In the dark days of war, a group of soldiers far from home come across an orphaned bear cub. They adopt him and hide him in their tents, feeding him with their rations - until he is too big to ignore! When they are told he cannot travel with them, they grant him an officer's commission. Private Wojtek finds himself helping to carry armaments at the fierce Battle of Monte Cassino. After the war, unable to return to their homeland, the band of soldiers arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland. Peter, Wojtek's substitute parent, has no idea where his own family, forced out of their home, can be. There is a happy ending, however, as Peter is reunited with his family in Scotland - and Wojtek finds a new home in Edinburgh zoo. A statue of Wojtek stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh in memory of the brave bear and his fellow soldiers.

Maggie has witnessed impossible things. But no one believes her, and now her family has taken her away to spend the winter upstate in a remote, freezing farmhouse.

Bored and angry, Maggie and her younger sister Kate start to play tricks: rapping on the floorboards above their parents’ bedroom, cracking their toes under the table, and telling tales about noises in the night. Then the house starts to make sounds of its own. Neither Maggie nor Kate can explain it, but it seems as though someone – or something – is trying to speak to them . . .

Inspired by the incredible true tale of the Fox Sisters, the girls who made their fortune in nineteenth-century America by speaking to ghosts.

In this charmingly illustrated book, the celebrated storyteller Wendy Maartens compiled 21 stories of unsung South African heroes.

Once upon a time in France, a baby was born under the summer sun. His parents named him Jacques. As he grew, Jacques fell in love with the sea. He dreamed of breathing beneath the waves and swimming as gracefully as a fish. In fact, he longed to become a manfish. Jacques Cousteau grew up to become a champion of the seas and one of the best-known oceanographers in the world. In this lovely biography, now in paperback, poetic text and gorgeous paintings come together to create a portrait of Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.

In a unique collaboration with photographer and educator Wendy Ewald, eighteen immigrant teenagers create an alphabet defining their experiences in pictures and words. Wendy helped the teenagers pose for and design the photographs, interviewing them along the way about their own journeys and perspectives. America Border Culture Dreamer presents Wendy and the students' poignant and powerful images and definitions along with their personal stories of change, hardship, and hope. Created in a collaboration with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, this book casts a new light on the crucial, under-heard voices of teenage immigrants themselves, making a vital contribution to the timely national conversation about immigration in America.

Inspired by the logs of a female lightkeeper who kept the light shining through the fog following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this adventurous story captures an important piece of American history Juliet Fish Nichols is the keeper of the light on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her foe? The fog. Day and night-summer, fall, winter, spring-she must keep the light shining and the fog bell ringing, no matter what. But what happens when there is a major earthquake? What happens when the bell breaks? Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the Fog was inspired by the real Juliet's lightkeeper logs and adventures.

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller! Now in an expanded paperback edition with Laurie's training routine for the Summer 2020 Olympics, her life as cohost of American Ninja Warrior Junior, and more! Gold medal-winning Olympic gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion Laurie Hernandez shares her story in her own words in this debut for fans of all ages--featuring never-before-seen photos and brand-new content. At sixteen years old, Laurie Hernandez has already made many of her dreams come true--and yet it's only the beginning for this highly accomplished athlete. A Latina Jersey girl, Laurie saw her life take a dramatic turn in 2016 when she was chosen to be part of the US Olympic gymnastics team. After winning gold in Rio as part of the Final Five, Laurie also earned an individual silver medal for her performance on the balance beam. She then danced her way into everyone's hearts while competing on--and winning!--the hit reality TV show Dancing with the Stars. Now Laurie is sharing the true story of her path to Olympic gold and where her phenomenal talents will take her next. From her loving family to her rigorous training, from her career-threatening injuries to her road to recovery, from her intense sacrifices to her amazing triumphs--Laurie pulls back the curtain on her own life and reveals exactly what it took to make her dreams come true. She will tell you what it's like to be Laurie Hernandez; she will motivate you, inspire you, and make you believe.

Meet Fisher. His ancestors have paddled these waters for generations. Meet Sailor. He has come from far away, to explore lands beyond his own shores. What will happen when they meet each another? Based on the real journal kept by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534, Encounter imagines a first meeting between a French sailor and a Stadaconan fisher. As they navigate their differences with curiosity and openness, the wise animals around them note their similarities, illuminating common ground. This extraordinary vision by Brittany Luby, Professor of Indigenous History, is paired with art by Michaela Goade, winner of 2018 American Indian Youth Literature Best Picture Book Award. Encounter is a luminous telling from two Indigenous creators that invites readers to reckon with an uncomfortable past, and to welcome, together, a future that is yet unchartered.

When Mick rescues an injured baby jackdaw in the park, little does he know that the bird is about to change his childhood for ever. Jacko soon recovers, and Mick teaches him how to fly. It’s not long before Jacko becomes a beloved member of the community, amusing the punters in the family pub and guiding the trains into the station. As Jacko’s adventures gain greater fame, Mick has to face whether he can ever bear to say goodbye to his beloved pet jackdaw…

Coyote Peterson's Brave Wilderness. Be Brave... Stay Wild! #1 in Bookscan's Juvenile Non-fiction Exciting animal stories for kids of all ages. This collection of short stories by Coyote Peterson gives you a first-person perspective into some of Coyote's most harrowing and heartwarming adventures. Animal Stories for Kids. Coyote Peterson's Brave Adventures: Wild Animals in a Wild World chronicles some of the wildest encounters Coyote Peterson has had over the course of his travels and adventures. The stories begin with his first snapping turtle catch as a kid and lead down a trail of incredible moments he and his camera crew have had while filming their Brave Wilderness shows. From a giant alligator that nearly caught Coyote in its bone crushing jaws, to an 800-pound Grizzly Bear that helped him teach the audience what to do and NOT do if you ever encounter one of these enormous predators in the wild, every tale is laced with fast paced action and daring adventure. With the presence of danger often looming for Coyote, each story reminds you that animals rule the wild places of this planet, and if we respect them from a safe distance, even the most frightening creatures are likely to be more afraid of us than we should ever be of them. If you have read other Coyote Peterson books such as Epic Encounters in the Animal Kingdom, Wildlife Adventure, The King of Sting, or The Beast of Bites, you will want to read Coyote's first book and the one that started it all, Coyote Peterson's Brave Adventures.

Lottie Moon had little to occupy her mind beyond school lessons, dresses and pranks (oh, and skipping church whenever she could). However, one day things change for Lottie. Find out how the naughty little rich girl gives her life to mission work in China. Today she is one of the best remembered missionaries in America with millions of dollars having been raised by her memorial Christmas offering.

An inspirational, upbeat collection of relatable lessons from the teen sensation, Mackenzie Ziegler - an award-winning dancer, singer/songwriter and actress. Growing up is hard, but growing up in the spotlight is even harder. However, Mackenzie Ziegler is taking it all in stride, thanks to her positive attitude on life. From getting her start on Dance Moms, to her sold-out tour alongside Johnny Orlando, there's nothing that she can't do. In Kenzie's Rules for Life, the dance prodigy, singer/songwriter, actress and model offers her advice on friendship, family, fitness, style and positivity. For anyone who enjoyed her sister's Sunday Times bestselling book The Maddie Diaries, this will be the perfect accompaniment. She shares lessons drawn from her own experiences for those navigating through their tween years on how to be happy, healthy and confident in all aspects of their lives.

A compelling account of the story of slavery - from ancient times, through the plantations of the Caribbean and America, to the official abolition of the slave trade more than 200 years ago. Recounts the stories of people who were enslaved, including their daring tales of resistance and escape. Highlights the continued existence of slavery today and what you can do to help stop it.

In Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code, Ada uses her incredible imagination to dream up technology that could have jump-started the digital age nearly two hundred years ago. In fact, she writes what will become the world's first programming language. As a child, Ada is curious about everything. She is obsessed with machines and creatures that fly, even going so far as to write her own book about them called "Flyology." Along with her cat, Mistress Puff, Ada gets into all sorts of trouble. According to her mother, Ada is a bit too wild and her imagination could benefit from some discipline, so she puts Ada into a rigorous syllabus of mathematics, languages, and geography. When Ada comes out in London's high society, she is invited to the most popular soiree in town, hosted by the renowned inventor Charles Babbage. It is there that she encounters a mysterious machine which unlocks a future full of possibilities. But she can't escape marriage forever, and soon finds herself a wife with three children. She aches to study math again, to stand on the same ground as the eccentric inventor she met so many years ago. She hires tutors to teach her absolutely everything about math and numbers, before joining Babbage in his mechanical world. This is the story of a pioneer in the computer sciences, which is now a multibillion-dollar industry, but it's also proof that women have the intellectual capacity to make invaluable contributions to the Science Technology Engineering & Math world. Also included is further information on Ada's legacy today and activities based on simple coding and mathematical concepts.

This inspirational biography for children, written by award-winning author Roy Apps, follows the swimming story of Adam Peaty and his incredible rise to become a Commonwealth gold medalist and world-record holder for 100 metre breaststroke. Illustrated with colour artwork by Alessandro Valdrighi, including graphic novel-style panels, this book is perfect for sport-mad girls and boys with a reading age of 7, but will work perfectly well for older readers too.

Printed on off-white paper using a reading font approved by the British Dyslexia Association, the Sporting Heroes series brings to life the skill, grit and determination needed to be a world-class sportsperson today.

This title is published by Franklin Watts EDGE, which produces a range of books to get children reading with confidence. EDGE - for books kids can't put down.

**Winner of the 2017 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award ** **Winner of the 2015 Gelett Burgess Award for Best Intercultural Book** **Winner of the 2015 Silver Evergreen Medal for World Peace** This true children's story is told by a little bonsai tree, called Miyajima, that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial. From the Book: "In 1625, when Japan was a land of samurai and castles, I was a tiny pine seedling. A man called Itaro Yamaki picked me from the forest where I grew and took me home with him. For more than three hundred years, generations of the Yamaki family trimmed and pruned me into a beautiful bonsai tree. In 1945, our household survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In 1976, I was donated to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C., where I still live today--the oldest and perhaps the wisest tree in the bonsai museum."

Hailing from the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.

New York Times Bestseller Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek is a touchingly honest, candidly hysterical memoir from breakout teen author Maya Van Wagenen. 'School is the armpit of life . . . and my school is no exception' Stuck at the bottom of the social ladder at 'pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren't paid to be here,' Maya Van Wagenen decided to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell. Can curlers, girdles, Vaseline, and a strand of pearls help Maya on her quest to be popular? The real-life results are painful, funny, and include a wonderful and unexpected surprise-meeting and befriending Betty Cornell herself. Told with humour and grace, Maya's journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence. 'The real deal. . . A teenage John Green for the next generation. Stunning.' Margaret Stohl, bestselling co-author of the bestselling Beautiful Creatures series 'Popular is wonderful. It is charming, touching, entertaining - and brought back a lot of memories about my own high school anxieties. I will be saving my copy to give to my daughter when she is a little older' Jo Elvin, Glamour 'I was inspired by [Maya's] journey and made a point of saving a copy of 'Popular' for my sister, who starts middle school this fall. Maybe if I had read it when I was her age, it could have saved me from a world of hurt, or at least put that world in perspective.' Maude Apatow, New York Times Book Review 'Made me smile, giggle and question what my idea of popularity really is . . A must read this summer' Guardian Books Blog 'Honest, funny, and thought-provoking.' Gretchen Rubin, #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project 'Her year-long experiment in popularity is timeless; the intelligent and humane way she gets to the heart of the matter is uniquely her. Funny, determined, and wry, Van Wagenan has written a wise, heartfelt guide for other kids eager to keep up.' Rachel Hartman, NYT bestselling author of Seraphina 'A talented writer, she's funny, thoughtful and self-effacing . . . Teens will readily identify with her' Kirkus About the author: Maya Van Wagenen is fifteen years old. When she was eleven, her family moved to Brownsville, Texas, the setting of Popular. When not hunched over a desktop writing, Maya enjoys reading, British Television, and chocolate. She now lives with her parents and two siblings in a rural Georgia. She is a sophomore in high school but still shares a room with her sixth grade brother. Remarkably they have not yet killed each other.

Miles can't sleep. Taps his toes, snaps his fingers, can't stop thinking of ways to make music his own. As a young musician, Miles Davis heard music everywhere. This biography explores the childhood and early career of a jazz legend as he finds his voice and shapes a new musical sound. Follow his progression from East St. Louis to rural Arkansas, from Julliard and NYC jazz clubs to the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival. Rhythmic free verse imbues his story with musicality and gets readers in the groove. Music teachers and jazz fans will appreciate the beats and details throughout, and Miles' drive to constantly listen, learn, and create will inspire kids to develop their own voice. With evocative illustrations, this glimpse into Miles Davis' life is sure to captivate music lovers young and old.

The ship that could never sink, the ship of dreams, became a ship of nightmares as it sank beneath the freezing Atlantic Ocean. Colliding with a massive iceberg, it was as much the arrogance of the ship's owners and operators that caused the tragedy of the Titanic on 14th April 1912. 1,517 people perished that night but there was at least one man who was focused on saving souls amidst the horror. As the icy waters brought the life of John Harper to a close he still had the energy to call one final person to come to Christ. This is a story of tragedy but it is also a story of faith and courage and eternal hope.

Before Jason Sherlock was an icon of Hill 16, he was a prodigy in basketball, soccer and even hurling. Follow Jason's journey from an estate in Finglas to the top of the Irish sporting world and how he became an Dublin GAA icon as the Boys in Blue won the All-Ireland football final in 1995. It wasn't always easy, as Jason had to cope with racist abuse from an early age. After his inspiring playing career, Jason would go on to become a trusted assistant for Jim Gavin during Dublin's five-in-a-row run. Discover how a boy from the Dublin northside found strength in his difference to become a gaelic football great.

In Stuff That Scares Your Pants Off! Glenn Murphy shows us that it is OK to be scared and that there are very good reasons why we are able to feel fear. He looks closely at our most common fears, including natural disasters, predators, spiders, disease, needles, dentists, crashes, darkness, speaking in public, heights, ghosts and monsters, to show us how much of that fear is perhaps unnecessary. The result is a fun, carefully pitched, popular-science title that mixes great true-life stories with the psychology of fear, the statistical probabilities of things happening and a lot of reassurance. Discover more funny science with How Loud Can You Burp?.