Oh, how we wished and wished for someone just like you. Someone special to share our home. And the special times, too.

This warm, lyrical picture books tells the story of different adoptive families. It’s the perfect starting point for parents who want to discuss the topic of adoption, and it helps children to understand that every family is special – even though we may not look the same.

The author’s royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Engo, a nonprofit non-governmental organization that provides support to individuals and families, and is involved in facilitating adoptions and offering support to adoptive families.

This book brings to light an important message about courage, and how to stand for justice by practicing values, virtues, and love.

Justice stands up to a bully and befriends her, showing the importance of love and empathy. Inspired by the many world heroes who have stood up for justice – like Nelson Mandela, Malala, and many others.

This is the perfect story to teach children about standing up for what’s right and helping others.

Goue reeks is een van die heel bekendste en gewildste inheemse leesreekse met beproefde sukses oor dekades. Derduisende onderwysers en ouers het self daarmee leer lees – en dit werk steeds! Op publieke aanvraag is die volledige reeks nou weer beskikbaar. Dit volg ’n basiese benadering tot leesonderrig deur klank- en woordbouvaardighede en is gebaseer op herhaling, herkenning en inoefening. Goue reeks se hersiene uitgawe (2009) bied alles wat nodig is om jong leerders te ontwikkel in jong lesers.

This dynamic and joyous exploration of difference helps young children learn to respond in a kind and equal way to everyone, regardless of shape, size, age, physical and mental ability, gender, ethnicity, beliefs, language, culture, background, and so on. With topics ranging from clothes, music and food to homes, festivals and families, there is plenty for children to talk about as they find out about what makes people different and what makes them unique.

Uncle Kelly is a drag performer who lives with his nephew Eli. Eli is about to start school and he has a birthmark on his face that he is afraid he will be bullied about. Uncle Kelly helps Eli find his confidence and encourages him to love himself as he is.

Eli finds a creative way of owning his insecurity and with his new confidence makes friends and inspires other children to accept their peers, and to even express their own creativity.

A book that encourages love and acceptance and embraces otherness, What’s Wrong With Glitter is a rhyming book that is filled with bright illustrations.

Rorisang and her twin brother Mo must start the school year at a new school after their mom decides that the family needs to get out of their comfort zone. The twins have attended the school across the road since they were toddlers. All their friends are there, and their dad is best friends with the headmaster. The new school is far from their house, the extramural activities that are on offer are unfamiliar and the ones that Rorisang used to excel at in her old school is dominated by kids far better than her. Luckily Rorisang makes new friends quickly, learns to play softball and performs a praise poem at the Eisteddfod. She even survives the long trips in the car with her pest of a brother! A heartwarming story that celebrates family and friendship and finding your voice amidst change.

AJ's grandfather has always been the one to keep his unusual family together, so when he dies things start to unravel at the edges. AJ is worried about his parents but they don t really seem to notice. In order to deal with his grief and to keep his anxiety at bay, AJ does what he and his grandfather did best: running. Round and round the Olympic Park, aiming for the cross country trials, running to escape, AJ only seems to be heading ever closer to disaster. Running On Empty is a beautiful book about false starts and emotional journeys, with hope as the ultimate finishing line. From the author of Little Bits of Sky. Cover illustration by Rob Biddulph.

From the award-winning author of Amina’s Voice and Amina’s Song comes a “nuanced and quietly powerful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) middle grade novel about a young Pakistani American artist determined to manage her anxiety and forge her own creative path. Deena’s never given a name to the familiar knot in her stomach that appears when her parents argue about money, when it’s time to go to school, or when she struggles to find the right words. She manages to make it through each day with the help of her friends and the art she loves to make. While her parents’ money troubles cause more and more stress, Deena wonders if she can use her artistic talents to ease their burden. She creates a logo and social media account to promote her mom’s home-based business selling clothes from Pakistan to the local community. With her cousin and friends modeling the outfits and lending their social media know-how, business picks up. But the success and attention make Deena’s cousin and best friend, Parisa, start to act funny. Suddenly Deena’s latest creative outlet becomes another thing that makes her feel nauseated and unsure of herself. After Deena reaches a breaking point, both she and her mother learn the importance of asking for help and that, with the right support, Deena can create something truly beautiful.

Hulle is in dieselfde skool, maar lewe in twee teenoorgestelde wêrelde.

Sy is vet en vaal; hy is ‘n joller en die skoolhartebreker. Deur ’n simpele insident vang en hou Evie per ongeluk Joshua se aandag. Tyd om haar te bekommer oor die lang lys gebroke harte op Joshua se kerfstok is daar nie, want om soos ‘n voëltjie te eet en terselfdertyd te oefen vir ‘n onmoontlike halfmarathon is blerrie harde werk.

Tog begin die lewe baie interessant lyk. Maar dan daag Joshua se dinamiese, befoeterde ouer broer op om ‘n breek te neem van sy mediese studies en Evie se wêreld draai heeltemal op sy kop.

Hierdie splinternuwe jeugroman is ‘n goed verdoeselde hardloopgids geskryf vir enige tiener wat moed, kennis of motivering nodig het om na ‘n paar tekkies te reik!

Mamello and her parents paint a pretty picture of household harmony for their community but their household is far from perfect. Mamello’s parents mistreat her.and don’t allow her to go to school. All Mamello desires is to go to school and one day study towards becoming a human rights lawyer. Mamello is a South African Cinderella story of a young woman’s courage and perseverance to achieve her dream.

From the break-out author of The Gravity of Us comes a heartfelt coming-of-age story about finding your chosen people. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli

Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe and some savings from his summer job, but he's excited to start his new life--where he's no longer the closeted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents' disapproval.

From the outside, Marty's life looks like a perfect fantasy: in the span of a few weeks, he's made new friends, he's getting closer with his first ever boyfriend, and he's even traveling around Europe. But Marty knows he can't keep up the facade. He hasn't spoken to his parents since he arrived, he's tearing through his meager savings, his homesickness and anxiety are getting worse and worse, and he hasn't even come close to landing the job of his dreams. Will Marty be able to find a place that feels like home?

New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor author Renée Watson explores friendship, loss, and life with grief in this poignant novel in verse and vignettes.

Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.

In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl's journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

Claire Cashmore, MBE and Paralympic gold medallist, was born without a left forearm – but she never let being different stand in the way of her big dreams. Splash is based on Claire’s real-life experience: this gold-medal-winning swimmer really was scared of water … until one day, everything changed!

These are Claire’s big sisters.
They call her Bear and ruffle her hair.
And whatever Claire’s sisters can do,
Claire can do too …

But there is one thing Claire won't do …The water in the swimming pool makes her feel squirmy inside. Follow her sisters? No thank you! Not today?

Can Claire conquer her fears? Can she set foot in the water – and what will happen if she does?

Splash features a brilliantly bold heroine, who happens to be differently abled, and brims with fun, positivity and Claire Cashmore’s inspirational growth mindset message.

Discover a summer love story like no other: soon to be a major motion picture starring Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger, and perfect for fans of The Fault in our Stars and Everything, Everything.

Katie can't leave her house during the day: she has a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly.

But everything changes when one evening, singing her heart out on a deserted station platform, she meets Charlie.

Before the night is out, Katie is smitten. But she hasn't told Charlie her secret. She just wants to have her normal love story, before reality kicks in.

Lost in her night-time summer romance, Katie knows that love will light the way.

A heartbreaking tale of love, loss and one nearly perfect summer.

Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life: 1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why. 2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls. So she holds it in… until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer - she has Crohn’s disease. But rather than solving all her problems, Al's diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it - her overprotective mum, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom? The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of school life.

"Powerful, lovely, heart-wrenching, and so absorbing I devoured it in one sitting." (Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places). If you loved Hazel and Augustus, Violet and Finch, and Mia and Adam, get ready to fall again for Maddy and Olly - the girl who lives in a bubble, and the boy next door...Soon to be a major motion picture! This is the story of the thrill and heartbreak that ensues when we break out of our shell to do crazy, sometimes death-defying things for love. Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world. So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years. But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddy, tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her. Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window, and suddenly, a door opens. Maddy is certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster.

From award-winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Felix Love has never been in love - and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it's like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What's worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he's one marginalisation too many - Black, queer and transgender - to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages - after publicly posting Felix's deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned - Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn't count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi-love triangle . . .

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognising the love you deserve.

'An outstanding and compassionate debut' Patrice Lawrence
‘An utter page turner from a storming new talent. Passionate, committed and shines a ray of light into the darkest places - the YA novel of 2020!’ Melvin Burgess
'One of the brightest up and coming stars of the YA world' Alex Wheatle

When fifteen-year-old Nathan discovers that his older brother Al, has taken his own life, his whole world is torn apart.
 
Al was special.
 
Al was talented.
 
Al had so many dreams ... so why did he do it?

Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan decides to retrace Al’s footsteps. As he does, he meets Megan, Al's former classmate, who is as determined as Nathan to keep Al's memory alive.
 
Together they start seeking answers, but will either of them be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when they eventually discover what happened?
 
An extraordinary novel about loss, understanding and the importance of speaking up when all you want to do is shut down, from an incredible new talent, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer Niven and Nikesh Shukla.

#BurnBright

Warning - this novel contains themes that some readers may find upsetting, including suicide and intense bullying.

Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018

Winner of the Children's Book of the Year 2018 at the British Book Awards

#1 New York Times bestseller

Now a major motion picture, starring Amandla Stenberg

A Teen Vogue Best YA Book of the Year

"Stunning."―John Green

“A masterpiece.”―The Huffington Post

“An essential read for everyone.”―Teen Vogue

“Outstanding.” ―The Guardian

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

Movie tie-in edition of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller and Waterstones Children's Book Prize winner, now a major motion picture from Twentieth Century Fox, starring Amandla Stenberg.

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it's not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her. An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life. Winner of the 2011 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.

Velile, bullied at school because of being much older than the other children in his grade, hates school. Instead, he goes to the forest to hunt for birds and other animals. After his mother dies, her sister takes him in, but Emihle, his cousin, remains unaccepting of him.

Velile becomes one of the top students in their district, but unfortunately bad choices and friends involving him in illegal mining and gambling result in suspension from high school. After being spat on by a snake (meant to make him successful and wealthy) Velile is hospitalised, where he bumps into one of his old friends, now a priest. He convinces Velile to return to school and attend ABET classes.

When he meets ex-classmate Lawukazi, who had gone to Cuba to study medicine, Velile is inspired to change his ways.

Khanyisile is devastated when his mother dies unexpectedly. When his father takes him from their Eastern Cape village to Cape Town, his life is turned upside down even more.

At his new school, Harmony High, Khanyisile meets Given, who invites him to join the amaVura gang. But how far is he prepared to go to be part of them? And how does Given know Matchstix, the mysterious stranger his father takes him to meet in prison?

When Khanyisile finds out the truth, it is almost too late for him to turn back from the dangerous path he has chosen …

From bestselling author of the Shatter Me series and the National Book Award-nominated A Very Large Expanse of Sea, Tahereh Mafi, comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating dual-identity as a Muslim teenager in America, and reclaiming your right to joy.

It’s 2003. It’s been several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the political world has evolved. Shadi, who wears hijab (a visible allegiance to Islam) keeps her head down. Hate crimes are spiking. Undercover FBI agents are infiltrating mosques and interrogating members of the congregation, and the local Muslim community is beginning to fracture. Shadi hears the fights after services, the arguments between families about what it means to be Muslim, about what they should be doing and saying as a community but she does not engage.

She’s too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots.

Shadi is named for joy, but she’s haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there’s the small matter of her heart
It’s broken. Shadi has tried to navigate the remains of her quickly-shattering world by soldiering through, saying nothing, until finally, one day, everything changes.

She explodes.

Perfect for fans of the Shatter Me series as well as Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Nicola Yoon's The Sun is Also A Star.

Goue reeks is een van die heel bekendste en gewildste inheemse leesreekse met beproefde sukses oor dekades. Derduisende onderwysers en ouers het self daarmee leer lees – en dit werk steeds! Op publieke aanvraag is die volledige reeks nou weer beskikbaar. Dit volg ’n basiese benadering tot leesonderrig deur klank- en woordbouvaardighede en is gebaseer op herhaling, herkenning en inoefening. Goue reeks se hersiene uitgawe (2009) bied alles wat nodig is om jong leerders te ontwikkel in jong lesers.