Showing results by narrator "Harrie Dobby" in All Categories

Grace has proved to the kingdom of Wondermere that when it comes to courage, determination, playing Troll-O on unicorn-back and being a brave knight, she's just as good as any boy! But now wondermere is expecting a very important visitor: the Mermaid Queen of the Outer Ocean. That means frilly dresses and best behaviour - and absolutely no rule breaking. But when a purple dragon egg falls into the moat of Wondermere castle, Grace and her sister, Princess Portia, find themselves babysitting a big secret.

Greta Thunberg, author of No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, has directed the attention of adults and her peers alike to issues crucial to the future of the planet, and the heads of even the youngest children have been filled with questions. Global warming, the greenhouse effect, fossil fuels - what do they all mean? What are biodiversity and sustainable development? Who is studying the changes that are taking place here on Earth? Which sources are reliable? What action can I take?

Romance is the last thing on Charlotte Alexander's mind. Her perfume business is flourishing. And a glamorous new life in New York awaits. Just one more thing is needed: a supply of artisan lavender for her trademark scent. But when Charlotte stumbles across the infuriating and infuriatingly handsome Alessio Rossini, her plans begin to fall apart. With New York finally in reach...should she follow her dreams or her heart?

Nine-year-old Frankie Appleton likes to count gates. One day she hopes to design the perfect gate - a gate to keep the bad things out. Little does she know that the bad things have already got in. Now her mother is dead, and the only other person with a house key has disappeared. Frankie thinks she knows who it is. But first she has to prove it. A delicately brutal exploration of what lies behind closed doors and of the secrets and lies that form the fabric of every family, The Weight of Small Things is as charming as it is chilling.

Periods, sex and online shaming. An extraordinary verse novel from a bold new voice in YA fiction. During astronomy-lover Frankie's first sexual experience with the quiet and lovely Benjamin, she gets her period. It's only blood, they agree. But soon a graphic meme goes viral, turning their fun, intimate afternoon into something disgusting, mortifying and damaging. As the online shaming takes on a horrifying life of its own, Frankie begins to wonder: is her real life over?

Gary Budden's debut collection blends the traditions of weird fiction and landscape writing in an interlinked set of stories from the emotional geographies of London, Kent, Finland and a place known as the Hollow Shore. The Hollow Shore is both fictional and real. It is a place where flowers undermine railway tracks, relationships decay and monsters lurk. It is the shoreline of a receding, retreating England. This is where things fall apart, waste away and fade from memory.

Sara Robinson – gambling addict, liar, thief – lived a hand-to-mouth existence in a dingy flat in London. Now she's running for her life after the chance to make some easy money went horribly wrong. She has three things which might save her - a passport in someone else’s name, a ticket to Australia and a suitcase full of cash....

When Allie moves to a quaint old cottage with her husband, it’s their dream home. Nestled in the village of Pluckley, it seems a perfect haven in which to raise their two children. But Pluckley has a reputation. It’s known as England’s most haunted village. And not long after the birth of their new son, Allie begins to notice strange things.... What’s the flash of white she sees moving quickly through the woods to the back of their house? And what’s the strange scratching noise coming from the chimney?

This unique self-help guide equips undergraduates, postgraduate students, and early career researchers within the sciences with transferable communication skills that they can adapt and refer back to as they progress through their careers. This book facilitates clear and concise communication in both academic scenarios and the workplace. It covers settings ranging from job interviews, through conference presentations, to explaining your research to the general public.

This shimmering middle-grade debut set in 1850s Lancashire, England, explores longing, belonging, and the courage it takes to find your place—and bloom.

Marie has big dreams. Of course, a rocky road lies ahead. Lion Tamer Memoir: How It All Turned Out precisely captures the reality of human hope, depth, and folly as Marie learns the truth about neurotic attachments and herself.

Twelve-year-old Bea lives with her mother Ula and her owl Pip in a cottage on the wild moors. Since the day the dreams disappeared, and an affliction of nightmares began sweeping across the lands, everyone is leaving and their settlement is being abandoned. But when Ula grows sick with the affliction, she won’t leave – and she’s keeping a secret from Bea. Just as Bea begins to despair, the mysterious Night Train steams across the moors, bringing a stranger who offers her the chance to save her mother.

Olivia and Nico were once inseparable best friends with shared hopes, dreams and plans for the future. But as life took its course, they took very different paths – leaving them with a challenging long-distance friendship. When Olivia receives an invitation to Nico's wedding in Italy, she can hardly believe it. Despite her happiness for him, she can't help but reflect on the roads not taken and the promises once made. As she arrives in the picturesque Tuscany, disaster strikes. The wedding venue has fallen through and Nico’s wife-to-be is a total Bridezilla.

One Girl Began entwines the stories of three women, separated by history but connected by the same building. For Ellen in 1909, it is a box factory where she finds work and a transformative circle of friendship when her family fall on hard times. For Frances in 1984, it is a derelict ruin, where she joins a group of squatters and is drawn into a coercive relationship. And for Amanda in 2020, it is a gentrified conversion, where she finds herself trapped in a tiny flat and grappling with new motherhood as the pandemic looms into view.

When the bees die out, a new pollinator arrives. Deathflies help grow crops but there's a nasty side effect . . . zombies. Laying their eggs in people, deathflies turn people into dangerous zombies when they die. But the world must adapt or there won't be enough to eat. Can Merian and her scientist mum convince others to save the zombies? Or will the big corporation succeed in convincing people to kill them? And just what does it mean when a docile zombie shows up?

Alice and Sonny's family yacht is in Egypt, ready to pick up famous actress Estelle Fortune, and take her to London to film her next blockbuster movie. But just before the boat leaves, Alice discovers that Estelle has vanished! In her room is a note, threatening that unless a large amount of money is paid in Malta in a few days' time, Estelle will be thrown overboard. As the Lady Rose sets sail, Alice, Sonny and their new friend Winnie must work out who is threatening Estelle, but can they save her?

Alice and Sonny are excited for their summer trip, sailing on the luxurious yacht the Lady Rose. They're even more excited when they find out the King of England is going to be onboard too! There's also a precious jewel on the boat—a rare opal, kept in a tank protected by a poisonous octopus. Until one morning, Alice discovers that the opal and octopus are both missing. The search is on to retrieve the priceless gem, before the ship reaches its destination, and everyone on board finds themselves in serious trouble.

Tilly dreams of having a pony of her own. One that only she can ride to stardom. Will her wishes come true when she joins Silver Shoe Farm Stables? When Nimrod the clever and mischievous circus pony comes to stay at Silver Shoe Farm, Tilly soon realises they have no idea what they have let themselves in for.

When the beautiful and valuable thoroughbred Derby winner, Moonshadow, is stabled at Silver Shoe Farm, Tilly is enchanted. But on a sleepover at the farm she and her friends find themselves face to face with horse thieves.

Tilly dreams of having a pony of her own. One that only she can ride to stardom. Will her wishes come true when she joins Silver Shoe Farm Stables? How do you find the perfect horse? Mia longs for an unbreakable bond like Tilly has with Magic Spirit, but the search to find the horse that is just right for her is not an easy one.