***THE FOLLOW UP TO THE AWARD-WINNING AND BESTSELLING STORIES FOR BOYS WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT***

Tom Daley, Oliver Sacks, the Jamaican Bobsled team, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Carlos Acosta... all dared to be different.

This is the follow-up to the much loved and hugely successful Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different, the bestselling book that changed countless boys' lives around the world and gave them the confidence to be themselves.

What have the footballer Kylian Mbappé, the philosopher Socrates and the singer Ed Sheeran all got in common? All three of them defied expectations - going against the grain and pursuing their dreams - despite a seemingly impossible barrage of obstacles and difficulties. Their stories are incredible, as are those of the tap-dancer Evan Ruggiero, the Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, and the other inspirational boys who fill the pages of this extraordinary book.

It's books like these that can make a huge difference to parents and their children's lives. In this day and age, any publication that shows how we can triumph in the face of adversity and prejudice deserves to be read over and over again.

Boys need to know that prince charmings and brave hunters are not the only role-models

In fact, a whole lot of them out there don't identify with the idea of being a strong, independent, competitive saviour who never cries. As a boy, there is an assumption that you will conform to this stereotypical idea of masculinity, but what if you're the introvert kind, what if you prefer to pick up a book rather than a sword, what if you're very sensitive, what if you like the idea of wearing a dress?

As statistics keep showing that there is an ongoing crisis with regards to young men and mental health, with unhelpful gender stereotypes contributing to this malaise, Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different offers a welcome alternative narrative. It is an extraordinary compilation of 100 stories of famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, every single one of them a rule-breaker and innovator in his own way, and all going on to achieve amazing things. Entries include Frank Ocean, Salvador Dali, Rimbaud, Beethoven, Barack Obama, Ai Weiwei and Jesse Owens - different sorts of heroes from all walks of life and from all over the world.

A beautiful and transporting book packed with stories of adventure and wonderment, it will appeal to those who need the courage to reject peer pressure and go against the grain. It will educate and entertain, while also encourage and inspire.

What do you think of when you hear the word 'hero'? Is it the wall-climbing, cape-wearing, villain-fighter you see in comics and films?

Heroes can actually come in all forms, shapes and sizes.

Some cook for the hungry. Some nurse the poorly back to health. Others raise money for important causes. From small acts of kindness to inventions that have saved the lives of hundreds of people, every person in this book has found their passion - or their superpower. No matter how big or small it might be, your power can be used to change the world for the better too.

So put away the cape, climb down from that wall and discover how ordinary people can still do extraordinary things and become heroes.

Written by Ben Brooks, the bestselling author of the Dare to Be Different books, and paired with vibrant comic-style illustrations throughout, this is the perfect guide for the budding superhero in your life!

A friendly dragon. A magical train. A journey beyond your wildest dreams. A little while after his grandma passes away, Elliot finds a strange ticket under his pillow. When a small, well-dressed dragon appears in his room and asks for the ticket, the adventure of Elliot's life is about to begin. A station has appeared at the back of Elliot's wardrobe ... but where will The Night Train take him? A heart-warming exploration of love and loss and the magic of hope and family from the bestselling author of THE IMPOSSIBLE BOY. Perfect for 8+ fans of Matt Haig and Ben Miller. Praise for THE IMPOSSIBLE BOY: 'A fast-moving, quirky, adventure story ... Great fun!' Carousel 'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant ... A true gift for a reader' Lucy Timmons, Just Imagine Website 'A satisfying mix of quirky humour and all-action adventure in a tale about the power of friends' The Sunday Express S Magazine 'A magical and festive adventure with an extraordinary cast of characters. It is full of empathy, friendship and fun' South Wales Evening Post 'A must read for all children (big and small) aged 7+ and to any who love a laugh out loud book that pushes all senses of the imagination to their limits. It is a masterpiece of creativity and empathy rolled into one big feelgood tale' The Reading Zone

Björk, Dr Seuss, Whoopi Goldberg, Andy Warhol, Ellen MacArthur, Greta Gerwig, Andrea Bocelli, Hua Mulan ... these are men and women who all dared to be different.

Boys will be boys and girls will be girls - or so the meaningless saying goes. Because what if you're a girl and you like cage fighting? Or you're a boy and you love ballet? And what if you've always dreamed of being a scientist but you can't see anyone who looks or sounds like you, and who has left a legacy - in the form of microscopes and Bunsen burners - for you to follow?

This is the book for children who want to know about the lives of those heroes who have led the way, changing the world for the better as they go.

Following the runaway success of Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different, parents asked for a celebration of role models of both genders for boys and girls within the same book. Stories for Kids Who Dare to Be Different is the answer. These are the extraordinary stories of 100 famous and not-so-famous men and women, every single one of them an inspiring pioneer and creative genius in their own way, who broke the mould and made their dreams come true.

Like Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different, this is a beautifully illustrated, evocative and inspirational book of amazing stories of amazing people, that will delight sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, and give them the courage to be themselves.

A shy kid's guide to thriving in their own (quiet) way. Do you sometimes feel afraid of talking in front of people, making a mistake or saying the wrong thing? While everywhere else you look there are loud, confident people? You're not alone. Ben Brooks also grew up as a shy child (so much so that he'd rather have cut his own hair or spend a week at a Silent Retreat then have to speak to other people). But he soon realised that being quiet doesn't make you strange or wrong or boring. In fact, being shy can give you great skills such as listening, kindness and compassion. It's something to embrace and be proud of. In this book, Ben introduces readers to some of the most famous, talented and brilliant shy people - including Charles Darwin, David Bowie, Greta Thunberg, Rosa Parks, Beyonce and Emma Watson - who used their special quietness to achieve awesome things, and he shares his tips for growing up shy in a world that can sometimes feel, well, LOUD. Because you don't have to be loud to be liked, and you definitely don't have to be loud to make an impact.

Victor is skeptical when Walter Swizwit comes to the village of Rainwater. He's the latest in a string of inventors passing through, and no one wants to buy his cheap magic tricks. But Walter doesn't take rejection well, and puts a curse on the village.

Only Victor is unaffected and he must leave Rainwater for the first time in his life if he's to find the cure. Victor's path takes him past other villages that Walter has damaged, and he picks up new companions on the way: Elena, handy with bow and arrow, Mo-Lan, a science prodigy, and scaredy-cat Mingus.

It's soon clear that they underestimated Walter's power. Only he has the cure for his magic and he's locked away in his castle a thousand leagues away. But he's not the only inventor out there... If Victor and his friends can get someone more powerful on their side, maybe they can win: find Walter, break the curse and return as heroes.

After all, there's no place like home...

Believe in the impossible this Christmas - a magical story celebrating the power of imagination, from the bestselling author of STORIES FOR BOYS WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Oleg and Emma entered their den to find a cardboard spaceship standing exactly where they usually sat. Slowly, the front door opened and out stepped a boy. 'My name's Sebastian Cole,' he said. 'But you already know that.'

When Oleg and Emma invent a new classmate called Sebastian, they are amazed when he appears - very much real - in their secret den.

Sebastian isn't like the rest of their classmates. He's never eaten pizza, he's not sure what goose bumps are, and he has a satchel that seems to hold an endless supply of hot ice cream.

But as the trio begin their adventures, more impossible things keep happening, from a runaway goat appearing at school to a sighting of some snowwomen walking down the road. Things soon take a turn for the dangerous when the three friends are pursued by the mysterious Institute of Unreality, who want to capture and erase Sebastian, restoring order to the world.

With the help of a cowboy gardener, an imprisoned scientist, and the rest of their class, can Emma and Oleg protect their new friend and keep the magic of the impossible alive, just in time for Christmas?

After inspiring countless young readers with tales of extraordinary people in the world around them, Ben Brooks' first children's novel is a magical adventure that celebrates friendship, the power of imagination, and ice cream.

Lolito is a love story about a fifteen year-old boy who meets a middle-aged woman on the internet.

When his long-term girlfriend and first love Alice, betrays him at a house party, Etgar goes looking for cyber solace in the arms of Macy, a stunning but bored housewife he meets online. What could possibly go wrong...?

Hilarious, fearless and utterly outrageous, Lolito is a truly twenty-first century love story.

'AN INDISPENSABLE USER'S GUIDE TO ADOLESCENTS.. THE MOST REASSURING THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IT'S SO GOOD' Daily Mail 'THE BOOK TO READ' The Times 'EVERY PARENT SHOULD READ THIS BOOK' Clover Stroud 'A MUST-READ FOR THOSE WITH TEENAGE KIDS' Candice Brathwaite ------------ A GUIDE TO TEENAGERS FROM THIS CENTURY - FOR PARENTS FROM THE LAST CENTURY Written from a teenager's perspective, this is a unique field guide for parents about the secret lives of 21st century adolescents - from mental health to self-harm, from drugs to sexting - and how you can help them and yourself through these turbulent years without losing their trust. Things They Don't Want You To Know is a look at modern life through the eyes of a teenager, by someone who recently graduated from that club. Along the way, Brooks takes readers on a tour of the websites that most parenting manuals would rather pretend don't exist. Yet this is the stuff your kids are all over, on a daily basis. There is porn, there are hallucinogens, there is cyberbullying and suicidal ideation. Brooks' point is that to remain completely unaware of their existence can mean that as a parent, you end up getting blindsided. And being blindsided means you won't know what to say and how to say it when things go wrong. You'll be surprised, shocked but you'll also be reassured. This book will help you to understand and support your kids. They won't thank you, but they might hate you less.

Who says youth is wasted on the young? Jasper wants to get on in the world, but he's got a lot on his plate: A-levels, his mother pushing him to overachieve, weekly visits to his psychologist, come-downs, YouTube suicides and pregnant one-night-stands. Then there's his stepdad - the murderer. Hilarious and heartbreaking by turns, Grow Up is the ultimate twenty-first-century coming-of-age novel. It paints a vivid portrait of the pills and thrills and bellyaches of growing up today. Funny, smart and twisted, it is the story of one young man transformed.

Join the adventure. Break the curse. Find your way home. A magical new adventure from the bestselling author of THE IMPOSSIBLE BOY.

Victor is skeptical when Walter Swizwit comes to the village of Rainwater. He's the latest in a string of inventors passing through, and no one wants to buy his cheap magic tricks. But Walter doesn't take rejection well, and puts a curse on the village.

Only Victor is unaffected and he must leave Rainwater for the first time in his life if he's to find the cure. Victor's path takes him past other villages that Walter has damaged, and he picks up new companions on the way: Elena, handy with bow and arrow, Mo-Lan, a science prodigy, and scaredy-cat Mingus.

It's soon clear that they underestimated Walter's power. Only he has the cure for his magic and he's locked away in his castle a thousand leagues away. But he's not the only inventor out there... If Victor and his friends can get someone more powerful on their side, maybe they can win: find Walter, break the curse and return as heroes.

After all, there's no place like home...

A new book that will inspire children, by the global bestselling author of Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different. The words in Dare to be Different have great power. Ben Brooks has brought together 100 people who have all in some way or another used words to do wonderful things. Some may have changed a single life, while others have changed the course of history for almost everyone on earth. But whether their effects were big or small, these individuals' speeches, letters, poems, songs, stories, and advice prove one thing: words can make the world a better place. And they can make you feel better about yourself too. This extraordinary compendium includes personal letters that were written for just one reader to help guide them through life's journey; sometimes they were intended for millions of people to hear about grand declarations of war, peace or new discoveries. Most of the time, though, they are words of wisdom that children will love to hear, about kindness, bullying, or whether it's OK to sometimes eat chocolate for breakfast. From Plautus' plays about the power of laughter to Selena Gomez's speech about bullying; and from F. Scott Fitzgerald's letters of encouragement to his daughter, Scottie, to Bambi, the mysterious graffiti artist who sprays words of truth on walls, there is something to be learned from every quote in this inspiring and illuminating book. Children will be enthused and comforted by the wonderful true stories Brooks has brought from across history and from around the world. Each one is exquisitely illustrated by Quinton Winter, who made the Stories for Boys series so visually exciting.

'AN INDISPENSABLE USER'S GUIDE TO ADOLESCENTS.. THE MOST REASSURING THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IT'S SO GOOD' Daily Mail 'EVERY PARENT SHOULD READ THIS BOOK' Clover Stroud 'A MUST-READ FOR THOSE WITH TEENAGE KIDS' Candice Brathwaite ------------ A field guide for parents about the secret lives of 21st-century teenagers - from relationships to self-harm, from drugs to sexting - and how you can help them and yourself through these turbulent years. "When I turned into a teenager, I watched my parents panic with questions they were unprepared for: is the computer killing his brain? is he watching porn? are those cuts on his arms? what the hell do we do now? The child-rearing tactics they'd read about in parenting manuals or learned from their own parents were useless. Anyway, how do you punish someone who's already so miserable? Every Parent Should Read This Book is a field guide for confused parents who are currently custodians of any teenager who's feeling lost, alone, depressed or horny. I'm not an expert, a psychologist, or even a particularly good person, but I do understand the unique kinds of troubles that come with trying to grow up in the current climate, and I wanted to share what would have helped me, my friends, and everyone else I spoke to while writing this book. It might be hard to read what I write about self-harming, body piercings, gender confusion, drugs and social media angst. It might involve unpleasant surprises and be occasionally disgusting, but it could also help you to understand and support your kids. They won't thank you, but they might hate you less." - Ben Brooks

Believe in the impossible... A magical story celebrating the power of imagination, from the bestselling author of STORIES FOR BOYS WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Oleg and Emma entered their den to find a cardboard spaceship standing exactly where they usually sat. Slowly, the front door opened and out stepped a boy. 'My name's Sebastian Cole,' he said. 'But you already know that.'

When Oleg and Emma invent a new classmate called Sebastian, they are amazed when he appears - very much real - in their secret den.

Sebastian isn't like the rest of their classmates. He's never eaten pizza, he's not sure what goose bumps are, and he has a satchel that seems to hold an endless supply of hot ice cream.

But as the trio begin their adventures, more impossible things keep happening, from a runaway goat appearing at school to a sighting of some snowwomen walking down the road. Things soon take a turn for the dangerous when the three friends are pursued by the mysterious Institute of Unreality, who want to capture and erase Sebastian, restoring order to the world.

With the help of a cowboy gardener, an imprisoned scientist, and the rest of their class, can Emma and Oleg protect their new friend and keep the magic of the impossible alive?

After inspiring countless young readers with tales of extraordinary people in the world around them, Ben Brooks' first children's novel is a magical adventure that celebrates friendship, the power of imagination, and ice cream.

In this bawdy, raucous, and unabashedly frank novel, youth is certainly not wasted on the young

Hailed as "one of the most hilarious and well-observed accounts of teenage debauchery you are ever likely to read" by the trendsetting British lifestyle magazine "Dazed & Confused," Ben Brooks's "Grow Up" is a shocking, stylish, and very modern coming-of-age story.

As Jasper J. Wolf careens through high school, his list of to-dos includes: get high with friends, seduce the hottest girl in school, and, last but not least, expose his stepfather as a murderer. But as growing up soon teaches him, what he wants and what he gets are often wildly different--and decidedly unexpected.

THE JOURNAL TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD-WINNING AND BESTSELLING STORIES FOR BOYS WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

John Lennon, Gandhi, Trevor Noah, Grayson Perry, Roald Dahl, Martin Luther King... all dared to be different - and now young boys can too with this fun and enlightening guided journal.


Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different Journal is full of tips and ideas to help boys everywhere explore their dreams and release their creativity in an environment where emotions and feelings are celebrated. Thanks to an array of imaginative and thoughtful prompts, and short biographies of some real-life inspiring figures who followed their personal dreams, this journal will help boys construct their own world away from gender stereotypes and social conventions.

Activities include:

· Devising a plot for a film in which your biggest fear is quashed
· Identifying what cause you would go out and protest for
· Creating a list of characteristics about human beings for aliens
· Imagining what would make you happy a week, a month, ten years from now

It is the must-have journal for all those boys who worry about stuff and all those parents who worry about their boys who worry about stuff.