New Releases by Michael Morpurgo

At sunrise, young Michael spots a whale on the shores of the Thames and thinks he must be dreaming. But the creature is real and it has a message for him - one that only an open-minded child can deliver to the rest of the world.

Six stories about animals getting into comic capers on Mudpuddle Farm.

A young journalist goes to Venice, Italy, to interview a famous violinist, who tells the story of his parents'' incarceration by the Nazis, and explains why they can no longer listen to the music of Mozart.

Escaping from China as the Japanese invade, Ashley and Uncle Sung embark on a perilous journey across the Himalayas. Then Ashley finds himself alone in the hostile mountains, battling for his life. He is just about to give up all hope, when he has a mysterious and terrifying encounter...

A retelling in prose of the Anglo-Saxon epic about the heroic efforts of Beowulf, son of Edgetheow, to save the people of Heorot hall from the terrible monster, Grendel.

Nothing''s been the same since Bun Bendle dived off a quay and hit his head on a rock. What he can''t bear to tell anyone is that as well as his sight, the accident seems to have wiped out parts of his memory. In his despair, he contemplates suicide.

The Sandman and the Turtles is one of the most charming summer reads for children from Britain''s best-loved children''s author, Michael Morpurgo. Michael loves summer holidays in Wales, and Dadci''s tall stories about the Sandman, the old Russian sea captain and blood-red dragon in his lair. Little cousin Polly believes every word of the magical tales and she''s determined to make it all come true. Former Children''s Laureate and award-winning author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, again demonstrates why he is considered to be the master story teller with this much-loved magical tale about two children holidaying on the Welsh coast.

A timeless collection of over twenty of Aesop''s best-loved fables, including favourites such as The Hare and the Tortoise, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, Dog in the Manger and The Lion and the Mouse. The tales are retold with warmth and humour by former Children''s Laureate Michael Morpurgo and brought to life by Emma Chichester Clark''s exquisitely playful and distinctive artwork.

Billedbog. A forgotten letter in a secret drawer brings one night in the Great War vividly to life. Writing home from the front, a soldier has an incredible story to tell

The Kingfisher Treasury of Classic Stories brings together all of your favorite characters in one glorious volume. The carefully chosen extracts from over 30 stories offer the perfect introduction to characters that have delighted and inspired generations of readers. Among the stories and the characters featured are Heidi, The Little Women, Oliver Twist, Pippi Longstocking, and The Iron Man. Each extract is accessible to the young child being read aloud to, and richly satisfying to the more confident reader. The perfect gift for any child. Special Features - Full color on every page and a ribbon page marker - Includes an introduction to each of the stories, and brief notes on the authors

Montezuma, the farmyard cat, survives nine exciting lives of danger and adventure. He grows from a fiery kitten to grand old tomcat, he is always special, independent - a law unto himself.

Yellow Bananas are captivating chapter books designed to help young readers make the transition from storybooks to text-based books. The next level up from Blue Bananas, each book features short chapters, engaging full-color illustrations, and a strong story about interesting characters. As their reading abilities develop, kids will want to make the jump from Blue to Yellow Bananas! Jo-Jo is a donkey and he does not like it, not one bit. He works hard from dawn until dusk selling melons on the streets of Venice. Then one dark and stormy night, Jo-Jo discovers that it is up to him to save the city from the sea.

A boy living by a Scottish loch sees a beautiful silver swan land on the water. She remains at the loch, mates and there are soon five cygnets too. The boy watches them in awe and pride. When snowy winter sets in, all the birds and animals around the loch must scavenge desperately for food. The fox also has cubs to feed... A remarkably dramatic and compassionate story about Nature, magnificently told and stunningly illustrated with sweeping pastel landscapes.

Inspired by classroom time and television programming devoted to wildlife, conservation, and environmental issues, today''s children have a zest for the outdoors and an ardent appreciation of the creatures with which they share the planet. This collection offers a caliber of stories and extracts several notches above the expected fare in a compilation. The list of renowned contributors includes such luminaries as John Steinbeck (The Red Pony), Michael Morpurgo (Waiting for Anya), and Jack London (The Call of the Wild). With such stories as Rudyard Kipling''s The Cat that Walked by Himself, through favorites such as Paul Gallico''s The Snow Goose, and contemporary tales such as Ted Hughes'' powerful Iron Woman, Animal Stories is a terrific introduction to classic literature and nature writing for children and young adults.

No one believes Tom when he says he has seen a lion strolling through the orchard with a string of sausages dangling from its mouth. No one, that is, except Clare, the cleverest girl in Tom''s class.

Miraculously rescued from drowning, a boy awakes from unconsciousness to find himself in a deep cave with Arthur Pendragon. As Arthur tells the boy about his life, the legendary tales of Camelot unfold. This retelling of the Arthur legend is aimed at Key Stage 3 students.

The gripping story of a boy who risks his life to take Jewish refugees to safety during World War II. A reclusive widow’s farm has become a haven for a growing band of Jewish children hiding from the Nazis. Jo knows he must keep the secret, and help out any way he can. But when German soldiers move into town, the danger suddenly becomes much more real. As Jo knows all too well, the penalty for helping these children escape is death. "In its understated style and gentle telling of a harsh lesson, the story is reminiscent of Lois Lowry''s Number the Stars." —School Library Journal “Action-packed . . . Morpurgo’s characters rise above the two-dimensional, giving young people much to ponder in the areas of good versus evil and hero versus villain.” —The Horn Book An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Ten-year-old Jessie, helped by her American cousin and the ghost of a notorious female pirate, finds the strength to prevail over both a crippling disease and the greedy developers intent on destroying her Irish island home.

Meet Albert and the monstrous Marble Crusher Machine; Annie, who wants to save Colly''s Barn for Screecher the owl; and Nick the conker champion. Three stories in one volume.

One of a series of top-quality fiction for schools, this is a humorous adventure in which Bess experiences a series of unusual events on a visit to London. Who is the stranger in the black cloak who is so keen to talk to her, and how can she hide her friendly ghost from the family back in Devon?

It''s harvest time and Jigger the sheepdog has one day off to chase all the animals hiding in the corn.