New Release Books by Gillian Cross

Ruby and Tom love playing in the caves; that''s before the Gang arrive. But they''re not about to give them up without a fight. When a simple plan goes wrong, it looks like they might need the gang after all. Find out what happens in this exciting adventure story by Carnegie winner, Gillian Cross, and illustrated by Marilee Harrald-Pilz.

A touching tale of friendship, understanding and finding the confidence to be yourself, from one of the UK''s most beloved authors.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, as the girls in her class just don''t seem interested in her. When she stumbles across the book Five Ways to Make a Friend in the library, it''s like all her prayers have been answered. With five excellent ideas up her sleeve, Ella will be friends with the girls in no time ... Right? But what if things don''t quite work out as planned? And what if the friend Ella really needs has been there all along?

Gillian Cross''s award-winning book The Great Elephant Chase has been read and enjoyed by young and old since its first publication. With a stunning new cover by exciting and talented illustrator Hannah Horn, this book is being reissued for a new generation of readers to discover and fall in love with.

Curiosity saves the bat in this fun and quirky adventure story from beloved author Gillian Cross.

When she begins receiving bizarre threatening messages from someone who seems to know her every move, teenage Ashley, after seeking help from the neighborhood tough guy, comes to realize that she alone can end the stalker''s reign of terror.

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

Homer''s great story is retold with simplicity and style, and brought to life in stunning illustrations. It charts the ten year epic voyage of Odysseus as he returns from the Trojan War to his homeland of Ithaca. On his journey he encounters all manner of perils, from the man-eating Cyclops to the deadly lure of the Sirens.

Gillian Cross''s brilliant retelling and Neil Packer''s glorious illustrations bring to life Homer''s Iliad, one of the greatest stories ever told. The team behind The Odyssey (2012) now tell the story of the Trojan War. Cross''s vivid adaptation begins with a beauty contest: the prize, a golden apple. In return for securing her victory, the goddess Aphrodite helps Prince Paris abduct Helen, wife to the king of Sparta. Enraged, the king and his Greek allies wage war on the Trojans. Nine years later, the fighting still rages on, but the Greeks are beginning to quarrel among themselves - Achilles and Agamemnon''s petty argument has dire consequences for everyone caught in the crossfire. Neil Packer''s pictures capture the beauty and remoteness of the setting, and bring a profound humanity to one of the finest literary achievements of Greek civilization.

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.

Cassy lives with her granny, until the night that she hears strange footsteps coming into their flat. The next morning, she is packed off to her mum''s - a squat in London that her beautiful, simple mother shares with a couple of actors. Cassy does her best to throw herself into her mother''s life, even agreeing to take part in their travelling show called ''Wolf''. But she can''t ever get rid of the feeling that something is following her, and something bad is going to happen. Her fear grows as time passes, until Cassy knows she must face up to her past: who her father is, why he left and where he has gone. What she doesn''t know is that some questions are better left unanswered...

Jason Banks is a bully. No one likes him and even the teachers are scared of him! It''s time that someone taught Jason a lesson and he might just have met his match in the strange pumpkin that keeps appearing on his doorstep. Will Jason ever learn the error of his ways? And can he crack the case of the dreaded Pumpkin of Doom? Hilarious and unusual school based comedy with quirky illustrations by Sarah Horne

When holly''s sister announces her engagement, wedding planning begins in earnest. But a tight budget means missing out on some wedding essentials - like the cake! Holly decides to put her baking skills to the test and surprise the happy couple with 1000 cupcakes! What could possibly go wrong?

There are guns and bandits in this story and supermodels and there''s drought and starvation too. Are you wondering how they can all come together? Well, that''s how life is these days. Things don''t happen neatly, in separate little places. We''re all caught by the great spider''s web of media that spans the world. That''s where the story is set. The world. It''s the story of Abdi and Khadija and Freya (that''s me) and what happened to us because of Somalia...

The thrilling conclusion of a groundbreaking trilogy has arrived. Robert journeyed through a strange parallel world with the help of a tiny band of fellow survivors. Now home, Robert, with his best friend, Tom, and sister, Emma, are desperate to save the others before winter sets in and cold destroys their fragile existence. But the three friends discover a sinister connection between their own and the parallel world?a darkness that will test their courage, their friendship, and their hope for the future. Seamlessly blending fantasy with a hard-hitting tale of love and survival, Gillian Cross weaves the final tale in a startlingly original, spellbinding series.

A colouring book for adults of scenes of Italy. A collection of hand drawn pictures from photos taken on a holiday to Milan. There are scenes of Como, Milan and Stresa to colour in.

Club Purple is the place to be! The mysterious DJ Pardoman is so cool, with his ever-changing electronic mask. So when a competition is announced to unmask the DJ, everyone wants to win and find out who he is. When Dinah makes a shocking discovery she decides to investigate further, but has she fallen into a trap? Little does Dinah realize that the Demon Headmaster is about to use her in his most threatening plan yet! 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!

Each Calling a Dead Man Class Pack contains 15 copies of the Rollercoasters edition of Calling a Dead Man by Gillian Cross and 15 Calling a Dead Man Reading Guides to support the student in their study of the novel. When John, an explosives expert, dies in an accident in Russia, his sister, Hayley and friend Annie go there to mourn. Before long they begin to suspect that there is more to John''s death than meets the eye and that certain people are desperately trying to keep them away from the truth. Themes: personal identity, grief, effects of physical environment, loyalty and betrayal, family relationships, disability Teaching Focus: * Skilful evocation of place and atmosphere * The use of tension and suspense to produce a fast-paced thriller * Creation of empathy with characters and their situation * A variety of narrative layers build up the plot structure Recommended for students in Years 7 and 8 The Rollercoasters series is a set of imaginative and exciting books that your students will not want to put down. All books are supported by extensive teacher resources online, in print and on CD-ROM, and contain themes that will appeal to girls, boys and mixed ability classes. Each book is also accompanied by Reading Guides to provide essential background material for students on the novel of the same title, and include a letter to the student from the author of the novel, thematic activities, wider reading references and short reviews.

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.

Everyone is talking about the latest TV show, Hunky Parker. It''s the latest craze and soon everyone in school is completely hooked on it. Ingrid tries to convince her friends to watch, but they''re just not interested. At last she manages to persuade them and once they start watching it, something very weird happens . . . and it could involve the Demon Headmaster! Great fun and just a little bit frightening, Gillian Cross''s beloved characters still holds readers under his hypnotic spell. Exciting and page-turning adventures. The Demon Headmaster series is impossible to resist.

There''s a new computer game at school and the chance to enter the Junior Computer Brain of the Year competition is sending ripples of excitement through the pupils. Dinah is a whizz at the game and soon finds herself in the competition final. But it takes a while to realize that it''s all just part of the Demon Headmaster''s latest plan . . . Dinah is being used to access the computer of the Prime Minster. 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!

The Hunter family have moved house and can finally forget all about their encounters with the Demon Headmaster . . . or can they? Just as they start to relax, Dinah, Lloyd, and Harvey notice that the villagers are all speaking the same robotic phrases. This can only mean one thing . . . the Demon Headmaster is back and this time he''s planning a terrifying experiment. Great fun and 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!

Two young people discover unknown strengths inside themselves when one is kidnapped and the other tries to save him.

Everyone is good at something. But at Lizzie''s school this has been taken to extremes. Her classmate Ethan, who previously had no interest in sport, is now incredible at football; her brother''s suddenly an expert in robotics; and Lizzie has become really good at being bad. But when she tries to remember what awful thing she''s just done, all she has is a blank space in her mind. How come they''ve suddenly changed so much? And why can''t they talk about it? It''s as though they have no power over their own actions. Could this be something to do with the mysterious new headmaster . . . ? Surrender yourself to the new hypnotic spell of the Demon Headmaster, with new kids, a new school, and a new thrilling scheme for world domination. Fast paced and action packed adventure, written by the award-winning Gillian Cross. Resistance is not an option.

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 contains six books, one of each of the following titles:Mischief Makers, A Christmas Carol, Who Needs Stories?, Decisions, Decisions, Changing Shape and Peter and the Wolf.