Touchy Subjects is about things that make people wince: taboos, controversies, secrets and lies. Some of the events that characters crash into are grand, tragic ones: miscarriage, overdose, missing persons. Other topics, like religion and money, are not inherently taboo, but they can cause acute discomfort because people disagree so vehemently. These stories are about the spectrum of feeling that runs from awkwardness through embarrassment to shame.

Adrian Mole has entered early middle age and is now 'the same age as Jesus was when he died' (33). Father to the grammatically challenged Glenn, and William, who takes a 'Big Boy Arouser' condom to nursery school as his innocent contribution to a hot air balloon project, Adrian is a single parent who has an on/off relationship with his housing officer, Pamela Pigg. Will she help him to move from the notorious Gaitskell estate before William joins the Mad Frankie Fraser fan club? In the mea...

In the Kingdom of Arthwen, there was a very unusual shop. It wasn't on the high street; it was deep in the forest. It wasn't in a building; it was inside a tree. It didn't sell food, or clothes, or toys; this shop sold potions. Tibben wants to be the Potions Master one day, just like Grandpa, but for now he is an Apprentice and there is lots to learn!From the creator of the bestselling Fairytale Hairdresser series, Abie Longstaff, this story is perfect for engaging younger children....

Meet the funniest kid in fiction and follow his life’s ups and downs told through laugh-out-loud letters, emails, texts and more!Meet the funniest kid in fiction and follow his life’s ups and downs told through laugh-out-loud letters, emails, texts and more!Her Majesty, hi thereMy name is Harry Riddles and I don’t normally do this kind of thing, but I think we might need some help. …Harry ‘Shoutykid’ Riddles has a few problems: he needs money to make his movie, My P...

Zinny's life is falling apart. Shadowy figures are following him. His parents are keeping secrets but he can't figure out why. Then his mum ends up in hospital, his dad disappears, and Zinny has to do whatever he can to save his family. Even if it means helping the very men he's been running from ...As the clock ticks, Zinny knows it's only a matter of time before someone ends up dead - and it could be him.

Mr McCool is a polar bear on a mission: to escape the zoo and travel back to his true home - the North Pole. With a human boy and a furry side-kick for company, Mr McCool sets sail. But the waters hold secrets, and hidden dangers...Will they ever reach the dancing lights of the northern sky?

World War II is over, a new decade is beginning but for an East End teenage brother and sister living on the edge of the law, life has been suspended. Sent away to a tuberculosis sanatorium to learn the way of a patient, they find themselves in the company of army and air force officers, a car salesman, a mysterious German woman and an American merchant seaman. They discover that a cure is tantalisingly just out of reach, and only by inciting wholesale rebellion can freedom be snatched.

A TIMELESS CHRISTMAS SKY ORIGINAL FILM, STARRING MARK GATISS, SIMON CALLOW AND TAMSIN GREIG'Charming, magical and life-affirming, Antonia Barber's clever and moving tale has become a much-loved favourite. The Wheel of Time spins - and off we go into an unforgettable adventure!' MARK GATISS'When you come to the house, you will hear strange tales. They will tell you in the village that it is haunted, but you must not be afraid. When the t...

Mikey is frightened of open spaces and would much rather curl up in his room and avoid the world outside. So going to a noisy, public place is a big deal - but with his sister Meggie by his side, it should be safe. But things go badly wrong when he encounters a gang and witnesses something terrible. To make matters worse, they know where he lives...This time, there's no hiding place for Mikey.

Victor, the ghost, is desperate to get off dreary Black Hall Island, so he steals a ride on an unsuspecting tourist boat back to Bywater-by-Sea. Two other ghosts - the terribly vain Flora Rose and the lonely but friendly Billy - know he is up to no good, so they follow him. While Tom is distracted, trying to stop a corporation from building a theme park over his Field Craft hut, Victor sees his opportunity to take over the world.

The funniest kid in fiction is back!Hi there,My name is Harry Riddles, and I live with my mum, my dad and my EVIL sister Charlotte. But now my mum is having TWINS so either me or Charlotte are gonna lose our bedroom. ALSO, Dad’s moaning that I should do more sport and not be just a gamer (which shows what he knows cos I’m actually the BEST gamer World of Zombies has ever seen). But I’ve joined the school football team to keep him happy although if we win anything it will be...

Tibben is the potions apprentice, and helps Grandpa make spells to sell in their shop. Along with Wizz, a magical creature with a special gift for finding things, they set off on adventures to help the animals of Arthwen. When the Water Sprites of Lake Sapphire start to feel poorly, it's up to Tibben and Wizz to find out what's making the magic waters of the kingdom dirty - can they solve the mystery?