A snowball fight between rival schools, divided by language, melts into a genuine offer of support for a family of newcomers...A homeless man recalls how he inherited his grandmother’s ability to smell lies, only to tell his biggest fib right in front of her...An embattled sweetshop owner plots revenge on a mischievous schoolboy – one who might be familiar to us all…As the stories in this anthology demonstrate, the small but mighty capital...

Caron has messed up at school and it's vital that she succeeds in her new job selling second quality dragons. But when she becomes attached to one special creature she is drawn into a dark and dangerous world where she must risk everything to save the dragon she loves.

Jams lives with his mum, dad and his best friend and biggest headache, Thimble, a hugely clever monkey who one of Dad's biggest fans. (Don't tell anyone what Thimble did with the superglue...) When Mum organises a house-swap holiday in France, Jams' one job is to remember the right house number. What can possibly go wrong, once Thimble and Dad find in the borrowed house a speedboat, a drill and a makeshift burglar outfit. But somehow Thimble always saves the day.

When Mum goes away for the week, Jams, Dad and Thimble the monkey are left with just thirty quid for the groceries. Dad makes a shopping list, but when Thimble gets hold of the supermarket trolley, everything goes bananas. Soon the intrepid trio are so desperate they will do anything for money ... anything!Will Dad end up selling his soul to make ends meet, or can Jams and his monkey pal save the day?Third in the Laugh Out Loud Book Awards shortlisted Thimble Monkey Superstar...

Life is never boring now that Jams and his family have a monkey to look after. Jams and his mum love Thimble, but Dad is determined to get rid of him - to a zoo, a school, even a demolition site. But when Jams and his dad are in mortal danger, Thimble proves once and for all why he is a Monkey Superstar! Thimble is very clever and very naughty - and just the best friend Jams has been waiting for. Illustrated by Martin Chatterton

Uncanny!I stared at Dad's eyes through the gas mask and remembered our handshake. A deal is a deal. With pounding heart, I walked into the soggy, wet mouth of the dead whale. It's uncanny . . .turning into a dung beetle, catching someone else's tattoos, being in bed with a ghost who tickles, seeing a flying dog.

Book 1 in the fantastic four-book series about taking risks and flying high. A unique collaboration from children's book legend Paul Jennings and brilliant cartoonist Andrew Weldon.The other kids don't see things the same way as me. I spend a lot of time imagining things. I just don't get it. Inside my head I am not the same as other kids.Ricky is an ordinary boy, who dreams of being famous. And he has a secret that might just help him realise his ...

From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG**!**Mr. Hoppy is in love with his neighbor, Mrs. Silver; but she is in love with someone else—Alfie, her pet tortoise. With all her attention focused on Alfie, Mrs. Silver doesn’t even know Mr. Hoppy is alive. And Mr. Hoppy is too shy to even ask Mrs. Silver over for tea. Then one day Mr. Hoppy comes up with a brilliant i...

'Disturbingly compelling' - GuardianA blackly comic tale about two children you would never want to meet - from the film director of Saltburn and Promising Young Woman.Set in the Cornish town of Fowey, all is not as idyllic as the beautiful seaside town might seem. The body of a young woman is discovered in the nets of a fishing boat. It is established that the woman was murdered. Most are shocked and horrified. B...

Twenty-seven magical short stories to enjoy round the clock from one of the world's best-loved children's authors, Enid Blyton.Sheila is astonished when her toys walk themselves home. Poor Prickles the Hedgehog thinks the moon has fallen out of the sky. And find out just how mischievous Twinkle the elf is when he paints the walls of a dragon's cave.Ideal for bedtime, reading aloud or alone, these magical short stories for 5-8 year-olds will enchant a new ge...

A classic children’s story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine.Gemma doesn’t believe a chicken could have written a book – chickens can’t even read! But here in front of them is The True Story of Harrowing Farm, and its scratchy pages definitely look, well, chickeny. It is an epic tale of cruelty and bravery, the story of a chicken who flies frillions of miles, reaching the heights of intergalactic superstardom, to try to save us humans …

Want to know: how to fake a Funniest Home Video? How NOT to road test your stack hat? What to do if you miss the bus for the school camp and the bats come to get you? And how to keep your chocolate bar from melting all over the car?Remember: the only thing worse than getting sprung by your mates for being a suck is getting sprung for being a chicken!A collection of stories from bestselling author Andrew Daddo that will make you laugh and cringe. Often at the same time.