Award-winning author, Kevin Crossley-Holland, presents a collection of stories where even the longest story is very short- none longer than two pages. A wonderful mix of the best short stories. Some are old, some are new, some are scary, some are funny, but all the stories in this book will make you think. There are stories about ghosts, supermarkets, animals, adventures, and more. Children will discover fun, quick reads in this enjoyable collection.

Irish fairytales portray a rich and unpredictable world of enchantment and adventure. Witches and shape-changers, beautiful princesses and noble heroes, giants with untold strength and little people who play tricks wherever they go - these are some of the characters in the traditional stories of Ireland. This delightful volume contains some of the best stories from the rich fund of Irish myth and legend. Read about the cunning defeat of the giant Cucullin by Fin M'Coul, of how King Whiskers tricked the haughty princess into marriage to rid her of her terrible pride, and of the two farmers Hudden and Dudden who lost their cattle through their silly jealousy of a poor old man. With its beguiling stories and beautiful illustrations this charming anthology offers a delight to young and old alike.

Growing up in the modern world, our children can often feel distracted, stressed and anxious. The ancient wisdom of Buddhism, with its emphasis on peace, compassion and mindfulness, is the ideal basis for helping any child face the challenges of daily life with increased confidence and calm. From the tale of Percy the ostrich and Kevin the snail, which teaches the importance of friendship, to that of Marina the mermaid and the golden shell, which will encourage your child to meet adversity with honesty and compassion, the stories are designed to both entertain and enlighten, helping to: develop your child's imagination and sense of creativity reassure your child about any worries they may have teach your child about empathy and showing compassion to others stimulate the imagination and enhance the creativity of your child boost your child's self-confidence encourage your child along the path of right living

Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what's in the box?
Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels--or mayhem--inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier ("Smile"), and Dave Roman ("Astronaut Academy"), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series "Flight"), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.
Praise for "Explorer: Mystery Boxes"
STARRED REVIEW
"An outstanding out-of-the box anthology from renowned comics veteran Kibuishi. With eye-popping full-color art and palettes ranging from candy-colored to ethereal earth tones, this is both a visual feast for the eyes and a healthy helping of thought for the soul. Superb."
-"Kirkus Reviews," starred review
STARRED REVIEW
"Coherent for all its variety, there will be something here for most readers."
-"School Library Journal," starred review
"This standout anthology will leave its audience with a fresh appetite for more from both the series and the individual contributors."
-"The Horn Book"
"Award-winning comics creator and editor of the celebrated Flight anthologies, Kibuishi offers yet another great anthology geared toward middle-school readers. Always clever and never boring, these diverse stories run the gamut from creepy to sarcastic to witty to cute to Zen to wacky to thoughtful. While the pieces feature different artists and styles, each one is complete and so well composed that the transitions from one to another do not seem jarring or out of place. A great introductory title for young or struggling middleschool readers starting to explore the world of graphic novels."
-"Booklist"

Funny Stories For 7-Year-Olds is a bright and varied selection of wonderfully entertaining stories by some of the very best writers for children. Perfect for reading alone or aloud - and for dipping into time and time again. With stories from Dick King-Smith, Michael Bond, Philippa Gregory, Jacqueline Wilson and many more, this book will provide hours of fantastic fun.

"Did Amma really steal a bicycle, and is it even possible to wrestle your shadow?" Did you ever wonder how your parents were as kids? Were they up to mischief? Did they get into trouble a lot? Then read these stories about a mother who tells her child about her strange and exciting adventures growing up in a village in South India. Look carefully at the beautiful illustrations... and imagine yourself in this fantastic world of midnight feasts, roving hyenas, shrieking peacocks, buzzing insects and stolen bicycles...does it sound unbelievable? And yet...could it all be true?

Introduce little ones to Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and the Princess and the Pea in this gorgeous book. With simple text and beautiful illustrations by Lorena Alvarez throughout, the stories are perfect for reading aloud to young children or for older children to read by themselves.

While Audrey yearns for new adventures, her brother Oliver dreams of hidden treasures. When the twins explore different biomes, they find plenty of both in 5-Minute Adventures for Minecrafters, an all-new series of stories for Minecrafters that can be read in 5 minutes! In Extreme Stories from the Extreme Hills, Audrey and Oliver collect many treasures-and mini adventures. For every dangerous hike up a rocky cliff, there's a waterfall roaring back down. Each dungeon hides a treasure chest-but also a monster spawner! As the mobs get deadlier, the stakes grow higher. The twins hope to make it back to Birchtown with their treasures in hand. Will the next ravine lead to riches or to a river of hot lava? There's only one way to find out. These five-minute stories promise plenty of twists and turns-and surprise endings. In 5-Minute Adventures for Minecrafters: Extreme Stories from the Extreme Hills, the twins explore one of the Overworld's most treacherous terrains, one exciting step at a time.

Love is in the air in this is a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Gilded, Marissa Meyer. The secret admirer. The fake relationship. The matchmaker. From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that's been there all along, ten of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favourite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will swoon for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding and serendipitous. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle and Abigail Hing Wen.

Brought to you by Penguin. *A brand new collection of short stories from the incredible Sir Terry Pratchett!* Imagination is an amazing thing. It can take you to the top of the highest mountain, or down to the bottom of the deepest depths of the sea. This where it took Doggins on his Awfully Big Adventure: a quest full of magic and flying machines. (And the world's best joke - trust me, it's hilarious.) It took three young inventors to the moon (where they may or may not have left a bottle of lemonade) and a caveman on a trip to the dentist. You can join them on these adventures, and many more, in this incredible collection of stories . . . From the greatest imagination there ever was. Written for local newspapers when Terry Pratchett was a young lad, these never previously published stories are packed full of anarchic humour and wonderful wit. A must-have for Terry fans . . . and young readers looking for a fix of magic. (c) Terry Pratchett 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

An exciting adventure set in revolutionary France which tells the true story of a swashbuckling hero Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, whose mother was an enslaved African woman and whose father was a French noble. Alex is happy living with his brothers and sister on his father's farm on Haiti but his father wants to go back to France and can't afford to take his mixed-race children with him. Soon, Alex must fight for his freedom... and that of France. From a slave on the streets of Port au Prince to a general in the French army, the dramatic true story of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas' life (the inspiration for his son's book The Three Musketeers) is brought to life by award-winning author, Catherine Johnson. Featuring exciting black-and-white illustrations by TBC, this book is perfect for children who are developing as readers. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with brilliant books to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2, with book-banded stories by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence, covering a wide range of genres and topics. With charming illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for reading both in the classroom and at home. For more information visit www.bloomsburyguidedreading.com. Book Band: Dark Red Ideal for ages 10+

This book is a magical collection of seven bedtime stories for 6 to 9 year olds -- one story for each night of the week, each featuring one of the seven colours of the rainbow. The stories are all new, yet have a timeless, dreamy quality to them, which is perfect for sleepy night-time reading. The seven stories form a harmonious circle: the first story features a small girl wearing a dress as white as the stars, who discovers a casket of jewels in a forest of blue trees. In the last story, a pink butterfly flutters from an old woman's garden to a hut in the woods, where a girl in a white dress sleeps. In between are a host of other wonderful characters, including a red bird whose song inspires dreams, a boy with a golden flower, an astrologer who paints stars from his purple tower, fish that transport raindrop-jewels to an underwater sea cave, and a mother and baby possum who discover a mysterious green sanctuary. Parents and children alike will delight in the vivid imagery in these enchanting tales, which lead the imagination from the clear outlines of the waking world into the elusive realm of dreams.

A tousle-headed, snub-nosed, hearty, lovable ball of mischief, William Brown has been harassing his unfortunate family and delighting his hundreds of thousands of admirers since 1922. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features original illustrations by Thomas Henry and a foreword by novelist, dramatist and screenwriter Roddy Doyle. Just William is Richmal Crompton's first book about the incorrigible William Brown. Follow his adventures from getting over a school teacher crush to a failed attempt at baby-sitting, and from throwing a wild party to meeting his faithful dog Jumble in this hilarious collection of stories.

Stories by Irish writers - including Maeve Binchy An outstanding collection of twelve coming-of-age stories by Irish and Irish-American writers. Maeve Binchy's 'When Grania Grows Up' pinpoints the moment a girl who believed in happy families loses her innocent faith in people; Marita Conlon-McKenna writes of a teenage romance that triggers hostilities between Catholics and Protestants; the title story by Shane Connaughton deals with macabre humour with a teenage boy rumoured to have committed a murder; and Helena Mullkerns' 'Landlocked' is about an Irish girl waitressing in Texas and beginning to understand the complex dream of immigrant life. The authors include established writers and some exciting newcomers. In their very different ways each succeeds brilliantly in conveying the universal longing of the young to grow up, to love, and to start a new life.

'McCaughrean is one of the greatest living children's authors.' (The Bookseller) Brilliant historical fiction from double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean. From ships that sail in a sea in the sky and children who witness the deadly effects of a scientific experiment, to a magic carpet that brings about a day of judgement and a year where eleven days are lost and never to be found, this short-story collection will have you on the edge of your seat! This collection of gripping historical short stories from award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean has beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Ian McCaughrean and is perfect for children who are developing as readers. The Bloomsbury Guided Reading series is packed with brilliant books to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2, with book-banded stories by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence covering a wide range of genres and topics. With charming illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for reading both in the classroom and at home. For more information visit www.bloomsburyguidedreading.com. Book Band: Dark Red Ideal for ages 10+

The world of fairy tales is one that we all love to enter. Many of these stories had been told for centuries, delighting children and adults alike with their mixture of magic, mystery, and truths older even than the stories themselves. Here twenty best-loved tales by the famous German storytellers, the Brothers Grimm, are retold for the enjoyment of children today. As well as many old favourites, other tales of magic and enchantment are included, such as The Musicians Bremen, Hans the Hedgehog, and Clever Elsie. Neil Philip's retelling tries to capture some of the immediacy and sparkle of the living storyteller's voice. The language is fresh and direct, and the pace is lively. Isabelle Brent's detailed illustrations decorate the pages beautifully.

Conoce a Coqu n, Pach n y Tav n, los ratoncitos perezosos. Viven en Selva Feliz donde todos los animales son buenos y se aman los unos a los otros. Trece cuentos biling es: espa ol e ingl s, con temas para reflexionar. Meet Coquin, Pachin and Tavin, the lazy mice. They live in Happy Jungle where all the animals are good and love one another. Thirteen bilingual stories: Spanish and English, with ideas to think about.

Molly loves to listen to her dad's bedtime stories. Once upon a time, he says, everyone was green, squirrels sang in choirs, tiny people lived in Aunt Elsie's pot plant and of course, rabbits could fly . . . but can all this really be true? Molly thinks her dad's just being silly as usual, but no-one's bedtime stories are as good as his. So cuddle up on the sofa and pick one of these fourteen fantastically funny stories to read together before bed. Which one will be your favourite?

Melanie von Bismarck's brilliant collection of short stories is cleverly translated from the German by David Henry Wilson, author of the Jeremy James series, and is brought to life by the warm, witty and richly detailed pictures by Axel Scheffler, illustrator of The Gruffalo.

With a jacket, extra-thick paper, and a special ribbon to mark your place in the book, Flying Rabbits, Singing Squirrels and Other Bedtime Stories makes a great present – truly a book to treasure.

A bumper collection of short stories to read at bedtime, a story for every day of the month. All specially chosen to gently calm and encourage peaceful slumber. Padded cover and delightful illustrations throughout. Perfect for sharing together at bedtime.