Most Popular Books by Mal Peet

An enthralling story of a poor and gawky kid who mysteriously becomes the world''s greatest goalkeeper — a seamless blend of magic realism and exhilarating soccer action. "And you found it, this thing you were looking for?" It was darker now, and the city below Faustino''s office was a jazzy dance of neon signs and traffic. The big man went to the window and looked down at it all, spreading his large hands on the glass. "No," he said. "It found me." When Paul Faustino of LA NACION flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato — the phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team the World Cup — the seasoned reporter quickly learns that this will be no ordinary story. Instead, the legendary El Gato ("The Cat") quietly narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in a mythic corner of the South American rain forest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach the gangly boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. Combining vivid imagery and heart-stopping action, this evocative, strikingly ethereal novel about loyalty, passion, and magic will haunt readers, regardless of their love for soccer, long after the story is ended.

When teenage football prodigy El Brujito, vanishes without a trace, Paul Faustino, South America''s top sports journalist, is reluctantly drawn into the mystery, which plunges him into a world of corruption, murder, and the occult. Reprint.

Carnegie Medalist Mal Peet takes a searing look at the world of soccer and pop-celebrity culture -- and the lives of three street kids caught in its glare. (Age 14 and up) When a black South American soccer star signs on to a team in the country’s racist south, headlines blare. And when he falls for the sensual Desmerelda, a stunning white pop singer and daughter of a wealthy politician, their sudden and controversial marriage propels the pair to center stage, where they burn in the media spotlight. But celebrity attracts enemies; some very close to home. And its dazzle reaches into the city’s hidden corners, exposing a life of grit and desperation the glitterati could never imagine. When a girl is found murdered, reporter Paul Faustino is caught between worlds as he witnesses the power of the media in making -- and breaking -- lives. Inspired by Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, this modern tragedy of desire and betrayal, incisively and compassionately told, is a truly enthralling work of crossover fiction.

Award-winning author Philip Murdstone is in trouble. His star has waned. The world is leaving him behind. His agent, the beautiful and ruthless Minerva Cinch, convinces him that his only hope is to write a sword-and-sorcery blockbuster. Unfortunately, Philip - allergic to the faintest trace of Tolkien - is utterly unsuited to the task. In a dark hour, a dwarfish stranger comes to his rescue. But the deal he makes with Pocket Wellfair turns out to have Faustian consequences.The Murdstone Trilogy is a richly black comedy from an author described by one American critic as ''the best writer you''ve probably never heard of''.

From Carnegie Medal–winning author Mal Peet comes a sweeping coming-of-age adventure, both harrowing and life-affirming. Born of a brief encounter between a Liverpool prostitute and an African soldier in 1907, Beck finds himself orphaned as a young boy and sent overseas to the Catholic Brothers in Canada. At age fifteen he is sent to work on a farm, from which he eventually escapes. Finally in charge of his own destiny, Beck starts westward, crossing the border into America and back, all while the Great Depression rages on. What will it take for Beck to understand the agonies of his childhood and realize that love is possible?

Carnegie Medalist Peet ignites an epic tale of young love against the dramatic backdrop of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Told in cinematic style, this brilliant coming-of-age novel is a gripping family portrait that interweaves the stories of three generations and the terrifying crises that define them.

Carnegie Medalist Mal Peet ignites an epic tale of young love against the dramatic backdrop of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Can love survive a lifetime? When working-class Clem Ackroyd falls for Frankie Mortimer, the gorgeous daughter of a wealthy local landowner, he has no hope that it can. After all, the world teeters on the brink of war, and bombs could rain down any minute over the bleak English countryside — just as they did seventeen years ago as his mother, pregnant with him, tended her garden. This time, Clem may not survive. Told in cinematic style by acclaimed writer Mal Peet, this brilliant coming-of-age novel is a gripping family portrait that interweaves the stories of three generations and the terrifying crises that define them. With its urgent sense of history, sweeping emotion, and winning young narrator, Mal Peet''s latest is an unforgettable, timely exploration of life during wartime.

Alf loves soccer, but is he good enough? F&P: E, RR/DLL: 8, DRA2: 6, Stage: Early, Type: Nonfiction

It''s 1945 and Martin Heath, like many men at that time, is struggling to settle, to find his place again after the horrors of war. Then an old comrade sends him a letter and tells him of a position that''s just come up in the remote wilds of Dartmoor - working for an elderly fellow called Mr Godley. "Are you a good driver, Mr Heath?" It''s a simple question and a simple task and the doorway to a dark mystery that may just turn out to be the escape he was hoping for - but at what cost?

A boy and his dog set sail in search of treasure, braving stormy seas, snowy mountains, and other challenging obstacles, before finally reaching the end of their quest: the treasure of Pirate Frank.

Monkeys come to the rescue of a struggling family in this traditional tale from a Carnegie Medal winner.Tashi lives in a tiny village below the tea plantations where her mother earns a living. One day her mother falls ill, and Tashi must pick tea to earn the money for a doctor. But she is too small to reach the tender shoots and the cruel Overseer sends her away empty-handed. Tashi needs a miracle. Then, on the mountains high above the plantation where only monkeys live, something extraordinary happens that will change her life for ever...

The Oxford Literacy Web is an exciting new literacy programme designed to guide schools successfully through the primary years. Fitting the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy, National Curriculum in England and Wales, English Language 5-14 in Scotland, and Common Curriculum inNorthern Ireland, the Oxford Literacy Web guides pupils through the core skills associated with learning to read and write with a diverse range of literary styles within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, rhymes, language, and poetry.The "Fiction" strand: there can be no better way to learn to read than through the Duck Green School and Variety story strands. Exciting stories, hilarious events, and dynamic illustrations combine to ensure diversity and enjoyment. In the Duck Green School stories, early school experiences arebrought to life through a cast of lovable characters. Children can enjoy their own `soap opera'' while learning specific vocabulary in context.Stage 4 of Duck Green Stories reinforces earlier sight vocabulary and introduces 20 new key words. We also meet the children in Miss Ross''s class, including Poppy''s brothers, Mike and Spike, and Leela Lalloo, whose grandparents own The Treasure Chest. The books are available in both standard and`big book'' format.

The Oxford Literacy Web is an exciting new literacy programme designed to guide schools successfully through the primary years. Fitting the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy, National Curriculum in England and Wales, English Language 5-14 in Scotland, and Common Curriculum inNorthern Ireland, the Oxford Literacy Web guides pupils through the core skills associated with learning to read and write with a diverse range of literary styles within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, rhymes, language, and poetry. The "Fiction" strand: there can be no better way to learn to read than through the Duck Green School and Variety story strands. Exciting stories, hilarious events, and dynamic illustrations combine to ensure diversity and enjoyment. In the Duck Green School stories, early school experiences arebrought to life through a cast of lovable characters. Children can enjoy their own `soap opera'' while learning specific vocabulary in context. In Stage 6 it''s Sports Day and Josh is determined to win a race, some ducks have a treat when they come to school, and Cheep gets into a sticky situation. In the fantasy tales Cinderella is reinterpreted in Leela and the Lost Shoe, Gulliver''s Travels is reinterpreted in The Rescue, and TheEmperor''s Nightingale is reinterpreted in The Songbird. Duck Green School stories introduce key word vocabulary in the context of a familiar setting and familiar characters.

From the author of the acclaimed "Keeper" comes a powerfully moving, Carnegie Medal-winning story about love, lies, and secrets set against the daily fear and horror of Nazi-occupied Holland.

An informative look at the history of toilets.

The Oxford Literacy Web is an exciting new literacy programme designed to guide schools successfully through the primary years. Fitting the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy, National Curriculum in England and Wales, English Language 5-14 in Scotland, and Common Curriculum in Northern Ireland, the Oxford Literacy Web guides pupils through the core skills associated with learning to read and write with a diverse range of literary styles within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, rhymes, language, and poetry. The "Fiction" strand: there can be no better way to learn to read than through the Duck Green School and Variety story strands. Exciting stories, hilarious events, and dynamic illustrations combine to ensure diversity and enjoyment. In the Duck Green School stories, early school experiences are brought to life through a cast of lovable characters. Children can enjoy their own `soap opera'' while learning specific vocabulary in context. Stage 4 of Duck Green Stories reinforces earlier sight vocabulary and introduces 20 new key words. We also meet the children in Miss Ross''s class, including Poppy''s brothers, Mike and Spike, and Leela Lalloo, whose grandparents own The Treasure Chest. The books are available in both standard and `big book'' format.

The Oxford Literacy Web is an exciting new literacy programme designed to guide schools successfully through the primary years. Fitting the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy, National Curriculum in England and Wales, English Language 5-14 in Scotland, and Common Curriculum in Northern Ireland, the Oxford Literacy Web guides pupils through the core skills associated with learning to read and write with a diverse range of literary styles within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, rhymes, language, and poetry. The "Fiction" strand: there can be no better way to learn to read than through the Duck Green School and Variety story strands. Exciting stories, hilarious events, and dynamic illustrations combine to ensure diversity and enjoyment. In the Duck Green School stories, early school experiences are brought to life through a cast of lovable characters. Children can enjoy their own `soap opera'' while learning specific vocabulary in context. In Stage 6it''s Sports Day and Josh is determined to win a race, some ducks have a treat when they come to school, and Cheep gets into a sticky situation. In the fantasy tales Cinderella is reinterpreted in Leela and the Lost Shoe, Gulliver''s Travels is reinterpreted in The Rescue, and The Emperor''s Nightingale is reinterpreted in The Songbird. Duck Green School stories introduce key word vocabulary in the context of a familiar setting and familiar characters.

As a flood rises in the surrounding countrys ide, a young boy sets about trying to rescue the various cre atures that inhabit his garden with the help of his toy ark, thereby creating a fascinating floating world. ''