A heart-breaking, heart-warming novel for everyone of 10 and older – this book will probably make you cry, and will definitely make you laugh.Cymbeline Igloo (yes, really!) has NEVER been swimmingNot ever. Not once.But how hard can it be? He’s Googled front crawl and he’s found his dad’s old pair of trunks. He’s totally ready.What he’s not ready for is the accident at the pool – or how it leads his mum to a sudden breakdown.Now, with the help of friends old and new, Cymbeline must solve the mystery of why his mum never took him near water – and it will turn his whole life upside down…‘A wonderful story, moving and funny’ – Ross Welford
Partly autobiographical, this is the second title in Judith Kerr’s internationally acclaimed trilogy of books following the life of Anna through war-torn Germany, to London during the Blitz and her return to Berlin to discover the past…It is hard enough being a teenager in London during the Blitz, finding yourself in love and wondering every night whether you will survive the bombs. But it is even harder for Anna, who is still officially classified as an “enemy alien”. Those bombs are coming from Germany – the country that was once her own. If Hitler invades, can she and her beloved refugee family possibly survive?This was previously published as The Other Way Round.
From number one bestselling author David Walliams comes another heartfelt but hilarious hoot of an adventure.Stella Saxby is the sole heir to Saxby Hall. But awful Aunt Alberta and her giant owl will stop at nothing to get it from her. Luckily Stella has a secret – and slightly spooky – weapon up her sleeve…
The powerful new novel from the master storyteller – inspired by the true story of one man who might have stopped World War II.1940. The train is under attacks from German fighters. In the darkness, sheltering in a railway tunnel, the stranger in the carriage with Barney and his mother tells them a story to pass the time.And what a story. The story of a young man, a young soldier in the trenches of World War I who, on the spur of the moment, had done what he thought was the right thing.It turned out to have been the worst mistake he ever could have made – a mistake he must put right before it is too late…
Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.
The heart-rending and inspiring novel from the critically acclaimed author of NOT IF I SEE YOU FIRST.How can you have a future if you can’t accept your past?Mel Hannigan doesn’t have it easy. Mourning the death of her firework of a brother, facing the loss of three friendships that used to mean everything to her and struggling to deal with a condition that even her closest friends don’t know about. To protect herself and everyone else, Mel tries to lock away her heart, to live quietly without pain – but also without hope.Until the plight of an old friend, and meeting someone new, shows her that the risk is worth taking, that opening up to life – and who you really are – is what can make everything glorious… And that maybe Mel can discover a tragic kind of wonderful of her very own.A beautiful, captivating story about living with mental illness, and loving – even with a broken heart.
Partly autobiographical, this is the third title in Judith Kerr’s internationally acclaimed trilogy of books following the life of Anna through war-torn Germany, to London during the Blitz and her return to Berlin to discover the past…Berlin is where Anna lived before Hitler, when she was still a German child; before she spoke a word of English, before her family had all become refugees. Long before her happy new existence in London. But Mama is there, dangerously ill. Anna is forced to go back, to deal with questions of life and death, to face old fears, and to discover the past which she has so long shut away.
Two girls with two very different lives come together in this beautiful and moving story of friendship and family, by a major new voice in girls’ fiction.Meet Maya. She has a cosy, comfy life with her slightly hippy mum and dad by the sea in Cornwall. But as an only child, Maya feels smothered by her parents’ love and longs to be a given more freedom and independence; but what Maya wants more than anything is a sister.Meet Cat. She’s never known her dad and her mum’s an alcoholic and is not capable of looking after herself, let alone her 11 year old daughter. Cat’s spent her life protecting her mum and keeping some dark secrets; all she wants is to be left alone.But Cat and Maya’s worlds collide when Cat is taken into care and Maya’s parents make the life-changing decision to adopt her. Maya can’t wait to welcome Cat into the family and hopes that by having a sister, her parents might learn to ‘chill out’ and give Maya a bit more freedom. But Cat is angry and resentful and resists Maya’s attempts at friendship and soon Maya’s idea of a perfect family is blown out of the water.As tensions rise and secrets come out, will the girls ever become friends, let alone sisters?
A sparkling novel from the author of SHINE and GLITTER.“We talk about everything, Dad and me.About all the mysteries inside of us. About all our wonderings of the world.But tomorrow my dad goes to war. Then what will I do?”Jemima’s dad’s in the Army and he’s off to Afghanistan again for six whole months.Her mum’s about to have another baby and hasn’t got the energy to worry about anything else.Gran is staying to help out, but her head is filled with her own wartime memories.So while Mima is sending Dad millions of guardian angels every night to keep him safe, who is looking out for her?The third novel from Kate Maryon – a sparkling voice for tween girls.
Four stories of wartime childhood showing the effects of war on the lives of ordinary people, especially children.A mysterious air-raid shelter…A plane crash under fire…A secret operation…A noise in the attic…Four short stories bringing World War 2 to life. In these stories, Robrt Westall shows the effects of war on the lives of ordinary people, especially children.