New Releases by Jamila Gavin

The Whitbread 2000 Book of the Year is a haunting and captivating work of historical fiction for children. The Coram man takes babies and money from desperate mothers, promising to deliver them safely to a Foundling Hospital in London. Instead, he murders them and buries them by the roadside, to the helpless horror of his mentally ill son, Mish. Mish saves one, Aaron, who grows up happily unaware of his history, proving himself a promising musician. As Aaron's new life takes him closer to his real family, the watchful Mish makes a terrible mistake, delivering Aaron and his best friend Toby back into the hands of the Coram man. It tells the story of a dark time in English history. Fans of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Goodnight Mr Tom will love this. A great read for children aged 10+. Look out for Jamilla's other titles: The Eye of the Horse The Robber Baron's Daughter The Track of the Wind Wheel of Surya Coram Boy won the 2000 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and has been adapted into a highly acclaimed stage play. Jamila Gavin was born in Mussoorie, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. With an Indian father and an English mother, she inherited two rich cultures which ran side by side throughout her life, and which always made her feel she belonged to both countries. The family finally settled in England where Jamila completed her schooling, was a music student, worked for the BBC and became a mother of two children. It was then that she began writing children's books, and felt a need to reflect the multi-cultural world in which she and her children now lived.

A stunning and heartbreaking new novel from Jamila Gavin, the bestselling and award-winning author of Coram Boy and The Wheel of Surya.

Alexander the Great is hailed as the world's greatest leaders of all time, renowned for his bravery, his loyalty and his generosity towards his enemies. Jamila Gavin's vivid narrative brings the ancient world to life, as she follows Alexander's campaign from Greece to India. From his taming of the wild horse Bucephalus, to the cutting of the Gordian Knot, through to his great battles and confrontations with Darius III, King of Persia, Alexander was a legend in his own lifetime. Alongside his campaigning feats, the legends from ancient Greece, Egypt, Persia and India told around the army campfires create a vivid and exciting picture of life under this great hero.

A stunning and heartbreaking new novel from Jamila Gavin, the bestselling and award-winning author of Coram Boy and The Wheel of Surya.

TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the world's 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 6 books, one of each of the following titles: Sixteen Sisters, Gawain and the Green Knight, Shakespeare Stories, The Enchanted Horse, The Snow Queen and The Storm Child.

A beautiful new edition of the first volume in the Surya Trilogy by Whitbread award-winning author Jamila Gavin.

A stunning collection of mystical fairy tales, Blackberry Blue is packed with picturesque moments that will bewitch readers - Booktrust Step into a magical world of enchanted forests, talking animals and wicked witches . . . These six magical stories will thrill and enchant you. Watch Blackberry Blue rise from the bramble patch; follow Emeka the pathfinder on his mission to save a lost king; join Princess Desire as she gallops across the Milky Way on her jet-black horse. These beautifully written and original stories will delight readers of all ages, and the stunning illustrations by Richard Collingridge will take your breath away. Gavin's six stories are spooky, engaging and refreshing in their originality. Complemented by Richard Collingridge's atmospheric illustrations, this lovely book deserves to become a classic. - Marilyn Brocklehurst, Bookseller

One diamond – a world of spies, death and deception. In Venice, the diamond promises wealth and prestige to greedy Bernardo Pagliarin. At the court of the Great Moghul in Agra, it holds the key to the throne itself. For Filippo and his family, the stone is worth far more. It could bring their father back from the dead. From the bustling markets of seventeenth-century Venice to the majestic palaces of Hindustan, acclaimed author Jamila Gavin takes the reader on an unforgettable quest across desert, sea and mountains.

Derek Landy, Philip Reeve, Joseph Delaney, Susan Cooper, Eleanor Updale, Jamila Gavin, Mal Peet, Matt Haig, Berlie Doherty, Robin Jarvis and Sam Llewellyn have come together to bring you eleven ghost stories: from a ghost walk around York; to a drowned boy, who's determined to find someone to play with; to a lost child trapped in a mirror, ready to pull you in; to devilish creatures, waiting with bated breath for their next young victim; to an ancient woodland reawakened. Some will make you scream, some will make you shiver, but all will haunt you gently long after you've put the book down.

These are three captivating retellings of Hindu tales. Princess Savitri happily leaves the palace to live with her husband, Satyvan, in the jungle. But behind her joy there is fear, for Savitri carries a dark secret. It is written in the stars Satyvan will die within a year...Princess Damayanti is the one everyone wants to marry, including the gods. However, even they are happy to consent to her marriage to King Nala - all except the demon Kali, who lays a curse on the perfect couple...Princess Sita follows her husband Prince Rama when he is banished to the jungle by his jealous stepmother, just before he is to become king. But she is kidnapped by Ravana, Lord of the Demons...

Who was Alexander? Myth or man? God or devil? He claimed to be Zeus' son and even in his own lifetime wild legends sprang up about him. Above all, Alexander was a hero - brave, wily, handsome and inspiring. This richly illustrated biography skilfully interweaves accounts of Alexander's battle campaigns with legends from each newly conquered country. From Greece and Egypt to Persia and India, the stories of the great mythical heroes of Achilles, Gilgamesh, and more, provide revealing echoes to Alexander's own charmed life.

This spellbinding haunted-house story takes place within the confines of a grand London mansion, a place where shadowy characters are always coming and going, almost like ghosts. But when twelve-year-old Nettie's beloved tutor disappears, the cloistered yet savvy girl must pull her head out of the sand and find out why. In her search, she makes a friend and turns detective, coming apart yet coming alive as she discovers deeply disturbing things about her father and how he funds her family's extravagant lifestyle – through human trafficking. The award-winning author's new novel is a rich and riveting story about the dangers of turning a blind eye to unsightly events and unsavory possibilities.

All children love stories. Here, master storyteller Jamila Gavin draws them from the four corners of the globe. Stories include: 'The Whistling Monster', a cautionary tale from Brazil; 'The Coming of Raven', a creation myth from Canada; 'The Birth of Krishna', an ancient legend from India.

Twelve-year-old Nettie's sheltered and privileged life changes after her beloved tutor mysteriously disappears and Nettie, aided by the son of a household employee, begins to learn the truth about her father, whose wealth began with trafficking in illegal aliens.

Perfect reading for inquisitive 5-7 year olds, this book brings together three alien adventures written by Jamila Gavin, Sam McBratney and Franzeska G. Ewart.

An epic adventure filled with danger and excitement. Perfect for studying author s craft, plot and comparing two writers from different centuries. On stage, this script is great for creating high dramatic tension and provides 15 colourful parts.

When Natalie falls into a wormhole in space, it is up to her step-brother Chad and neighbour Sophie to help her. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.

Filippo has never met his father. Before he was born, his father, a jeweller, travelled to the court of the Great Moghul Emperor Shan Jehan. Twelve years later, a stranger, Signor Khan, arrives bringing a message. His father is held captive by the bandit Mir Baba and only the most valuable jewel, his masterpiece The Ocean of the Moon is worth enough to raise the ransom. Filippo must go with the stranger, into the foreign lands, to sell the jewel to Shah Jehan. But he goes with a secret: he is carrying a copy of the jewel, the real diamond is sewn into his scalp, beneath his hair. They are attacked almost as soon as they set out on their journey. The fake jewel is taken, and Filippo discovers Khan has betrayed him - he knew all along about the real jewel. They travel on to the Emperor's court, where Khan tries to force Filippo to sell the jewel to the Grand Vizier, and Prince Aurangzeb puts him under house arrest. But when Filippo manages to meet Shah Jehan, the Emperor is delighted with The Ocean of the Moon and the plan of the Grand Vizier, in the pay of Aurangzeb, is thwarted. But these are dangerous men who will not give up. attack, kill Khan and Filippo flees for his life. Reaching the bandit stronghold, Filippo can only trade a small ring for his father, but it is enough. But worse is to come. His father has been driven mad by his captivity and dies on the journey home. Filippo is embittered, but finds his sadness healed when, years later, he returns to Hindustan with his brother. The Taj Mahal is a replica of The Ocean of the Moon, their father's work has not been in vain.

The final volume in the Wheel of Surya trilogy. A story touching on culture, class, faith and family set against the backdrop of Indian independence.

This tells a story from the Indian epic poem The Ramajana. From Rama's banishment to his triumph, helped by an army of monkeys, over the ten-headed demon king, Ravana, this is a stirring and magical tale, framed by scenes set in the present in which a family prepares for Diwali, the traditional celebration of the return of Rama and Sita to safety.

Set in the eighteenth century, Coram Boy is a tale of two cities and a tale of two boys: Toby, saved from an African slave ship, and Aaron, the illegitimate heir to a great estate. It's also a tale of fathers and sons: slave-trader, Otis, and his son Meshak; and landowner Sir William Ashbrook and the son he disinherits.

Ten children, originally featured in Children just like me, introduce tales from their countries which have been chosen and retold by Jamila Gavin. Richly illustrated with images of different cultures.

Shortlisted for Guardian Fiction Award 1995. Two children search for their father in England, but, long for India and their mother. A mysterious white horse appears.

A young alien sent to earth to study humans learns that you can't make friends by making enemies.