Starting school for the first time is a significant milestone in every child's life. But how do you know when your child is ready? And what can you do to help them prepare?Educational and parenting expert Kathy Walker explains how to assess your child's readiness, sets out all the factors to consider, and gives you the information you need to be confident you're making the right decision for your child. She also provides advice on how to pick a school, and explains the strategies s...

Does your child have trouble settling at bedtime? Refuse to sit at the table for meals? Ignore you or argue when you say it's time to turn off the TV?Expert parenting and educational consultant Kathy Walker recognises that being a parent is one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever do but that it isn't always easy. In this book she shows you how to create a calmer, more nurturing home environment for you and your children, and gives you her top strategies for ma...

It's a common tale… your child dreams of a memorable birthday party but the thought of planning such a party makes you want to run for the hills. Don't take off just yet! This book will give you the tips and tricks necessary to throw the party of the year without losing your savings or your sanity. How do you keep a houseful of children from getting bored and wreaking havoc on your house? Check. What's the best party structure for each age group? Check. How do you throw a great party witho...

Life is full of highs and lows and as our children grow up you can't always be there to help them navigate their emotions or situations. This book tells parents, in very practical terms, what you can do from birth to twelve to ensure your children have their best chance at coping with life.We are so intensely involved in keeping our children happy in the present that we don't consider what this means for their emotional state in the future. Teens and young adults are especially vuln...

Ancient Egypt: The land of Pharaohs, The Valley of the Kings, and…kidnapped kitty cats, apparently.Since Bobby liked history and Carly didn’t, going on an adventure to Ancient Egypt seemed like a safe compromise. They have amazing temples and cool statues, so there should be something for everyone. What Bobby and Carly couldn’t have known is that a disgruntled priest had kidnapped the royal cat, and the Pharaoh’s sister would do anything to get her back. Now Bobby and Carly have to...

Climbing a mountain should be pretty safe, right?Carly is a girl who likes adventure, but after her last journey on the water she’s ready for less soggy terrain. Little did she know, mountains aren’t exactly like the pictures in her books, with green meadows, singing birds, and fluffy mountain goats. She’ll be forced to deal with water yet again, this time in the form of flash floods and ice. Carly set off to reach the top of the mountain, but doing so might just prove to be too gr...

It turns out there’s more to dog sled racing than playing with cute, fluffy doggies.Carly was pretty sure the world of dog sled racing would be the best adventure ever. She loves dogs! What could be better than playing with them all the time? Soon Carly’s head is spinning with too much information…ganglines, and dog commands, and which dog gets to be lead dog. Maybe dog sledding isn’t the thing for her, after all. But when a musher friend goes missing during a race, Carly has to ma...

Why did it have to be the jungle? Carly really hates the jungle.When Carly’s brother Bobby wants in on her adventures, Carly reluctantly agrees. After all, how bad can it be? But then Bobby accidentally transports them to the jungle, complete with snakes and hippos and alligators. Carly wants to turn around and go home right then, but who would save a precious gem from treasure hunters if she wasn’t around? Carly has to balance her desire to help with her hatred of the jungle, and ...

The Prehistoric World isn’t as much fun as Bobby imagined.Bobby meant for his adventure to be nice and safe…as safe as the Prehistoric World could be, anyway. He would meet small plant eating dinosaurs, while the huge meat eaters stayed in the background. Sadly, his plan went off the rails immediately, when an exploding volcano left a small, injured baby dinosaur in the path of destruction. Now he needs to choose: Does he risk his life to find the baby’s family, or does he abandon ...

Join Carly and her bears on their first three adventures!Captain CarlyCarly just wanted to play pirates, but her brother Bobby said that everyone knows girls can't be pirates. Carly stomped off, only to find a magical cave where she sails off on her own pirate adventure. But being a pirate is harder than Carly imagined. She’ll have to figure out how to keep her boat afloat, find the treasure, and defeat a rival gang of pirates, all by herself (and ...

After dodging Bobby and sneaking off to her cave without being seen, Carly decides she would make a great spy! When a local museum is targeted by a thief, Carly and her bears spring into action. But being a spy is harder than it looks, even with cool gadgets and her bears to help her. Can Carly find and capture the art thief, or will she end up being captured herself?

When Carly and Bobby decided to explore ancient Egypt, they were only thinking of cool gods and amazing temples. They didn’t expect to be recruited by the royal family to find a lost cat. They really didn’t expect to discover the cat wasn’t lost at all, but had been kidnapped by an evil priest. Will Carly, Bobby, and their animals rescue the royal kitty in time, or will they be captured and lost forever in the Valley of the Kings?