'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis 'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler 'This quirky, fast-paced crime mystery is magically entertaining' - Dundee Courier A dazzling dawn breaks over the Stonehenge midwinter solstice, where the assembled new-age revellers are horrified to discover a green-painted human hand dangling from beneath a mound of snow, high on one of the stone lintels. Leading the investigation into this peculiar death is DI Shanti Joyce and her partner, Vincent Caine. To Shanti's chagrin the pair have become known as 'the go-to team for weird stuff in the West Country' and this festive fatality is the mother and Father Christmas of odd and ritualistic crimes. Amidst the swirling flurries of Salisbury Plain, the unlikely duo discover that the deceased is none other than Hector Lovell-Finch, the eccentric Earl of Lovell Court, known to all as 'Finch' - and who also happens to be the father of the notoriously right-wing MP, Quentin Lovell-Finch. It is no secret that relations between father and son have become decidedly frosty since Finch's acrimonious divorce from Quentin's mother, his conversion to environmentalism, and second marriage to an indigenous Brazilian environmentalist half his age. Now there is the icy issue of who will inherit the ancient Lovell-Finch Estate. To make things more complicated, single mum Shanti has faithfully promised her son, Paul a magical Christmas with all the trimmings. Can this most knotty of English murders be untwined in just five days? And will the unlikely detective duo celebrate the season with merriment, mindfulness and mistletoe? Praise for Laurence Anholt '... A quirky, surprising read... it transports you to the heart of Glastonbury festival... 5*' UK Crime Book Club '...Startlingly original and funny' Sidmouth Herald

Young Camille befriends a strange visitor to his small town, and one day he brings this man a gift of bright, beautiful sunflowers. The man is the artist Vincent van Gogh, and the sunflowers quickly become the subject of a magnificent painting. This is a title in Barron's " Anholt's Artists Books for Children " series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. Anholt's fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists.

Marie dreams of becoming the most famous ballerina in the world. When she joins the ballet school in Paris, she notices a fierce man sitting at the side, sketching the dancers. The man is the painter, Edgar Degas, and his clay model of Marie does indeed make her the most famous dancer of all.

Discover the story of Mary Anning, the world's best-known fossil hunter. As a baby, Mary was struck by lightning, then as a little girl she found a fossilised sea monster, the most important prehistoric discovery of its time. This spectacular tale of a little girl who dared to be different and who followed her dreams will inspire young children. Beautiful illustrations and narrative text help children to learn how Mary discovered new fossils - and how her observations rocked the natural history world. Be inspired by Mary's work as a woman in the field of science - especially as her achievements weren't recognised until after her death. Perfect for kids interested in dinosaurs and rocks, and for parents looking for strong female role models in science. If you liked this, you might like the Anholt's Artists series.

'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis 'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler Buddhism, love, art and murder - welcome to the world of the Mindful Detective When a famously narcissistic performance artist is found floating in a tank of formaldehyde at her own private view, suspicion falls on those closest to her . . . Leading the murder investigation is DI Shanti Joyce, recently transferred from London to Yeovil following the collapse of her marriage and a case that went wrong. She soon concludes that the mystery requires left-field thinking, and when a colleague at the station suggests Vince Caine, aka the Mindful Detective, Shanti tracks him down to his remote cabin on the Undercliff at Lyme Regis. The pair delve into the artist's Bohemian circle and discover a hotbed of resentment and jealousy stretching all the way back to her scandalous art school days in Falmouth. But as they soon realise, the murderer is both canny and elusive - someone with a complex, warped motive who will do anything to point them elsewhere. Has Shanti made the wrong decision enlisting the unconventional and enigmatic Caine? Can the unlikely mix of her down-to-earth pragmatism and his otherworldly intuition really prove a winning combination? Or will a killer escape justice and leave Shanti's reputation in tatters?

This is the sixth title in the highly-successful Anholt's Artists series about great painters. Each book tells the story of real meetings between a world-famous artist and a child who inspired him in his work, with reproductions of some of the artist's most famous works. This book describes the close relationship between Matisse and Monique, a young girl who wants to become a nun. Matisse develops a sketch drawn by Monique into a set of stained-glass windows and starts raising money to build a chapel for the nuns at Vence, in south-west France. Finally one morning when the chapel is finished, Monique sees the special magic of Matisse's design: when the sun's rays creep into the chapel, transforming its black and white interior into a fantastic sea of blue and green light!

Paul Cezanne was one of the greatest of the French impressionist painters. This delightful book follows his son, also called Paul, as he travels to the mountains to spend a summer with his father. He discovers that his father, a very large man, paints the natural world with a passion that few can understand. But one day they meet an art dealer in a village who offers to try to sell some of the paintings in Paris ... the rest is history. The reader gains a real insight into Cezanne the man through the eyes of a child - sometimes frightening, fastidious (he won't touch other people), warm-hearted, driven by a passion for his art. And it provides a vivid introduction to Cezanne's work, with reproductions of his most famous paintings incorporated in the illustrations.

'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis 'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler Live music... and explosive death in front of an adoring audience - welcome to the world of the Mindful Detective . . . When Ethan Flynn, charismatic vocalist of supergroup Stigma, is electrocuted by his own guitar in front of 175,000 witnesses on the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival, suspicion falls on his tyrannical twin, Tyrone. Leading the murder investigation is Buddhist detective, Vincent Caine, and his partner, DI Shanti Joyce. To Shanti's consternation the pair have become known as 'the go-to team for weird stuff in the West Country' and few crimes come weirder than this. Amidst the pulsating beats of the festival, the unlikely duo struggle to untangle the wildly conflicting statements of minders, lovers, drug-fuelled roadies, and dodgy divas. Against the mystical backdrop of Glastonbury Tor and the tiny Somerset village of Kilton, the terrifying trail leads Shanti and Caine from clairvoyant Tarot readings to the cryptic lyrics of a lost song, cunningly concealed by the tragic superstar. Can the unlikely mix of Shanti's down-to-earth pragmatism and Caine's intuitive sleuthing skills solve this most singular of murders? Is the future of the world's greatest festival in peril? And what happens when two consummate professionals are forced to share a tent in the steamy heat of summer?

A humorous poem with one couplet on every monarch from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth the Second. Purple/ Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary. Text type - A poem. Curriculum links - History: 'Pupils should be taught about ... events beyond living memory that are significant nationally'. A royal timeline on pages 22-23, showing dates on the throne of all monarchs, allows children to place the poem in context.

The next title in the best-selling Anholt's Artists series. When Mariana goes to Frida Kahlo's house to be painted by the famous Mexican artist, she is scared. She's a bit afraid of the beautiful woman with her exotic pets and her 'frog-toad' - and she's heard that Frida keeps a skeleton in her bedroom. But as Frida paints Mariana, their friendship blossoms. Frida tells Mariana about her life and the terrible accident that almost killed her, while Mariana discovers how love, creativity, determination and, above all, courage, can give you wings to fly.

Julie lives in Paris, but she longs to walk in a beautiful country garden. When her mother takes her on a visit to rural Giverny, Julie discovers a beautiful garden and befriends the man she believes is the gardener. In fact, he is the gardenA's owner, the immortal artist Claude Monet. This is a title in BarronA's " AnholtA's Artists Books for Children " series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. AnholtA's fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists.

'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis 'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler 'This quirky, fast-paced crime mystery is magically entertaining' - Dundee Courier Live music... and explosive death in front of an adoring audience - welcome to the world of the Mindful Detective . . . When Ethan Flynn, charismatic vocalist of supergroup Stigma, is electrocuted by his own guitar in front of 175,000 witnesses on the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival, suspicion falls on his tyrannical twin, Tyrone. Leading the murder investigation is Buddhist detective, Vincent Caine, and his partner, DI Shanti Joyce. To Shanti's consternation the pair have become known as 'the go-to team for weird stuff in the West Country' and few crimes come weirder than this. Amidst the pulsating beats of the festival, the unlikely duo struggle to untangle the wildly conflicting statements of minders, lovers, drug-fuelled roadies, and dodgy divas. Against the mystical backdrop of Glastonbury Tor and the tiny Somerset village of Kilton, the terrifying trail leads Shanti and Caine from clairvoyant Tarot readings to the cryptic lyrics of a lost song, cunningly concealed by the tragic superstar. Can the unlikely mix of Shanti's down-to-earth pragmatism and Caine's intuitive sleuthing skills solve this most singular of murders? Is the future of the world's greatest festival in peril? And what happens when two consummate professionals are forced to share a tent in the steamy heat of summer? Praise for Festival of Death '... A quirky, surprising read... it transports you to the heart of Glastonbury festival... 5*' UK Crime Book Club '...Startlingly original and funny' Sidmouth Herald

'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis 'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler Buddhism, love, art and murder - welcome to the world of the Mindful Detective When a famously narcissistic performance artist is found floating in a tank of formaldehyde at her own private view, suspicion falls on those closest to her . . . Leading the murder investigation is DI Shanti Joyce, recently transferred from London to Yeovil following the collapse of her marriage and a case that went wrong. She soon concludes that the mystery requires left-field thinking, and when a colleague at the station suggests Vince Caine, aka the Mindful Detective, Shanti tracks him down to his remote cabin on the Undercliff at Lyme Regis. The pair delve into the artist's Bohemian circle and discover a hotbed of resentment and jealousy stretching all the way back to her scandalous art school days in Falmouth. But as they soon realise, the murderer is both canny and elusive - someone with a complex, warped motive who will do anything to point them elsewhere. Has Shanti made the wrong decision enlisting the unconventional and enigmatic Caine? Can the unlikely mix of her down-to-earth pragmatism and his otherworldly intuition really prove a winning combination? Or will a killer escape justice and leave Shanti's reputation in tatters?

Sylvette is a shy little girl, but her neighbor happens to be the artist Pablo Picasso. Attracted by Sylvette's classical facial profile and her lovely ponytail hair style, Picasso convinces her to overcome her shyness and pose for a series of artworks. These drawings, paintings, and sculptures soon become world famous, and encouraged to abandon her shyness, Sylvette herself begins a career as a fine artist. This is a title in Barron's " Anholt's Artists Books for Children " series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. Anholt's fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists.

Daft Jack is such a silly-billy. Who else would swap a cow for some baked beans - and think it's his lucky day?

Meet Bruno - the bravest of all Ruby's relations! Join Ruby and Bruno as they continue the hilarious tour of their crazy family in this delightful new spin on Laurence Anholt's much-loved series. With the original fabulous illustrations by Tony Ross, these popular books have been refreshed for a vibrant and contemporary feel.

When Ghostyshocks messes with some mad, mangy and murderous mummies, she's BOUND to get TANGLED up in all sorts of trouble!

WINNER OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION'S YOUNG QUILLS AWARD 2017 Jack has left his native Ireland and is making a new life as Professor of Neurology at a university in the American South. He has certain skills, honed over his lifetime, that he mostly keeps hidden. Skills in hypnotism and mind control . . . Thirteen-year-old Pip is plucked out of an orphanage by a farmer, hired as a farm-hand, and as carer for the farmer's wife. But Pip is black. The farmer and his wife are white. And this is 1960s America, where race defines you and overshadows everything. As racial tensions reach boiling point with a danger closer to home and more terrifying than either thought possible, Jack and Pip's lives become inextricably linked. And Jack's hypnotic skills are called on as never before . . .

Cinderboy needs some magical help from the TV Godmother. How else will he get to the big Cup Final?

A dazzling dawn breaks over the Stonehenge midwinter solstice, where the assembled new-age revellers are horrified to discover a green-painted human hand dangling from beneath a mound of snow, high on one of the stone lintels. Leading the investigation into this peculiar death is DI Shanti Joyce and her partner, Vincent Caine. To Shanti's chagrin the pair have become known as 'the go-to team for weird stuff in the West Country' and this festive fatality is the mother and Father Christmas of odd and ritualistic crimes. Amidst the swirling flurries of Salisbury Plain, the unlikely duo discover that the deceased is none other than Hector Lovell-Finch, the eccentric Earl of Lovell Court, known to all as 'Finch' - and who also happens to be the father of the notoriously right-wing MP, Quentin Lovell-Finch. It is no secret that relations between father and son have become decidedly frosty since Finch's acrimonious divorce from Quentin's mother, his conversion to environmentalism, and second marriage to an indigenous Brazilian environmentalist half his age. Now there is the icy issue of who will inherit the ancient Lovell-Finch Estate. To make things more complicated, single mum Shanti has faithfully promised her son, Paul a magical Christmas with all the trimmings. Can this most knotty of English murders be untwined in just five days? And will the unlikely detective duo celebrate the season with merriment, mindfulness and mistletoe? Praise for Solstice of Death 'Quirky, engrossing and can be devoured at any time' Devon Life Praise for Laurence Anholt 'A super start to the series' Frances Brody 'An entertaining murder mystery . . . witty' L C Tyler 'This quirky, fast-paced crime mystery is magically entertaining' Dundee Courier 'Quirky, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable' Kate Ellis