The spectacular and varied landscape of Dorset, with its giants, hill forts, Jurassic coast and ancient buildings is the source and inspiration for many curious stories that have been passed down in families and village communities for generations. This book contains a rich and diverse collection of those ancient legends rooted in the oral tradition. From the absorbing tales of the Old King of Corfe and the Thorncombe Thorn to the intriguing Buttons on a Card and George Pi...

Dorset is full of mythical creatures from Britain's most legendary folk tales, including demons, dragons, Jack-o'-lanterns, giants and mermaids. Read on to bring the landscape of the country's rolling hills and Jurassic coast alive, and let author Tim Laycock inspire you to rediscover the county you thought you knew.

Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur’s knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It’s a disaster!Luckily, there’s a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who’s willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store . . .Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller ...

Nancy Kington, daughter of a rich merchant, suddenly orphaned when her father dies, is sent to live on her family's plantation in Jamaica. Disgusted by the treatment of the slaves and her brother's willingness to marry her off, she and one of the slaves, Minerva, run away and join a band of pirates. For both girls the pirate life is their only chance for freedom in a society where both are treated like property, rather than individuals. Together they go in search of adventure, love, and a ...

It's 1808 . . .and Grace is living with her uncle in London. They have no money, and Grace is always lonely and often hungry. The best part of her day is going to Fleet Street to talk to the horses that she loves so much. One afternoon Grace can't resist taking a shiny red apple from a grocer's cart - and then another... Before she knows it, Grace is being chased through the streets! Will she be caught and sent to prison - or worse?Meet Grace and join her adventure in the fi...

Dr. Seuss's classic treatise on bullying—now with fully color-enhanced illustrations!As topical today as when it was first published in 1938, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is the story of a young boy (the same one featured in the Caldecott Honor Award-winner Bartholomew and the Oobleck) and his unjust treatment at the hands of a king. Written in unrhymed prose, The 500 Hats is one of Dr. Seuss's earliest works, and while it may not ...

Learn all about the Gorgeous Georgians, like their sneaky schemes for hiding personal hygiene problems and the schoolchildren who went to war with their teachers! With a bold, accessible new look, illustrated throughout and revised by the author, these bestselling titles are sure to be a huge hit with yet another generation of Terry Deary fans.

Search for fortune on the high seas with this abridged retelling of a classic pirate tale.After Jim Hawkins finds the map to a mysterious treasure, he sets sail in search of the fortune. Little does he realize he's boarded a pirate ship, and that surprises and danger await him ... including a meeting with the unforgettable Long John Silver.The Classic Starts® series has sold more than 8 million copies since it launched in 2004. These abridged, kid-f...

A wonderful anthology of poems to set fire to the imagination.We only have to 'remember, remember the 5th of November' to see a dark night filled with fireworks and bonfires. In their many different ways - through their sounds, rhythms, stories, surprises and jokes - these poems will set the fireworks crackling in our own heads.Michael Morpurgo has brought together poems by writers as diverse as Spike Milligan and Louis MacNeice, Stevie Smith and John Lennon, Jo Shapcott and ...

Award-winning author Elvira Woodruff has written a harrowing novel about an eleven-year-old orphan boy on a stormy sea -- and the charming daredevil who befriends him in England in 1695.When a storm brings down his father's boat, Digory Beale is forced to leave home to discover his fate. For if Digory has been orphaned, he can never go home again. On his journey, Digory becomes the apprentice to Henry Winstanly, whose life's obsession is to save sailors' lives. Digory must face his fears o...

When the shopkeeper gives Jenny a skinny, black kitten she has no idea who she has adopted. Fankle is no ordinary cat. The fiercely clever feline has lived six lives so far: lives of adventure, danger, fortune and poverty. He's stared down angry pirates, started a blood feud, won a war, advised an empress and leapt onto the moon. Fankle tells Jenny tales of his former lives -- with the king of pirates, in ancient Egypt and even with the Empress of China. So what is he doing living in a cro...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Delve into the spellbinding world of Harry Potter with this comprehensive guide to the magic, mythology, and history of the seven-volume series.Who was the real Nicholas Flamel? How did the Sorcerer’s Stone get its power? Did J. K. Rowling dream up the terrifying basilisk, the seductive veela, or the vicious grindylow? And if she didn’t, who did?Millions of readers around the world have been enchanted by the mag...