New Releases by Elizabeth Laird

Jenny takes her new puppy, Toto, to the circus. Suddenly there''s a whooosh and the circus cannon goes off... Where''s Toto now?! Find out in this exciting story - in Spanish and English. Includes parallel text, speech bubbles, guidance for readers and a quiz to check understanding.

Beatrice''s mum has asked her to take a bunch of bananas to Grandad. On her path through the jungle, Beatrice meets a giraffe who accidentally flicks them into a stream. Whoops! But the giraffe picks some flowers for Beatrice to take instead. As her journey continues flowers are swapped forhoney, honey is swapped for some mangoes . . . and so it goes on until a friendly elephant swaps a feather for . . . a beautiful bunch of bananas! A lovely circular story, based on an African folktale, about family, friendship, and teamwork. Written by best-selling author Elizabeth Laird, andillustrated by Liz Pichon, creator of Tom Gates.

Picked as ''Children''s Mental Health Week Scheme'' by The Reading Agency There''s a monster hiding under the bed! This classic bedtime fear is hilariously brought to life by award-winning author Elizabeth Laird and Finnish illustrator Jenny Luncander. Amir thinks that a monster will come and eat him up! And maybe the monster will have a mum and dad too! But Dad reassures Amir that if the monster family comes to play, then the parents will have a good old chat whilst Amir makes a new friend.

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of Song of the Dolphin Boy. This moving adventure about the impact of plastic pollution on our seas is must-read modern classic. Finn has always been different, and in the tiny Scottish fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Until one day he dives into the ocean and finds that, swimming with the dolphins, he feels completely at home. But his new friends are in danger of being injured by the rubbish that floats out into the water - and now a supermarket is going to release thousands of balloons that could drift out to sea and cause even more damage. Desperate to help the dolphins, Finn goes to the Lighthouse Crew, a group of kids who have always left Finn out. Will they be able to set aside their differences to save the dolphins? And what will Finn discover about his past along the way? With a cover illustration by Shonagh Rae and inside illustrations by Peter Bailey, this edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An author letter by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of Welcome to Nowhere, with a cover illustration by Maria Brzozowska, an updated author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. A must-read modern classic, this is a beautifully written story about the life of one family caught up in civil war, illustrated throughout in black-and-white by Lucy Eldridge. Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar doesn''t care about politics - all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm. But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything changes . . . Before long, bombs are falling, people are dying, and Omar and his family have no choice but to flee their home with only what they can carry. Yet no matter how far they run, the shadow of war follows them - until they have no other choice than to attempt the dangerous journey to escape their homeland altogether. But where do you go when you can''t go home? This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An author letter by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

A Little Piece Of Ground will help young readers understand more about one of the worst conflicts afflicting our world today. Written by Elizabeth Laird, one of Great Britain’s best-known young adult authors, A Little Piece Of Ground explores the human cost of the occupation of Palestinian lands through the eyes of a young boy. Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. In response to a Palestinian suicide bombing, the Israeli military subjects the West Bank town to a virtual siege. Meanwhile, Karim, trapped at home with his teenage brother and fearful parents, longs to play football with his friends. When the curfew ends, he and his friend discover an unused patch of ground that’s the perfect site for a football pitch. Nearby, an old car hidden intact under bulldozed building makes a brilliant den. But in this city there’s constant danger, even for schoolboys. And when Israeli soldiers find Karim outside during the next curfew, it seems impossible that he will survive. This powerful book fills a substantial gap in existing young adult literature on the Middle East. With 23,000 copies already sold in the United Kingdom and Canada, this book is sure to find a wide audience among young adult readers in the United States.

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of The Fastest Boy in the World, with a cover illustration by Zeamanuel Abera, an updated author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. This must-read modern classic was shortlisted for the CLPE Carnegie Medal and includes black and white illustrations by Peter Bailey. Eleven-year-old Solomon loves to run; he dreams that one day he will be a gold-medal-winning athlete, in spite of his ragged shorts and bare feet. When his grandfather announces that he''s going to take Solomon to Ethiopia''s capital, Addis Ababa, Solomon cannot believe his ears. And he is even more excited to hear that the Ethiopian running team will be doing a victory parade through the city that day! But then Solomon''s grandfather collapses – and Solomon knows that getting help from his village is up to him. It''s a twenty-mile run from the city to home, and his grandfather''s life hangs in the balance. Can the small, bare-footed runner with the big heart make the journey? This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An introduction by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

The acclaimed author travels across Ethiopia collecting folktales in this travelogue featuring many of the fabulous stories she heard. In 1967, at the age of 23, Elizabeth Laird set off for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia''s capital city, to start her first teaching job. She was introduced to Emperor Haile Selassie, made a pilgrimage across the mountains on foot to the ancient city of Lalibela, hitched a ride on an oil tanker across the Danakil Desert, and was arrested—briefly—for a murder she did not commit. Back in Britain, Laird established herself as a major author of fiction for children and young adults, but she always wanted to return to Ethiopia. Her chance came in the late 1990s, when the British Council in Addis Ababa invited her to collect folk stories from every region of the country. Encountering ex-guerrilla fighters, camel traders, Coptic nuns and tribespeople en route, Laird has written a remarkable account of her journey interwoven with a treasure trove of stories featuring princes and maidens, snakes and lions, zombies and hyena-women.

In seventeenth-century Scotland, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged as a witch but escapes to the home of her uncle, placing him and his family in great danger as she risks her life to save them all from the King''s men.

Everyone knows the devil is real. Everyone knows that witches exist. Everyone knows that saying the wrong thing can get you hanged . . . When fourteen-year-old Maggie''s grandmother is accused of witchcraft, Maggie has to run for her life. But Scotland is in the grip of terror and Maggie runs straight into danger, falling into the hands of the English. Defying the king can be deadly, but falling in line is unthinkable. Maggie must learn to stand up for herself if she is to survive . . . The Witching Hour is a gripping tale of persecution in 17th century Scotland by Elizabeth Laird.

Iran has mountains striped with snow, dense forests where bears and lynxes still roam, deserts, bazaars...but above all it has stories - of fairies and demons, of a monstrous metal eagle called the okab, of romantic cockroaches and foolish weavers. During her travels, Elizabeth Laird has gathered a wealth of stories, and here she retells, in her own inimitable style, some of Iran's best, with delightfully offbeat illustrations from Shirin Adl. Praise for A Fistful of Pearls and Other Tales from Iraq: 'Its baddies are wolves and thieves; its stories are fabulous.' The Daily Telegraph

These exciting new TreeTops Myths and Legends are guaranteed to appeal to all your junior readers - whatever their cultural background, gender or enthusiasms. These are the oldest and most enduring stories in the world, retold by leading contemporary children's authors to bring out all of theaction, drama, humour and depth of the original stories in a way that makes them as exciting and meaningful today as ever.The strand is comprised of 24 books, telling a total of around 65 traditional stories from around the world. All of the stories are fully illustrated with stunning, vibrant images. The stories are carefully levelled, making them accessible to the average 7-11 year old reader. A thought-provokingletter from the author explains something about the background of the stories and the process of writing or retelling them. The letter also encourages the reader to make links between stories in a collection - prompting a fascinating investigation of the similarities and differences between storiesthat have evolved from different cultures around the world.Free teaching notes with each pack offer suggestions on how to develop higher order comprehension and writing skills. They also provide short introductions to many of the stories and discussion points to promote meaningful speaking and listening, and reflective reading. The stories are ideal formaking strong links to other areas of curriculum.

Twelve-year-old Anna is looking forward to the birth of her baby brother. Ben arrives, but is disabled and will never be like other children. Anna loves him with her whole heart, but she finds herself unable to admit the truth of Ben''s condition to her school friends. Eventually the truth gets out and leads not to the ridicule Anna expected, but to sympathy and understanding. An emotional and wonderfully written story by Elizabeth Laird, Red Sky in the Morning was Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal.

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of Kiss the Dust, with a cover illustration by Roshi Rouzbehani, an author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. A must-read modern classic, this is an unforgettable, award-winning novel of conflict, persecution and the hardships faced by refugees. Tara is an ordinary teenager. Although her country, Kurdistan, is caught up in a war, the fighting seems far away. It hasn''t really touched her. Until now. The secret police are closing in, and Tara and her family must flee to the mountains with only the few things they can carry. It is a hard and dangerous journey - but their struggles have only just begun. Will anywhere feel like home again? This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An introduction by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

A gritty, deeply moving story that shows how the human spirit can triumph in the harshest of worlds.

Oranges in No Man''s Land brings Elizabeth Laird''s emotional and gripping adventure to her next generation of fans. Since her father left Lebanon to find work and her mother tragically died in a shell attack, ten-year-old Ayesha has been living in the bomb-ravaged city of Beirut with her granny and her two younger brothers. The city has been torn in half by civil war and a desolate, dangerous no man''s land divides the two sides. Only militiamen and tanks dare enter this deadly zone, but when Granny falls desperately ill, Ayesha sets off on a terrifying journey to reach a doctor living in enemy territory.

This book aims to improve social work training and practice by arguing that a thorough understanding of people''s values, social norms and family arrangements are crucial to achieving culturally sensitive practice.

Traditional retellings of two favourite fairytales with bright illustrations.

The police are looking everywhere for a spy. Simon Simple is so busy trying to start a holiday romance with Samanatha that he doesn''t see what is right in front of his nose.

Anita dreams of being a movie star. One day Mr Stein invites Anita to visit his studio. This is her big chance but, in the end, it isn't Anita who impresses him ...

Fortælling for børn.

Monkey and his friends learn the difference between open and closed, asleep and awake, in and out, big and little, up and down, slow and fast, and first and last.