One of an innovative new series of linked stories designed to build reader confidence.
Nick Mack’s best friend, Ellie, has a dog called Newton, whom she says is as much Nick’s dog as hers. But Nick still wants a pet of his own. When Aunt Terri comes to visit Nick finds a four-leaf clover in the park – and his good luck soon kicks in…

Flora and Annie are off to stay with their grandparents for the summer. The girls will travel on their own from Cape Town on the bus, and Flora is proud that their mother has put her in charge. Flora loves lots of things about staying with Ouma and Oupa: swinging on the big old tree in the garden, baking with Ouma, playing with the other children from the neighbourhood. But there’s one thing she doesn’t like at all … Nelson, their grandmother’s large, red rooster. Little Annie isn’t afraid of him, and Flora knows that she shouldn’t be either. After all, she’s supposed to be the grown-up one! But Flora can’t help it – Nelson is scary and glary and he pecks hard. Will she overcome her fear?

A touching yet amusing story about a boy’s admiration for his dad – and his acceptance of his limitations.
T is part of a happy family, and he loves everything about them – especially his clever dad, who drives a taxi and can make anything you like out of wood. When T’s teacher arranges for his dad to come into school to talk about what he does for a job, T should be as proud. But there’s one problem: his dad doesn’t speak English. T worries and worries about what to do – does his teacher realize? Will everyone laugh at him because his dad can only speak Bengali? But T’s dad is cleverer than T thinks. When he comes into school anyway and does an amazing puppet show, T realizes that being the same as other people is not everything. His dad really is a hero!

Featuring Handa, star of “Handa’s Hen” and “Handa’s Surprise”, this innovative storybook contains three linked stories and is designed to build reader confidence. Join the ever-popular Handa, a young African girl living in a Kenyan tribe, as she goes about her everyday life, delivering fruit to her village, hunting for her Grandma’s black hen with her friend, Akeyo and encountering a troublesome goat. The perfect first step into fiction.

A beautiful, sensitively told story of love and loss and of a special relationship between grandfather and grandson.

Jake loves playing in Grandad’s workshop. One autumn day, Grandad teaches Jake how to chisel his name in a piece of wood, and afterwards they go to the park. Grandad shows Jake the tree that grew from an acorn he planted when he was a boy. Jake goes off to buy ice-creams and returns to find Grandad on the ground. The ambulance arrives. Mum and Jake go home without Grandad…Jake grieves for his grandfather all winter.

Move over, Sherlock Holmes – there’s a new detective on the block!
Drusilla is a quiet, thoughtful little girl who has a small toy hippopotamus and four older brothers. Her hippo (Mrs Mu) goes everywhere with Drusilla. Her brothers (Harlan, Kal, CJ and Joe) go nowhere with her. In fact, their sole aim seems to be to taunt their small sister and stop her from joining in with their games. Usually, Drusilla can withstand any amount of teasing, but when Mrs Mu goes missing, she suspects foul play… This time Drusilla will have to call upon all her resourcefulness to win through

Ben and Mary Norm have got an embarrassing personal problem – their parents. They’re impossible! How can they be stopped from completely shaming Ben and Mary at Parent’s Day?

A new baby can make for a busy family, but the Gags machine is always there to help out.
A new baby means a hectic household for the whole family. Luckily Gags, the narrator’s grandmother, is always around to help – turning into the Gags machine when the house is in need of a good clean and dinner must be made. But Gags also has time for fun stuff like playing dress up and going to the park. And when there is so much to pack for the family holiday to the beach, Gags is a great help too – but everyone soon learns that even Gags machines need a rest.

An endearing and heartwarming story about a little girl’s summer holiday in Edinburgh with her grandma.
Ellie usually goes to see Yiayia, her Greek grandma, for the summer holidays, but this year Yiayia can’t have her. Instead, Ellie will have to stay with Granny Mac in Edinburgh. Ellie had been looking forward to swimming in the sea and seeing octopuses and feeling silverfish between her toes. She isn’t so sure about summer in Scotland – doesn’t it always rain there? But Ellie is pleasantly surprised to discover that there are lots to do with Granny Mac, and when she tells Yiayia all about it on the phone she realises that when you have two grannies you get the best of both worlds!

One of an innovative new series of linked stories designed to build reader confidence.
The Murphys live at 53 Parrot Park, Dublin. There’s Mammy, Rory, Anna and Mary (the twins), Cormac, Catherine and Susan (who is only one – she is full of smiles and listens to nobody). Whether they’re mowing the lawn, getting rid of pesky headlice or hunting down UFOs, everything is an adventure with the Murphy family!

A heartwarming story about a feisty young Polish girl determined to be unhappy in her new life in England – but who finds herself settling in despite herself. Kasia wishes that she and her mum hadn’t moved to the UK – she misses Poland and all her old friends, and most of all she misses her grandparents. As the long school holidays stretch out in front of her, Kasia wonders how she’ll fill them: her mum has promised to take her out for some day trips, but the rest of the time she’ll be at work.

A beautiful story about finding yourself

Mr Hare is a solitary animal, happy to read his paper in silence. Neesha the Elephant lives upstairs and likes doing a lot of noisy activities. Can they ever find a way to live happily alongside each other? This beautifully illustrated story is written by Lynne Rickards.

Chaotic cousins and tent troubles ensure life is never quiet in this energetic series of linked stories.
It’s summertime and 53 Parrot Park is a busy place to be. All the Murphys are there, and so are their Canadian cousins, who talk funny but are just like their Irish cousins in every other way. Daddy has borrowed some tents to make room for everyone – the place is full of Murphys!