Being creative takes courage.It can be scary to create something. Before you can even work on your craft, you have to face down the fear of messing up or looking silly, the perfectionism that keeps you from even starting, and the negative voices inside your head that say you don't have anything valuable to offer.Well, you do have something to offer! Being creative is a right, and in this book, National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr will help you get started. Her advice and encouragement are paired with exercises to help you face down your fears, let go of expectations, stop comparing yourself to others, and make your art with courage. A perfect gift for anyone who wants to be creative but doesn't know where to start, or for people who've been doing creativity for a while but want more inspiration, Courageous Creativity will empower readers to express themselves with self-confidence, bravery, and joy.

Discover Jane Austen's Regency era through fashion! Cut out the fourteen colourful costumes, for both women and men, then dress up the dolls to explore the fashions of Jane Austen's day.

Invent terrific heroes and revolting villains to star in your story with the World's NUMBER ONE Storyteller!

Pick up your pen and join Charlie and Mr Wonka to learn how to write the MOST MAGNIFICENT characters.

These super fun activities will help you to:

· Develop language and vocabulary skills

· Give you the tools to write your own story

· Learn how to create heroes and villains with their own interests, behaviours and backstories

Roald Dahl's Creative Writing will spark your creativity, build your confidence and inspire you through the wonderful worlds of Roald Dahl's best loved stories!

Filled with top tips and ideas boxes, each book introduces techniques and methods to help you plan and write a phizz-whizzing story of your own!

Find out how a journalist and sportsman became one of the most famous American novelists of the twentieth century in this new addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series! Ernest Hemingway wasn't just a novelist. He was a hunter and a fisherman; he became an ambulance officer in Paris, France, during World War I; and he worked as a reporter during the civil war in Spain in the 1930s. All of these experiences had such an important impact on Ernest's life that he used them as inspiration for some of his most notable works of fiction, including The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. He wrote short stories, novels, and articles in an understated, direct style, that is still beloved by readers today. Hemingway is remembered as much for his fiction as he is for his adventurous lifestyle.

From Wild + Free, a wonderful collection of creative activities for parents, educators, and caregivers filled with engaging and fun ideas to help kids fall in love with literature and reading. Foster a love of reading in your child with Wild + Free Book Club. An invaluable educational resource curated by Wild + Free families around the world, this full-color illustrated book offers imaginative suggestions for creating themed book clubs for kids. Here are hands-on activities, games, food, and decoration ideas inspired by a carefully chosen list of beloved classic novels, as well as discussion questions about plots and themes that engage kids minds and sparks their curiosity. Wild + Free Book Club is filled with fun ideas for each book, including: Anne of Green Gables-host a picnic tea party The Secret Garden-craft a terrarium, a secret garden of your own Charlotte's Web-host an old-time country fair The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe-turn your front door into a magical portal to Narnia With step-by-step instructions, lush photography, and family-tested and kid-approved activities, Wild + Free Book Club will help parents and educators inspire children and instill a lifelong passion for literature and the joy of books. The Wild + Free Book Club reading list: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Anne of Green Gables Around the World in 80 Days Black Beauty Charlotte's Web The Crossover Esperanza Rising The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Farmer Boy From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler The Green Ember Heidi The Hobbit Island of the Blue Dolphins The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Little House in the Big Woods A Little Princess Little Women Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH My Side of the Mountain Peter Pan Pippi Longstocking Robin Hood Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry The Secret Garden The Swiss Family Robinson Treasure Island The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

’n Storie oor vriendskap, die verlede, vergifnis … en vere.

Lara is nog op skool, maar werk in haar vrye tyd by ’n tatoeëersalon en verkoop vintage-klere vir ekstra sakgeld. Haar ma gebruik kalmeerpille om die lewe in die oë te kyk en oom Dan, wat by hulle woon, is ’n vreedsame funksionele alkoholis. Haar pa was nog nooit deel van haar lewe nie.

Alex het in ’n kinderhuis grootgeword en het ’n troetel-uil. Hy help al sedert sy laerskooldae om siek en beseerde voëls te versorg en weer in die natuur vry te laat. En hy is in Kaapstad omdat hy ’n belofte aan iemand gemaak het.

Toe Lara die eerste keer vir Alex sien, is sy byna seker hy agtervolg haar. Wat sy nog nie weet nie, is dat hulle wêrelde op die punt is om bymekaar te kom. En alles begin met ’n hoededoos vol ou briewe wat Lara op haar ma se kas ontdek. Elkeen van die briewe is deur haar pa geskryf. En by elke brief is ’n veer met ’n storie …

In hierdie opwindende, liriese grootwordverhaal ondersoek Nanette van Rooyen die ingewikkelde bande wat gesinne bymekaarhou, en wat dit regtig beteken om ’n tuiste te hê.

Readers young and old will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children's book author who loved words his whole life. This authorised tribute, a New York Times bestseller, includes an afterword by Martha White, his granddaughter.

Filled with broken hearts and black ravens, Edgar Allan Poe's ghastly tales have delighted readers for centuries. Born in Boston in 1809, Poe was orphaned at age two. He was soon adopted by a Virginia family who worked as tombstone merchants. In 1827 he enlisted in the Army and subsequently failed out of West Point. His first published story, The Raven, was a huge success, but his joy was overshadowed by the death of his wife. Poe devoted his life to writing and his tragic life often inspired his work. He is considered to be the inventor of detective fiction and the father of American mystery writers. His work continues to influence popular culture through films, music, literature, and television.

Interest in comic books, graphic novels, and manga has never been greater, and fans of these works continue to grow around the world. From American superheroes like Superman and Spiderman to Japanese manga like Dragon Ball, there is a rich world of graphic storytelling that appeals to a wide range of readers-from young children just beginning to read to adults of every age who are captivated by dynamic illustrations and complex characters. Once dismissed as "just" for children, comic books are now appreciated for their vibrant art and sophisticated storylines. In Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Randall Bonser explores the history, evolution, diversification, and impact of graphic storytelling. This book looks at the origins of illustrated stories and how they evolved over the decades. A celebration and exploration of the rapidly growing world of comics, this book discusses such topics as *the history of graphic storytelling, from cave drawings to zombie comics *the impact of American superhero comics on popular culture *diversity in comics *the tools comic book and graphic novel creators use to communicate *easy starting points for readers new to comics Featuring reviews of more than 90 graphic novels and popular manga series, this book provides recommendations of what teens should consider reading next. The author also provides a short course on how teens can create and distribute their own comics. For those who either want to start reading comics but aren't sure where to start, or as a gateway for the comics enthusiast to explore a different graphic novel genre, Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga: The Ultimate Teen Guide provides a fun and fascinating introduction to these worlds.

Partly a how-to guide on the nitty-gritty of writing, partly a collection of inspiration to set (and meet) ambitious goals, Brave the Page is the go-to resource for middle-grade writers. Narrated in a fun, refreshingly kid-friendly voice, it champions NaNoWriMo's central mission that everyone's stories deserve to be told. The volume includes chapters on character, plot, setting, and the like; motivating essays from popular authors; advice on how to commit to your goals; a detailed plan for writing a novel or story in a month; and more! National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes in the transformational power of creativity. They provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds - on and off the page. With its first event in 1999, the organisation's programs now include National Novel Writing Month in November, Camp NaNoWriMo, the Young Writers Program, Come Write In, and the "Now What?" Months.

From the award-winning creators of THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM, a joyful portrait of an American icon and an inspiring blueprint for how to live your life. Tis the good reader that makes the good book - Ralph Waldo EmersonA Parents' Choice Gold Award WinnerAn NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book* Exuberant. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review From the award-winning creators of What to Do About Alice?, comes a joyful portrait of an American icon and an inspiring blueprint for how to live your life.Before Ralph Waldo Emerson was a great writer, he was a city boy who longed for the broad, open fields and deep, still woods of the country, and then a young man who treasured books, ideas, and people. When he grew up and set out in the world, he wondered, could he build a life around these things he loved?This moving biography--presented with Kerley and Fotheringham's inimitable grace and style--illustrates the rewards of a life well-lived, one built around personal passions: creativity and community, nature and friendship.May it inspire you to experiment and build the life you dream of living.

This witty, refreshing treatise from a celebrated author and seasoned teacher is a passionate defense of reading -- just for the joy of it.
First published in 1992 and even more relevant now, Daniel Pennac's quirky ode to reading has sold more than a million copies in his native
France. Drawing on his experiences as a child, a parent, and an inner-city teacher in Paris, the author reflects on the power of story and reminds us of our right to read anything, anywhere, anytime, so long as we are enjoying ourselves. In a new translation with a foreword and illustrations
by Quentin Blake, here is a guide to reading unlike any other: fresh,
sympathetic, and never didactic, it is a work of literature in its own right.

Hi I'm Katie Woo. Did you know that narrative is another word for story? I just love writing narratives and sharing them with my friends. There are all kinds of narratives: scary, sad, adventurous, and my favorite, funny If you've never written one yourself, read my tips and give it a try.

A New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. A National Book Award Winner A Newbery Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Award Winner Praise for Jacqueline Woodson: Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story . . . but a mature exploration of grown-up issues and self-discovery."-The New York Times Book Review

This is a real thesaurus for all chiddlers and even some adult human beans. It features hundreds of spliffling words used and created by the world's best storyteller, Roald Dahl, together with useful synonyms, related words and phrases, idioms and word origins. Cleverly organised into phizz-whizzing themes, from vegitibbles to outer space, it is easy to find new and interesting words while you are writing. Be inspired by the special WRITING HUT pages to craft your own brain-boggling creatures and characters, just like Roald Dahl. This mischievous thesaurus captures Oxford University Press's language expertise and mixes it with the magic of Roald Dahl. Whether telling curdbloodling stories or imagining bugswallop, you will soon be using the Oxford Roald Dahl Thesaurus as your golden ticket to dream!

Why do you have to whisper in the library? Find out how good manners make the library a pleasant place for everyone to visit.

READING TOGETHER is the quintessential guide for parents interested in starting a book club with their kids. Written by a group of moms and their now-grown children, who started meeting while the kids were in first grade, this how-to book shares the dos and don'ts they learned over more than 100 meetings and 100 books. Brimming with insight and inspiration, READING TOGETHER includes the details of organizing and structuring meetings, tips on finding diverse books and choosing titles that spur discussion, common challenges and how to overcome them, and more, as well as sidebars throughout where the children share anecdotes in their own voices. Also included are plenty of curated booklists with brilliant recommendations for middle grade and YA readers across genres, from sci-fi to mystery, adventure, graphic novels, and more. In an inviting, family-friendly package filled with adorable illustrations, this book is a go-to gift and self-buy for bookish parents who hope to raise a reader and connect with their community through the magic of books.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our greatest writers. But before that, she was just an ordinary girl. In fact, young Jane was a bit quiet and shy; if you had met her back then, you might not have noticed her at all. But she would have noticed you. Jane watched and listened to all the things people around her did and said and locked those observations away for safekeeping. Jane also loved to read. She devoured everything in her father's massive library, and before long she began creating her own stories. In her time, the most popular books were grand adventures and romances, but Jane wanted to go her own way . . . and went on to invent an entirely new kind of novel. Deborah Hopkinson and Qin Leng have collaborated on a gorgeous tribute to an independent thinker who turned ordinary life into extraordinary stories and created a body of work that has delighted and inspired readers for generations.

Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) grew up to become a famous poet, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1956. Before that she was a little girl who lived with her Gammie and Pa in Great Village, Nova Scotia. It was there that Bishop learned to walk, to read, to write, to sing hymns, and to catch bumblebees in foxglove flowers. It was there she first went to school and, when she was five, where her mother left and never returned. Lovingly rendered, this visual and lyrical feast tells the story of Bishop's childhood days, inspired by Bishop's own poetry and prose, paired with Quentin Blake-style artwork from illustrator Emma FitzGerald. A love letter to words, 'A Pocket of Time' is a lesson for young readers in finding the poetry in everything.

An entertaining biography of the man behind Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, two of the best loved children's books of all time. Learn about E.B. White's exciting life in this new addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series! Today, most people remember E. B. White as the beloved children's book author who gave us Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, but did you know that most of his career was spent writing for famous magazines like The New Yorker? His lifelong dream to write a children's book about a mouse would take years to get published before it became the classic book we know and love today. A few years later, White would publish yet another children's book inspired by a pig he had raised and a spider whose webs he loved to admire in his barn.

As a child, Charles Dickens worked in a shoe polish factory where his gritty surroundings inspired some of the most memorable characters and settings in literary history. Known for his masterful storytelling in books like "Oliver Twist," "Great Expectations," and "A Christmas Carol," Dickens toured the globe as one of the most famous people of his era. Widely considered the greatest writer of the Victorian age, Dickens's literary masterpieces continue to amuse and inspire writers and readers alike.

It's another busy day at Stanley's Library! Stanley loads his van with books and sets off to the village green. Who will visit today and which books will they choose? Later, Stanley arrives back at the library just in time for a special event . . . A wonderful first introduction to libraries, books and the joy of reading. Discover more Stanley books: Stanley's Garage Stanley the Builder Stanley the Farmer Stanley's Cafe Stanley's Shop Stanley the Postman Stanley's School Stanley's Train Stanley's Fire Engine