This book contains a story and several other things. The other things might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be connected to stories that haven't appeared yet . . . Two years after the conclusion of The Amber Spyglass, Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon sit high on the roof of Jordan College, gazing down on the streets of Oxford. But their peace is shattered by a flock of enraged starlings, who seem intent on knocking another bird out of the sky - a bird that Lyra and Pan quickly realise is a witch's daemon. The daemon carries worrying tidings of a terrible sickness spreading in the north, and claims that only Lyra can help him - but is he really friend, or foe? Illustrated throughout with exquisite wood-cut engravings by John Lawrence, this beautifully packaged story also contains an extract of Pullman's second short story set in the His Dark Materials world, Once Upon a Time in the North, a map and other missives that seem to have slipped from Lyra's world into our own.

From the author of the phenomenal His Dark Materials trilogy comes the next chapter in the story of Lyra Silvertongue . . .

Lyra Silvertongue is now studying at St Sophia's College, Oxford, with her daemon Pantalaimon.

They are not getting on. Lyra is questioning everything she once held dear. Pan misses the impulsiveness of their youth.

When an act of terrible violence breaks the peace of the Oxford night, Lyra and Pan's relationship reaches a crisis and they are drawn, far from home, into the dangerous factions of a world they had no idea existed.

The Secret Commonwealth is truly a book for our times; a powerful adventure and a thought-provoking look at what it is to understand yourself, to grow up and make sense of the world around you. This is storytelling at its very best from one of our greatest writers.

*The first book in The Book of Dust trilogy, La Belle Sauvage, is coming to the stage in the summer of this year. Performed at The Bridge Theatre from July 2020, it will be a theatrical spectacle not to be missed*

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door . . . Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is one of the most widely recognised poems in the English language. When it first appeared in the New York Evening Mirror, in 1845, the poem made Poe an overnight sensation. Master paper engineer David Pelham amazes us once again with his pop-up design to interpret this haunting love story.

'Far, far away in the high, high mountains in a deep, deep valley in a dark, dark cave - there lived a mighty dragon.'

He was an awesome and frightening creature, terrorising whole armies, destroying castles, demolishing forests and kidnapping princesses. But this mighty dragon had a deep, dark secret. . . .

Uncover a charming tale of adventure, a dragon, and an unlikely hero. Told with gentle humour and mesmerising illustrations, this is a picture book to enchant and delight.

This stunning new edition is perfect for new readers, as well as fans of George, the Dragon and the Princess. This much-loved classic tale comes from the exceptional storyteller and illustrator, Chris Wormell.

When Molly wakes up in the middle of the night, she hears the sound of a step on the stairs. It could be a crocodile creeping up to catch her . . . Or a giant giraffe outside on the landing . . . Or an enormous elephant turning the doorknob and opening the door . . . Or even a night monster come to gobble her up . . .

But when Molly surprises the tiptoeing beast, she gets an even bigger surprise of her own!

This edition is a beautiful reissue of a children's modern classic.

Long ago in the deep ocean, there lived ...one smart fish! He wasn't the biggest and he wasn't the boldest, but he was the cleverest. What this smart fish wanted more than anything else was to walk upon the land. But everyone knows that fish can't walk ...can they?

It is twenty years since the events of La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One unfolded and saw the baby Lyra Belacqua begin her life-changing journey.

It is seven years since readers left Lyra and the love of her young life, Will Parry, on a park bench in Oxford's Botanic Gardens at the end of the ground-breaking, bestselling His Dark Materialssequence.

Now, in The Secret Commonwealth, we meet Lyra Silvertongue. And she is no longer a child . . .

The second volume of Sir Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust sees Lyra, now twenty years old, and her daemon Pantalaimon, forced to navigate their relationship in a way they could never have imagined, and drawn into the complex and dangerous factions of a world that they had no idea existed. Pulled along on his own journey too is Malcolm; once a boy with a boat and a mission to save a baby from the flood, now a man with a strong sense of duty and a desire to do what is right.

Theirs is a world at once familiar and extraordinary, and they must travel far beyond the edges of Oxford, across Europe and into Asia, in search for what is lost - a city haunted by daemons, a secret at the heart of a desert, and the mystery of the elusive Dust.

'Sheen conjures a multitude of accents and delivers rapid-fire conversations between them. He's in step with the text at every turn; when situations become fraught or dangerous, Sheen ramps up the tension exquisitely. Thanks to Pullman's intricate storytelling and Sheen's propulsive narration, listeners will be on the edge of their seats' - AudioFile

The Secret Commonwealth is truly a book for our times; a powerful adventure and a thought-provoking look at what it is to understand yourself, to grow up and make sense of the world around you. This is storytelling at its very best from one of our greatest writers.'

Far, far away over the high, high mountains in an old castle wall, in a tiny, tiny hole there lives a little mouse called George. He's very small and rather timid and he can be a bit clumsy too. In fact, poor George is so hopeless that he can't even make lunch without burning his cheese on toast!

But when a huge and terrifying dragon attacks the castle, George springs into action! Because as fans of George and the Dragon know only too well, George has a very special talent . . .

This stunning new edition is perfect for new readers, as well as fans of George and the Dragon. This is a charming children's tale from the exceptional storyteller and illustrator, Chris Wormell.

Scruffy Bear sees a red ball, and does what comes naturally - kicks it! But the ball is lost, high up in a tree, and the owners aren't very pleased. Never fear, plucky Scruffy Bear can climb trees. Even very, very high trees with all kinds of cross creatures in them.

Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first meeting, many years ago, along with much evidence of the adventure that brought them together . . . When a young Texan balloonist, Lee Scoresby, comes down to earth in the harbour of an Arctic town in the North, little does he realise that he is about to be embroiled in an out-and-out political brawl. Lee and his daemon, Hester, find themselves the target of political factions trying to take over the running (and oil) of the town. And also resident in the town are huge arctic bears, ignored and patronised by the people and treated like second-class citizens. When Lee and Iorek first meet, they cement a friendship that will continue throughout their lives, as the tensions and pressure in town lead to a deadly conclusion . . . Featuring two of Philip Pullman's best-loved characters, this is an adventure-filled short story that builds on the world of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust.

Two frogs are sitting on a lily pad and one of them has a stick. The stick, he says, is to beat off the dog. But there is no dog ...yet. So begin the trials of this hapless pair whose adventures build to a brilliant conclusion. A unique book with all the qualities of a timeless fable.

This is the story of a little girl and her small brown dog. They live all alone in a little cave high up on the mountainside in the middle of the great wide wilderness. Then one day in the bitter cold of winter, as they are returning to their cave, they see bear tracks in the snow . . .

The ending to this adorable story will melt your heart and make you smile.

This is a stunning new edition of this charming children's tale, from the exceptional storyteller and illustrator, Chris Wormell.