Best Selling Books by Geraldine McCaughrean

Pepper''s fourteenth birthday is a momentous one. It''s the day he''s supposed to die. Everyone seems resigned to it—even Pepper, although he would much prefer to live. But can you sidestep Fate? Jump sideways into a different life? Naïve and trusting, Pepper sets a course through dangerous waters, inviting disaster and mayhem at every turn, one eye on the sky for fear of angels, one on the magnificent possibilities of being alive. New York Times bestselling and Printz Award-winning author GeraldineMcCaughrean has created a gripping tale filled with dark humor and daringescapades, where the key to a boy''s lifelies in facing his own death. Join him on the run—if you can keep up.

Book Band: Dark Red - Ideal for ages 10+ ''McCaughrean is one of the greatest living children''s authors.'' The Bookseller Brilliant historical fiction from double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean From ships that sail in a sea in the sky and children who witness the deadly effects of a scientific experiment, to a magic carpet that brings about a day of judgement and a year where eleven days are lost and never to be found, this short-story collection will have you on the edge of your seat! This collection of gripping historical short stories from award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean has beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Ian McCaughrean and is perfect for children who are developing as readers. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With engaging illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyreaders.com. ''Any list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed ... Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding.'' Books for Keeps

A timeless collection to capture our literary heritage. Ishmael joins the whale-hunting crew of the Pequod, and gets swept up in the Captain''s quest for revenge against the gargantuan white whale.TreeTops Greatest Stories is a series of timeless classics for children aged 7-11. This pack provides 6 copies of the same title. Key Features:- Selected by Series Editor Michael Morpurgo, master storyteller.- A range of top children''s authors, who know how to engage and enthral young readers.- Beautifully illustrated titles draw children in.- Captivating stories that every child should read.- Supports the focus on literary heritage and reading for pleasure.- Underpinned by Oxford Assessment and Levelling, matching every child with the right book for them through carefully graded language.- Reading notes on the inside cover support children with their reading.- Teaching notes on Oxford Owl support independent reading, guided reading and writing activities.

In Lovesong, three-time Whitbread Prize winner Geraldine McCaughrean has written what Philippa Gregory called "Probably the best historical novel I have ever read." At the centre of the story is a talented troubadour, Peter Oriole, and his daughter, `Princess'' Ouallada. The opening sections of the book trace Oriole''s journey from France to the Holy Land in the service of two very different crusader Knights, one a saintly aesthete, the other a cynical opportunist. The twelfth century was a time when men and women were inventing - or perhaps reinventing - the nature of love itself, and it was the troubadour''s task to express that love in song - their fate either glory or scandalous ruin. What does love mean to Oriole? As he discovers both romance and passion in his own life we are introduced to an extraordinary cast of characters - rogues, mountebanks, villains, heroes, damsels both in and out of distress, soldiers and holy men, all working out their own destiny, each compellingly and convincingly drawn. This is the story of one man''s wreck on the sea of passion - and his daughter''s stormy voyage in his wake. With strikingly detailed imagery and characterisation that is totally convincing and compassionate, Geraldine McCaughrean has written a novel of ideas which is also storytelling at full pelt. "McCaughrean is well on her way to becoming one of the few great novelists to adorn our age." MAIL ON SUNDAY ÿ

In this funny story a family become marooned in a hotel called Forever Xmas. They celebrate Christmas all year round, complete with dinner, presents and Father Christmas. Things are not the same when Mr Angel lands in a tree and the police arrive!

15 myths about the sun, the moon, and the stars from different cultures and countries...

Ever since the magnificent Miss Loucien gave up teaching to join the Bright Lights Theater Company, school days have lacked a certain . . . drama . . . especially for Cissy, who longs for a life in show business, and Kookie, who craves adventure. But when a diphtheria outbreak interrupts the dull routine, Cissy and Kookie are evacuated to the doubtful safety of the Bright Lights’ summer home—a shipwrecked paddle steamer on the flooded Missouri River. Thus begins a wild and unpredictable journey downstream serving up grand performances, aggrieved river gamblers, irate lawmen, and perilous races. And when at long last Cissy steps into the limelight, the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. Renowned storyteller Geraldine McCaughrean weaves a rip-roaring adventure in this funny tale that’s chock-full of humor and heart.

Hans Christian Andersen''s entrancing tale of love, set between land and sea, is retold by renowned storyteller Geraldine McCaughrean and brought to life in magical silhouette artwork by illustrator Laura Barrett. When she falls in love with a prince, the little mermaid persuades a sea witch to replace her tail with legs so she can live on land. But the price demanded by the wicked sea witch is great: the mermaid''s beautiful voice . . .

From the English legend of Robin Hood and the West Indian story of Anansi the Spiderman to the lesser known Native American story of the first snow and the Kikuyu myth of how men and women finally agreed, this collection is a compilation of 22 universally appealing tales from such places as Polyneisa, Estonia, North America, Mexico, and Kikuyu. Full color.

A retelling of the Greek tale of how Perseus, a good and brave young man, is helped by the gods to cut off the head of the monster Gorgon Medusa. Suggested level: primary.

This selection of 16 Greek myths provides tales of adventure, courage and mystery. Geraldine McCaughrean''s re-telling makes them accessible for Key Stage 3 pupils.

Jesse trees (and later, stained glass windows), used in medieval times tell people Bible stories. Using her skills as a storyteller and her love of the Bible, the author has written an intriguing story about the creation of a modern-day Jesse tree. She weaves evocative retellings of selected Bible stories with a sensitive contemporary story about the transforming power of love.

In this variation of the traditional Baba Yaga story, a young girl must rely on the advice of her dead mother and her special doll when her wicked stepmother sends her to get a needle from Grandma Chickenlegs.

A captivating retelling of the story of the very first Christmas from multi-award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean. In the still heart of the night, the child was born. A boy. Mary kissed him, washed him, wrapped him tightly and laid him in the wooden trough where the animals usually munched hay. She gave him a kiss. She gave him a name too - Jesus - just as the angel had told her to do. Discover the tale of Mary and Joseph, the Angel Gabriel, the shepherds, the wise men and the arrival of the Baby Jesus, retold in simple, lyrical language. Illustrated with enchanting silhouette artwork by Laura Barrett, this is a book to be shared and treasured by every family at Christmas time.

An illustrated retelling of Geoffrey Chaucer''s famous work in which a group of pilgrims in fourteenth-century England tell each other stories as they travel on a pilgrimage to the cathedral at Canterbury.

A mysterious stranger''s entrancing stories entice customers to buy the antiques sold by Ailsa and her mother, who appreciate the business but are uncomfortable with the knowledge that their success is based upon lies.