This is one a series of original stories designed for the 12 to 16 age-group. All the stories have a strong African flavour.

"The Land of Counterpane," "My Bed is a Boat," "The Land of Nod" and over 60 other poems children and their parents have cherished for over a century. Humorous and whimsical, grave and fearful, courageous and determined, these poems voice the many moods and currents of a child's imaginings. Reprinted in large, easy-to-read type, with 6 new illustrations by Thea Kliros that capture the magical spirit of this beloved classic of children's literature.

To accompany the "A Christmas Carol" graphic novels from "Classical Comics" and to help with their application in the classroom, this book is spiral-bound, making the pages easy to photocopy, and includes a CD-ROM with the pages in PDF format, ideal for whole-class teaching on whiteboards, laptops, etc or for direct digital printing. Written by a teacher, for teachers, helping to engage and involve students in the novel. Suitable for teaching ages 10-17, this book provides exercises that cover structure, understanding and character as well as key words, themes and literary techniques. The tasks focus on the use of language and comprehension, there are also many cross-curriculum topics, covering areas within history, ICT, drama, reading, speaking, writing and art. An extensive Educational Links section provides further study opportunities. Devised to encompass a broad range of skill levels, this book provides many opportunities for differentiated teaching and the tailoring of lessons to meet individual needs. It includes a CD-ROM. This resource can be used alongside the Classical Comics adaptation of A Christmas Carol as well as any traditional text. In fact, many of the activities can stand on their own as introductions to the works of Charles Dickens.

Edwin Morgan (1920 - 2010) is one of the giants of modern poetry. Scotland's national poet from 2004 to his death in 2010, he produced an astonishing range of work, from the playful to the profound. James McGonigal's new Second Edition of this SCOTNOTE covers the entirety of Morgan's work throughout his long and hugely productive life, and is an ideal guide for senior school pupils and students to Morgan's overflowing creativity.

This study guide provides extra exam support for the 36 short stories prescribed for English First Additional Language by the Education Department for 2009-2011. Features include: a summary for each story, and study notes on character, theme, setting and narrative techniques; exam-style questions and answers to help learners practise for exams and assess their understanding; and a sample literature exam paper with memo to familiarise learners with its format in order to build exam confidence.

Each of the 12 extracts from contemporary children's literature is accompanied by eight sets of questions based on the Key Stage 2 (KS2) Reading Content Domains and National Curriculum. This book provides opportunities to tackle more complex vocabulary, explore how authors use language to impact their readers and develop endurance for longer passages. The clear structure and the author's passion for literature make Developing Reading Comprehension Skills Years 5-6: Contemporary Children's Literature invaluable for everyone working with pupils in Years 5 and 6. Support for teachers and parents is built in with guidance for how to teach the different question types, plus suggestions for embedding these texts in the wider English curriculum. This series is suitable for new and recently qualified teachers as well as those who are more experienced and wanting to expand the range of texts they use. If you're looking for a comprehensive resource to enhance reading provision and teaching in your classroom or to support home education, this is exactly what you need. Look for other books in the Developing Reading Comprehension Skills series.

This updated resource provides full support for the Cambridge IGCSE (R), IGCSE (9-1) and O Level Literature in English syllabuses (0475 / 0992 / 2010) as well as IGCSE World Literature (0408). Explore texts from writers of different countries and cultures such as Seamus Heaney, Anita Desai and Tennessee Williams. This write-in workbook gives students a wide range of activities so they can practise interrogating poetry, prose and drama. There is extra support in areas where students can struggle, such as drama analysis and essay writing. With a wide range of text extracts from around the world, this workbook is ideal for international learners. Indicative answers to the workbook questions are in the teacher's resource.

'Believe me, my young friend, there is absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. In them or out of them, it doesn't matter. Whether you get away or you don't, whether you arrive at your destination or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy.' Ever since the publication of Kenneth Grahame's novel in 1908, the characters of Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger have delighted generations of readers. Now Alan Bennett has written an adaptation for the stage, a version which is both true to the original and yet carries that distinctive Bennett hallmark. Alan Bennett introduces this edition, writing about the history of the project and the staging of the production. 'Bennett is even able to inject the odd sly joke for the adult without bewildering the tots... the result is a delightful evening, a treat for anyone.' The Times

Kazito's grandmother tells him the fascinating story of his great grandfather and his special necklace, called a dambo. This story will give learners insight into the plight of the Ndebele tribe in the 1870's.

The writings of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, are remarkable for their vivid depiction of the mores and mentality of seventeenth-century England. This edition includes all of Cavendish's Sociable Letters (1664), a collection of writings that comments on a wide range of aspects of seventeenth-century society, such as war and peace, science and medicine, English and Classical literatures, and social issues such as choosing a spouse, married life, infidelity, divorce, and the option of women not to marry. This Broadview edition includes: A critical introduction and a valuable selection of primary documents that situate Margaret Cavendish and Sociable Letters within the context of English letter writing and other early women writers. The appendices contain the letters Cavendish wrote during her courtship with William Cavendish; letters by two family members, Elizabeth Cavendish Egerton and Christiana Cavendish; letters written by Aphra Behn, Dorothy Osborne, and Angel Day; and an essay by Francis Bacon.

Norman MacCaig's poetry is clear and lucid and filled with the shifting light of Edinburgh and Assynt. MacCaig stands in the first rank of twentieth-century poets: Seamus Heaney said of him, "He means poetry to me". Roderick Watson's SCOTNOTE study guide will enhance any student's enjoyment of MacCaig's poetry, as well as providing a deeper understanding of the poet's craft.

This book, filled with beautiful photographs, tells us how animals communicate via signals. They send signals to show how they feel, to warn and to mark their territory.

Robin Jenkins's greatest novel is a powerful examination of good and evil, set against the backdrop of a Scottish estate during World War II. With its themes of class-conflict, war, evil and envy, this is a towering work of fiction that remains as relevant today as when it was first published. Suspenseful, dark and unforgettable, it is one of the masterpieces of modern Scottish literature. Iain Crichton Smith's SCOTNOTE study guide is a skilful and intelligent guide to the themes and characters of the novel, and explores the religious, philosophical and moral questions that it poses. Suitable for senior school pupils and students of all ages.

Explore one of the most important challenges of childhood: learning to read. In this groundbreaking new work, Joyce Bainbridge and Sylvia Pantaleo offer sensible, successful strategies to help children become lifelong readers. At root, their philosophy is simple: offer students a wide selection of high-quality, high-interest books, and kids will want to read! While the volume concentrates on the many fine books published in Canada each year, it surveys outstanding books from around the world. Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom is designed to help new and experienced teachers alike to use literature in the elementary classroom. Children's literature is presented as a rich, vital component of a balanced language arts program, and the needs of Canadian students are considered within an international reading context. Based on a reader-response orientation to the study of children's literature, the book presents a theoretically sound framework for its recommendations. It offers classroom-tested ideas that teachers can start using immediately, supported by descriptions of hundreds of exciting, engaging, accessible trade books for elementary readers. Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom features real-life classroom situations, sidebars on 20 Canadian authors and illustrators, reflection exercises, annotated professional references, an extensive bibliography of children's literature and chapter-relevant book lists, appendices, and an index. For pre-service or in-service teachers, librarians, reading specialists, and anyone else who works with children and books, this volume will prove a valuable resource. Joyce Bainbridge is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. Sylvia Pantaleo is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queen's University.

Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter contain a wide variety of poems, songs, and stories of the seasons and many contributions for festivals. The volume titled Spindrift contains material for use throughout the year, including more than forty stories, many different cultures around the world. Gateways contains sections on morning, evening, birthdays, and fairy tales. Based on work in Waldorf kindergartens, these six books provide invaluable material for working with young children and will be useful for Waldorf teachers, home schoolers, and parents alike. First published more than twenty years ago, these books are in their third edition, now reedited and with much new material added. In addition, the music has been comprehensively edited, with most songs now in the scale of D-pentatonic, which is particularly suited to pentatonic lyres and may be played on any traditional seven-note or twelve-note instrument. Each volume includes an enlightening introduction by Jennifer Aulie on music in the "mood of the fifth." The covers are all illustrated in watercolors by David Newbatt, with the four seasonal titles each depicting a different worker.

This is one in a series of six books, the others being Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Gateways. This book contains a selection of poems, songs and stories from around the world.

Hugh MacDiarmid (born Christopher Murray Grieve) is a huge, and still controversial, figure in modern Scottish literature. Called variously "the most important figure in Scottish life in the twentieth century" and "a symbol of all that's perfectly hideous in Scotland", his poetry is of historic, and national, significance. Alan Riach's SCOTNOTE study guide outlines MacDiarmid's life and work, providing an overview of the poet's beliefs, opinions and influences, for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

A brilliant new collection of poems. The poetry contains the clever word-play, rich ideas and humour associated with Roger McGough. It includes a series of poems about the exploits of some gangster cats and verse based on Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens.

This fantastic range of fiction for Shared, Guided and Independent reading gives you stories your children will love to read over and over again. Gaelic and Scottish teaching support also accompanies this reading series.

Life on the Cape Flats is tough on da vid and his family. His mother is a domestic worker and his father, a gardener and odd-job man. David's half-sister, Anna, tells the compelling story of how he begins to dabble with the illegal as a way of survival and improving the quality of his life.

An extensive range of poetry is offered in this anthology, including traditional, contemporary, South African and women's poetry. A variety of special features are offered to make the poetry more enjoyable and accessible: biographical notes about the poet's life and times; in-depth commentaries aimed at evoking discussion and discovery; questions to bothe guide and challenge the reader and skill-based activities to practise writing, speaking and interactive language.

Using an approach which brings Shakespeare's plays alive, this series helps students to view each play as a performance as well as appreciating the complexities of plot and character. In this case, Hamlet is presented in its original form with a line-by-line modern English version on the facing page. Practical activities and questions, guide the student to a fuller understanding of the language, characters, structure and themes of the play.