Books for Babies and Toddlers

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A Great Big Cuddle A Great Big Cuddle Michael Rosen Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, September 2015  Children’s Laureates Chris Riddell and Michael Rosen combine here to create a beautiful collection of ebullient poems for the very young.  Michael Rosen’s close and affectionate observation of small children and the ... Download free opening extract
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The Nonsense Show The Nonsense Show Eric Carle In this book, nonsense and surrealism combine to spark creativity and imagination. What's true? What's impossible? What's absolutely absurd? From Eric Carle, creator of the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes a book to make children laugh and think, preparing ... Download free opening extract
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Shh! We Have a Plan Shh! We Have a Plan Chris Haughton Longlisted for the 2015 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal - Shortlisted for the Little Rebels Book Award 2015 Awarding-winning Chris Haughton tells a big story in stunning illustrations in his near-wordless picture board book. The huntsmen are determined to capture the bird. Armed ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for Young Adults

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The Rest of Us Just Live Here The Rest of Us Just Live Here Patrick Ness September 2015 Book of the Month   Daring, beautifully written, full of ideas that will bring the reader up short, The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a dystopian adventure that mocks dystopian adventures while acknowledging the genre’s power ... Download free opening extract
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Sophie Someone Sophie Someone Hayley Long September 2015 Book of the Month  Sophie Nieuwenleven’s story is shocking, so she tells it in the only way she can – in code, using random code worms to keep any nubby parkers on their togs. Sophie’s parents have been ... Download free opening extract
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Monster Monster C.J. Skuse In an isolated boarding school, a group of girls settle in for the holidays.  Everyone else has gone home and there are rivalries and animosity between them – this definitely isn’t going to be a happy Christmas. But no-one knows ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 3+ readers

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What the Ladybird Heard Next What the Ladybird Heard Next Julia Donaldson Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, September 2015 Best-selling duo Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks have gone back to the farmyard for a second adventure featuring the clever and resourceful ladybird! This time thieves Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len are ... Download free opening extract
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Molly Maybe's Monsters: The Dappity Doofer Molly Maybe's Monsters: The Dappity Doofer Kristina Stephenson September 2015 Book of the Month   Molly Maybe lives in Smallsbury, a sleepy town where nothing much ever happens.  At least, not above ground! Underneath is a magical world, and the only way to get to it is via ... Download free opening extract
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How the Sun Got to Coco's House How the Sun Got to Coco's House Bob Graham As Coco’s parents tuck her into bed, far away the winter sun is rising on a polar bear and her cubs. We follow the sun as it skids ‘giddy’ across the sea, caught briefly in the eye of a whale, ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 5+ readers

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Thorfinn and the Awful Invasion Thorfinn and the Awful Invasion David MacPhail September 2015 Book of the Month  Thorfinn is a charming boy, polite, tidy and he makes a lovely cup of tea. Unfortunately, he’s a Viking and this particular skill set doesn’t do anything to impress his family or neighbours – ... Download free opening extract
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Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers About Our World Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers About Our World Katie Daynes September 2015 Fascinating Facts Book of the Month  Five of Kipling’s honest serving-men are represented in this excellent book: on pages dedicated to What, Why, When, How and Where are questions to intrigue young children and, under cleverly shaped sturdy ... Download free opening extract
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Willy's Stories Willy's Stories Anthony Browne A stunning picture book with a story to each spread to inspire a child's own imagination into what happens next and all linked to 10 classic stories.  Join Willy the gorilla as he becomes a character in each of these ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 7+ readers

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Mister Cleghorn's Seal Mister Cleghorn's Seal Judith Kerr September 2015 Julia Eccleshare's Mega Book of the Month  The much-loved author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea has written and illustrated a delightful new story that is perfect for all the family. When lonely Mr Cleghorn adopts Charlie, ... Download free opening extract
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Pugs of the Frozen North Pugs of the Frozen North Philip Reeve September 2015 Book of the Month  Award winning author partners Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre head north for their latest adventure. Shen the cabin boy is abandoned by his shipmates when their ship is stranded in the ice. He’s completely ... Download free opening extract
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The Ogre of Oglefort The Ogre of Oglefort Eva Ibbotson Shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2010. Shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2010. A Richard and Judy Children's Book Club selection 2011 - Fluent Readers Irresistibly ridiculous, this is a wonderful and enchanting romp from a master storyteller. ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 9+ readers

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Witchmyth Witchmyth Emma Fischel September 2015 Book of the Month This second adventure for witchkid Flo Skritchett is likely to prove as popular as the first. A huge part of the fun of the stories is the parallel witch society Emma Fischel has created: ... Download free opening extract
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Haunters Haunters Thomas Taylor The dead and the living exist side by side in this thrilling time-travelling adventure. In David's recurrent dream, Eddie seems real and it seems like he's got something to tell David. That's scary enough but then David gets picked up ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 11+ readers

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Listen to the Moon Listen to the Moon Michael Morpurgo M.B.E. September 2015 Book of the Month   A beautiful and captivating tour de force of family, love, war and forgiveness, this is a major new novel from the author of War Horse and Private Peaceful, Michael Morpurgo and is set in ... Download free opening extract
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The Blackthorn Key The Blackthorn Key Kevin Sands September 2015 Debut of the Month  Set in the uncertain, dangerous days of 1665, this is a thrilling tale of alchemy, intrigue and murder! Christopher Rowe is an orphan, apprenticed to an apothecary. He can be reckless, even disobedient – ... Download free opening extract
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The Wolf Wilder The Wolf Wilder Katherine Rundell September 2015 Book of the Month  Wolves, wildness and freedom are at the heart of this thrilling story. Wolf wilders are employed to reintroduce wolves unfortunate enough to be brought up as pets in rich households back into the wild, ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 13+ readers

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One One Sarah Crossan September 2015 Julia Eccleshare's Mega Book of the Month Award-winning Sarah Crossan tells an astonishing and difficult story with the surest of touches in this tender, funny and life affirming book. Grace and Tippi are twins. Not just twins but ... Download free opening extract
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Goodbye Stranger Goodbye Stranger Rebecca Stead September 2015 Book of the Month  Rebecca Stead loves to set her readers puzzles: there are huge mysteries in her award-winning novels When You Reach Me and Liar and Spy and her new book, Goodbye Stranger also poses questions. Central ... Download free opening extract
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The 5th Wave The 5th Wave Rick Yancey Overall Winner of 2014 Red House Children’s Book Award - One of our Books of the Year 2013 & May 2013 Book of the Month    This is a novel that packs a punch on every page with hope and despair ... Download free opening extract