Gems is a series of books written specifically for struggling girl readers. In this title Lara is tired of being second best next to her smarmy cousin Nathan. The town's annual writing competition is coming up, but she has no ideas! If only something would drop into her head. Suddenly, she finds an 'egg thing' in the compost heap in her garden. When the egg starts making strange squeaking sounds, she knows she has to rescue it! In the dead of night, there are strange lights from the garden...

A heart-warming gem of a novel about a very special girl who suddenly finds herself all alone in the world…Laurel is only twelve when her mum dies and she is shipped off to stay with relatives she hardly knows. Her new family don't seem to care about anything Laurel loves, including books and Mr Pooter, her old marmalade-coloured cat.So Laurel decides that she won't feel anything: she'll become Ice Lolly, the girl with the frozen heart. But a special friend and a mysterious...

A fun and feisty comedy drama from master storyteller Jean Ure – with a gorgeous cover look to appeal to all girls who love real-life stories.When Daniella Cassidy and her best friend Lisa fall in love with the gorgeous puppy in the next door garden, they never imagine they’ll end up getting to keep him – that they’ll have to save his life – or that he’ll lead them into such big trouble…A crazy real-life adventure about friendship, family, pets – and a plan that spirals out...

The second fantastic book about ten-year-old FRANKIE FOSTER – the girl who wants to help, but ends up causing chaos!Frankie Foster loves fixing people's problems. Her help might not always be welcome – and she might cause the odd total disaster – but Frankie always fixes things. Eventually!When Frankie’s mum agrees to have a friend’s daughter to stay for a fortnight, it falls on Frankie’s shoulders to look after Amelia. Having another girl share her broom cupboard of a bedr...

A poignant, heart warming and beautifully written standalone novel from the best-loved and original Queen of Tween, whose books are described by Jacqueline Wilson as “funny, funky, feisty – and fantastic reads!”.Ruby, Tizz and Sam are sisters. At 12, Ruby is the oldest but with all the stuff she has to worry about right now, sometimes she feels more like the mum of the family.And speaking of mums, the sisters do have one, and she loves her three girls to the moon and back, ...

The first book about ten-year-old FRANKIE FOSTER – the girl who wants to help, but ends up causing chaos!Frankie Foster loves fixing people's problems. Her help might not always be welcome – and she might cause the odd total disaster – but Frankie always fixes things. Eventually!It all started with the “My Beginnings” essays that Frankie and her classmates had to write for English. Her best friend, Jem, wrote all about how she felt being adopted and it was so good it got ch...

The first in a brand-new series about dancing, friendship and following your dreams from best-loved author Jean Ure, whose books are described by Jacqueline Wilson as “funny, funky, feisty – and fantastic reads!”When new girl Caitlyn arrives at Coombe House School Maddy is sure she must be a fellow ballet dancer; she certainly has all the grace and poise of a ballerina. So when Caitlyn denies it, Maddy isn’t convinced. But it isn’t until she comes across Caitlyn practising ballet i...

Jean Ure returns with more warmth and wit in a brilliant book about what happens when two girls decide to run away from home.Fourteen-year-old Jade is fed up with fighting with her mum and step-dad, and her shy sixteen-year-old friend Honey is having a miserable time with her mum, but when Jade decides they should both run away, Honey isn't so sure.It's only when they get to London and things don't work out quite how they expected that Honey shows she has hidden depths, and...

Salvatore d’Amato is determined to get a kiss before his birthday – easier said than done. From the bestselling and much-loved Jean Ure.No child is ever ordinary, and certainly not Salvatore d’Amato – or Sally Tomato, as he’s sometimes called. He’s out to get a girl and he has a plan: he’s going to write some Disgusting Ditties – one for each letter of the alphabet, and start some secret body-building, too. That way he’s bound to attract someone. (But he doesn’t want his sister to ...

One of the brilliant titles in Jean Ure’s acclaimed series of humorous, delightful and poignant stories written in the form of diaries and letters which make them immediately accessible to children.Cherry’s teacher has told her that keeping a diary is a good way to unclog your head – and Cherry certainly has a lot on her mind…Cherry’s mother has just re-married, much to Cherry’s disgust. The worst thing about her step-father is his name: Roland Butter. Can you imagine?...

One of the brilliant titles in Jean Ure’s acclaimed series of humorous, delightful and poignant stories written in the form of diaries and letters which make them immediately accessible to children.This is the story of how Mandy learns to cope with her untidy life and finally emerges triumphant.Mandy Small has trouble writing so Cat, her teacher, suggests that she tells her life story into a tape recorder. So begins Mandy’s funny and sometimes sad story of life with her lov...

A quirky, warm and exciting story about family, friendship and time-travel – from legendary author Jean Ure.When twelve-year-old Lily is walking to school one day, a very unusual girl appears out of nowhere! It is 1953 and this stranger is dressed in a green sparkly dress, purple tights with orange swirls and has bright yellow hair sticking up like a dandelion. As quickly as she appears, she disappears again into thin air!Lily rushes to tell her best friend...