A family mix-up means Louie has to tag along with his engineer father and his team as they head for a routine job in the farthest flung and most neglected province of the Federation. A massive earthquake, with ensuing tsunami, devastates the entire isolated coastal region, laying bare the other-worldly manner in which the silent and strange Endlanders deal with life, death and the hinterlands of memory and loss. Their curious and unsettling ways raise ghosts for Louie, who has recently lost his own brother. This modern fable - part ghost-story, part coming-of-age novel and part astute social and family observation - explores the ways in which grief can affect not only individuals, but communities at large.

A family mix-up means Louie has to tag along with his engineer father and his team as they head for a routine job in the farthest flung and most neglected province of the Federation. A massive earthquake, with ensuing tsunami, devastates the entire isolated coastal region, laying bare the other-worldly manner in which the silent and strange Endlanders deal with life, death and the hinterlands of memory and loss. Their curious and unsettling ways raise ghosts for Louie, who has recently lost his own brother. This modern fable - part ghost-story, part coming-of-age novel and part astute social and family observation - explores the ways in which grief can affect not only individuals, but communities at large.

A classic children's story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children's Laureate Anne Fine. The Modern Classics edition features new illustrations and bonus material. Bill Simpson wakes up to find he's a girl, and worse, his mother makes him wear a frilly pink dress to school. How on earth is he going to survive a whole day like this? Everything just seems to be different for girls ... Perfect for readers aged 7 years and up and fans of The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams. Anne Fine's fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

Reissued for the Originals series of powerful teen fiction.

Nobody wants Tulip in their gang. She skives off school, cheeks the teachers and makes herself unpopular with her classmates by telling awful lies. None of this matters to Natalie who finds Tulip exciting. At first she doesn't care that other peopleare upset and unnerved by Tulip's bizarre games, but as the games become increasingly sinister and dangerous, Natalie realises that Tulip is going too far, much too far, racing, in fact, to the novel's shocking ending.

A classic children’s story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine.

Gemma doesn’t believe a chicken could have written a book - chickens can’t even read! But here in front of them is The True Story of Harrowing Farm, and its scratchy pages definitely look, well, chickeny. It is an epic tale of cruelty and bravery, the story of a chicken who flies frillions of miles, reaching the heights of intergalactic superstardom, to try to save us humans . . .

Perfect for boys and girls aged 6 and up, and for fans of Jeremy Strong and Pamela Butchart's Wigglesbottom Primary series.

A classic children’s book from one of best-loved Bill's New Frock authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine. Perfect for readers aged between 7 and 9 and fans of Awful Auntie and Pamela Butchart's Wigglesbottom Primary series.

Until the angel came, Penny, Mark and Marigold were bitterly unhappy. ‘Fat.’ ‘Freak.’ ‘Smelly.’ Barry Hunter was bullying them and everyone at Nitshill Road School knew it. But the angel brings a clever solution. Life at school is going to be very different from now on.

Anne Fine’s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

Big Cat for Little Wandle Fluency has been developed in collaboration with Wandle Learning Trust and Little Sutton Primary School. It consists of a range of chapter books with increasing word counts across 10 fluency levels aimed at children in Year 2 and 3. Each book builds reading confidence, stamina and speed and nurtures a love for reading. Fluency 2 books have a word count of 3360 words with an expected reading rate of 70 words per minute. Mum and Dad are off on a trip, so Jamie has to stay with Granny for the night. But he’s never stayed away by himself before. What are those strange noises, and silver lights?

A classic children’s story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine.

Lancelot’s lovely teacher, Miss Mirabelle, is in big trouble. She’s told a giant whopper and unless she can come up with a brilliant plan, she’s going to look very, very silly. Can Lancelot help this damsel in distress? Little does he know that Ivan will leave a lasting influence, and that he himself will never enjoy listening to nursery rhymes ever again . . .

Anne Fine’s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

A surprising and entertaining story from former children's laureate and multi-award winner Anne Fine, perfect for children learning to read. Bryce is fed up with tests. So far this week he's had a spelling test, a swimming test, and even a test on his bike. So, on Friday, Bryce decides to surprise the adults with his own test. What happens when Bryce turns the tables on all the adults? The Reading Ladder series helps children to enjoy learning to read. It features well-loved authors, classic characters and favourite topics, so that children will find something to excite and engage them in every title they pick up. It's the first step towards a lasting love of reading. Level 3 Reading Ladder titles are perfect for fluent readers who are beginning to read exciting, challenging stories independently. Varied sentences Detailed illustrations to enjoy Chapters Interesting characters and themes A rich range of vocabulary More complex storylines to stretch confident readers All Reading Ladder titles are developed with a leading literacy consultant, making them perfect for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children's reading. Book band: Gold.

A classic children’s story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine.

Chester Howard can see Joe’s project ‘How to Write Neatly’ can only be a disaster. Joe makes a terrible mess of his work, jumbling letters and numbers up together. But a project called ‘How to Write Really Badly’ - now there’s something Joe can do better than anyone else. And Chester is about to find there’s a lot more to Joe than he expected . . .

Anne Fine’s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

The Heinemann Plays series offers contemporary drama and classic plays in durable classroom editions. Many have large casts and an equal mix of boy and girl parts. Anne Fine has dramatized her own humorous novel, Goggle Eyes, for the series.

Perfect for children learning to read, this is a wonderful story about facing fears as a family from Anne Fine, a former Children's Laureate whose awards include the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Book Prize. There's never been anything scary under the bed since I was born, and there is nothing scary now. I really believe that. I keep believing it for about five minutes. Then I get less sure. Mum, Dad, Harry and Nana are at their wits' end. How can they prove to Toby that there are no monsters under the bed, so that they can finally get some sleep? Will a new bicycle help? Or a magic spell? Or does this call for something completely different...? The Reading Ladder series helps children to enjoy learning to read. It features well-loved authors, classic characters and favourite topics, so that children will find something to excite and engage them in every title they pick up. It's the first step towards a lasting love of reading. Level 2 Reading Ladder titles are perfect for readers who are growing in confidence and are beginning to enjoy longer stories. Clear type Up to 8 lines per page Bright, appealing pictures for added interest A variety of sentence structures A wider range of vocabulary Strong themes and characters to discuss All Reading Ladder titles are developed with a leading literacy consultant, making them perfect for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children's reading. Book band: Purple

A classic children’s book from best-loved Bill's New Frock author, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine. Perfect for readers aged between 7 and 9 and fans of The Midnight Gang and Pamela Butchart's Wigglesbottom Primary series.

It’s Ivan’s first day at his new school, and Boris is told to look after him, and translate for him, because Ivan can only speak Russian. After all, St Edmund’s is a civilized school. Only problem is, Ivan isn’t civilized. So when Ivan starts greeting people as ‘lowly shivering worms’, and asking for words in English like ‘crush’ and ‘mutilate’, Boris realises that he’s going to have his work cut out for him. And that’s just the start of the day . . .

Anne Fine’s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

When Mum gives her the notebook, Scarlet should be happy. It's beautiful, with its shiny scarlet cover and its blank pages full of promise. But Scarlet is absolutely NOT in the mood for a peace offering. Does Mum really think she can tear their family apart and expect Scarlet to be happy about it? Scarlet decides there's only one thing she can write in the notebook. The truth, about everything . . .

'Okay, okay. So slap my teensy little paws. I messed up - big time.' Tuffy can't wait for Ellie and the family to go away on holiday. He and the gang plan to ignore the grumpy new cat-sitter, and run wild all night. But could that furry bundle, suddenly flying through the air, put a stop to all the fun?

A classic children’s book from best-loved Bill's New Frock author, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine. Perfect for readers aged between 7 and 9 and fans of David Walliams' The Midnight Gang and Pamela Butchart's Wigglesbottom Primary series.

Philip has an incredible imagination, and when he lets it run riot in school one day it really gets his classmates thinking.

Purple cows . . . brains in pots . . . a clever and beautiful chicken . . .

What will they think of next?!

Anne Fine’s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

Meet the queen in this sweet story by Anne Fine, perfect for children learning to read. Pip's class are sending big red helium balloons off to celebrate their school's 100th anniversary. They ask the people who find them to tell them how far they'd gone. One lands just down the road, one is found in the next town - but Pip's flies all the way to Buckingham Palace! And Pip gets an invitation to have tea with the Queen ... The Reading Ladder series helps children to enjoy learning to read. It features well-loved authors, classic characters and favourite topics, so that children will find something to excite and engage them in every title they pick up. It's the first step towards a lasting love of reading. Level 2 Reading Ladder titles are perfect for readers who are growing in confidence and are beginning to enjoy longer stories. Clear type Up to 8 lines per page Bright, appealing pictures for added interest A variety of sentence structures A wider range of vocabulary Strong themes and characters to discuss All Reading Ladder titles are developed with a leading literacy consultant, making them perfect for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children's reading. Book band: Purple Meet the queen in this sweet story by Anne Fine, perfect for children learning to read. Pip's class are sending big red helium balloons off to celebrate their school's 100th anniversary. They ask the people who find them to tell them how far they'd gone. One lands just down the road, one is found in the next town - but Pip's flies all the way to Buckingham Palace! And Pip gets an invitation to have tea with the Queen ... The Reading Ladder series helps children to enjoy learning to read. It features well-loved authors, classic characters and favourite topics, so that children will find something to excite and engage them in every title they pick up. It's the first step towards a lasting love of reading. Level 2 Reading Ladder titles are perfect for readers who are growing in confidence and are beginning to enjoy longer stories. Clear type Up to 8 lines per page Bright, appealing pictures for added interest A variety of sentence structures A wider range of vocabulary Strong themes and characters to discuss All Reading Ladder titles are developed with a leading literacy consultant, making them perfect for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children's reading. Book band: Purple

OKAY, OKAY. So hang me. I killed the bird. For pity's sake, I'm a cat.

Poor Ellie is horrified when Tuffy drags a dead bird into the house. Then a mouse. But Tuffy can't understand what all the fuss is about. Who on earth will be the next victim to arrive through the cat-flap? Can soft-hearted Ellie manage to get her beloved pet to change his wild, wild ways before he ends up in even deeper trouble? The hilarious antics of Tuffy and his family as told by the killer cat himself.

A classic children’s story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine.

Anneli hates art. She doesn’t like looking at it or thinking about it, and when the paints come out in the art class at school, she just can’t stand it. But behind a hidden door in her house, Anneli finds a painting that draws her into an extraordinary story . . .

Perfect for boys and girls aged 6 and up, and for fans of Jeremy Strong and Pamela Butchart's Wigglesbottom Primary series.

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Levelled for guided and independent reading, each book includes ideas to support reading. Teaching and assessment support and eBooks are also available. When sisters Tasha and Ellie hear a noise in a bush, they don’t expect to find a furious bogo hiding from a rainbow. Will they be able to rescue the strange creature – and does it even want to be helped? Topaz/Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate. Text type: A humorous story Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.

An entertaining story from former children's laureate Anne Fine, perfect for children learning to read. Nicky, Tasha and Joe's mum leaves for work early one day and she leaves instructions for them on a cassette-player - all they have to do is press play! Nicky and Tasha must get themselves ready for school and get baby Joe ready for playgroup without waking Dad! They have to get dressed, make porridge for breakfast and find Joe's toy rabbit. Then they have to creep into Dad's bedroom and set the alarm clock for him. But it is very hard to get ready quietly, especially when your baby brother is crying for his toy rabbit! The Reading Ladder series helps children to enjoy learning to read. It features well-loved authors, classic characters and favourite topics, so that children will find something to excite and engage them in every title they pick up. It's the first step towards a lasting love of reading. Level 3 Reading Ladder titles are perfect for fluent readers who are beginning to read exciting, challenging stories independently. Varied sentences Detailed illustrations to enjoy Chapters Interesting characters and themes A rich range of vocabulary More complex storylines to stretch confident readers All Reading Ladder titles are developed with a leading literacy consultant, making them perfect for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children's reading. Book band: White.

A warm and funny story about a boy who hates having to choose! From one of the nation's favourite children's authors, former Children's Laureate Anne Fine. Perfect for children learning to read. Green shirt or blue shirt? Feeding the ducks or going on the swings? Olly finds it so hard to make decisions! But then he's given a strange object that might just be the answer to his problem . . . Level 2 Reading Ladder titles are perfect for early readers who are growing in confidence and are beginning to enjoy longer stories.

* Clear type

* Up to 8 lines per page

* Bright, appealing pictures for added interest

* A variety of sentence structures

* A wider range of vocabulary

* Strong themes and characters to discuss

* Ideal for beginner readers aged 5-6

All Reading Ladder titles are developed with leading literacy consultant Nikki Gamble, making them perfect early years reading books for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children's reading throughout Key Stage 1. Book band: Turquoise For more information about the series and advice on supporting children's reading, see our reading ladder page www.egmont.co.uk/reading-ladder

Read and weep . . .

One stormy night, five stranded schoolchildren uncover the story of Richard Clayton Harwick - a boy who many years ago learned what it was like to have a truly wicked stepfather. But the children have stories of their own step-parents to tell - stories that have warmth and humour, as well as sadness, and a fair share of happy endings.