Alara’s incredible gaming skills bring her to the attention of Estrella’s leaders. She is chosen to go on a dangerous mission to London Under, the original older, long-deserted and distrusted city on top of which Estrella (the Star city) was built, to gather ‘vital’ intelligence. Estrella is the perfect society, an immaculate, sanitised, connected environment where everything is channelled through the digital medium. There is no dirt, no pain, no disease, no natural world, even feelings like boredom are frowned upon and discouraged. Alara is dropped down to London Under and into a “new” world which bewilders her and disorientates her. How will she survive in a society where noise dirt and sometimes pain are everyday experiences and where food is not synthetic and tastes real? Will she accomplish her mission? Who can she trust? How will she get back to Estrella and her family and her life without worry?

Three families, two worlds and one magical portal. No one comes to the second world on purpose. The portal between worlds only opens when least expected. But the Raft King is determined to change that. He needs Pip, a boy with an amazing gift. Pip's is just the first of three tales, linking the twins Venus and Swimmer, captured from a slave ship in the first world, and Thanh and his sister Sang, from a later time, escaping postwar Vietnam. What connects these three sets of siblings is the adventure of a lifetime, some helpful sea monsters and a very special crack in the sea.

A 'How to' book to encourage children to encounter enjoy and read poetry, whether by listening or reading. With practical suggestions on how to effectively and creatively teach poetry this guide is written by two poets with years of experience working with young people: its full of tried and tested ideas that are practical and fun. It's a cornucopia of advice on how to share, perform, publish and - most important - enjoy poetry. There are lots of suggestions - what kind of poems to choose, who best to read or perform them, how to get started writing a poem, where you might find a poem you like and want to share. Full of enthusiasm and excitement, this is a book for anyone who wants to spread their wings and convey their enjoyment of the written word. If you have ever wondered how best to use poetry in your classroom or library, this is the book for you.

Here's a poetry collection by comedy performance poet Neal Zetter that takes you back to his time at school - and it looks as if not much has changed! Meet Mr Shoutyteacher, always getting in a STROP, as well as the school nose-picker (careful if he's sitting next to you!). What's your excuse for not doing your home-work? Who feels like maths is a number-filled mystery? What's your favourite sport - football in the playground or risk the dangers of roller-skating? Rap and rhyme your way around all the notable characters in school, not forgetting the members of your own embarrassing family. And look out for jokes as well as fascinating facts (true or false?).

Peter has heard of the legend of the Selkie seals who turn into humans but can hardly believe it when he rescues a real live Selkie from the oysterman's nets. But then danger threatens Peter and his new friend.

Dubbin and Todd are at the seaside. Dubbin has his skateboard and Todd's got a blue ball. As they roll along to the pier - disaster! The ball flies over the wall and the Todd disappears. It's Dubbin to the rescue.

In this Zen tale, the lazy cat ‘Furball' believes she knows everything. When the dam bursts and she is drenched, Furball realises that being a ‘know it all', can sometimes end in disaster. Based on the famous story of the university professor and the Zen master, children will discover that being a ‘know it all', simply means you are ‘all washed up'.

In this Zen tale, Gilbert Beaver thinks that winning the race and receiving his prize is good. He believes that falling out of a tree and into the river is bad. The ever-present Shelly suggests that you can never be certain about these things. We are often disappointed by ‘good’ things, and we can also enjoy ‘bad' things. Living in the present means full enjoyment of all of life.

A stunning collection, full of magical fantasy and dreamlike inventions, which showcases Sue's very unique style and voice. Often poems are interwoven - 'Blackout' leads to 'Fear of the Unknown', 'Why Trees Whisper' segues into 'Zephyr and 'Dog Reads the Wind'. The child is a frequent motif, perhaps even the voice of the haunting title poem 'If I were Other than Myself' with its final question 'and should I wish would I be missed?'

In her second book of poems for young people, Shauna Darling Robertson takes an in-depth look at mental health and wellbeing. Shauna says, ‘Young people’s mental health has never been so high on the public agenda and rightly so. In the past three years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem has increased by 50% (childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/ourwork/well-being/mental-health-statistics).’ The poems in this collection explore a variety of topics, from diagnosed mental health conditions to the everyday personal challenges faced by young people. The poems are variously thought-provoking, reassuring, heart-breaking, galvanizing, funny and hopeful, reflecting a diversity of perspectives, experiences and voices.

Engaging story celebrating the birth of two unexpected but wonderful additions to a family.

'Follow the big blue'. That was the last thing Cam's father said to him. Cam follows Big Blue - everybody does on the island of Cetacea. Their lives take place within his rules, delivered to them by enigmatic whale-talker, Byron Vos. Byron was once a marine scientist but is now organizing an epic clean-up operation to revive the ocean after centuries of human greed and neglect. And yet Cam wonders if there is a more complex truth. A truth that may be connected to his father's disappearance. Cam's quest to understand Big Blue leads him to new friends and shared adventures - but the truth, when he finds it, is more dangerous than ever he could have imagined.

Me and My Alien Friend is Ed Boxall's first full-length collecti on of children's poetry. The book is full of all sorts of friends: best friends, changing friends, absent friends, animal friends, imaginary friends and even a friend who's a 'Thing on a Springy String'. In the poems, friends adventure together: discovering, exploring and sharing life's happy hills and lonely dark hollows. The 'Alien Friend' poem returns like a chorus throughout the book: a boy sits on the moon with his 38-toed alien friend, looking at our world from a peaceful distance, observing, thinking, dreaming. In poems and drawings, friendship is gently celebrated as a universal experience that can cross every divide.

Dog pals Dubbin and Todd are going on a walk before breakfast: Dubbin on his skateboard and Todd lagging behind on paws. Not only that but Todd is also carrying a huge bone which is attracting attention from another, not so nice dog. Can Dobbin, Todd and the bone get home safely? A wonderfully funny and beautifully illustrated picture book.

A group of aliens have landed on Earth from Planet Norma Alpha and they are causing mischief. Rita has to call on all her special powers as she smashes an asteroid, takes a lost Norm back to his flying saucer, and then shows the visitors the quickest way home through space. Join in the hilarious adventures of Rita Potter who when she dons her special cloak and boots becomes Rita the Rescuer, strong, fast and fearless, and able to rescue her siblings and others from danger or disaster. These wonderfully funny stories are perfect for early readers with colour illustrations on every page.

The Handbook of Social Capital offers an important contribution to the study of bonding and bridging social capital networks, balancing the 'troika' of sociology, political science and economics. Eminent contributors, including Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom, explore the different scientific approaches required if international research is to embrace both the bright and the more shadowy aspects of social capital. The Handbook stresses the importance of trust for economies all over the world and contains a strong advocacy for cross-disciplinary work within the social sciences. Social capital is becoming one of the most important and hotly discussed topics of today. This inter-disciplinary Handbook intends to serve as a bridge for students and scholars across the social sciences.

A snowy adventure for the dog pals, Dubbin and Todd. Dubbin flips off his wheels and Ta-da! His skateboard becomes a snowboard. Todd follows behind on a tray but there are frightening things along the way - can he and Dubbin deal with them? The third title in the continuing Dog on Wheels series of adventures.

This is Jay Hulme's first published collection of poetry. It showcases his unique voice and form of expression. The poems have been carefully selected to chart Jay's journey from growing up in a working-class family in Leicestershire to his feelings and thoughts about school life and his experience as a transgender teenager. As Jay says himself: When it was decided that this collection would be for teenagers I was left with this determination, that this collection wouldn't speak down to anyone, that the world I portrayed within it would be the world we live in, that there would be no attempt to make reality 'appropriate for children'. People seem to forget that teenagers live in the same world as everyone else, and they face the same struggles adults face every day. Teenagers deal with racism and sexism and disability and poverty and so much more that we don't even see. The things that are traditionally seen as inappropriate for young people to see, are so often the same things they experience day to day.

Bocchi and Pocchi are no ordinary pair of socks. They are the best of friends; then one night Pocchi disappears! Can these woolly friends ever find each other again? A charming and unusual tale, illustrated in soft pencil colours. Undoubtedly a modern classic.

The two socks meet an injured bird who can't fly back to her nest. Helped by a friendly spider, together with Grandma mouse, the two socks eventually manage to help the bird to their home and a place in their cosy sock drawer. And when they awake in the morning they find some unexpected guests have arrived

The Handbook of Social Capital offers an important contribution to the study of bonding and bridging social capital networks, balancing the 'troika' of sociology, political science and economics. Eminent contributors, including Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom, explore the different scientific approaches required if international research is to embrace both the bright and the more shadowy aspects of social capital. The Handbook stresses the importance of trust for economies all over the world and contains a strong advocacy for cross-disciplinary work within the social sciences. Social capital is becoming one of the most important and hotly discussed topics of today. This inter-disciplinary Handbook intends to serve as a bridge for students and scholars across the social sciences.

Some people like to think that a collection of poems for children has to be either funny or serious, as if there are two types of children who will only like one or the other. But life isn't like that, is it! Some days we think hard, some days we cry and some days we laugh loudly and boldly, and so do children. Many of the poems in this collection are about real life. Others are about life as its found in the quirly imagination of the poet. Between the covers of this book, you will find poems that puzzle you, tell you stories, make you ask questions. There are dangerous poems, delicate poems and daft poems. One minute you will be hiding in a dusty PE cupboard with a friend who is sad, the next you will be buying ice cream from a polar bear. This is a roller coaster of poems, that mirrors the ups and downs of daily life. Whether you are in thinking mood, laughing mood, or a crazy mood, there are poems here that will keep you company.

Who's that using the bathroom? You should think twice before you go in! A fresh and funny rhyming story by poet Brian Moses with wild and wacky pictures of friendly and fantastic characters by Sonia Holleyman.

A child and their dog explore the woods. As they look around they think what it would be like if dragons were actually living there. There are strange footprints in the mud, there is mist coming from a cave that looks like dragons' breath and, hidden in the fallen leaves, could those be dragon eggs? A wonderful, imaginative picture book to share with young readers with pictures that take their inspiration from medieval woodcuts of dragons and their glowing colours from stained glass windows.

A gorilla doing a ballet! An Anteater who won't eat ants! An invisible dog! You'll find them all here along with a much bigger bunch of amazing animal poems, raps and rhymes featuring the blue-footed booby bird, the quagga and many more. This wonderful collection comes alive even more by combining comedy performance poet Neal Zetter's wacky words with Julian Mosedale's zany illustrations. You are guaranteed to laugh!