The South African Alphabet is not your typical ‘ABC’ book for children. It has been splendidly illustrated by Alex Latimer with illustrations on subjects unique to South Africa.

The powerful Oyo has a Shadow Chasers knife…and only the cleverest and the bravest can withstand the Flame of Truth to win it back from her.

With the guidance of Zulaika, a helpful ghost, Nom, Zithembe and Rosy travel through the unknown terrors of the dream world to find Oyo and regain the knife.

Flame of Truth is the third in the Shadow Chasers series, an Afrocentric fantasy adventure for pre-teens (9 to 12 year olds).

An exciting action series set in a soccer club that is a melting pot for teens from different backgrounds with one thing in common – love of the beautiful game.

In this second book of the series, Mondli is captain of Sandview A Under 17 and is doing his best to lead his team. But with his father away, and his mother not coping at home, being a leader is not easy.

When the competing demands of home and team cause clashes in his life, Mondli realises just what leadership is really about.

Otter, Mongoose and Squirrel never go anywhere. One sunrise, they wake to the excited chatter of birds returning from their yearly journey to the north. This inspires the three friends to go on a trip of their own. Because they can’t fl y, they build a boat and set off across the water, but things don’t work out quite as they planned. Although their great adventure turns out to be short-lived, they all agree that, in the end, it was worth it.

It’s a race against time for the Shadow Chasers.

Led by the General, an army of monsters is intent on destroying this world. The Shadow Chasers have discovered that if they defeat the General on the Night of the Red Moon, her army will sleep forever. As the minutes tick by, and the moon turns blood red, the Shadow Chasers are joined by the ancient god/Kaggen.

But the General is the fiercest and most dangerous warrior of all… are their combined forces going to be enough?

Vir 'n meedoenlose smokkelbende is die bome langs die Limpoporivier die ideale plek vir hul skelmstreke en hulle verwag nie dat vyf dapper seuns van Kranskopc en ’n man wat gebrei is deur die Kalahariwoestyn, met hulle paaie sal kruis nie. 'n Vakansie langs die Limpopo hou ongetwyfeld avonture vir die Uile-bende in – veral omdat hul goeie vriend Wadda, die woestynmens, saamgaan. Maar die afgelee boswereld is nie net vir die vriende aanloklik nie. Wanneer honger krokodille boonop tot die gevaar gevoeg word, moet Philip en sy vriende vinnig dink en optree.

Our friend, the Flixies, learns how important the interaction between plants and animals is. They learn how plants, as they spread over the earth, also serve to keep the soil “stuck” to the earth with their roots. In flowering plants it is particularly the reproduction that developed quite cleverly and the Flixies are impressed with the ways in which plants distribute their seeds.

Die aangenome visserseun Boela, raak verlief raak op Nonnie, die eienaar van die kantien se dogter. Hy moet slim planne maak om sy drie vriende, Vlooi, Patrys en Biesiepol, van Nonnie se werf af te hou. Dan is daar Oukoos, Boela se pleegvader. Nadat Oukoos se seun Janneman en sy vrou weggeloop het van Oestermond, het Oukoos vir Boela in sy huis ingeneem om hom te leer van die see en sodat iemand sy skuite kan erf. Maar op ’n dag sien iemand vir Janneman in die kantien drink. Boela wonder of Oukoos hom nog nodig het. En of hy opgewasse is om Nonnie teen Janneman te beskerm.

Late one night, Sam rolls off her bed and splash! Her entire room has flooded! Not just her room, but the whole house is filling up with water as the world floods outside. Confused and cold, Sam is rescued by a wise, little turtle called Neville, who takes her along the beautiful underwater highway, teaching her the ways of this watery world.

'Water isn’t cruel nor kind, but if you manage to keep your head, then the water will keep you,’ Neville repeats to Sam through their epic adventure across the newly formed oceans, meeting all sorts of interesting creatures along the way, to find and rescue Sam’s parents, now washed somewhere downstream.

The Brave Turtle (written by B. D. Harris & illustrated by Megan Bird) is an illustrated children's chapter book of family, bravery, and with a great respect for our country's wild waters. Profits from this book run into the National Sea Rescue Institute, for further sea-inspired projects that benefit children and our country's youth.

The Flixies teach us one of their most important secrets: variety. And so we learn what the word biodiversity means, and why it is so important that we understand it. Facto learns that there is an exceptional number of different types of animals and plants on Earth, and that each one that is discovered must be named. Grandma Flox surprises the Flixies with a very special piece of embroidery…

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Minki en haar maats is opgewonde oor die skoolkonsert wat voorlê. Hulle klas gaan Aspoestertjie opvoer, en dit gaan fantasties wees! Minki en Natalie is seker Lara gaan die hoofrol kry. Sy kan baie goed dans, en boonop is Aspoestertjie haar gunstelingsprokiesprinses. Hulle kan nie wag om te sien hoe sy in haar droomrok lyk nie! Maar by die oudisie loop dinge onverwags skeef … Gaan Minki dit regkry om soos ’n regte Goeie Fee haar towerstaffie te swaai en die konsert te red?

The earliest green plants lived in water. Since the conditions on land was very different from life in water, the earliest plants would have simply dried out and would have been unable to stay upright without support of water. Facto learns how plants developed to be able to live on land and which plants were the most successful in propagating on land…

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

The Flixies talk about one of the most important natural resources, namely soil. They explain how important soils is to all plants, animals and humans, but they are also deeply concerned…

Although the earth is large and covered in soil, there is only a very small fertile layer where plants can grow and provide food for all living things. Flex uses a berry to explain this issue.

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Kwax is in a discussion with Mannie Marsh Frog who is telling him about his ancestral history. He tells Kwax that the ancient amphibian ancestors were big and clumsy and really struggled to move about and live on land. An interesting point regarding amphibians is that they have not yet developed eggs with shells. They therefore return to water to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, little tadpoles pop out!

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

The Earth is like a spaceship orbiting with other planets through space. The big difference between our planet earth and all the other planets, is that earth carries thousands of various forms of life. Flex explains to the Flixies how all the planets travel in their orbits around the sun and how the shapes of these orbits influence the seasons, allowing plants to grow and to rest.

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Vir die vyf dapper vriende wat hulleself die Uile noem, is dit opwindend om na die skatte van 'n geheimsinnige, verlore stad in die Kalahari te gaan soek. Opwindend, ja, maar ook lewensgevaarlik. Want in die Kalahariwoestyn is die enigste bedreigings nie net die roofdiere en sandstorms nie, maar ook vyande wat self 'n oog op die buit het. Sal die Uile hierdie gevaarlike manne kan uitoorlê? En is daar werklik 'n verlore stad en skatte diep in die woestyn?

Facto hears how the thousands of plant and animal species are spread across the different regions of South Africa. They’re almost like giant gardens with different species that have adapted to their conditions. The Flixies are excited about the amazing biodiversity in South Africa and they think that it’s a world record for a small country!

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Which was the most successful group in the entire animal kingdom? Facto finds out what contributed to the arthropods’ success and why they deserve the title of the first real land animals. The Flixies play a guessing game and they chat about crustaceans, multipedes, spiders and scorpions and the first animals that could fly – the insects!

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Grandpa Flex and Dux discuss the various kinds of reptiles. Flex explains how primitive vertebrates eventually managed to cope with life on land. Certain descendants of the amphibians had the features necessary to make exactly this possible!

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Facto listens to what the Flixies have to say about water and learns that it is magical material!

No form of life, as we know it, can exist without water. It is an amazing solvent as all food for animals and plants must first be dissolved in water before it can be absorbed. It also used for washing and cleansing and even to cool off. But our supply of usable water is actually extremely limited…

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Facto has discovered the Flixies! He eavesdrops on their conversations and by doing so, he learns interesting new facts about the earth and nature. In this story we find out where the Flixies live, where they get their information from and how Facto discovered them...

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

The Flixies (and of course Facto) find out how wonderfully this ‘spaceship’ Earth is built and how it’s been positioned in space so that different forms of life on Earth can be sustained. They are reminded that the earth is exactly the right distance from the sun and therefore has the precise temperature to support and sustain life – it’s neither too cold nor too hot.

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide

Vertebrates and invertebrates! Hollow animals! Hollow animals, spiny skins, molluscs and worms! Facto finds out that there are mainly two large groups of animals – those which have backbones and skeletons of bone and cartilage and those without. Of the latter group, the simplest ones live in water and we discover the advantages of living in water…

The Teacher’s Guide includes:

• An explanation of the teaching strategy used
• An explanation of which comprehension strategy is used and which step of the teaching strategy should be applied in that specific book.
• Highlights in the text, with a side-panel modelling the teaching strategy and highlighting key points in the text for application.
• Key words are provided to display and use in the introductory discussion.
• Worksheets with comprehension activities based on the story are added to the end of the guide