Marius Myerdorf has discovered his parents have been eaten by wolves. After an exhaustive search, there is one remaining relative who will take him in, saving him from the horrid prospect of the Swartzgarten Reformatory for Maladjusted Children. But his new life with his great-great-uncle Kalvitas, famous chocolatier and member of the prestigious Guild of Twelve, does not get off to the best start.
Chloe Crocodile really wants that unicorn. But there is more at stake in this book than a unicorn, even a Big Sparkly Mellow Yellow Unicorn, and, ultimately, Chloe learns that friendship is more important than winning or unicorns.
One can judge a picturebook by its cover! When opening my package, unwrapping the brown box and the bubble wrap to reveal the joy of a stunning picturebook, it was like receiving a gift in the post. Little Mouse and the Red Wall is a story about facing our fears, discovering freedom, and travelling into the unknown. Like the story itself, when you remove the red wall dust jacket, behind it is a cover exposing a whole other world, a world of colour and curiosities.
Avocado’s world is rocked to the core (or stone) when a girl at the supermarket asks Mum whether an avocado is a fruit … or a vegetable. When Mum can’t provide the answer, poor Avocado sets off on a journey of self-discovery to find out who they are and where they belong.
So, what have we here? A story centred around one Beck Keverich, a budding pianist under the thumb of his abusive, tyrannical mother, known euphemistically as the Maestro. A once-acclaimed pianist herself, now retired due to a stroke, she forces Beck to practise constantly and otherwise neglects him and his five-yearold sister Joey. Their isolated lives, in which the threat of violence is never far away, is disrupted when Beck is befriended by schoolmate August, who seems interested in him despite – or because of – his apparent brokenness.
In a little nest, some eggs begin to crack open. 1, 2, 3 little ducklings emerge and with a bang, one dinosaur duckling crashes out. Little Dino Duckling worries that he is different to the others, but Mama Duck is full of wise words to reassure him. In this feathered family Dino Duckling learns all the important things that a duck should do – swimming, sharing and caring, and that being different is okay. Sadly, not everyone appreciates Dino Duckling’s differences, but Mama Duck is always there to remind him that everyone belongs in this family.
The first instalment of Terry’s newest trilogy Contagion takes the reader on a fast-paced journey through Scotland, from the isolated Shetland Institute to the idyllic village of Killin. It is in Killin that Shay first meets Kai. Shay was the last person to see Kai’s sister Callie alive before her mysterious disappearance a year ago. Now, as an inexplicable flu sweeps across Scotland leaving death and suffering in its wake, Shay and Kai must find Callie and stop this modern plague.
Everyone agrees; Stan is a real superhero. His feats of daring and strength entertain and astound everyone… everyone except his big brother Jack, that is. Whenever Jack does something good, Stan does something amazing. It can be discouraging. Stan even manages to ruin Jack’s birthday treat with his superhero tricks and grabs all the attention by racing the cheetahs and wrestling a lion. But in an unusual turn of events, Jack realises that even superheroes need some help from their big brother.
