Showing titles in Growing Up & Facts of Life

For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on “climbing boys” - orphans owned by chimney sweeps - to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless, and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived - and a girl. But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature - a golem - made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire.

George and Harold are fourth-grade buddies who love practical jokes. When their latest prank drives their science teacher over the edge, their clueless principal, Mr. Krupp, quickly hires a replacement: Professor Pippy P. Poopypants. Of course, George and Harold can’t resist making fun of the Professor’s silly name. But then the Professor retaliates by forcing everyone in town to change their own names to be equally silly - with colossal consequences!

This book, designed for kids ages 6-10, features true, character-building stories for kids to enjoy alone or with their parents. Being a kid can be trying and confusing - a newfound exposure to the real world, confusion as to what's right and wrong, learning about friendships and making important choices for the first time. Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul 2 is a special book designed just for kids on the verge of becoming preteens.

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is - but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realises that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home - until, one day, her mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

Myrtle Meek has everything she could possibly want. But everything isn’t enough. She wants more, more, MORE! When Myrtle declares she wants a FING, there’s only one problem.... What is a FING? Mr and Mrs Meek will do anything to keep their darling daughter happy, even visit the spooky library vaults to delve into the dusty pages of the mysterious Monsterpedia. Their desperate quest leads to the depths of the jungliest jungle where the rarest creatures can be found. But will they ever find a FING?

Sophie Foster is back in the Lost Cities - but the Lost Cities have changed. The threat of war hangs heavy over her glittering world, and the Neverseen are wreaking havoc. The lines between friend and enemy have blurred, and Sophie is unsure whom to trust. But when she’s warned that the people she loves most will be the next victims, she knows she has to act. A mysterious symbol could be the key - if only she knew how to translate it. Every new clue seems to lead deeper into her world’s underbelly and the Black Swans aren’t the only ones who have plans.

Christmas is complete chaos this year! The whole Brooks family are visiting for the festive break, there's a Secret Santa to organise AND Lottie has to prepare for her big performance in the Christmas play as the back-end of a reindeer. Will she survive the festivities intact?

A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David’s previous best sellers. Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn’t know about his grandma.

The beloved World’s Worst series has captivated millions of readers. You’ve met the world’s worst children, the world’s worst parents, the world’s worst teachers and the world’s worst pets – but are you ready for the world’s worst monsters? If you don’t like ghosts, ogres, zombies, vampires, aliens, werewolves or mummies, DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS BOOK. Laugh along to these ten terrifying tales of marvellous monsters, brought to you by David Walliams.

Friday's Mum, the Nobel Prize winning physicist, has been accused of espionage. The police think she's been selling secrets about the CERN Hadron Super Collider. Friday knows her mother isn't capable of such a thing - this is a woman who can't even operate a dishwasher. She's got to smuggle herself into Switzerland to clear her Mum's name. Fortunately, Melanie is a master of disguise. After an extremely extreme make-over, Friday arrives at CERN and finds axolotls in the water coolers, graffiti in the great hall and most baffling of all - her sister has fallen in love with an engineer!

George and Harold are always good at using their imaginations, and that drives their mean homeroom teacher, Ms. Ribble, crazy! But this time, they’ve come up with much more than a silly prank - they’ve created an actual monster! With her horrendous hairdo and two rabid robots, Wedgie Woman is well on her way to world domination, and only the Waistband Warrior can stop her! The Captain Underpants series is perfect for listeners of all ages. Like the other outrageously funny books by acclaimed author and Caldecott Honor illustrator Dav Pilkey, this adventure is sure to be fun!

Scarlett McCain and Albert Browne have raided their way across the Seven Kingdoms and eluded capture for two more years, gathering other outlaws to their cause. They are set on taking down the Faith Houses and their oppressive regime, and finding out the truth about Stonemoor.

Amari Peters knows three things. Her brother, Quinton, has gone missing. No one will talk about it. His mysterious job holds a clue. So when she’s invited for a trail at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, Amari is certain this is her chance to save him. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real - and her roommate is a weredragon. Amari must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known this world their whole lives.

Since we first met Nikki Maxwell, she's been doing everything she can to keep everyone at school from learning the truth - that she's there on scholarship in exchange for her dad working as the school's exterminator. The last thing Nikki needs is having her friends and - worst case scenario - her crush, Brandon, associating her with the humongous roach on top of her dad's van!

Mr Hoppy really loves his neighbour Mrs Silver, and Mrs Silver really loves her tortoise, Alfie. Oh, if only Mr Hoppy could perform some great feat that would make him a hero in her eyes! Then one day an amazing idea rushes into his head. With the help of a magical spell, some cabbage leaves and one hundred and forty tortoises, can shy Mr Hoppy win Mrs Silver's heart?

George and Harold thought they were beyond boogers. Their new pet, Sulu the Bionic Hamster, had defeated the Bionic Booger Boy, and through the wonders of science, Melvin Sneedly had been brought back to normal (well, almost normal). It looked like their last adventure was actually going to have a happy ending...except for one thing (well, three things) - the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers. Now George, Harold, and their buddies are on the run - with the Robo-Boogers in hot, gooey pursuit! Will the boys get away from these gross globs, or will Sulu have to save the day again?

'All this could be yours!' Paddington read on the glossy leaflet showing a large, sleek silver-grey car. It took him a long time to eat 15 packets of currants in order to enter the competition. And the Rolls-Royce he'd expected to win turned out to be one of 10,000 consolation prizes - a bookmark! Then Paddington finds himself taking a driving test and, much to his amazement, is presented with a license allowing him to drive a rather unusual vehicle.

Desperate to escape a harsh and narrow regime, two runaways unwittingly flee headlong into the centre of a terrible battle. This first sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe includes all the hallmarks of its famous predecessor, though this time the fate of Narnia is wound up in the lives of its own children, and a talking horse!

Welcome to Malory Towers, where there's more to life than lessons! Darrell Rivers is Head Girl of Malory Towers, and there is plenty to keep her busy. Spoilt Gwendoline is up to her usual tricks, and Amanda is prepared to risk everything to be chosen to swim in the Olympics. Can Darrell stop Gwendoline from ruining their final term before it's time to wave goodbye?

A hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and best-selling author Gordon Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher. The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction - and maybe even a shot at redemption.