Joan Aiken is justly famous for her Wolves of Willoughby Chase series of novels, but her greatest love was for short stories, which she wrote prolifically throughout her long career: 'Favourite stories, like unexpected presents, are things that you can keep and cherish all your life, carry with you, in memory, in your mind's ear, and bring out, at any time, when you are feeling lonely, or need cheering up, or, like friends, just because you are fond of them.' From a princess who turned into a pirate parrot, to a procession of Father Christmases being chased down Fifth Avenue by a rackety horse and cart; from the ghost of a crusader's dog, to a captured mermaid in a flying machine, there is something for everybody in this enthralling collection. These stories showcase Aiken's unique talents - the way she mixed magic and myth with humour to create a kind of modern fairytale. Her stories will appeal to readers of all ages for many years to come.

YOU are Robin Hood, outlaw of Sherwood Forest. The Sheriff of Nottingham has captured Maid Marian. You'll need all your skills to rescue her, and stay out of prison ... This is a choose-your-own-destiny adventure where YOU are the hero. This is a title in the interactive I HERO Legends series - where the reader plays the part of a legendary hero! In each adventure the reader makes a choice that affects how the story progresses - it really is 'decide-your-own-destiny! Written by the award-winning duo Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore (more commonly known as the 2Steves), and illustrated by Andrew "2Hands" Tunney. Age appropriate for 6 to 8 year olds and more sensitive readers. Also suitable for reluctant readers and less confident older readers. Printed using a font approved by the British Dyslexia Association.

WINNER OF THE YA BOOK PRIZE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2018 Featuring top Young Adult authors and introducing a host of exciting new voices, this anthology of stories and poetry from BAME writers on the theme of change is a long-overdue addition to the YA scene. Contributors include Tanya Byrne, Inua Ellams, Catherine Johnson, Patrice Lawrence, Ayisha Malik, Irfan Master, Musa Okwonga and Nikesh Shukla. Plus introducing four fresh new voices in YA fiction: Mary Bello, Aisha Bushby, Yasmin Rahman and Phoebe Roy.

Querido lector, Mi nombre es Andrea Oliva Jimenez de Lara Valverde. Naci en la ciudad de Celaya (Guanajuato, Mexico) el 23 de diciembre de 1976. Soy la segunda hija de 5 hermanos. Agradezco todo el apoyo que siempre me han dado mis padres. Desde nina me imaginaba en una cabana en medio del bosque ya anciana escribiendo y viendo nacer mi primera obra, llenandome con esto de satisfaccion por realizar mi sueno. Hoy, a mis 35 anos, he tomado los cuentos que escribi en mi infancia y adolescencia inspirandome en el entorno y el contacto con la naturaleza. Esta sencilla obra infantil esta dedicada con todo mi esmero, carino y amor a mi preciosa hija de 11 anos, Yocelyn Citlaly de Muro Jimenez de Lara. Amor, eres mi gota de agua en el desierto, la esencia en si de mi vida, eres quien hace que mis dias valgan la pena, el motor que me tiene andando aun, la certedeza de que Dios existe por tan gran regalo que sin merecerlo me dio en ti. Te amo, carino Espero que dichos cuentos sean de su agrado. Un cordial saludo, La autora

Three brilliant stories that will captivate young readers by War Horse author and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. The Marble Crusher Does Mr Manners, the headmaster, really have a machine that crushes marbles? Albert thinks so. Colly's Barn Colly the owl and Screecher the swallow band together to save the barn. Conker Nick beats the bully, Stevie Rooster, and becomes Conker king. But can he rescue a mistreated dog while searching for the best conker? Michael Morpurgo, demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller in these animal tales that are wonderful for engaging early readers. aged seven years and up. Michael has written more than one hundred books for children including An Eagle in the Snow, Listen to the Moon, Private Peaceful, and An Elephant in the Garden and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children's Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.

A gorgeous picture book to delight all little readers, with surprises from old friends who live in the Faraway Tree and hidden birds. Collect the whole series for a year-round library of beautiful books. When Sandra finds her teapot in the garden she discovers a lovely surprise, as does William when he loses his kite and familiar friends from the Faraway Tree come to the rescue, in this beautiful collection of stories by the world's best-loved storyteller, Enid Blyton. With charming colour illustrations by Becky Cameron, acclaimed illustrator of Treasury of Bedtime Stories by Enid Blyton and of Paddington and the Christmas Wish, this is the perfect gift. Step into a world of magic and nature with The Enchanted Library series. Look out for: Stories of Nature's Treasures Stories of Animal Secrets Stories of Dreamy Adventures Stories for All Seasons Stories of Starry Nights Stories of Fairy Fun Stories of Woodland Adventures Stories for Cosy Days Stories of Tasty Treats * Enid Blyton (R) and Enid Blyton's signature are Registered Trademarks of Hodder and Stoughton Limited. No trademark or copyrighted material may be reproduced without the express written permission of the trademark and copyright owner.

Chosen and introduced by Neil Gaiman, this thoroughly beguiling collection of short stories is inhabited by an amazing menagerie of creatures from myth, legend and dark imagination The griffin, the sunbird, manticores, unicorns - all manner of glorious creatures never captured in zoos, museums or photographs are packed vividly into this collection of stories. Neil Gaiman has included some of his own childhood favourites alongside stories classic and modern to spark the imagination of readers young and old. All contributors have given their work free to benefit Dave Eggers' literacy charity, 826DC. Includes stories by: Peter S. Beagle, Anthony Boucher, Avram Davidson, Samuel R. Delany, Neil Gaiman, Maria Dahvana Headley, Nalo Hopkinson, Diana Wynne Jones, Megan Kurashige, E. Nesbit, Larry Niven, Nnedi Okorafor, Saki, Frank R. Stockton, Gahan Wilson, E. Lily Yu.

Believe it or not - a kid can grow younger; birds can bury you; ghosts have exams; there are eyes in the milk. This is a collection of short stories from Paul Jennings.

A gorgeous picture book to delight all little readers, featuring midnight parties and sleepy beach adventures. Collect the whole series for a year-round library of beautiful books. In this beautiful collection of stories by the world's best-loved storyteller, Enid Blyton, Linnie dreams of fairies going to night-time parties and three little sailors fall asleep on a ship made from an upside-down table and cushions. With charming colour illustrations by Becky Cameron, acclaimed illustrator of Treasury of Bedtime Stories by Enid Blyton and of Paddington and the Christmas Wish, this is the perfect gift. Step into a world of magic and nature with The Enchanted Library series. Look out for: Stories of Nature's Treasures Stories of Favourite Friends Stories of Animal Secrets Stories for All Seasons Stories of Starry Nights Stories of Fairy Fun Stories of Woodland Adventures Stories for Cosy Days Stories of Tasty Treats * Enid Blyton (R) and Enid Blyton's signature are Registered Trademarks of Hodder and Stoughton Limited. No trademark or copyrighted material may be reproduced without the express written permission of the trademark and copyright owner.

A new collection of stories, including some that have never before been seen, from the New York Times best-selling author of the Silo trilogy Hugh Howey is known for crafting riveting and immersive page-turners of boundless imagination, spawning millions of fans worldwide, first with his best-selling novel Wool, and then with other enthralling works such as Sand and Beacon 23. Now comes Machine Learning, an impressive collection of Howey's science fiction and fantasy short fiction, including three stories set in the world of Wool, two never-before-published tales written exclusively for this volume, and fifteen additional stories collected here for the first time. These stories explore everything from artificial intelligence to parallel universes to video games, and each story is accompanied by an author's note exploring the background and genesis of each story. Howey's incisive mind makes Machine Learning: New and Collected Stories a compulsively readable and thought-provoking selection of short works--from a modern master at the top of his game.

YOU are a highly trained ninja. When your village is attacked by a warlord called Raiden, only you can stop him. This is a title in the interactive I HERO Immortals series - where the reader is the hero! In each adventure the reader makes a choice that affects how the story progresses - it really is 'decide-your-own-destiny! Written by the award-winning duo Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore (more commonly known as the 2Steves), and illustrated by comics legend, Jack Lawrence.

What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads" ("who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion...all in one hour or less?
With his trademark wit and creativity, Rick Riordan answers these questions and more in three never-before-seen short stories that provide vital back-story to the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson books, with a bonus fourth story marking the publishing debut of Haley Riordan, the inspiration for Percy Jackson. Original art, enlightening character interviews and portraits, puzzles, and a quiz add to the fun in this action-packed collection.

This is a collection of 24 short stories, ranging from the classical to the modern and drawn from many countries.

Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story. And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories combine over the course of a romantic Valentine's Day in Medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding and losing love. Arianne pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first - and last - time, Daniel and Luce will spend a night together like none other. Lauren Kate's Fallen in Love is filled with love stories . . . the ones everyone has been waiting for. True love never says goodbye . . .

Stay tuned for a brand-new show coming in winter 2018 to PBS Kids: Pinkalicious & Peterrific!It's pinkerrific! It's pinkamazing! It's Pinkalicious! And it's only 5 minutes! #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Kann brings young readers a collection of 12 Pinkalicious stories designed for sharing at bedtime or storytime. Join Pinkalicious in this paper-over-board collection of 12 fun-filled stories as she meets a mini-mermaid, has fun with fashion, and learns to fly a kite. With 5 minutes of pinkatastic read-aloud adventure in each story, full-color illustrations throughout, and a sturdy padded cover, this storybook treasury is perfect for bedtime or for young readers on-the-go!

The second book about the Littlest Dragon who has the biggest and best ideas. Familiar family stories for beginner readers. Two more stories about the Littlest Dragon who is the tenth child in the Dragon family. With nine older brothers, No 10 has to be ever more resourceful to get what he wants. In the first story, he is determined to get to the breakfast table before his brothers, so he can get the freebie gift from the cereal box. After three attempts, he manages it, with the help of a feather duster and 9 pairs of tickly toes. In the second story, the Littlest Dragon is left at home while his older brothers go to the big dragons' swimming pool. In his resourceful way, the Littlest Dragon wins the day when the only pool open that day, is the one for younger dragons. With plenty of repetition and alliteration, this book is perfect for children who are just able to read on their own. Hugely popular with Year 2s throughout the UK.

Another hilarious collection of four of the most revolting and funny stories you're ever likely to read. Gathered together for the first time are stories about: Jellyfish Undies; Foot Rot; Pigeon Poo; Deadly B.O. All designed to curdle your stomach and test your stamina. Warning: this book is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Ages 8+

What have Bernard Ashley, Marjorie Blackman, Berlie Doherty, Paul Jennings, Margaret Mahy, Michael Morpurgo, Jenny Nimmo, Michael Rosen, Jeremy Strong and Robert Swindells all got in common?

'They all went to school!

And they all write fantastic stories.'

Ten brand new school stories – based on their own schooldays – from ten of today's finest authors.

Find out how Jeremy Strong stopped being a 'thoroughly idle boy'; why Michael Morpurgo ran away from school and who the shyest girl in the class was. Discover what made Paul Jennings madder than mad; how a white elephant nearly got Jenny Nimmo expelled and why Marjorie Blackman hates bullies. Then learn how Bernard Ashley survived the Blitz; where Robert Swindells got close to Mount Everest and why Margaret Mahy became a witch…and much, much more! There are good days and bad days, funny days and sad days, but one thing is certain – school days can never be forgotten!

A collection of new , specially commissioned short stories by some of the finest authors of children’s books today: Anne Fine, Berlie Doherty, Leslie Howarth, Mary Arrigan, Gaye Hicilmaz, Jeremy Strong, Malorie Blackman, Elizabeth Laird , Melvin Burgess, Celia Rees, Kate Thompson, Paul Stewart, Vivian French, Alan Durant, Annie Dalton in range of genres – humour, horror, fantasy, traditional, realism and romance.

The collection is aimed at good readers between 10 and 14, and the strength of the stories combined with the excellence of their authors will be certainly be welcomed by teachers, librarians and parents. Edited by Wendy Cooling, a well-known and highly respected figure in the world of education and children’s books and the editor of Centuries of Stories.