When I think of Palestine, the words bombings, air raids, Gaza Strip and West Bank spring to mind. But to be so narrow-minded and naive is to do Palestine and Palestinians a huge disservice and this incredible non-fiction book, that celebrates everything Palestinian, is a wonderful and eye-opening introduction to a stunning place and nation of people.

Nestled between the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf is a piece of land shaped like a crescent moon. Often referred to as the Cradle of Civilisation, the land here is fertile, lush and bountiful. One of the countries located here…Palestine. Influenced by many powerful civilisations Palestine is vibrant and unique, vast and rich. Discover the history of iconic cultural symbols, the stories of a troubled past and the inspiration behind poetry, song and film. Have tastebuds tingled, be wowed by old cities and explore different regions. Welcome to Palestine…

Grandads assemble in this joyful picture book that is perfect for grandparent and grandchild to share together and bond over.

Grandads are awesome but no two are quite the same. Some are tall, others are small. Some wear glasses, some walk with a stick. Some are bald, some have fancy beards. They bake and build, explore and invent, cut hair and perform magic. They have tales to tell, stories to share and endless love to give. Grandads surely are great and one thing is for sure, your grandad is like no other…

Prankster gets his comeuppance and much more than he bargained for when his boring Egyptian lessons become all too real.

Despite a great teacher and an awesome topic, Seth Davis has little interest in learning about the Ancient Egyptians, it’s all long names and words he cannot pronounce let alone spell. What he’d really like to know is how mummies were made. After a misjudged mummy prank, and whilst awaiting punishment in the classroom, Seth picks up an ancient artefact and is whisked back thousands of years to the land of pyramids, Pharaohs, palaces and slaves.

As a general rule, I tend to avoid books with a celebrity name attributed to them - such titles get plenty of media coverage as it is. However, I make an exception for Marcus Rashford who has worked relentlessly to improve the quality of life and futures for young people. The partnership between the football star and the National Literacy Trust is a wonderful initiative that aims to get books into the hands of those that need them most with the hope of fostering a love of reading.  The Breakfast Club Adventures have been thoughtfully designed for children like Marcus, where reading and access to books wasn’t a given; oversized text, a clever use of different fonts and tons of artwork enhance the reading experience and ensure kids will hopefully find the joy in reading for pleasure.

Twelve-year-old Freya was happy but now life has come crashing down. Dad has moved away to take up a new job and mum is uprooting Freya to open up a café in Eltham. Leaving her two homes and two best friends behind, Freya has no interest in new beginnings. Being the new girl in town sucks and change isn’t easy. 

For Freya basketball is life. But in Eltham the nice kids play netball and the ones who make life difficult at school are the same ones who she must take to the basketball court with. And her woes don’t end there. Mum has rented an apartment on the eleventh floor and Freya is afraid of lifts. With no hope in sight, can Freya find a way to rise above the challenges and turn her bitter life on Vinegar Street into something sweet…

When the kids of Turtle Place get bored, things happen.

Twelve-year-old Evie is fed up with life at number three Turtle Place. Fed up with her annoying sister Grace, fed up with mum’s unhelpful parenting TED talks and fed up with dad’s motivational quotes. There’s only thing for it…she needs to move out. Rounding up the neighbourhood kids, Evie hopes to bring her tiny house plans to fruition. But with everyone having an opinion and others mocking her big plans, Evie’s building project looks destined to fail before the foundations have been laid…

Nature and wise words from an old head unite to deliver the perfect read for discussing life and death with children.

Springtime. Out on the water, Grandpa, a young child and a canine companion watch in wonder at the flicker of blue lightning. Flying dart-like, its striking colours shining like jewels, the kingfisher is hard to spot. Blink and you’ll miss it. As the seasons change, the kingfishers raise a family and Grandpa shares his wisdom. Until one day, Grandpa and the mummy and daddy kingfishers are gone. Life and then death, nature goes on like this. Nature goes on forever…

The phrase ‘a bad hair day’ becomes a day of badly behaved hair in a hair-lariously wild game of catch-me-if-you-can.

Dad’s hair was tired of its mundane life atop his head. Sick of being brushed and combed it sought freedom and longed to see the world. So one day it did just that, leaping from Dad’s head, avoiding his desperate grabs, dashing along the hall and out the through kitchen window. But Dad, now bald, was not one to go hairless for long and set out to reclaim his runaway locks…