New Releases by Richard Platt

From the incredible bravery of mighty warriors to the amazing spectacle of mega constructions, discover the most extraordinary facts and stunning photographs with this ultimate guide to history.

Explore fascinating events in history with this thrilling book. Packed with hundreds of detailed photographs and jaw-dropping facts, kids will be pulled in and engrossed from start to finish. The History Book uncovers spectacular constructions such as India's Taj Mahal, extreme events such as the Black Death, brutal battles such as Stalingrad in 1942 and lost treasures such as Tutankhamun's mask.

How does the body protect itself from infections? What makes your tummy rumble? Are you taller at the beginning or end of the day? This extraordinary book actually takes you inside - and around - the human body to see how it works, with the help of some truly unique illustrations and some very small people! Explore your brain, your bones, and everything in between in incredible cross-section drawings of all the body systems. Inside each one are teams of tiny characters busy at work, and explaining what's going on. Every page is packed with jaw-dropping facts. Did you know that the skin is your largest organ - in an adult, it's 2 sq m (22 sq ft). Have you ever thought about how heavy the brain is? Well, it's about 1.4 kg (3 lb) and is crammed with 100 billion nerve cells that help you think and move. And by the time you turn 75, your heart will have pumped blood around your body 4,000 million times! With the challenge of finding two tiny explorers making their way through the body, learning about anatomy has never been so much fun!

How many rivets and bolts hold the wings of a Boeing 777 plane together? Why does an astronaut's spacesuit have a layer of liquid-cooled underwear? Who puts the jam in doughnuts? Find out the answers to these questions and much, much more in Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections of Everything. His intricate artwork will have children and adults alike poring over every detail, whether it's following the production line of a factory making newspapers or exploring the insides of the Saturn V rocket. Taking you through every stage of each process is Chester the Tester, a character who helps explain how things are made, along with his sidekick Hector the Inspector. Written with humor and fascinating facts to guide you through the illustrations, this book is a glorious way to learn about the world around you. First published 25 years ago, Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections series has been updated for the silver anniversary, bringing delight to a whole new generation of curious young readers.

This illustrated book for children shows you how things work. Look inside the human body, explore the magic of Venice, and take a tour around a movie studio - and much more! Part of a unique series, More Incredible Cross-sections is Stephen Biesty at the top of his game. In this updated edition with a refreshed, contemporary style, he gives readers an exploded view of 12 objects, places, landmarks, and modes of transport. But look closer! In every picture is an alien who has lost his way: can you find him? As you pore over Stephen Biesty's superbly detailed pages, you will also discover loads of awesome facts. Did you know that steam engines were notoriously difficult to stop, leading to frequent accidents? Or that people at an Antarctic research base rely on supplies from an aircraft's parachute drops during winter? From windmills to cities, airports to space stations, More Incredible Cross-sections is for curious minds of any age interested in finding out how our amazing world works.

Look inside an 18th-century warship as it sails into battle on the high seas. Packed with extraordinary illustrations, this history book for children covers everything from warship design to navigation. Biesty's incredible drawings slice through a man-of-war to explore every corner, from the crow's nest to the stinking hold. Packed with fascinating facts and gory details, the pages teem with sailors going about their duties. Find out how gun crews fired a cannon, examine a surgeon's toolkit, and learn the best way to wriggle the maggots out of the ship's biscuits. Look out, too, for the stowaway on every page. He's the one with spiky hair, and there's a reward for his capture! This absorbing book will have children--and adults--poring over every page. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War remains as entertaining as ever.

History comes alive in this incredible children's illustrated book about castles. Slicing through different areas of a medieval fortress, extraordinary views reveal the people busy inside, preparing for battle as an enemy army approaches. Packed with facts, you'll find out what it takes to build a massive 14th-century castle, dress a knight in armor, or prepare a feast fit for a king or queen. From the drawbridge to the dungeon, Cross-Sections Castle swarms with the people who keep the castle going--the workers, craftsmen, and servants. And, as you pore over every page, look out for the villainous spy. Is he in the well... the keep... the moat? No? Keep looking, he's there somewhere! Back in print after 20 years, you can now cheer on jousters, be entertained by a troubadour, and witness the gory details of a traitor's demise. This unique illustrated book for kids is not just the story of a castle; it brings medieval history to life.

This pack contains six of each of the following titles: Big Weather, Jungle Journal, Man Meets Metal, Time Zone, Invasive Species, Flashes and Bangs.TreeTops inFact is a non-fiction series that aims to engage children in reading for pleasure as powerfully as fiction does. The variety of topics means there are books to interest every child in this compelling series.The series is written by top children's authors and subject experts. 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.

"Not many, if any, children’s books on the Middle Ages and castles contain the wealth of information found in this fresh, appealing offering." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review) What was it really like to live in a castle? Step back to the Middle Ages with CASTLE DIARY: THE JOURNAL OF TOBIAS BURGESS. Eleven-year-old Toby’s vivid diary entries offer an insider’s view of day-to-day castle life, including tips on etiquette (where do you spit at a feast?) and exciting descriptions of hunting, jousting, and harvesting. Complete with glossary, index, and detailed endnotes, this is a rich look at medieval life that informs as much as it entertains.

"Platt weaves vast quantities of nautical information into a text as lively as it is absorbing." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Curious about life on a pirate ship? Check out PIRATE DIARY: THE JOURNAL OF JAKE CARPENTER, an account of adventure on the high seas as told by a feisty nine-year-old carpenter’s apprentice, circa 1716. Historically accurate illustrations of ship and crew, a map of Jake’s travels, and a detailed glossary and index vividly reveal the fascinating - and harsh - life of a pirate in the eighteenth century. Ships ahoy!

Set in the future (2098), five school children have won an international competition to visit outer space. They will journey to the distant star system of Alpha Centauri on the spaceship Argo to find a new home. Dramas unfold on the trip before they finally discover a new planet with great potential for human life to survive. These 128-page books are perfect for elementary and middle grade students who can read alone confidently. The narrative and dialogue are fictional and read like the novels this age group is just beginning to discover, but the books are filled with nonfiction facts and information about the topic at hand. Interspersed throughout are genre spreads that make this a true DK book. Photographs and illustrations throughout the book engage and interest readers as they access information and develop their reading comprehension skills. Presented in chapters, the books in the DK Adventures series are perfect choices for kids who like to read for pleasure and need to read for class.

"A fresh, lively voice. . . . Replete with details of daily life." — Kirkus Reviews The year is 1464 BC, and Nakht’s family is moving to the city of Memphis. Nakht, who is studying to be a scribe, keeps a journal of the many sights and sounds of the bustling city — temples and pyramids, cargo ships, a hippopotamus hunt, even a tomb robbery. Presented as a lively diary, here is an invitation for readers to witness firsthand what life was like for one boy in Egypt 3,500 years ago.

An engrossing children’s novel which addresses some difficult family issues: Conflict Two young children are teased and bullied by their older step brother. A Friendly face? A visitor with a diary of secrets comes to number five, but she is not everyone’s favourite. Spitefulness Cruel acts of destruction and malice push relationships near to breaking point. Intrigue A mysterious note leads to a night-time rendezvous with dangerous strangers. Vengeance Does the tormentor become the tormented? Suitable for younger KS3

It's 1906, and David O'Connor, newly orphaned and alone in the world, has had to leave his home in Ireland to go and live with his uncle and aunt in America. His journey to New York and his new life there are tougher than David could ever have imagined, especially when he is harbouring a dark secret which he must take with him to his grave.

DK Readers: Spiders' Secrets is now available with read-along audio feature, paced so that a child can read along with the text according to their level of reading confidence. It is the ideal programme to enable parents to support their child's literacy at home. Compiled in close consultation with leading literacy experts. Spiders' Secrets takes a look at all kinds of spiders from around the world, from hairy tarantulas to eight-eyed jumping spiders.

As One Devil to Another is an astonishing debut work that C. S. Lewis’s biographer and foremost Lewis authority Walter Hooper calls “a stunning achievement, the finest example of the genre of diabolical correspondence to appear since this genre was popularized by C. S. Lewis.” Enter into this chilling and diabolical tale, one that reveals the very tricks and strategies of Hell. Through a series of letters between devils created by Platt, senior devil Slashreap trains his young protégé, Scardagger, to win an individual soul away from Heaven and into their clutches. As the devils plot their way to triumph, they reveal the spiritual dangers and risks we face in today’s society. Their frighteningly accurate perspective on issues such as contemporary technology and sexual mores is interwoven with timeless matters such as the power of prayer, the purpose of suffering, and the promises held out by Heaven . . . and Hell. Destined to become a modern classic, As One Devil to Another is a brilliantly written, deeply unsettling perspective on twenty-first-century society . . . a glimpse of ourselves through the eyes of those who have embraced their underworldly existence.

Describes ten different types of pirates throughout history, from Vikings and corsairs to privateers and yang-fei, and matches their strengths and weaknesses against one another in fictional battles.

"Solving technology problems 2,000 years ago"--Cover.

DK Eyewitness Books: Pirate offers everything you ever wanted to know about pirates, from why European kings and queens encouraged piracy to what pirates ate at sea. Sink into this exciting introduction to the world of sea-thieves - their origins, adventures, blood-thirsty battles, and much, much more!

A guide to all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, lavishly illustrated with pictures from the movies.

The extraordinary emergence of smuggling during the 18th and 19th century forms much of the history of the coastline of the British Isles, and the traditional image of the fisherman-cum-smuggler has intrigued historians and fiction-writers alike for decades. But how accurate is this traditional picture of the smuggler? In this fascinating history, maritime historian Richard Platt explores the captivating story of smuggling in 18th and 19th-century Britain, when high taxes led to a dramatic increase in illegal imports. As the "free trade" grew, smugglers openly landed contraband in full view of the customs authorities: columns of heavily-armed thugs protected the cargoes. Documenting every aspect of the smuggling industry, from the practical problems of stowing contraband and getting it to its final destination to the legendary hiding places and caves used to conceal goods until their sale, this compelling book will intrigue all those with an interest in the sea and its history, and shows how a small-scale trade that enjoyed widespread popular support grew into a vast and violent industry.

Activity-packed journal follows Duncan Cameron under the sea as he searches for mysterious lost gold.

"Describes medical practices and treatments throughout history, many of which were dangerous, painful, and ineffective"--Provided by publisher.

Pendant des siècles, l'Amérique du Nord fut " terre indienne ", vaste mosaïque de peuples, de langues et de cultures. Des neiges de l'Alaska aux sables du Mexique, des forêts de l'Est aux montagnes Rocheuses, des millions d'hommes et de femmes vivaient au rythme de la nature. Avant que n'arrivent les Blancs, avides de terres, d'or et de conquêtes... Découvrez dans cet ouvrage l'univers sans pareil des Indiens d'Amérique du Nord : comment ils chassaient le bison, dansaient pour apaiser les esprits, s'emparaient d'un troupeau de chevaux, partageaient le calumet de la paix ou coiffaient la parure de guerre. Au fil d'un récit original, accompagnez la vie de Loup intrépide, un indien pas comme les autres à la recherche de sa vérité ! En cadeau, coiffez vite la splendide parure de plumes que vous trouverez à la fin de ce livre !

"A survey of the history of piracy and lives of pirates covers such specifics as the invention of the Jolly Roger, discipline aboard pirate ships, and pirate ruses."

DK Eyewitness Books: Shipwreck is a spectacular and informative guide to some of the world's most significant shipwrecks. Richly detailed, full-color photographs of submerged wrecks and their lost cargoes and treasures offer a unique "eyewitness" view of ships and the lives of those who sailed them. See the beautifully preserved figurehead of the Hamilton wreck, the five-hundred-year-old elephant's tusk recovered from the bottom of the ocean, and scissors that still cut paper and cloth after two hundred years beneath the sea. Learn how the wreck of the Mary Rose was raised from the seabed, why Grace Darling became a hero, how a deck seat converts into a lifeboat, how shipwrecks are located, and different preservation techniques used by underwater archaeologists. Discover what caused the "unsinkable" Titanic to sink, the use of the giant light bulb, harmonicas that still play after one hundred years underwater, the hazards faced by ships at sea, and much, much more! Discover the world of shipwrecks and an amazing wealth of undersea treasures and secrets with Eyewitness: Shipwreck.

In this fascinating book, artist Stephen Biesty has created marvelously detailed color illustrations that show: what is inside a human body; what goes on at an Antarctic research base; how an airport works; the amazing natural world of the Grand Canyon; what is underneath a city street; how a future space station might look; how feature films are made; what is inside a windmill; how a steam tractor works; a fire inside a multi-story building; a windmill; the city of Venice in the 17th century; and the Tower Bridge in London.

An introduction to pirates discusses life aboard a pirate ship, examines the tools of the trade, and portrays famous pirates.

A great non-fiction alternative to middle grade readers -- perfect for school projects or reading for fun. Full-color, fun, and crammed with cool facts, DK''s Secret Worlds take a fresh look at familiar subjects with brilliant results! Kids ages 9 and up can delve into a wide range of subjects from nature, history, and science for researching school projects, satisfying a curious appetite, or just for the love of reading. Tried-and-tested Web sites and a Mega-reference section are just two of the innovative features that will keep kids and parents coming back for more.