An in-depth discussion guide to accompany ‘one of the ten most ifluential books of the decade.’ - CNN Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice. “Outstanding.” —The Guardian

Wally’s back and ready to have some more fun! Enjoy these easy and entertaining activity sheets.

A fantastic teaching and learning resource to accompany the first book in a sequence of three incredibly powerful novels by the award-winning author, Kate DiCamillo. Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father – who has run away with a dental hygienist – will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton, but she has to compete with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante with her show-business background and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship – and challenge them to come to each other’s rescue in unexpected ways. New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving yet witty story of an unforgettable summer friendship. For fans of Jacqueline Wilson, David Almond and Katherine Rundell.

A fantastic reading guide to accompany an exciting new voice in the world of young adult fantasy. If everything was taken from you, what would you do to get it back? Agatha patrols the sea wall with pride, despite those in her clan who question her right to be there, because of the condition she was born with. Jaime is a reluctant Angler, full of self-doubt and afraid of the sea. When disaster strikes, the pair must embark on a terrifying journey to a land where forgotten magic and dark secrets lurk in every shadow…

A simple and beautiful step-by-step teaching resource! A modern classic named one of the best culturally diverse picture books in the UK, this is the story of Handa, who’s part of the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya. Handa decides to take seven pieces of delicious fruit to her friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighbouring village. But as Handa wonders, I wonder what fruit Akeyo will like best?, a series of sneaky animals steal something from Handa’s basket, which she’s carrying on her head… When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend? Richly-illustrated, brimming with luscious fruit and cheeky wild animals, this mouth-watering story is for the youngest of readers. In the best pantomime spirit, children will long to tell Handa what’s happening right behind her!

Clearly structured, detailed and beautifully designed teahers’ notes to accompany the stunning and wonderfully informative A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton. From Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton, the multi award-winning team behind Tiny and Lots, comes a spellbinding collection of poems about the oceans of the world and their shores. With this book, children can swim alongside dolphins and flying fish, pore over rockpools and sail from pole to pole and back, learning about everything from phosphorescence and plankton to manta rays and puffins – all in the comfort of their bedroom. Emily Sutton’s exquisite watercolours capture the breathless excitement of a child’s first glimpse of the sea, the majesty of ancient trading ships and the sheer, staggering wonder of the humpback whale. The perfect companion to international bestsellers A First Book of Nature and A First Book of Animals, this book is sure to enthral and inspire readers of all ages.

A gentle and engaging teaching guide to accompany one of our most beautiful picture books. Certain to be loved by all budding bookworms. In this inspiring, lyrical tale about the rewards of reading and sharing stories, a little girl sails her raft “across a sea of words” to arrive at the house of a small boy. There she invites him to come away with her on an adventure. Through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe, the two travel together on a fantastical journey that unlocks the boy’s imagination. Now a lifetime of magic lies ahead of him… But who will be next? “A gorgeous homage to the power of the written word” Guardian

A detailed unit of work all about animals! Written by the one and only, Nicola Davies. Nicola Davies, the award-winning author of A First Book of Nature, presents a spellbinding treasury of poems about the animal world, illustrated in breathtaking detail by Petr Horacek. Polar bears playing on the ice, tigers hunting in the jungle, fireflies twinkling in the evening sky and nightingales singing in the heart of the woods – there are animals everywhere. From blue whales to bumblebee bats and everything in between, A First Book of Animals takes you all over the planet to visit all kinds of different creatures. This book is a glorious celebration of life in the wild in all its variety and splendour, and belongs on every child’s bookshelf. Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal!

Colourful and interactive activity sheets to accompany Sophie Dahl’s beautifully illusrated and adventurous picture book! A timeless story celebrating friendship and imagination, from an exciting new voice in children’s literature. Mabel lives with her parents in The Mermaid Hotel, by the sea. Mabel likes to keep an eye on the comings and goings of all the guests. Then one day a particularly in-ter-est-ing old lady comes to stay. There is something very suspicious about her, with her growly voice and her heavy trunks and her beady-eyed tortoise. And why does no one know her REAL name? There can only be one answer, Mabel decides … this guest is a SUPERVILLAIN. But even supervillains have a soft side, and as an unlikely friendship grows between the pair, their fantastical exploits take them well beyond the corridors of their seaside home.

Created by Marcia Williams, this is a fantastic resource for anyone studying Shakespeare, art or drama! Create your own comic strips for The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet, and more!

A chapter by chapter reading guide for the hilarious Bundle with the Britons! edition of Julius Zebra by Gary Northfield. From the celebrated creator of Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans! comes a hilarious romp and mad-cap story set in Roman Britain, cram-packed with jokes and bursting with action. Julius and his pals must go to the far-off and strange land of Britain to win over the crowds of Hadrian’s empire. But this will be no happy-go-lucky holiday. Instead of packing buckets and spades, our stripy hero and his friends will need all their wits about them if they’re going to survive their most wild and rebellious gladiatorial opponents yet – the Britons! With a guide to Roman numerals and a fun, factual glossary in the back pages, this is a fast-paced, funny and utterly bonkers introduction to all things Roman Britain.

A detailed resource pack with multiple lessons to accompany a fun and unique adventure series for middle grade readers! A funny, action-packed series for young readers who like their princesses not only prim and perfect, but also dressed in black! Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when… Brring! Brring! The monster alarm! A big blue monster is threatening the goats! Stopping monsters is no job for dainty Princess Magnolia. But luckily Princess Magnolia has a secret – she’s also the Princess in Black, and stopping monsters is the perfect job for her! A rollicking read from the award-winning writing team of Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham.

Welcome to Total Failure, Inc., the kid-run detective agency that is sure to tickle your students’ funny bones and inspire them to become top investigators. That is, if they can stop laughing at the clueless CEO, Timmy, and his sidekick polar bear, Total. In the enclosed kit for budding crime solvers, your students will learn how to identify the four obstacles detectives face (yes, there are only four), solve cases and become masters at deciphering clues (no matter how obvious), learn the all-important detective lingo by passing a vocabulary test (using Timmy’s foolproof method), and maybe even write their own mystery story to boot! CONFIDENTIAL: While doing these activities, your students are bound to think critically and creatively and learn some new and very useful vocabulary. Do NOT let on that any of this is educational!

An in-depth discussion guide and activity resource to accompany a thrilling young adult novel! Featuring an author interview and an extract from the novel. Pip lives on his wits in the city of Clarel. When he pickpockets the wrong man, he finds himself in possession of a strange object – a heart in a silver casket. What’s more, the heart seems to be trying to communicate with Pip, and the royal officials who lost it will stop at nothing to get it back. Pip has unwittingly broken an ancient spell, and his theft will have far-reaching consequences for the whole city. As the ancient war between the Spectres and witches of Clarel reignites, the heart prepares to seek revenge for all it has suffered… Alison Croggon conjures a rich, immersive world with brilliant and memorable characters in this captivating story of loyalty, courage and friendship.

Struggling to engage reluctant readers? We have the answer to your problems! Our Football School series is hugely popular with young readers of all abilities and these teachers’ notes are a great way for teachers and parents to push the discussion further. A groundbreaking new series from two bestselling writers that teaches you about the world through football. The first book is packed with awesome true stories, real science and fascinating facts and will make you laugh loads. When do footballers poo? Can you play football on Mars? What is a magic sponge? You will find the answers to these questions and more in chapters on subjects such as history, geography, biology and maths. Illustrated throughout with hilarious cartoons and filled with laugh-out-loud gags this is the perfect book for any boy or girl who loves football. Your coaches at Football School, Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton, are journalists, broadcasters and award-winning science and sports writers. Their knowledge, enthusiasm and engaging writing make them the perfect team to teach you how to score with your head.

Nevertell by Katharine Orton is a gorgeous, snowy adventure, set in the wilds of Siberia, full of magic and wonder, for junior readers. Our Nevertell teachers’ notes are incredibly thorough, detailed and engage not only the fiction aspects of the novel, but also the non-fiction context! A perfect teaching and learning resource for middle grade readers. Born in a Soviet prison camp, Lina has never seen the world outside until the night she escapes with her best friend, Bogdan. As the pair journey across a snowy wilderness, they are pursued by a vengeful sorceress and her pack of shadow wolves. The children will need every ounce of courage – and a whisper of magic – if they are to survive…

An engaging and educational teaching resource for one of our favourite children’s books! A fun and interactive way to help teach younger students a few key English lessons. We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For thirty years, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite. Follow and join in the family’s excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river, squelch through the mud and brave their way through the swirling, whirling snowstorm in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!

An accessible and creative teaching and learning resource for Malamander, a wonderfully written, adventurous and witty middle grade novel! Extracts of the novel are provided so even if you don’t have a copy of Malamander with you, no need to fret! (Although we’re certain you’ll want to read the whole novel once you’ve had a taste!). Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger…

A great resource to engage even the most unwilling readers in one of the most exciting spy adventure series… ever! Encourage pupils to become reading spies and to take their writing to the next level with the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz – suitable for children ages 9+. The lesson ideas in this Teachers’ Pack include free extracts that have been taken directly from the books, corresponding discussion questions and cross-curricular activities that stimulate ideas around important themes in the series. The material included is aimed at developing descriptive and creative writing at KS2/3, including exploring different genres, writing strong lead characters, devising mission files, developing settings, and creating pacey stories.

An interactive and engaging teaching resource (with extracts and notes) to accompany one of our most exciting 2020 releases, Agents of the Wild. When 8-year-old Agnes is signed up for SPEARS (the Society for the Protection of Endangered and Awesomely Rare Species), she has no idea of the adventures that lie ahead with her elephant-shrew mentor Attie (short for “Attenborough”). Operation Honeyhunt sends them to the Atlantic Forest, on a mission to save an endangered, dance-loving bee named Elton. Will Agnes pass the test and become a full SPEARS agent? Species in danger? Girl and shrew to the rescue!