Oxford Smart Quest Teacher Book 2 helps teachers to deliver an inspiring and diverse KS3 English curriculum with confidence. Building on what students have learned at KS2 and supporting them to progress to GCSE and beyond, this teacher book ensures that all students will develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Informed by up-to-date research, the teacher book provides in-depth chapter and unit guidance for Oxford Smart Quest Student Book 2. It also includes a wealth of support to help develop independent and curious learners, including practical suggestions for embedding metacognitive strategies into English lessons, guidance on integrating hinterland knowledge into each unit, and suggestions for further reading to boost students' cultural capital. Oxford Smart: Quest Teacher Book 2 is part of the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service, a new evidence-informed curriculum that brings together educational research, data and insight, assessment and high-quality teaching resources.

Oxford Smart Quest Student Book 3 is designed to motivate and inspire Year 9 English students by providing a relevant and diverse learning experience with high aspirations for all. This textbook has been carefully structured to build on what students have learned at KS2, while establishing a solid foundation of skills and knowledge for GCSE and beyond. Chapters based around 'big ideas' encourage debate, while introducing students to the core concepts central to the study of English language and literature. The textbook features high-quality texts from a diverse range of authors, including Malorie Blackman, Sarah Crossan, Wilkie Collins and Beverley Naidoo, that will reflect and broaden students' experiences, along with activities that encourage students to develop their own identities as readers, writers and speakers, and vocabulary activities that help to address the word gap. Each unit is carefully sequenced, beginning with tasks that activate students' prior knowledge, introducing students to engaging and challenging concepts in an accessible, supported way, before concluding with a summative activity to ensure that students can put their newfound knowledge into practice. Informed by educational research, Quest Student Book 3 will support independent learning, embed metacognitive strategies and inspire student curiosity. It is part of the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service, an evidence-informed curriculum bringing together educational research, data and insights, assessment and high-quality teaching resources.

Orr's on a mercy mission to a doomed city. Sgt Andy is visiting an old flame in prison. Bilis Manger spends a night in the Torchwood Hub. Mr Colchester has to keep the most hated man in Britain alive for one more day. "I know where you are now. And I know what I will do next." Contains four new adventures: 7.5 Propaganda by Ash Darby. Orr is desperate to get to Voloshnik. The city's sealed off in the middle of a war the world's forgotten. There has to be someone left to save. 7.6 At Her Majesty's Pleasure by Tim Foley. Yvonne Hartman is in a very special prison. And there's absolutely no way out of it. So why is she convinced she's escaped? 7.7 Cuckoo by Tim Foley. A group of urban explorers break into the Torchwood Hub. They disturb Bilis Manger who has his own plans for the evening. 7.8 Pariahs by James Goss. We've all spent the last two years sticking our DNA in jars and sending it off in the post. What happened to it? Two people know the secrets of the Phlobos Scandal, and Torchwood have to keep them alive. NOTE: Torchwood contains adult material and may not be suitable for younger listeners. CAST: Samantha Béart (Orr), Paul Clayton (Mr Colchester), Jonny Green (Tyler Steele), Alexandria Riley (Ng), Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto), Murray Melvin (Bilis Manger), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Yvonne Hartman), Tom Price (Andy Davdison), Cecelia Appiah (Dee), Lisa Bowerman (Mother / The Chair), Richard Clifford (Graham Graves), Nathaniel Curtis (Vijay), Jonny Glynn (First Soldier / Assassin), Natalie Grady (Charlotte), Amy Beth Hayes (Tania), Mia Hope (The Child), Avita Jay (Tilly), Alex Jordan (Uli / Police), Naomi McDonald (Ellen / Asher / Airport Tannoy), Glen McCready (Kyle), David Menkin (Second Soldier / Border Officer), Henry Nott (Bryn), Maanuv Thiara (Gupta / Waiter / Official), Milo Twomey (Robert), Andrew Wincott (Old Man / Williamson). Other parts played by members of the cast

Oxford Smart Quest Student Book 2 is designed to motivate and inspire Year 8 English students by providing a relevant and diverse learning experience with high aspirations for all. This textbook has been carefully structured to build on what students have learned at KS2, while establishing a solid foundation of skills and knowledge for GCSE and beyond. Chapters based around 'big ideas' encourage debate, while introducing students to the core concepts central to the study of English language and literature. The textbook features high-quality texts from a diverse range of authors, including Mya-Rose Craig, Sam Selvon, Stephanie Meyer and HG Wells, that will reflect and broaden students' experiences, along with activities that encourage them to develop their own identities as readers, writers and speakers, and vocabulary activities that help to address the word gap. Each unit is carefully sequenced, beginning with tasks that activate students' prior knowledge, introducing students to engaging and challenging concepts in an accessible, supported way, before concluding with a summative activity to ensure that students can put their newfound knowledge into practice. Informed by educational research, Quest Student Book 2 will support independent learning, embed metacognitive strategies and inspire student curiosity. It is part of the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service, an evidence-informed curriculum bringing together educational research, data and insights, assessment and high-quality teaching resources.

Oxford Smart Quest Teacher Book 3 helps teachers to deliver an inspiring and diverse KS3 English curriculum with confidence. Building on what students have learned at KS2 and supporting them to progress to GCSE and beyond, this teacher book ensures that all students will develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Informed by up-to-date research, the teacher book provides in-depth chapter and unit guidance for Oxford Smart Quest Student Book 3. It also includes a wealth of support to help develop independent and curious learners, including practical suggestions for embedding metacognitive strategies into English lessons, guidance on integrating hinterland knowledge into each unit, and suggestions for further reading to boost students' cultural capital. Oxford Smart Quest Teacher Book 3 is part of the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service, a new evidence-informed curriculum that brings together educational research, data and insight, assessment and high-quality teaching resources.

A practical guide for actors who want to find work in the corporate sector, by a veteran with over 1400 corporate events to his credit. Thousands of actors in the UK make their living not from treading the boards but in the conference centres and training rooms of the nation's corporate sector. In this, the first book to be published about the increasingly accessible and lucrative business of corporate acting, Paul Clayton shows how this sort of work - training, coaching, role-plays, Forum Theatre and live events - can keep you in paid employment, and your skills sharp, whilst you look for other acting opportunities. He takes you through every aspect of the industry, with a series of practical examples and invaluable tips at every stage, including: What sort of work is available - and how you can get it The various role-play techniques you'll encounter The dos and don'ts for offering constructive feedback to your clients What Forum Theatre is - and how to do it How to handle live events - and escape with your dignity intact Written with humour and great insight, So You Want To Be A Corporate Actor? encourages you to look at your skills from a business point of view, enabling you to take control over your own career. It is a must-read for any actor wishing to broaden their skills and make themselves more employable at all stages of their career. 'For actors wishing to utilise their theatrical skills within the corporate world, this book should be their bible. It is crystal clear, informative and irreverent - and lays out in simple terms how actors need to think and present themselves to be employable.' Janet Rawson, Co-founder of Steps Drama Learning Development

On the border between the necropolis of Colma, home to over two million dead souls and 1,794 somewhat live ones -- and the gritty industrial working-class town of South City --

At 1015 Crestview, little seven-year-old Reynaldo cowers under the escalating abuse hurled by an adoptive mother who now sees him as a burden.

Allen, a workaholic Silicon Valley techie, seeks relief from domestic conflict by slipping away to sample the sweet brews at McCoy's, a mysterious pub and Hell's Angels hangout.

Up the street, young adults Rad and Tawny drift between the worlds of skateboarding and community activism, free love and commitment. Sampling Buddhism and squabbling with the relatives, they avoid thinking about the 15-foot Burmese python in their garage.

Does evil exist? Is it still with us? How would it manifest in modern life? This genre-bending novel of alienation and betrayal suggests that evil, as well as redemption, can come "In the Shape of a Man. "

Paul Clayton is the author of "Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam ," which was short listed for a 2001 Frankfurt eBook Award, along with works by Joyce Carol Oates and David McCullough.

"Society's ambivalence about the value of children, and personal responsibility, creates drama in two neighboring households. The haunting story of little adopted Reynaldo will send you running to hug your kids."
-- Stephen Gallup, author of "What About the Boy "

Excerpt:
Reynaldo couldn't sleep. He got out of bed and went out into the hallway. He saw Daddy sitting in front of the TV. Reynaldo looked back down the hallway at Christine's door. He knew Mommy would not come out tonight. She would sleep in Christine's room.

Reynaldo crept down to the living room. Daddy didn't hear him approach as he watched the TV with his back to him. On the TV, an animal that looked like a large rat hurriedly crossed a jungle clearing. It came to a swamp and stood on its hind legs, quickly looking around, its little black animal eyes full of worry. It jumped into the water, making a splash, and started swimming. Somewhere else, a big snake raised its head at the sound. It slithered down the mud bank and entered the waters of the swamp. The rat thing looked around suddenly, sensing danger, then swam forward in a fury. The snake went under the water. Reynaldo watched open-mouthed as the water erupted and the coils of the snake engulfed the rat thing like huge thick ropes. The rat thing struggled frantically and the snake encircled it with more coils. Reynaldo saw the rat thing's eyes full of fear and pleading. He imagined Mommy's face on the rat thing as more coils encircled it, the look of fear freezing into a look of motionless nothingness. He watched, enthralled.

In the future, the love of a young man's life is dying. He would do almost anything to keep her alive...except that In Dog Man, it turns out that Oscar the tomcat was just misunderstood - with deadly consequences... A love sick young man attempts to tap the power of an ancient religion to secure the affections of a girl on their class trip to Christland... The dead come briefly back to life every year when the astral dimensions align in Day, or Two, of The Dead. A cynical young 'player', adrift in the modern, amoral age meets God on a mountain top and his life is changed forever - but not in the way he'd ever imagined.

WARNING Some of these stories contain complicated, thought-provoking moral situations and other grownup content that may not be suitable for YA (young adult) readers, JA (juvenile adult) readers, and MA (mushy adult) and PA (pseudo adult) readers. These stories do not contain any gratuitous violence or titillating sexual content. The writer assumes no responsibility for any anxiety or stress the reader may suffer as a result of consuming these stories.

Traditional sci-fi/fantasy and satire from the author of Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam. Clayton channels the spirits of Huxley, Orwell and Philip K. Dick in these and ten other intelligent, provocative and highly entertaining stories.

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING

"Thank you for writing this. This is the sort of book I was hoping would begin to spring from the Indie world. No way would NYC Corporate Publishing ever allow something with this world view through."

"What the... Somebody get a rope "

..". I expected Strange Worlds to be about dystopias, supernatural monsters, zombies, and futuristic technologies, but now after reading this collection, I realize that the stories are about us."

"This is a #% @# outrage I can't believe that in this enlightened day and age a writer could actually get offensive garbage like this published in a book and sell it "

"Clayton leads the modern reader through dark and dangerous territory, but the gems they will find there are worth the risk. Very few Indies would have had the courage to put their names to something like this."

"This is blasphemous... taking these kind of liberties with the word of God. He'll burn in hell for this "

..". while you are being taken away to a place and time which is... strange and... disturbing... the humanity of (most of) his characters will make you feel right at home; of course, you'll want to leave a light on."

"This has got to be some kind of hate crime. And if it ain't, we need to get some more damn laws passed. Call your Congressman or woman and demand they do something. Now ."

Sent to Vietnam after being drafted, Carl makes friends with both the black and white members of his company in spite of racial tensions and learns harrowing truths about life and death when his optimism proves false. Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam was a finalist at the 2001 Frankfurt eBook Awards, along with works by Joyce Carol Oates and David McCullough.

The native Coosa people lived on the land that would one day become the southeastern United States, until the arrival of the white man changed their lives forever. Calling Crow faces the most difficult challenge to his judgment and leadership yet, as the hostile Timuca people grow ever more powerful. They have enlisted the help of a cruel Spanish slaver, trading some of their own people into slavery in exchange for the deadly thundersticks brought by the white men. Although Calling Crow wishes to vanquish the Timuca people, along with the conquistadors, he must decide whether joining forces with the Englishmen can halt the Spanish onslaught without sacrificing the freedom of his people.

A fully-realized historical thriller in the tradition of James Clavell's Shogun and Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. (492 pages in print) One of the most haunting mysteries in American history -- The Lost Colony of Roanoke -- comes roaring back to life in White Seed, with a compelling cast of characters, among them: Maggie Hagger, indentured Irish serving girl, a victim of rape and intimidation, Manteo, Croatoan interpreter for the English, inhabitant of two worlds, belonging to neither, John White, ineffective Governor, painter, dreamer, father and grandfather, Captain Stafford, brave and disciplined, but cruel soldier, and Powhatan, shrewd Tidewater warlord who wages a stealthy war against the colonists.

1555... Calling Crow is haunted by his recurring dream of the Destroyer who will one day lay waste to his village. Then Spanish colonial slavers from the island of Hispaniola arrive on the shores of the Southeast, lands that have been home to the Muskogee people for generations. Calling Crow and another brave are taken and bound into slavery. Life in the gold pits and slave camps is humiliating and brutal, but Calling Crow refuses to let them break his spirit. Aided by a kindly priest, Calling Crow vows to learn the language and ways of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy in order to eventually save his own people. But first he must regain his own freedom.

1565. Calling Crow moves southeast in search of his wife, Juana, taken by the Spanish. He is captured and badly wounded by the Coosa people. Unable to care for himself, he is saved from a slow, painful death and nursed back to health by Green Bird Woman, who he grows to love. Flight of the Crow follows the evolution of Calling Crow in his efforts to stop the invaders to his lands. Employing his dreams and his skills as a warrior, Calling Crow temporarily fends off not only the Spanish, but a new invader, the French. Then he must call upon all his skills and power in his attempt to change an ordained future.