When Dad loses his car keys, toddler Mary has a suggestion: why not see what's hiding down the back of the chair? But when they look, they get more than a few surprises... This lively, eccentric poem is a visual explosion of fun and imagination, featuring dragons, pirates, treasure, lions, elephants and much more. Margaret Mahy's classic story celebrates the wonderful everyday, guaranteed to put a smile on the face of readers young and old. "The entertainment, humour, and exuberance of it all arises from what Dad finds... Mahy's text rollicks along in rhythm and rhyme, and Polly Dunbar's graphics are akin to a fireworks display on the page; words, phrases and pictorial images metaphorically pop up and explode like stardust over the double spreads" - School Librarian

The Gargling Gorilla, The Runaway Reptiles and The Dog Magician - three hilarious stories in one volume from an award-winning author with a wicked sense of humour.
The Gargling Gorilla is a perfext text for confident young readers, with its accumulative storyline, use of repetition and alliteration and humour. Tim is animal-sitting for a neighbour who tells him which animal has which food and where it is kept. So, for example, 'The cat likes cat snacks and the cat-snack pack is in the tall cupboard. The tall cupboard is beside the fridge, and the fridge is over there on the other side of the sink. However, when the vulture sees the cat being fed, he will get a little peckish. SO the vulture chunks are inside the fridge?' etc. After a long list of instructions Tim finally hears 'and the gorilla is in the cupboard under the sink.' Tim is hugely inventive and manages to feed all the animals successfully without disturbing the gorilla. When the animal-owner comes home, he discovers that there is no gorilla under the sink - just a griller to toast his sarnies with.The real gorilla was out for the evening! This, and the other two stories, will have young readers chortling with laughter and Tony Ross's illustrations enhance the text perfectly.

Sophie Sapwood, daughter of the famous explorer, Bonniface Sapwood, discovers a whalebone pendant hidden at the back of her chest of drawers. At the same time, deep in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic, the ghost of Captain Cathcardo awakens from an ancient sleep, trapped in the Antarctic on his ship, The Riddle.

His three cries for "Help" travel through the stratosphere to three different sets of ears – famous explorer Bonniface Sapwood, renowned naturalist Corona Wottley and oily villain Rancid Swarthy – descendant of Escher Black who was first mate on the Riddle. All three parties immediately organise trips to the Antarctic – all with the same goal in mind (solving the mystery of the Riddle) but each with very different intentions.

'Home. Holidays. Free, thought Ellis.' Well not quite free, with university on the horizon. But free from school.
Free, although his best friend is dead.
Free to think about the future.
Free to transform his life.

When Ellis meets up with Jackie and three mysterious sisters, he is drawn into a number of increasingly bizarre situations. They introduce him to The Land of Smiles, where appearances are deceptive and being different is the norm. Ellis is sucked relentlessly into a drama from which he cannot escape. It's a matter of life and death, but time is against him.
The clock ticks on.
In twenty-four hours, Ellis is changed forever.

Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level Brave Tim agrees to look after Rosa's pets. He isn't afraid of vultures or wolfhounds, or even giant rabbits. But he isn't so sure about the gorilla, gargling in the kitchen! A comic story with a familiar setting, from Margaret Mahy. Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction. Text type - Story with a familiar setting. The reader response page consists of a story map to encourage children to retell the story in their own words. Curriculum links - Citizenship: Animals and us; Music: Animal magic, exploring descriptive sounds. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

"I am Quando the Magician!" the man cries.
"I work enchantments. But never forget – it
is your job to work out just where the trick
leaves off and the true magic begins."

Roland had everything a young man could wish for – good looks, enough money, a ready wit, sexy girlfriend and a perfect school record. So the fact that he committed a petty crime is something he can hardly explain to himself, let alone anyone else. Worse still, Mr Hudson, his teacher, knows all about it, and uses this knowledge to blackmail Roland into befriending misfit Jess Ferret. But when Jess doesn't respond to Roland's confident advances, he becomes intrigued with the girl for his own reasons. Roland discovers Jess's dark secret and also finds that he has one of his own…

Self-empowerment meets the supernatural in this astonishing new novel from internationally acclaimed, multiple award-winning novelist, Margaret Mahy.

'A clammy hand pressed Laura down onto her knees beside Jacko's bed. It was the hand of terror, nothing less.'

It was a warning. Laura felt it when she looked in the mirror that morning. There had been others: the day her father left home, the day she met Sorensen - the boy with the strange silver eyes.

But nothing had prepared Laura for the horror of today. And now her little brother, Jacko, was fighting for his life after being sucked dry of his youth by the sinister Carmody Braque.

Laura knows there is only one way to save Jacko; she must join Sorensen and use his supernatural powers to change over if there is to be any hope for her little brother.

An unforgettable, supernatural romance.

When twelve-year-old Garland Maddigan asks Timon and Eden where they have come from, she is overwhelmed by their answer: the future.

In a post-apocalyptic time, Garland's family's traveling circus troop, Maddigan's Fantasia, leaves the city of Solis once a year to perform and earn a living. However, this year Solis has given the Fantasia the crucial task of obtaining a new solar converter, the only power source in Solis, because the old one is failing.

Misfortune finds the Fantasia in their travels, and Garland's father dies in an attack by Road Rats. Then suddenly two mysterious boys, Timon and Eden, appear with their baby sister, claiming to be from the future -- a world in which the Fantasia has failed in its mission and the evil Nennog has taken power. The boys have come to help the Fantasia, but danger has followed them across time. Can the Fantasia protect Timon and Eden, and succeed in their quest to save their world?

Internationally renowned author Margaret Mahy spins a vivid tale of time travel, adventure, and magic that no reader will soon forget.

A brand-new edition of the Carnegie Medal-winning THE HAUNTING - written by internationally bestselling author, Margaret Mahy.

'Strong and terrifying . . . The novel winds up like a spring. A psychological thriller' - Times Literary Supplement

Eight-year-old Barney has been haunted before. He thought it was something he'd just grow out of, like the imaginary friends his step-mother believes he has. But this time it's different. Footsteps follow him, there's a demanding voice barking orders and Barney begins to feel that sometimes his body is not his own at all . . .

With the help of his sisters, Tabitha and Troy, Barney sets out to uncover the truth about their family secrets and to find out once and for all who it is who's haunting him.

A thrilling ghost story about a 'mostly ordinary' family and a secret legacy.

Book Band: Grey - Ideal for ages 8+ A magical collection of short stories from double Carnegie Medal winner Margaret Mahy. A wizard's house with coloured windows that look into worlds of treetops and deserts, cloud-castles and diamonds. Two riddles that, once solved, will stop Shock Forest from burning. A flute-playing bear and a boy who just wants to spread his wings and fly... These fantastical short stories will take readers on a journey; sometimes haunting, sometimes surreal but always enchanting. This collection of brilliant stories from double Carnegie Medal winner Margaret Mahy has wonderful illustrations by Laura Borio and is perfect for children who are developing as readers. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With engaging illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Any list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed ... Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding.' Books for Keeps