Spark meaningful discussions about loneliness, friendship, community and coping with loss with this enchantingly illustrated story about a girl who befriends a monster. There’s a Thing on my street. He lives at number 52. I see him sitting in his garden when I walk to school. He was big and lumbering and a wore a tiny top hat perched on top of his rather large head. She didn’t think he had any friends, so she brought him a flower. It wasn’t long before their friendship bloomed… the Thing was gentle and kind and the adventures they went on were the best she could ever imagine.   The girl soon discovered that there were many Things, living all over the place… which gave her an idea. She invited them all to a party, and the Things danced till midnight. Thing had never felt so happy. But one day the Thing had to go and their adventures came to an end. All Things have to go sometime… In this poignant story, discover how small acts of kindness can grow into great friendships, and how the community you build from those friendships can provide comfort and companionship when you need it most. Written by one of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors, Ross Montgomery, and illustrated by the incredible Richard Johnson, The Thing at 52 offers a comfortable starting point for discussing difficult topics with children. The book’s magic will draw you back again and again.

Discover a world of magical storytelling from a twice Costa-shortlisted author “One of our finest children’s writers.� Phil Earle “A master storyteller.� Aisling Fowler “Another absolute triumph from one of my favourite children’s authors.� Catherine Doyle The greatest magic is hidden in plain sight... Evie is used to not being noticed. But when she meets the mysterious Wainwright, she discovers that going unnoticed might just be what makes her unique. Recruited into a secret magical organization, Evie finds herself at the heart of an ancient and magical battle. Evil is returning to the land, and Evie is the only person who can stop it. But how can she defeat the most dangerous magician in the world, when she doesn’t even know her own powers? Don't miss Ross's other fantasy novels for young readers: The Midnight Guardians The Chime Seekers PRAISE FOR SPELLSTONE “The very definition of a page-turner: riveting, punchy, with surprises around every bend. Ross is a flawless storyteller.� Carlie Sorosiak “Another absolute triumph from one of my favourite children’s authors. Spellstone is both heartfelt and humorous, while fizzing with magic and fun.� Catherine Doyle “A cinematic roller-coaster ride of a book, magical through to its shining core.� Katharine Orton “Infused with magic, adventure and imagination. This is Ross Montgomery on top form, and the result is spectacular.� Katya Balen “A magical book that is both clever and gripping. A joy!� Lisa Thompson “Montgomery's playful imagination floods every page, creating a magical adventure full of high stakes, charming characters and unexpected twists.� Joseph Elliott “A spellbinding adventure, brimming with original magic and the most charming cast of characters.� Jenny Pearson “Sparkling with magic, danger and that wonderful Montgomery wit, Spellstone is one to jump into, full throttle. A fabulous, crackling adventure.� Amy Wilson “Ross Montgomery just gets better and better! Crackling with magic and swirling with mystery, Spellstone had me enchanted from the first page.� Jennifer Bell “Magical storytelling – bold and brilliant.� Sophie Anderson “A brilliantly inventive tale of good versus evil that weaves magic and mystery with a cast of loveable characters. I loved every page of it.� Struan Murray "From the extraordinarily vivid opening scene to the heart-stopping climax, every page proves you're in the hands of a master storyteller. I couldn't put it down!" Aisling Fowler “Ross is one of our finest children’s writers, and this is a magnificent piece of fantasy storytelling. Gripping, quirky and with characters you won’t forget.� Phil Earle PRAISE FOR THE CHIME SEEKERS “Cracking adventure from the wildly imaginative Montgomery.� Daily Mail "Funny, terrifying, full of folkloric strangeness hiding in everyday corner, this sparkling homage to David Bowie's Labyrinth is just as satisfying as last year's The Midnight Guardians." Guardian "[A] whirlwind adventure." Daily Telegraph "Richly imaginative." The Week Junior “A quest like no other: Ross Montgomery is on spectacular form in this brilliant, edge-of-your seat story.� Emma Carroll "Fast-paced and hilarious." Ross Welford "Deliciously creepy, wonderfully imaginative." Sophie Anderson “Very page-turny, with enough funny bits to stop it being too scary.� Philip Reeve “All the hallmarks of an instant classic.� Carlie Sorosiak “A fantastic adventure with shades of Jan Mark, Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman ... A brilliant example of the best children's fiction.� Christopher Edge "Ross Montgomery is a true master of storytelling." Jenny Pearson “FLAWLESS. Witty, emotional, beautifully written, pacey, punchy, and a story that just keeps delivering.� Nicola Skinner "A modern classic." Phil Earle “Rich in detail, humour and feeling. Ross Montgomery is a singular talent in writing brave and magical adventures." Katya Balen “Fantastic! A brilliant cast of characters ... a whirlwind adventure and a fae world brimming with darkness, wonder and faerie tricks.� Aisling Fowler “[An] enchanting masterpiece ... Charming, hilarious and brimming with magic." Catherine Doyle “A tricksy, whirlwind of an adventure from start to finish with twists and turns I didn’t expect!� Aisha Busby PRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIANS Shortlisted for the 2021 Costa Children's Book Award Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for Christmas 2020 Hive Children's Book of the Month for November 2020 A Toppsta Children's Book of the Month for November 2020 "An enthralling, Narnia-flavoured novel with the folkloric feels of a Christmas classic." Children's Books of the Year, Guardian "Beautifully drawn fantasy characters ... a story of hope and love underpinned by witty humour.� Daily Mail "A magical slice of historical fantasy fiction.� i Newspaper "This lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book." Book of the Week, The Week Junior “Beautiful writing and epic storytelling.� WRD Magazine "A real triumph of the imagination." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller

The Thing at 52 is a touching and beautifully illustrated story about a young girl who befriends a lonely monster who lives on her street. There's a Thing on my street. He lives at number 52. I see him sitting in his garden when I walk to school. On her way to school one day, she saw him. He was big and lumbering and a wore a tiny little top hat perched on top of his rather large head. It wasn't long before their friendship bloomed... the Thing gentle and kind and the adventures they went on were the best she could ever imagine. But one day the Thing has to go and their adventures come to an end. All Things have to go sometime... Written by one of the UK's best-loved children's authors, Ross Montgomery, and illustrated by the incredible Richard Johnson, this is a poignant story about loneliness, friendship, community and change.

THE CITY OF THEBES, ANCIENT EGYPT, 1315. A boy called Seth creeps through the dark city streets towards the deserted marketplace. But he's not alone. Two figures watch him from the shadows. Seth doesn't yet know it, but this fateful night will lead him to the Valley of the Kings: the final resting place of the pharaohs. Here lie the rulers of Egypt, undisturbed in their tombs - a place no living person should ever go... Tomb Robbers is part of the Astro range from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Astro books are ideal for struggling and reluctant readers aged 7-11. Each book is dual-banded so that children can improve their fluency whilst enjoying exciting fiction and non-fiction relevant to their age. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Interest age: 8-9 Reading age: 7-8 years

A thwarted thespian must use his talents to save his flock from a woolly situation in this hilarious gem from bestselling children's author Ross Montgomery. William the lamb just can't stand still. His feet are always tapping, ready to dance, and he loves nothing more than bursting into song. But his talents aren't always appreciated at Sheep School. Cast out of the flock, he wanders miserably away only to witness the rest of the sheep being captured by the Big Bad Wolf. Can William find a way to put his artistic skills to use to save the day?

An irreverent and zany counting book that is gently thrilling and written in a deliciously infectious rhyme with witty and whimsical illustrations. Ten very foolish teachers have missed the last bus home. But LOOK - a shortcut through the forest! They'll be back in time for tea! Off they skip, unaware that in the woods a hungry horde of mischievous and hilariously goofy monsters is waiting... An irreverent and zany counting book that is gently thrilling with witty and whimsical illustrations.

Max is used to spending time alone - it's difficult to make friends in a big, chaotic school when you're deaf. He prefers to give his attention to the little things in life... like making awesome, detailed replica models.

Then Mr Darrow, the school caretaker and fellow modeller, goes missing. Max must follow his parting instruction: 'Go to my room. You'll know what to do.'

There on the floor he finds a pile of sand ... and in the sand is Mr Darrow's latest creation... a tiny boy, no bigger than a raisin, Luke, Prince of the Blues. And behind the tiny boy... millions of others - a thriving, bustling, sprawling civilization!

All at once, it was as if the stars leapt closer. Grandma grabbed the boy, raising him high above the rooftiles on her head. She was alive! The boy's grandma was a famous architect. Her garden is still full of old building materials. Unwilling to accept she has gone, the boy builds a giant structure from the bricks and girders he finds. And then ... Grandma comes to life! The boy is whisked away on an epic adventure across fields, through oceans and atop roofs. But where is Grandma taking him? Beautiful, thrilling and extremely moving: the extraordinary debut picture book from much-loved author, Ross Montgomery.

It's time for Ash to take charge and fight back against the robots who have replaced everyone in his home town. Despite being trapped inside the Town Hall with just Tabby, Barry and his gang, and the Mayor to help him, Ash has some tricks up his sleeve to tackle the alien invaders. Will their final stand work? Or will Perseon V defeat the last humans on Finney Island? The Finney Island Files: Alien Attack! is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Reading age: 8-9 years

Top school athletes Dom and Blake have been best friends for ever - B and D, D-Dog and B-Unit, the Cool Combo ... But with Sports Day approaching, their friendship is suddenly under threat. Mr Fortune, their headmaster, has pitted the school houses against each other by naming them after characters from his favourite Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet. With Dom in Montague House facing Blake from Capulet House, will B and D end the day as mortal enemies or will brotherly love prevail? Prepare for Sports Day carnage as the Montagues and Capulets battle it out for the House Medal in this laugh-out-loud Shakespeare-inspired drama from Ross Montgomery!

Ash, Tabby and Aunt Emmy have crash-landed in Finney Forest after escaping from Perseon V. They've even found the alien leader's spaceship - but they're not the only ones ... Now an unlikely team has joined together to stop the alien invasion. Can they make it to the Town Hall, find the robot-making machine and get rid of the robots who have taken over Finney Island? The Finney Island Files: Town Hall Terror! is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Reading age: 8-9 years

Alex Jennings is a boy with a problem. His mum's sent him away to boarding school because his father, the most famously failed explorer in the history of the Cusp, has escaped from hospital again, yelling 'squiggles'. Make that two problems. Now the evil Davidus Kyte and all his henchmen are after Alex, convinced he alone knows the meaning of the word 'squiggles'. OK, make that three ... Alex Jennings is a boy with a lot of problems. But with the help of a talking dog and a girl with unfeasibly sharp teeth, he just might have what it takes to cross the Forbidden Lands, escape the evil Davidus Kyte, and find out what lies beyond the Cusp ...

Ash and Tabby are hiding out in Aunt Emmy's lighthouse and spying on the alien invaders who have taken over Finney Island. When an opportunity arises to find the robot-making machine which has transformed their parents, there's only one thing to do - gatecrash the Mayor's space party and start fighting back. What could possibly go wrong ...? The Finney Island Files: Disco Disaster is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Reading age: 7-8 years

A charming and playful picture book told with humour and heart from the brilliant team behind Ten Delicious Teachers. The penguin pack play all day long. And when the sun goes down, and the night grows cold and dark…“PENGUIN HUDDLE!� The penguins squeeze and squish together to stay warm and cosy. But one night, there is a freezing gale. And the next morning … the penguins are stuck! They are frozen together like a giant penguin ice pop. What a penguin MUDDLE! Nobody in the Antarctic can figure out how to unstick them. But Pipsqueak, the smallest penguin of them all, has a brilliant idea... They must adventure out of their snowy home to a vibrant city across the great, gleaming ocean to solve their penguin puzzle. This light-hearted tale of jolly penguins big and small is a celebration of friendship, community spirit and helping those in trouble.

Ash leads a quiet, boring life on Finney Island. He keeps his sporty sister and his scatterbrained parents organised, and does his best to avoid Barry Sandwich, the school bully. But when his parents begin to act in a very strange way, Ash realises his world is about to change ... forever! The Finney Island Files: Alien Invasion is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.Reading age: 7-8 years

When 11-year-old Caitlin discovers a shrimp-like alien creature on the shores of her island home, she takes responsibility for teaching it about the world. Mostly, this just involved stopping little Perijee from eating everything! Caitlin becomes increasingly close to her alien friend, treating him like a brother. There's only one problem - Perijee won't stop growing. Then the authorities try to hunt him down and through his fear, Perijee disappears and starts causing trouble. Caitlin must leave home and travel across the country to try and convince Perijee to stop destroying everything before it's too late.

A beautiful, moving and heartwarming tale about bravery, kindness and welcoming strangers, from the team behind The Building Boy. Once, in an old rusty bin in an old rusty playground in an old empty park . . . . . . there lived a little tortoise. But Tortoise is lonely. He's never seen any other tortoises, and wonders where they could all be hiding. Then, one day, he looks up and the night sky, and sees a million blinking lights winking at him. "That must be where the other tortoises are - at the top of the sky! I wish I could join them." But how can a little tortoise get to the top of the sky? And so begins a magical journey . . . 'A heartwarming story.' Guardian '*****' Books for Keeps 'Will make your spirits soar into the stratosphere.' Daily Mail 'So popular that it is permanently scanned out of our school library - to the extent that I am not entirely sure of its current whereabouts.' Times Educational Supplement 'We love this book!' Joel, age 1, Toppsta 'Love love this funny and quirky book.' Sophie, age 2, Toppsta 'Perfect for sharing at bedtime.' Brobee, age 5 & Toodee age 3, Toppsta

Sometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest…

When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.

But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.

A charming and playful picture book told with humour and heart from the brilliant team behind Ten Delicious Teachers. The penguin pack play all day long. And when the sun goes down, and the night grows cold and dark..."PENGUIN HUDDLE!" The penguins squeeze and squish together to stay warm and cosy. But one night, there is a freezing gale. And the next morning ... the penguins are stuck! They are frozen together like a giant penguin ice pop. What a penguin MUDDLE! Nobody in the Antarctic can figure out how to unstick them. But Pipsqueak, the smallest penguin of them all, has a brilliant idea... They must adventure out of their snowy home to a vibrant city across the great, gleaming ocean to solve their penguin puzzle. This light-hearted tale of jolly penguins big and small is a celebration of friendship, community spirit and helping those in trouble.

Only a sensible, level head can save the day when disaster strikes on a school trip in this hilariously slapstick introduction to Shakespeare's The Tempest. Frank and his drama club are off on a dream school trip to perform The Tempest at a festival. But it turns into a nightmare when their ferry is hit by a terrible storm! Half of the actors wash up on a sandy shore and they can't believe their eyes. Is this a desert island? Why is there strange music coming from the forest? Where are the rest of the cast? To Frank, it all sounds strangely like the plot of The Tempest and he hasn't got a clue how they're going to get out of this mess. One thing's for sure ... they've been tripwrecked!

Fair is foul and foul is fair ... bestseller Ross Montgomery returns with a laugh-out-loud, perfectly pitched introduction to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Beth has been looking forward to the Prizegiving Assembly all year. She's won best-behaved pupil two years in a row and is confident that she'll triumph again for a third time. But as preparations continue for the ceremony, which includes a performance of Macbeth by the drama club, Beth finds out that she's been pipped to the post by not one but two of her classmates, leaving her in third place. Beth cannot bear to lose, so she channels her inner Macbeth and will stop at nothing to tarnish the reputation of her competitors. But as she puts her dastardly plans into action, she realises that villainy comes at a high cost!

Nick is truly, madly in love with Jessie Stone. And she doesn't even know his name. In a ploy to win her heart, he plans to star alongside her in the school production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. But when he's cast as the foolish Bottom instead of the romantic lead, his whole world comes crashing down. Enter Robyn, school mischief-maker, who has some crafty tricks up her sleeve. With her help Nick is sure he can get Jessie to notice him just as long as his grand plans don't go up in smoke ... A laugh-out-loud comical caper of friendship, true love and a completely disastrous school Shakespeare production from bestselling author Ross Montgomery. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+

When Owen Underwood's family move to Barrow, it's because there's nowhere safer in the Valleys - and safety is very important. Especially when the threat of tornadoes, and giant bears, is constant. But in Barrow, safety is taken to extremes. Children have to wear bright yellow at all times and are never allowed outside except to go to school. How can Owen face an entire summer of that? In secret, Owen and his friends form the Tornado Chasers. Their mission: to get as close to a Grade 5 tornado as possible. It's time for them to face their fears! And then... And then... The second hilarious, thought-provoking, highly original book from an extraordinary young talent - you've never read a novel like it

An irreverent and zany counting book that is gently thrilling and written in a deliciously infectious rhyme with witty and whimsical illustrations. Ten silly teachers have missed the last bus home. But LOOK - a shortcut through the forest! They'll be back in time for tea! Off they skip, unaware that in the woods a hungry horde of mischievous and hilariously goofy monsters is waiting... An irreverent and zany counting book that is gently thrilling with witty and whimsical illustrations.