The unforgettable tale of an orphan in Victorian London, based on the boy whose plight inspired Dr Barnardo to found his famous children’s homes.When his mother dies, Jim Jarvis is left all alone in London. He is sent to the workhouse but quickly escapes, choosing a hard life on the streets of the city over the confines of the workhouse walls.Struggling to survive, Jim finally finds some friends… only to be snatched away and made to work for the remorselessly cruel Grimy Ni...

A beautiful and classic anthology of frosty, magical short stories from acclaimed children’s writers.The Dreamsnatcher’s Abi Elphinstone heads up this gorgeous collection of wintery stories, featuring snow queens, frost fairs, snow dragons and pied pipers . . . from classic children’s writers Michelle Magorian, Geraldine McCaughrean, Jamila Gavin, Berlie Doherty, Katherine Woodfine, Piers Torday, Lauren St John, Amy Alward, Michell...

The sisters of STREET CHILD tell their story…A companion novel to bestselling story of Victorian orphan Jim Jarvis based on the founding of Dr Barnardo’s homes for children.When Jim Jarvis is separated from his sisters, Lizzie and Emily, he thinks he will never see them again. Now for the first time, the bestselling author of STREET CHILD reveals what happened to his orphaned sisters.In Victorian London, Lizzie and Emily are left in the care of a cook but their stor...

Two girls, from very different places, are brought together in a tale of loss, courage and family.Abela has lost everything, and now she must leave her home in Tanzania and flee to Britain.Rosa's struggling to cope with her mum's wish to adopt a child.When they are brought together, will Abela and Rosa ever be able to love one another like sisters?From the Carnegie Medal-winning author Berlie Doherty, The Girl Who Saw Lions is a powerful and moving stor...

1914: war has broken out across Europe and beyond. Nothing will ever be the same again for those caught up in the conflict.This collection of short stories explores how the First World War changed and shaped the lives of women forever. A courageous nurse risks her life on the Front Line; a young woman uncovers a spy in wartime London; and a grief-stricken sister comes to understand the heroism and sacrifice of the forgotten Indian soldiers.Through these and other tales, W...

Follow Tam on three exciting adventures to the land of Faery - where he'll battle castle nightmares, evil creatures and mischevious fairies!THE STARBURSTERAt first, Tam isn't at all keen on his baby sister, Blue. But with a little inventive persuasion from Great-grandpa, Tam changes his mind. One terrible night, Blue is stolen - and an ugly fairy changeling is left in her place! It falls to Tam to journey to the magical land of Faery, return the changeling a...

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right levelCatrin lives in Wales, and prefers drawing animals to spending time with friends. One night, she hears an eerie howl from the nearby mountain – a wild cat. Can she confront her shyness and go in search of this rare animal? This sensitive story by award-winning author Berlie Doherty shows that courage and friendship can come from unexpected places.Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a compl...

First the fairies took Tam's little sister, Blue. Then they took his Great-Grandpa Toby. Now Tam has to keep a great secret - not only is Great-Grandpa still in Faery as King, but the old King of the fairies, Oban, is now in Tam's world disguised as a boy Tam's age!At first, it's lots of fun having Oban and his magic around. He manages to charm everybody - even Tam's teacher at school. But then things start to go wrong . . .When Tam finds the magical Windspinner that Great-...

Great-grandpa Toby is making so much NOISE! And if Tam can hear the clamour coming from his humming machine, the fairies will too. And soon enough, on the night of a blue moon, Great-grandpa Toby vanishes without a trace. While battling nightmarish fairies and decoding the words of the Flame-Reader, Tam eventually discovers his Great-grandpa has been captured by the beautiful Damson Hag, and turned into a nine-year-old boy! Bewitched, fed only with rose petals, and mournfully playing the h...

When Tilly's mum goes out to work, Mrs Hardcastle from up the street pops in to look after her. There are two special things about Mrs Hardcastle. The first thing is that she's always dropping off to sleep (she snores too, sometimes). The second special thing is that whenever she goes to sleep, something magic always seems to happen to Tilly Mint! Carnegie Medal winner Berlie Doherty's enchanting Tilly Mint tales are at last available in one complete collection with brand-new illustrations...

Adventure, friendship, treason and betrayal. A dazzling historical novel from the award-winning Berlie Doherty.Will Montague is a page to Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII. As the King's favourite, Will gains many enemies in Court. His enemies convince the King that Will's father has committed treason and he is thrown into Newgate Prison. Will flees Hampton Court and goes into hiding in the back streets of London. Lost and in mortal danger, he is rescued by a p...

The mischievous imps' magic mirror has frozen Kay's heart, turning him into a miserable prisoner of the Snow Queen. His best friend, Gerda, is racing barefoot across Lapland to save him - together they must find the secret of the universe and sing their way home, before Kay's heart becomes cold and black forever.This story is a magic bean. It may not look much like a bean, but I can promise you that it is. For if you plant it in a young mind, it will grow into a love of st...