Books for Babies and Toddlers

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Wow! Said the Owl Wow! Said the Owl Tim Hopgood Owl decides to wake up during the day and sleep at night.  A very odd thing for an owl to do.  But he discovers the world of colour and he’s in awe.  A really lovely and original picture book. Shortlisted ... Download free opening extract
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The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water Gemma Merino Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014  Could it be that this little crocodile isn't a crocodile at all? He might just be a DRAGON! A funny, unique and uplifting story from a debut author-illustrator and perfect for giving a ... Download free opening extract
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Gordon's Great Escape Gordon's Great Escape Sue Hendra Hurrah for Gordon the Balloon! Gordon’s life story, including time at balloon-school learning just what a balloon does, his first true love whose pets are porcupines and his important role in rescuing his friends from an island is a roller-coaster ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for Young Adults

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The Deviants The Deviants C. J. Skuse October 2016 Book of the Month |  In a Nutshell: Revelations | Revenge | Rebuilding relationships Masterfully suspenseful rollercoaster of a read, with a genuinely jaw-dropping finale. Once thick as thieves and known as “The Fearless Friends”, the light of Ella, Max, ... Download free opening extract
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Flawed Flawed Cecelia Ahern Set in a society in which those deemed ‘flawed’ are branded and ostracised, Celia Ahern’s debut YA novel will talk directly to its readers. Every teenager wants to be perfect, to fit in and look like they know what they’re ... Download free opening extract
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Darkness Follows Darkness Follows L. A. Weatherly October 2016 Book of the Month  Absolutely thrilling! This is the second in the truly wonderful ‘Broken Trilogy’ and is just as captivating and if possible, even more gripping than the first. This world must be entered through Broken Sky, ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 3+ readers

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There's a Snake in My School! There's a Snake in My School! David Walliams October 2016 Book of the Month    David Walliams has his finger firmly on the funny bone of the nation’s youth, and little children will love this story of school turned upside-down by an unexpected visitor. It’s bring-your-pet-to-school day, and a ... Download free opening extract
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We Found a Hat We Found a Hat Jon Klassen A Julia Eccleshare Book of the Month October 2016   Award-winning Jon Klassen is as witty, engaging and subtle as ever in this delightful story with a very big theme but told in only a very few words. Two Turtles find ... Download free opening extract
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Time Now to Dream Time Now to Dream Timothy Knapman There’s a dreamlike quality to this beautiful picture book. Two young children, painted by Helen Oxenbury with typical sensitivity, leave the safety of their garden to explore the forest when they hear a mysterious noise coming from the trees. Taking ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 5+ readers

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They All Saw a Cat They All Saw a Cat Brendan Wenzel October 2016 Book of the Month A stylized, colourful picture book that highlights the power of perception and will gently introduce young readers to the concept that we all see the world a little differently. It harnesses not only the visual ... Download free opening extract
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Queen Munch and Queen Nibble Queen Munch and Queen Nibble Carol Ann Duffy Queen Munch has cheeks as red as tomato ketchup, eyes the colour of chutney and a laugh as loud and deep as the moo of a cow on its way to be milked; Queen Nibble on the contrary, is as ... Download free opening extract
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Motor Miles Motor Miles John Burningham October 2016 Book of the Month  There’s a perfect simplicity to this book, the work of a picture book genius. Miles is a difficult dog, won’t come when called, doesn’t like walks or other dogs, barks too much. The only ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 7+ readers

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The Fox and the Ghost King The Fox and the Ghost King Michael Morpurgo A Julia Eccleshare Book of the Month October 2016  Award-winning Michael Morpurgo weaves a charming and witty story around sport and history as they have come together in the recent twin triumphs of the City of Leicester with the discovery ... Download free opening extract
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The Christmasaurus The Christmasaurus Tom Fletcher Get into the Spirit of Christmas! A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2016   Celebrity Dad of the Year 2016, Tom Fletcher brings Christmas and Dinosaurs together in a warm hearted, rollickingly magical story inspired by his love of ... Download free opening extract
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The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop Clare Balding October 2016 MEGA Debut of the Month |  In a nutshell: follow your dreams  |  Young readers will gallop through Clare Balding’s utterly delightful book – in fact, they’ll be smiling from the very first sentence. Steeped in farm and ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 9+ readers

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Clover Moon Clover Moon Jacqueline Wilson October 2016 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: gripping historical drama with an irresistible heroine |       Clover Moon is a typical Jacqueline Wilson heroine: she’s bright, more than able to think for herself and stands up to the ... Download free opening extract
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The War Next Door The War Next Door Phil Earle A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2016  A pacey new story set in Storey Street featuring a cast of outrageous characters doing a host of amazing and extraordinary things. Masher’s dad is determined to get his greedy hands ... Download free opening extract
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The Secret of Nightingale Wood The Secret of Nightingale Wood Lucy Strange October 2016 Debut of the Month    Debut author Lucy Strange tells a touching story, rich in atmosphere and with a strong historical background capturing a young girl’s need for courage and her way of finding it. Henry’s (short for ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 11+ readers

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Spirit of the Jungle Spirit of the Jungle Bear Grylls October 2016 Book of the Month  | In a nutshell: jungle survival in the footsteps of Mowgli  |  More than 120 years after publication of The Jungle Book, and following the new live action film version, Bear Gryll’s adventure story ... Download free opening extract
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Blink and You Die Blink and You Die Lauren Child October 2016 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: Nobody beats Ruby Redfort! |      Blink and You Die is the very last book in Lauren Child’s superb Ruby Redfort girl detective series, and what a finale it is! Someone, someone ... Download free opening extract
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Time After Time Time After Time Judi Curtin September 2016 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: touching, gentle timeslip adventure |   Judi Curtin has been described as the Irish Jacqueline Wilson and it’s easy to see why: she writes warm, convincing contemporary stories about girls, friendships ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 13+ readers

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The Wrong Train The Wrong Train Jeremy De Quidt In a Nutshell: Sinister short stories Sublimely spine-tingling, this evokes all the dread of an ominous tap-tap-tapping on your door in the dead of night. Picture this. You rush to catch your usual train but your relief at making it in time ... Download free opening extract
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Reckless II: Living Shadows Reckless II: Living Shadows Cornelia Funke Best-selling Cornelia Funke has an exceptional gift for creating gloriously gothic otherworlds in which the unusual and seemingly impossible can – and does- happen. Part two of the Mirrrorworld series, Living Shadows, follows The Petrified Flesh and catches up with ... Download free opening extract
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Reckless I: The Petrified Flesh Reckless I: The Petrified Flesh Cornelia Funke Best-selling author Cornelia Funke, whose Inkheart was a world-wide phenomenon, has created a wonderful imaginary world peopled with a gigantic cast of original and outlandish characters. Searching for his missing father, Jacob Reckless steps through the mirror into a strange, ... Download free opening extract