He's known as the class troublemaker. She's known as the bookworm. But when every note they send is anonymous, identity is suddenly what they make it. Between her father's posting overseas and her best friend Sienna's move to the other side of the country, seventh grade is looking lonely for Jane MacDonald. But Sienna has left her with one last trick: a hidden message in a library book-the perfect plot to start a secret club and find Jane a new book-loving friend. Tyson Flamand has problems of his own. Since the fourth grade he's had a reputation as a bad kid, and there's no point fighting it when teachers always think the worst. So when he finds an anonymous note in the library looking for a nerdy new friend, he knows he's the last person in the world it could be meant for. But something makes him answer it anyway, and Tyson finds himself pulled into a secret book club where being hidden may be the first step to being truly seen. With the insight of a veteran middle-school teacher, Colleen Nelson, author of the award-winning Harvey Comes Home and Sadia, weaves together two stories of identity, expectation, and the courage to challenge both. As their paths move ever closer, Jane and Tyson both discover their own self-reliance and their ability to overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable.

Stories are incredibly powerful so if you become a writer, be careful. Your book could change the world.

Caroline Lawrence shares her best tips in this illustrated guide to creative writing and storytelling for readers and writers aged 9+. . .

Featuring examples from all kinds of stories, including Black Panther, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, The Incredibles and Star Wars, Caroline explores every aspect of writing - from brainstorming a setting, to creating an opponent and choosing your hero's greatest weakness.

Inspired by Caroline's school events and workshops, and illustrated with Linzie Hunter's lively black and white artwork on every page, this is the perfect addition to the bookshelves of young writers everywhere.

An inspiring, empowering, fantastically feminist and totally true story, perfect for fans of Little People, Big Dreams and Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls! Meet the incredible Bronte family - Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell Bronte are no ordinary children. Growing up on the wild, lonely moors of Yorkshire, they have nothing to entertain them but their imaginations and each other. So they invent extraordinary imaginery worlds, full of wars and love stories, soldiers, heroes and villains, ruled over by powerful women. As they grow up, the Brontes discover that the real world isn't such a great place to be a girl. But they are so determined that their voices be heard, they overcome almost unbeatable odds to be bestselling authors. This is the absolutely astonishing, fantastically feminist and, best of all, totally true story of one amazing family!

Discover the true life story of favourite storyteller Michael Morpurgo, in this biography specially edited for children. Also features seven original Morpurgo stories. We are enchanted by Michael Morpurgo's amazing stories like 'Private Peaceful', 'Born to Run' and 'Kensuke's Kingdom'. And with big screen adaptations of his novels such as 'War Horse' being made into film adaptations by Steven Spielberg, it's no surprise that he's our nation's number one favourite storyteller. But what about the real life story of Michael Morpurgo...? How did a boy supremely uninterested in books, who dreamed of becoming an army officer, become a bestselling author and Children's Laureate? What stories in Michael's own life inspired him to write more than a hundred books for children? In a unique collaboration, Maggie Fergusson and Michael himself explore his life through biography and stories. This is a specially abridged edition of the critically acclaimed biography 'War Child to War Horse', for children. With additional photos not included in the hardback edition, and with a special activities section, this is the perfect gift for any child who has ever loved a Morpurgo story - and there are millions of them out there...

For the first time in paperback, this Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary takes readers aged 8+ on a phizz-whizzing, splendiferous, fantabulous journey deep into the language of Roald Dahl's bestselling children's stories. This is a dictionary which will develop language and literacy skills by igniting the creativity in all readers and writers everywhere. Lots of dictionaries tell you what an 'alligator' is, or how to spell 'balloon' but they won't explain the difference between a 'ringbeller' and a 'trogglehumper', or say why witches need 'gruntles' eggs' or suggest a word for the shape of a 'Knid'. This dictionary does all those things. All the words that Roald Dahl invented are here, like 'biffsquiggled' and 'whizzpopping' to remind you what means what, but that is not all. You'll also find out where words came from, rhyming words, synonyms and lots of alternative words for words that are overused. Oxford Children's Dictionaries are perfect for supporting literacy and learning and this is the world's first Roald Dahl Dictionary from the word experts at Oxford University Press.

A highly-illustrated retelling of the Brontë sisters life in Haworth in the Yorkshire Dales told from Charlotte Brontë's point of view.

Produced to coincide with 200th anniversary of the birth of Charlotte Brontë, this book introduces the three extraordinary Brontë sisters: Charlotte, Emily and Anne. We also meet their brother Branwell. With a mix of strong story-telling and wonderful illustration, Mick Manning and Brita Granström relate the sister's tragically short lives in the remote village of Haworth in the Yorkshire Dales. They explore how the girls were inspired to become writers and the sensation their books caused when people realised they had been written by women.

Each of the sister's greatest novels, Jane Eyre (Charlotte), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne) and Wuthering Heights (Emily), are simply retold in engaging comic-strip form.

The illustrations and text of this book really capture the life of the children of the moors and how the magic and wildness of their surroundings inspired their work. It is perhaps not surprising as Mick Manning was born and brought up in Haworth and, as a child, even played a shepherd boy in a BBC adapation of Wuthering Heights.

The Biographies series presents an entirely new way of looking at the lives of the world's greatest thinkers and creatives. It takes the 50 defining facts, dates, thoughts, habits, and achievements of each subject, and uses infographics to convey each of them in vivid snapshots. The result is a quickfire journey through truths and trivia that is the most entertaining way to follow in the footsteps of the men and women whose lives have most influenced our own. Many people know that William Shakespeare was a playwright and poet, widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time, What, perhaps, they don't know is that he wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets; that he left behind six different versions of his signature; and that nobody knows what he did between 1585 and 1592. Biographic: Shakespeare presents an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the playwright behind the plays.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl's birth, this book traces his life from his childhood, to his time in Africa and as a fighter pilot and his early writing - leading to Roald becoming one of the funniest, most famous and best-loved children's authors of all time. The book also includes information about his legacy. A fun quiz and brief summaries of four of Roald Dahl's best-loved books (James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG) are included to inspire children to read them. Every page features easy-to-follow text and a black-and-white line drawing to help bring Roald Dahl's adventures to life. Accessible to readers aged 6 and up.

A comprehensive and compelling guide to Suzanne Collins's bestselling young-adult, dystopian trilogy The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Already a publishing phenomenon to rival Harry Potter (over 50 million copies sold), there are three sequels to the 2012 blockbuster movie of The Hunger Games scheduled for release between 2013 and 2015; Mockingjay Part 1 is due to be released in November 2014. Robb explores the inspiration behind the books, the author, the themes and influences of the three books, the movie adaptations and their cultural impact, the books' legacy and spin-offs. Suzanne Collins has created a series of characters and situations that have struck a chord not only with the target audience of teenagers, but which have also drawn in adult readers, making the series second only to Harry Potter in National Public Radio's popular poll of the Top 100 Teen Novels. Inspired when flicking TV channels between a reality television entertainment show and news footage of the war in Iraq, author Suzanne Collins conceived The Hunger Games as a parable for teen life and a warning of a dystopian future. Her parable incorporates Greek myth, Roman history and American entertainment. As the daughter of a US Air Force Officer who served in the Vietnam War, Collins had a unique insight into military life. Starting in children's television on such shows as Clarissa Explains It All, Collins went on to write children's fiction in The Underland Chronicles (drawing inspiration from Alice in Wonderland) and the Charlie McButton illustrated books. However, it was The Hunger Games series that has changed her life, giving the author a series of New York Times bestsellers and seeing her listed as one of Time magazine's most influential people of 2010. Robb explores themes in The Hunger Games, and the influences and inspirations that lie behind the books, highlighting where Suzanne Collins has drawn on mythology and history, reshaping them to fit her universe. He also examines the characters and situations created in the book and how these have impacted on the books' largely teen readership. He also looks at reactions to the books from fans and critics, both acclaim and criticisms faced by the author. He takes a look at the creativity of the fans who have drawn on Collins' work for their own takes on the world of The Hunger Games. Robb chronicles the adaptation of The Hunger Games from acclaimed, best-selling novel to blockbusting film. With a script by Suzanne Collins herself, the film has made stars of Jennifer Lawrence as Collins' heroine Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne. Following the making of the film, including quotes from the writer, director and stars, this chapter will examine the efforts taken to make a success of The Hunger Games on screen. It will also look at the cultural impact of the film and consider the critical reception it met upon release in March 2012. With three more movies scheduled (Catching Fire is due to be released in November 2013) and Mockingjay will be made into two films to be released in 2014 and 2015), Robb looks at the future of The Hunger Games series on screen, with an emphasis on the second film, Catching Fire. As with the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games novels and films have inspired a host of spin-offs and extensions, from games and comic books to merchandise and new tales within the same universe. This chapter looks at these extensions of The Hunger Games franchise and analyses the effect Suzanne Collins work has had on the wider field of teen fiction and blockbuster movie-making.

Find out about the life of the world's most famous writer, William Shakespeare, and his work writing plays and acting in them. The book has photos and simple text suitable for young children. For children following Book Bands, it is suitable for those reading at Band 9, Gold.

The Info Buzz series, for age 5+, helps children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world by covering a wide range of topics in a fun, colourful and interactive way. The books have a lively design, engaging text and photos, questions to get children thinking and talking and teaching notes. Each title is written in conjunction with a literacy consultant and features book band guidance and downloadable activity sheets online.

Meet the trailblazer and book lover who started the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, France, in this beautifully illustrated picture book that celebrates stories, reading, and the importance of sharing ideas. "Books are my treasures-the best that I've got." Books are like rivers that flow through my head. Books are like roads," she just might have said. "Roads that connect my old self to my new. Unlocking our hearts to what's noble and true." Told by the bookstore itself, Sylvia's Bookshop tells the story of the legendary Shakespeare and Company, its owner Sylvia Beach, and the many great writers who gathered there to meet, read, and remind us that books are more than the words on the page.

From ND Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Nimona, comes a captivating, honest illustrated memoir that finds him turning an important corner in his creative journey-and inviting readers along for the ride. In a collection of essays and personal mini-comics that span eight years of his young adult life, author-illustrator ND Stevenson charts the highs and lows of being a creative human in the world. Whether it's hearing the wrong name called at his art school graduation ceremony or becoming a National Book Award finalist for his debut graphic novel, Nimona, ND captures the little and big moments that make up a real life, with a wit, wisdom, and vulnerability that are all his own. Named one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year!

It began with a girl named Mary. She liked to daydream and imagine. And she grew up to write Frankenstein.

The inspirational true story of the great writer Mary Shelley, brought to life for children in this stunning picture book by multi-award winning author Linda Bailey and with beautiful illustrations from Júlia Sardà.

Mary loves stories, but the stories in her daydreams are far more thrilling than those in any book. After a troubled childhood, eighteen-year-old Mary runs away to Switzerland with the famous poet Percy Bysse Shelley, her step-sister in tow. One dark and stormy night at his house by the lake, they huddle around the fire, telling ghost stories. But Mary can imagine better than those! After learning about electricity that can make dead frogs twitch, she has a nightmare that triggers the birth of one of the greatest scary stories of all time: Frankenstein...

A perfect read for the very youngest aspiring writers, and for fans of Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell’s The Sleeper and the Spindle.

Praise for the illustrator: “Júlia Sardà's illustrations are dark, dream-like, detailed” THE TIMES

The Bronte sisters are among the most beloved writers of all time, best known for their classic nineteenth-century novels Jane Eyre Charlotte, Wuthering Heights Emily, and Agnes Grey Anne. In this sometimes heart breaking young adult biography, Catherine Reef explores the turbulent lives of these literary siblings and the oppressive times in which they lived. Bronte fans will also revel in the insights into their favourite novels, the plethora of poetry, and the outstanding collection of more than sixty black-and-white archival images. A powerful testimony to the life of the mind. Endnotes, bibliography, index.

It's time to reclaim poetry. Collected by international poetry sensation Nikita Gill, SLAM! You're Gonna Wanna Hear This is a joyful celebration of the ground-breaking poets making their voices heard in the spoken word scene. Empowering, inspiring and often hilarious, SLAMs are a platform for well-known and emerging talent from all walks of life where every style of poetry has a home. With poets such as Raymond Antrobus, Sophia Thakur and Dean Atta guest starring alongside up-and-coming poets, this is the perfect introduction to world of modern poetry. Each poet will introduce their poem, tell you a little bit about themselves and give you a tip for preparing brilliant performance poetry.

Superb stories, daring deeds, fantastic adventures
"Going Solo" is the action-packed tale of Roald Dahl's exploits as a World War II pilot. Learn all about his encounters with the enemy, his worldwide travels, the life-threatening injuries he sustained in a plane accident, and the rest of his sometimes bizarre, often unnerving, and always colorful adventures. Told with the same irresistible appeal that has made Roald Dahl one of the world's best-loved writers, "Going Solo" brings you directly into the action and into the mind of this fascinating man.

THE FIRST BEHIND-THE-SCENES HISTORY OF THE BELOVED GIRL DETECTIVE
"Through the history of Nancy Drew, Rehak sheds light on perhaps the most successful writing franchise of all time and also the cultural and historic changes through which it passed. Grab your flashlights, girls. The mystery of Carolyn Keene is about to begin." -- Karen Joy Fowler, author of THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB
* The original proposal for Nancy Drew suggested that her name be Stella Strong, Nell Cody, Helen Hale, or Diana Dare.
"GIRL SLEUTH is meticulously researched, elegantly written, and riveting. Melanie Rehak juxtaposes teen sleuth Nancy Drew's omnipotence with the all-too-real struggles of her creators." --Susan Kandel, author of NOT A GIRL DETECTIVE
* When Nancy Drew was introduced she wore cloche hats and gloves whenever she was out in public. In the 50s she changed to sport dresses and rompers and even -- gasp -- pants.
"Witty, fast-paced, and smart, Girl Sleuth makes the story behind Nancy Drew as much fun to read as the mystery novels themselves. It's superb."
--Jean Strouse, author of "Morgan, American Financier"
* Nancy and her boyfriend Ned Nickerson never once kissed, although in "The Secret of the Old Attic" she does "faint into his strong arms."

An inspiring and kid-accessible biography of one of the world's most famous poets.

Emily Dickinson, who famously wrote "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul," is brought to life in this moving story. In a small New England town lives Emily Dickinson, a girl in love with small things—a flower petal, a bird, a ray of light, a word. In those small things, her brilliant imagination can see the wide world—and in her words, she takes wing. From celebrated children's author Jennifer Berne comes a lyrical and lovely account of the life of Emily Dickinson: her courage, her faith, and her gift to the world. With Dickinson's own inimitable poetry woven throughout, this lyrical biography is not just a tale of prodigious talent, but also of the power we have to transform ourselves and to reach one another when we speak from the soul.

• Fantastic educational opportunity to share Emily Dickinson's story and poetry with young readers
• An inspirational real-life story that will appeal to children and adults alike.
• Jennifer Berne is the author of critically acclaimed children's biographies of Albert Einstein and Jacques Cousteau.

Fans who enjoyed Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and her Poetic Beginnings, Emily and Carlo, and Uncle Emily will love On Wings of Words.

• Books for kids ages 5–8
• Poetry for children
• Biographies for children

Jennifer Berne is the award-winning author of the biographies Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. She lives in Copake, New York.

Becca Stadtlander is the illustrator of many children's and young adult publications, including Sleep Tight Farm. She was born and raised in Covington, Kentucky.