An innovative series of linked stories designed to build reader confidence.
Sylvie loves to swim, although she can’t quite do it on her own yet. She goes every Saturday with her mum and baby brother. On Saturday the big children are splashing and being noisy and Sylvie gets put off. But when she visits the aquarium and sees the baby seahorses swimming as soon as they are born, she is more determined than ever to get it right! A simple and reassuring story about rising to the challenge.

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!

Mia’s Uncle Robbie is amazing. He knows so many clever tricks, like how to produce an egg from Mia’s ear or how to make a silver ball float through the air. But one day he loses his magic powers – and it’s up to Mia to help him get back…

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

One of an innovative new series of linked stories designed to build reader confidence.
When a strange old lady offers her a necklace, Mona realises that the magic item will grant her every wish. That night she dreams about all the things she has ever wanted, and wakes to find them all crowding her room. So much so that when her mother calls her to Granddad’s party, Mona can’t get out! In a panic Mona rips the necklace off, and vows never to want what she can’t have again.

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.