A magical, wondrous novel by the author of The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy – about a boy who longs to swim, and a town with a mysterious past ... 'A hilarious and warm-hearted mystery set in a secretive seaside town, Son of the Sea had me hooked!' JENNIFER BELL, AUTHOR OF LEGENDARIUM 'A splashing success, frothing with adventure. This beautiful book is a witty, warm-hearted, web-toed delight.' SAM SEDGMAN, AUTHOR OF THE ADVENTURES ON TRAINS SERIES HIS FEET WERE THE FIRST CLUE ... Casper dreams of swimming the Channel. Surely, he was born to use his webbed toes ... Instead, he's strictly forbidden to go near water. When his parents have an unlucky accident, Casper is sent to stay with a grandmother he's never met - where he discovers his special tie to the sea ... From the acclaimed author of The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy – winner of the Times/Chicken House Competition Chairman's Choice Award Packed full of magical realism, humour, LGBTQ+ representation and a message of acceptance  Perfect for readers aged 9 and up  

'Remarkable' Observer 'A joy to read' Daily Telegraph 'Soaringly beautiful' Sunday Times Magazine 'Genuine and persuasive' Guardian Alexandra Heminsley thought she could swim. She really did. It may have been because she could run. It may have been because she wanted to swim; or perhaps because she only ever did ten minutes of breaststroke at a time. But, as she learned one day while flailing around in the sea, she really couldn't. Believing that a life lived fully isn't one with the most money earned, the most stuff bought or the most races won, but one with the most experiences, experienced the most fully, she decided to conquer her fear of the water. From the ignominy of getting into a wetsuit to the triumph of swimming from Kefalonia to Ithaca, in becoming a swimmer, Alexandra learns to appreciate her body and still her mind. As it turns out, the water is never as frightening once you're in, and really, everything is better when you remember to exhale. What Hemmo's readers are saying: 'This book is funny, engaging, entertaining, informative, suspenseful, motivating, and inspiring... I've never read anything quite like it' - Nina on Goodreads, 5 stars 'Just like Running Like a Girl, this was an absolute joy to read. A beautifully written story of swimming, family and being a woman' - Violet on Amazon, 5 stars 'Fantastic book... Entertaining - often laugh-out-loud funny - and full of really useful advice' - J. Edwards on Amazon, 5 stars 'A fabulous book that's beautifully written' - Nik on Goodreads, 5 stars 'I can't recommend this book enough! I absolutely love Alexandra Heminsley's writing, her attitude towards exercise and her passion for swimming' - Sarah on Goodreads, 5 stars 'an inspirational and encouraging read' - Stephanie on Goodreads, 5 stars 'the author's enthusiasm is contagious... one cannot help but yearn to join in. ... A thoroughly inspiring book with a likeable narrator unafraid to share her personal life' - Eleanor on Goodreads, 5 stars 'This is a delightful book, a pleasure to read... Unbelievably well written, it flows like the water she loves' - Bobby on Amazon, 5 stars

Technique is critical in swimming performance. In the pool or open water, coaches and athletes alike know that efficiency in entering the water and in moving through it equates to milliseconds of improvement-milliseconds that make all the difference in a competition. That's where The Swimming Drill Book continues to deliver. The first edition quickly became the best-selling drill book in the sport. Now, this second edition ups the ante with more drills, new variations, and expanded coverage to help every swimmer. Inside, you'll find more than 175 drills for refining strokes, correcting faults, and improving your feel for the water. In addition to mastering all four competitive strokes-freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly-you'll learn the essentials of body position, sculling, starts, turns, and finishes. You'll even find all-new coverage of open-water drills and strength band workouts to be performed poolside. See for yourself why The Swimming Drill Book is on the shelf of every serious swimmer and coach. It delivers every stroke, every skill, and everything you need for swimming success.

For three decades, David Wright has coached international swimmers who began their swimming careers in his Learn to Swim program, and this book is based on his experience guiding these swimmers. Wright saw many pitfalls that resulted in the sport losing 80% of its participants in their early teenage years-pitfalls that resulted in swimmers ending their careers broken and disillusioned. Shaping Successful Junior Swimmers examines the nature of the sport's early dropout rate and proposes steps to correct the problem. It discusses qualities that should be present in good conditioning and speed training programs as well as why these qualities encourage continued participation and championship performance. Also included are danger signs of poor programs that cause early dropout. In addition to important training factors are the decisions and behavior outside the pool that coaches, parents, administrators, and national federations can make and do to extend and improve every swimmer's involvement in the sport. Swimming champions are the product of good care in and out of the pool, and using this book provides the means for that good care.