New Releases by Gillian CROSS

A bold re-envisioning of The Odyssey, told with simplicity and style — perfect for fans of graphic retellings and mythology enthusiasts alike. Odysseus faces storm and shipwreck, a terrifying man-eating Cyclops, the alluring but deadly Sirens, and the fury of the sea-god Poseidon as he makes his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War. While Odysseus struggles to make it home, his wife, Penelope, fights a different kind of battle as her palace is invaded by forceful, greedy men who tell her that Odysseus is dead and she must choose a new husband. Will Odysseus reach her in time? Homer’s epic, age-old story is powerfully told by Carnegie Medalist Gillian Cross and stunningly illustrated by rising talent Neil Packer.

Machines, mysteries and mayhem - this must be a case for OLLIE SPARK!Ollie Spark has his biggest adventure yet, when he travels to a fancy food festival on a far-flung island!There are tasty treats galore - but the festival''s guest of honour, a grand Duchess, is acting very suspiciously. What is she hiding? Ollie embarks on an undercover mission involving spying, secret recipes and lots of noodles . . .It''s up to Ollie and his lovable dog Gasket to uncover the truth, and save the island before disaster strikes!

It''s Ella''s first day at her new school and that can only mean one thing: making new friends. But the challenge is even tougher than Ella thought. When she stumbles across the book Five Ways to Make a Friend in the library, it''s like all her prayers have been answered

Photographs taken around the area of Bergen, Norway. Ravishing reflections, gorgeous gorges and fantastic fjords.

It''s amazing! The Hyperbrain is a super intelligent computer that works by accessing the human brain. In the wrong hands, though, it could spell disaster. The new Controller at the Artificial Intelligence Unit seems horribly familiar but Dinah and her friends know that the Demon Headmaster has been defeated. Hasn''t he? Great fun and just a little bit frightening, Gillian Cross''s Demon Headmaster books still hold readers under their hypnotic spell. Fast-paced and full of adventure, they''re impossible to resist!

Something weird is happening at school. The children are too well behaved - almost like robots. What strange power does the eerie headmaster hold over them, and can anyone resist? Or are Dinah, Lloyd, and Harvey doomed to become part of the Demon Headmaster''s dark plan?

Something strange is going on a Lizzie''s school. Suddenly everyone''s brilliant at something. Where have these amazing skills come from? And why can''t they talk about them? It''s as though the pupils have no power over their own actions. Could this be something to do with the mysterious new headmaster . . . ?

The gods have power to transform people into whatever they want in these ancient myths. What will happen when Arachne challenges a goddess to a spinning competition? Talkative Echo is doomed to a life of silence, only able to repeat what others say. Narcissus''s good looks get the better of himwhen he catches sight of his reflection. Baucis and Philemon long to live together forever will the god Jupiter make this happen? The ancient world is brought to life in these vibrant tales.TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children''s authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children.The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.This pack provides 6 copies of the same title.

Brother Aelred loved singing and looking after the pigs. But it was his secret weapon that stopped the Vikings getting the treasure! Part of ''Collins Big Cat'' series for ages 4-7, this title includes practical teaching notes.

An hilarious story, told in letter form, about King Alfred – he who burnt the cakes, and his battles with the Vikings.

When a princess is sent away to begin a new life, little does she know what lies in store . . . Discover how this heroine, cruelly tricked by her evil maid, struggles to prove her innocence to the handsome prince she is destined to marry. 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 story and reading. These beans are favourite fairytales and legends that will delight, thrill and thoroughly entertain. Each story has been brilliantly crafted by one of the best-loved writers for children. This story was published by David Fickling Books as part of the Magic Beans anthology. The complete anthology is available in hardback and in ebook format.

How did John Cox die? His sister Hayley thinks she knows so, along with John''s friend Annie, she travels to Russia to visit the site of the explosion that killed him. But they soon realize there is more to John''s death than meets the eye, and certain people are desperate to keep them from finding out the truth.

A compilation of three slightly chilling tales includes "Dracula''s Daughter," in which a family adopts the baby on their doorstep and enjoys bringing her up, though her teeth grow sharp and pointed until Dracula comes to claim her for his own.

Word count 10,300 Suitable for younger learners

Robert has come back from a horrible ordeal in a strange parallel world. Now he can’t stop thinking about the people he left behind to face a winter that most won’t survive. When Robert sees a chance to save his friend Lorn, he is desperate to succeed. But is he prepared for the realities of her world? Meanwhile, Lorn struggles to lead the little band of survivors, even as she feels herself drawn to a secret tunnel where an unknown menace lurks. Seamlessly blending fantasy with a hard-hitting survival tale, Gillian Cross has created a completely original psychological thriller.

Robert macht sich Sorgen um die Gemeinschaft der äWinzlingeä, denen ein eiskalter todbringender Winter in ihrer unterirdischen Höhle bevorsteht. Ob er sie zusammen mit seiner Schwester und seinem Freund Tom, der ihm erst kein Wort glaubt, retten kann? Ab 11.

Robert tries to get answers from Magee, the strange man he met on the airplane, and works with Tom and Emma to try to rescue Lorn and the others before winter arrives, while Lorn takes it upon herself to find answers and a way to escape her past, if not her present, captivity.

Everyone is mad about Hunky Parker merchandise and Dinah and her friends become embroiled in a plot and a race against time when they try to investigate the phenomenon. 8 yrs+

Everyone at school is trying to win the computer game, Octopus dare. Dinah is the only one good enough to beat the computer but she forgets who she is when she looks into the eyes of the octopus. 8 yrs+

William and his brother are desperate to have a tree house in the grand old tree at the bottom of the garden. Their father has to go away, but is determined that the tree house should be built. So every month he sends a parcel home to the boys - a parcel containing things they''ll need for the tree house. But will their father be home in time for Christmas - in time to join them in the tree house to eat the chestnuts that are growing there . . . Gillian Cross has won many major awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Smarties Prize, and the Whitbread Award.

There''s a new craze sweeping across the country - the mysterious DJ Pardoman and his ''Purple'' club. Everyone wants to be a part of it - nobody wants to be left out. But when a competition is launched to find the real DJ Pardoman, Dinah and her friends become suspicious. Could the DJ be their old enemy, the Demon Headmaster, in disguise? A fast-moving story with a series of surprising twists, and all the excitement Demon Headmaster fans expect.

The Demon Headmaster is in charge of a scientific research centre and has created an Evolution Accelerator: a machine to speed up the evolution process and produce the perfect human. But for this he needs Dinah''s DNA, and then plans to put her into terrible danger to test his theories.

Finch is alone in a motorway cafe when she meets a scruffy bunch of lads who say they are a rock band - Finch can sing and before she knows it she has joined the band - Fame follows, but there is always the strange, brooding figure of Christie for her to try to understand.

Colin Jackus doesn''t want to be in the school play and is angry because he''s been forced into it. But gradually he starts to realize that it''s not just a play - the sinster story they are acting has its roots deep in cruel reality and despair. Strange things are happening among the cast of the play and misery is seeping through them. So when the leading actor starts to take on the evil personality of the character he''s supposed to be playing, Jackus decides to delve deeper and try and stop the disaster that threatens.

Paula is thrilled when her explorer father pulls her out of school to climb the mountains of Peru. But as they penetrate the jungle, her father''s decisions no longer seem sound, and their native guide dies as a result. Why won''t he turn back?

Finding a note in Joseph''s lost wallet referring to dungeons and warriors, Nick becomes involved in a fantasy game which takes a dangerous turn when gang members send him on a quest which involves betraying Joseph.

Crumble Lane School is so dull that the spiders on the ceilings yawn. The school uniform is grey, the classrooms cold and bare and the teachers as dull as dust. The only happy person there is Natalie, who spends all her time doing what she loves best: maths. But then, enter Posh Watson, with his purple jacket, giant sunglasses and pink musical trainers, saying things like abso-doodle-utely and hoo-doodle-ray. And, before you can say fan-doodle-tastic, everyone is copying him - except Natalie, who thinks that the whole school has gone mad

These are the titles for the OLW fiction strand for upper Key Stage 2, (Y5 and Y6) designed to fit the National Literacy Strategy. Year 5: "The Treasure in the Mud" by Gillian Cross - an historical story set in Victorian Britain "The River Runs to the End of Time" by Frances Usher - a story about friendships during the English civil war "How Did the World Begin?" by Rosalind Kerven - creation myths from around the world "The Legend of King Arthur" by Mick Gowar - a retelling of part of this famous legend "Lennox and the Casa Montego Smugglers" by Errol Lloyd - Lennox and his grandfather discover a smuggling ring while on holiday in Jamaica "Cloud Forest" by Mark Leyland - children in Equador lay a ghost to rest