Jody just can't bring himself to throw hard, so the ball usually falls short of its mark. Taunts of "catcher's got a glass arm" echo in his ears. Then injury is added to insult when he's beaned by a wild pitch—and suddenly he's having trouble hitting as well as throwing. What good is a ball player who's afraid of the ball?

Grey Haward has always detested the Chemists, the magicians-come-scientists who rule her small western town. But she has always followed the rules, taking the potion the Chemists ration out that helps the town's people survive. A potion that Grey suspects she-like her grandfather and father-may not actually need. By working at her grandfather's repair shop, sorting the small gears and dusting the curio cabinet inside, Grey has tried to stay unnoticed-or as unnoticed as a tall, strong girl can in a town of diminutive, underdeveloped citizens. Then her best friend, Whit, is caught by the Chemists' enforcers after trying to protect Grey one night, and after seeing the extent of his punishment, suddenly taking risks seems the only decision she can make. But with the risk comes the reality that the Chemists know her family's secret, and the Chemists soon decide to use her for their own purposes. Panicked, Grey retreats to the only safe place she knows-her grandfather's shop. There, however, a larger secret confronts her when her touch unlocks the old curio cabinet in the corner and reveals a world where porcelain and clockwork people are real. There, she could find the key that may save Whit's life and also end the Chemists' dark rule forever. Chemists' dark rule forever.

_______________ 'Original, compulsive, uplifting: this is another triumph for Balen' - Alex O'Connell, The Times Children's Book of the Week 'Balen's best book yet: ambitious, funny, spirited, moving, heartfelt and bold all at once. She's a force to be reckoned with' - Ross Montgomery _______________ From the author of October, October, winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022, comes a life-affirming story about blended families and learning to find room in your heart for new life and new love. Tom is still quiet and timid, even though his dad has been gone for nearly two years now. Zofia has a raging storm that makes her want to fight the whole world until she gets what she wants. And what she wants is for scaredy-cat Tom to get out of her life. Tom hates loud, unpredictable Zofia just as much, but he's moving into Zofia's house. Because his mum and Zofia's dad are in love ... and they're having a baby. Tom and Zofia both wish the stupid baby had never happened. But then Tom's mum gets ill, and it begins to look horribly like their wish might come true ... A story of learning to trust, trying to let go and diving into the unknown with hope in your heart, with a stunning cover illustrated by CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Sydney Smith. _______________

Add rigor to this disgustingly entertaining book by providing students with fun, challenging lessons and activities that work in conjunction with the text. How to Eat Fried Worms: An Instructional Guide for Literature is packed with tools to teach students how to analyze story elements in multiple ways, practice close reading and text-based vocabulary, determine meaning through text-dependent questions, and more. This is the perfect resource to engage students and teach them how to comprehend complex literature.

Hierdie bundel bevat, soos die titel aandui, ’n versameling heeltemal nuwe en oorspronklike gedigte. Dit bou voort op die wonderlike tradisie van DJ Opperman se Kleuterverseboek en Klein Verseboek, en dek onderwerpe wat met die destydse bundels nog nie deel was van kinders se leefwêreld nie, soos rekenaars, selfone, e-pos, internet en sms.

Die 250 verse deur 100 bydraers sluit in bekende en nuwe skrywers soos Hennie Aucamp, François Bloemhof, Philip de Vos, Hans du Plessis, Franci Greyling, Jaco Jacobs, Lucas Malan en Fanie Viljoen.

Die bundel bestaan uit drie afdelings: kleuterverse (2 tot 4 jaar), kinderverse (5 tot 7 jaar) en amper-tieners (8 tot 10 jaar). Temas wat gedek word sluit in: gesin en familie, speelgoed en troeteldiere, diere en natuur, pret en humor, tegnologie en beroep, vriendskap en verhoudings, eetgewoontes en maniere, liggaam en gesondheid, fantasie en sprokies, gril en gruwel, sport en spel, aktuele kwessies en sosiale verantwoordelikheid. ’n Lys wat die gedigte per onderwerp aandui, verskyn agterin sodat die bundel ook geskik is vir skoolgebruik.

When a heartbreaking testimony appears on an anonymous website, it's easier for Cassie's prestigious school to dismiss the accusations than to face the truth: that this is a place where the students aren't safe. As more survivors speak out, Cassie and her friends realise that they must take the situation into their own hands if they want anything to change, no matter the consequences. Cassie goes to a prestigious academic school where girls have only just been admitted after decades of it being single-sex. When a female student from the school anonymously posts about the sexual abuse she has suffered and the school does not act properly, Cassie knows that she needs to take matters into her own hands. She and her friends prepare for battle - with a strike, an assembly, as well as outside school spending their weekends protesting to save the woodland from development. But will her activism only make things worse, or will she succeed in righting the wrongs that so many choose to ignore? And could there be a more personal reason for her behaviour? A powerful, timely verse novel about the need to act and stand up for what's right.

When Connie gets a letter from the dad she thought was dead, she sets out to discover why he left her, eight years ago, sitting in an airport cafe with only her pet chameleon for company. Since then she's lived with her foster mum, a cleaner at the airport, and dreams of seeing her dad again. With her new friend, a fearless, fossil-hunting boy called Thyo, she tracks her dad down. But as he reveals his true colours, Connie starts to wonder if she's made the biggest mistake of her life.

The story of Mia, and her family and friends at the Calivista Motel, continues in this powerful, hilarious, and resonant sequel to the award-winning novel Front Desk. Mia Tang thinks she's going to have the best year ever: 1. She and her parents have a motel. 2. She gets to run the front desk. 3. She's finally getting somewhere with her writing. But, on a rollercoaster of challenges, Mia will need all her determination to hang on tight. If anyone can find the key to getting through turbulent times, it's Mia Tang.

​Will Itty get along with Prince Pip of Wagmire? Find out in this third adorable book in the Itty Bitty Princess Kitty chapter book series! Perfect for readers aged 5+ and fans of Isadora Moon, Claude and My Little Pony. The royal family of Wagmire is visiting Lollyland! Itty is excited to meet the puppy prince, Pip, for the first time. So why doesn’t Prince Pip seem very excited to meet her? Itty tries to show him all the fun things to do in Lollyland – but he turns his little dog nose up at everything. Can the prince and princess ever become friends, or are cats and dogs just too different? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on every page, the Itty Bitty Princess Kitty chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.  

"Sensitively told and heartfelt...will open up many difficult, but important conversations." --Jasmine Warga, Newbery Honor-winning author of Other Words for Home In this powerful middle grade novel from the acclaimed author of Things You Can't Say, a young girl struggles to find her place while her older brother fights to overcome opioid addiction--perfect for fans of The Seventh Wish and Violets Are Blue. When Emma starts sixth grade, things finally begin to change. She may still be in the shadow of her older brother, Austin, the popular high school quarterback, but she's made artsy new friends who get her way more than her bookish best friend, Becca. But things are changing for Austin, too. After undergoing surgery for a football injury, Austin has become addicted to opioid painkillers. By the end of the school year, everything blows up with Austin--and Becca. When their parents decide to send Austin to rehab and Emma to stay with family friends in Wyoming for the summer, Emma seizes the chance to get away. Wyoming turns out to be a perfect fresh start, especially after Emma makes friends with Tyler, a kindred spirit who doesn't judge her--then again, he doesn't know what she did to Becca. Still, Emma can't hide forever...or go back to the way things were with Austin or with Becca. But can she find a way to confront the truth and move forward?

Sanlamprys vir jeuglektuur 2008: silwer ’n Spannende jeugspeurverhaal wat in die onderwêreld van kuberkrakers afspeel, deur ’n veelbekroonde skrywer. Greg Owen is die hoofseun by Lawson Kollege, waar Eckardt in matriek by hulle aansluit. Reeds met die inisiasie van nuwelinge vorm ’n band tussen hulle. Eckardt is ’n bedrewe rekenaarkraker en lei Greg in die geheime van dié onderwêreld in. Onwillekeurig word hy in ’n gevaarlike avontuur ingetrek. Wanneer Ekhardt skielik verdwyn, begin Greg alles wat hy voorheen as vanselfsprekend aanvaar het, bevraagteken.

Lien is die oudste kind in ’n disfunksionele huishouding, waar die status van die gesin van welgesteld tot armblankes verander het weens die misbruik van trustfondse deur haar prokureurspa, nou ’n gevangene, en haar ma weens haar onvermoë om die situasie te verwerk, ’n alkoholis word. Al wat oorbly van die glans van ’n vroeë lewe is ’n woordlose video met grepe uit gelukkige tye saam. Die besorgheid van ’n buurtannie help in die donkerste ure van die gesin, terwyl dit nodig word vir Lien om uit te spring om brood op die tafel te sit.

Vir haar en haar jonger broer, Braam, oor wie sy besorg is, is daar aanpassingsprobleme by die nuwe skool, maar deur veral twee vriende, Wouter en Mimi, elk met hulle eie verwondheid, herwin Lien vir haar ’n eie plek. Sy doen naskool loswerkies vir ’n inkomste, veral om die aand kos op die tafel te kry en te spaar vir wanneer sy eendag oorsee kan gaan. Die behoeftes van die gesin kan egter nie alleen deur die wisselvallige inkomste aangespreek word nie.

Terwyl haar ma se alkoholisme tot tragiese dieptes verval, begin sy in ’n vermomming op ’n straathoek bedel, waar sy randkarakters soos Roos en Tibbey leer ken en sy geleidelik hulle vertroue en vriendskap wen. Ondanks uitdagende omstandighede slaag sy daarin om ’n verantwoordelikheidsin te kweek wat hulle posisie as gesin ook geleidelik positief beinvloed. Die wyse waarop sy op haar gesins- en persoonlike uitdagings reageer, help haar om te groei, haar roeping te vind en vrede te maak met haar verlede.

Vanaf die aangrypende openingstoneel word die aandag geboei met stilistiese vernuf, oortuigende karakterisering en geloofwaardige ruimte-beelding. Die skrywer het ’n oorspronklike aanslag wat gereflekteer word in die oorspronklike taalgebruik en skerp, vermaaklike dialoog. Respek vir die woord staan sentraal in hierdie manuskrip.

Die gang van gebeure word so gestruktureer dat die leser meegevoer word en dit moeilik vind om die manuskrip neer te sit. Die narratief word effektief afgewissel met beskrywings van klanklose ou video-grepe. ’n Uitgebreide verwysingsraamwerk van musiek en ander motiewe word deurgaans gehandhaaf en uitgebou – so word die verhaal effektief gelaai met sekondêre betekenislae.

Hierdie verhaal spreek ook van ’n maatskaplike gewete wat dit vierkantig plaas binne die konteks van ons sosio-politieke landskap. Dit is ’n verhaal wat die leser subtiel uitdaag om verantwoordelikheid te neem vir sy eie geluk en om die goeie in mense en situasies raak te sien, wat werklik ’n vars briesie is.

After Sister Spring awakes “with the first daffodil on the very last breath of frost,� she colors the sunrise with a kiss, provides thunder for the hills, and invites the reader to gambol in the meadow and “dream the seeds of the morrow.�

Best friends Gabby and Kaden do everything together: hoverboarding, robot-building and virtual reality gaming. Then one day Kaden goes off alone and gets his hands on experimental VR tech. When he powers on the headset, a rogue AI called S.N.O.W. takes hold of his mind and locks the boy deep in her digital realm! But Gabby isn’t about to abandon her best bud. Can she enter the game, fight through the levels and solve the final puzzle to save Kaden before he’s lost to S.N.O.W. forever? Enjoy a modern twist on the Hans Christian Andersen classic “The Snow Queen� as it’s retold for kids in this exciting Far Out Fairy Tales graphic novel.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE LAUGH OUT LOUD BOOK AWARDS! Meet Wilf. He worries about everything. He is a Mighty Worrier. And now the most evil man in the world has moved in next door... Things Wilf was worried about before: 1. Stuffed animals. 2. Peanut Butter. 3. Creepy crawlies that have waggly feeler things instead of eyes. Things Wilf is worried about now: 4. The most evil man in the world. 5. The most evil man in the world living next door. 6. Anyone called Alan. When Alan, a self-styled Evil Lunatic, moves in next door with his grumpy robot sidekick and his silent right-hand-dog, Kevin Phillips, Wilf knows he will have to find a way to overcome his anxiety and fears. And soon he realises: only he can stop Alan's ridiculous yet still Quite Evil plan to destroy the world... Join Wilf for a fantastically funny adventure, illustrated throughout by Jamie Littler!

Every grandad is different . . . but they're ALL special! Is your grandad an adventurer or an explorer? Is he a builder, an inventor, or a MAGICIAN? Whatever your grandad does, you can be sure he loves you! This is a joyous celebration of wonderful grandads and the love they have for their grandchildren. With a bouncy, irresistible rhyming text by Ben Faulks and charming illustrations by the talented Nia Tudor, it's the perfect gift for any grandparent or grandchild!

Milo is thrilled to be starting at the country's fanciest, shiniest, most prestigious school. But it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on. The headmaster, Dr Pummelcrush, is bent on brainwashing the students and turning them into mindless, unthinking human robots. When Milo stumbles across a bright and colourful secret garden and meets its joyous gardener, he and his friends begin to open their minds to a whole new way of thinking: philosophy. Can the Philosophy Resistance Squad use their new questioning skills to resist Pummelcrush's evil project and save their classmates from being zombified?

A laugh-out-loud picture book adventure about Mrs Claus finally leaving the snow (and her husband) behind to see the world! 'Snow, snow and more snow!' she told Santa. 'Well, I'm tired of it! You get to see the see the whole world every year. Now it's my turn.' Mrs Claus is fed up with the endless snow at the North Pole, she needs a change. Come to think of it, what she really needs is a vacation! So, she hitches up a reindeer and takes off to travel the world. But while Mrs Claus is making new friends, eating exciting foods and sunning herself on the beach, Santa is starting to feel a little lonely. As Christmas approaches, Mrs Claus starts to miss Santa as much as Santa misses her ... but will she get home in time for Christmas? A festive and brilliantly fun picture book, perfect for any child (or grown-up!) who loves Christmas With adorable full-colour illustrations by Linas Alsenas

For eleven year old Holly, the last six weeks have been the worst of her young life. Her mother lies in a coma following a car accident, the doctors unable to say when, if ever, she might regain consciousness. With Christmas just one week away, Holly's one wish is to have her mother home with her on Christmas Day - a wish she knows is unlikely to be fulfilled. Then, on the eve of her twelfth birthday, her dad buys her a magician's set from a strange old man he bumps into by accident in town. The set proves to be very special; a spell book and a real wand, and suddenly Holly finds that magic exists everywhere - even in the saddest moments of her life. Under the guidance of Charlie, Holly learns to do the sort of magic we can only dream about, with hilarious and sometimes dangerous results! As Holly's life begins to brighten, she still holds onto her one true wish - to have her mother home again, and muses over the opening words in the spell book: This book is for the use of Holly Jackson Congratulations on being chosen All is yours until your wishes are fulfilled With Christmas fast approaching and an evil character trying to take the wand for himself, can Holly find it in herself to rise to the challenges that face her and get back the one thing she wants most of all?

Learn valuable life lessons from Paddington Bear himself in this inspirational book of kindness. The perfect gift for fans of the bear from Darkest Peru, who is now a major movie star. "Aunt Lucy taught me to say 'please' and 'thank you' when I'm out shopping, and to raise my hat whenever I meet someone I know." Whatever situation Paddington Bear finds himself in, he always responds with kindness. From arriving in London and winning the hearts of the Brown family, to sharing elevenses with Mr Gruber and lending a paw around the neighbourhood, he always tries to do his very best for others... even if there are a few well-intentioned mishaps along the way! Now you can learn how to be more like the much-loved bear from Darkest Peru in this uplifting collection of inspiring - often hilarious - quotes from the enduringly popular books by Michael Bond, with beautiful illustrations by the original Paddington illustrator, Peggy Fortnum.