New Releases by Emma Laybourn

Three short chapter books in one volume tell the story of Neptune, the pirate''s parrot, who sails the high seas with Captain Snatchit and his crew. Then the pirate ship, the Seaslug, sinks and he flies away to find a new home.In "The Pirate''s Parrot", Neptune discovers a green island. It''s a parrots'' paradise until Captain Snatchit lands there too. When the pirates start chopping down trees, the parrots decide to get rid of them. But how? Neptune holds the key...In "Captain Snatchit''s Revenge", the Captain finds out he was tricked. He vows to catch that pesky parrot Neptune!In "The Wreck of the Seaslug", Captain Snatchit salvages his old ship and sets up his pirate base on Parrot Island. This is going to need the parrots'' most ingenious plan yet...With thrills, spills, laughs and plenty of bad pirate language, these stories are ideal for reading aloud, or for more confident readers to enjoy on their own.

Jack''s mum insists he has new school shoes and the only ones they can find are horrid, black lace-ups. They are so stiff, noisy and uncomfortable that Jack suspects they must be monster shoes, especially when they seem to kick his classmates for no reason and make the football go in completely the wrong direction at playtime. Jack desperately works on a plan to get rid of them, until he discovers, quite by accident, a way of taming the monster shoes...

King Tarcorax has outlawed every kind of fun and the punishment is being thrown in the dungeon. With the help of a witch, a pirate and a pig, Rab sets out to escape his dungeon and teach the Sorcerer a lesson, but trouble starts when the witches spells start going very wrong.

Ned’s gotten into an elite new school. But there’s a problem—everyone there can do magic. And Ned can’t. Ned tries to adjust to his new situation, avoid making enemies, and jump-start his magic skills, all with very little luck. Then, just as he’s getting accustomed to having his hair turned into snakes and his books into bricks, Necromancers strike and Ned and his classmates are kidnapped. But without magic, how can he possibly help them escape?

Ned is starting at a new school. There''s just one problem - everyone else there can do magic. Ned can''t. Just as he''s getting used to being given snakes for hair and flying carpet rides, the terrifying Necromancers strike. Ned and his friends are kidnapped. But without magic, how can he possibly help them to escape?

A science-fiction adventure set in a post-apocalyptic world. The city has been abandoned by everyone but the street children. Police dogs attempt to keep order, but it''s a thankless task. When Admiral Benbow, the best dog in town, is wounded and loses a leg, the authorities take it and clone three more versions of him. Now he must train his duplicates, while searching for three special children in the ruined city.

The old museum is closing, making way for a new high-tech get-fit-quick gym. The last thing left to go is the ancient mummy in his glass case. Amber and Jake open the case up, playing ''dare'', and before they know it, the mummy has gone walkabout to discover 21st century Britain.

Joe''s granpa has an expensive new computer with the very latest computer mouse - a Megamouse. When Joe and his friend Kelly sncak into Granpa''s room to play games on his computer, they discover that Megamouse can see and hear and communicate with them. But Megamouse is not content to be confined to Granpa''s room. With the help of Granpa''s pet rat, Cleo, Megamouse decides to explore the world outside. But there he is in great danger from the ferocious bulldog, Hogarth, and his sinister owner... Megamouse maybe a fantastic aid on the computer screen, but how will he cope with the real world?

When Ben''s father has to go away, he has a big surprise for Ben - a very special robot to take his place.