ll let you stay

Acclaimed authors Holly Black ("Ironside")""and Cecil Castellucci "(Boy Proof") have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.
With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, "Geektastic" covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, "Geektastic "will help you get your geek on!

A collection of traditional stories from around the world, reflecting the cumulative wisdom of Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, African, and Native American cultures.

"A splendidly thoughtful selection...Trelease welcomes everyone in with wide embrace."—Washington Post Book World. 48 read-aloud selections ideal for parents and teachers to share with children ages five through nine.