This beautifully illustrated collection of stories from one of the world's richest story-telling traditions is ideal for young readers and for reading aloud to 7-11 year-olds.There are stories of how the world began, Chinese dragons, zodiac monkeys, legendary monsters, Chinese New Year and hopping ghosts.Each story is introduced with information about its origins and the people who first started telling it, and maps locate the places associated with it. The book includes a glossary and sources of further information as well as ideas for activities that children can do to explore the stories and their culture further.Retold by an experienced writer of stories for the young, this is a book to inform and entertain in equal measure.

This beautifully illustrated collection of stories from one of the world's richest story-telling traditions is ideal for young readers and for reading aloud to 7-11 year-olds. There is a story from the Ramayana, a story of Tenali Rama, and stories of common sense and of ghosts at noon.Each story is introduced with information about its origins and the people who first started telling it, and maps locate the places associated with it. The book includes a glossary and sources of further information as well as ideas for activities that children can do to explore the stories and their culture further.Retold by an experienced storyteller and actor, this is a book to inform and entertain in equal measure.

It's the 1840s in a Victorian mining town and disaster is about to strike. For young John Elliot and his family, life in the shadow of the grinding colliery wheel has always been hard, but there is no alternative for them. The risks are huge and the rewards are few. Part of a unique collection of fictional stories about young people caught up in real-life conflicts and disasters. Through their eyes we experience the day-to-day hardships and dangers of living through troubled times from throughout history.

Bandi Guttmann is a 14-year-old Hungarian Jew, living in Budapest in 1944. German forces have occupied the city and life for Bandi and his family is about to become unbearable. Set apart from the rest of the Hungarian community, and denied basic human rights, the family's only weapon is their determination to survive. But in the face of mindless hatred, will the Guttmann's strength, love and courage be enough to hold them together?Based on the memoirs of Andor Guttmann, a survivor of the Holocaust. Part of a unique collection of fictional stories about young people caught up in real-life conflicts and disasters. Through their eyes we experience the day-to-day hardships and dangers of living through troubled times from throughout history.

These classic fairy tales provide young children with an essential introduction to storytelling. Strikingly illustrated, each story brings the fantasy world of fairy tales to life for emergent readers.

Sea Force Four are called to the rescue when some sea urchins are trapped under a big metal object in the water. All the sea creatures are scared and no one knows what it is! Blob the pufferfish thinks it might be a whale made of steel...

As Jem, the Shoemaker's boy, works at night in his father's shop he has three strange visitors asking for some silver keys. Jem must keep the silver keys safe, but how...?

Patty the pig doesn't like getting dirty. She won't join the cookery club or the art club, they are just too messy!Each story in the Animal School series centres around the animals at Animal School. Each character is the opposite of what you would expect- a cowardly lion, a speedy tortoise, a pig who doesn't like getting dirty and a frog who is afraid of the water.

Just Like You: Small is about a boy with dwarfism. His family are all tall but one day he is far taller!All the stories in the Just Like You series focus on disability with a positive approach, highlighting how children and adults have overcome their disabilities and are just like you.

Snow White lives with the seven dwarves, safely in the wood. She likes to spend her time planting seeds and gardening. When a turnip sticks fast in the clay, she and the dwarves need more help to pull it out. So when a kind old lady offers Snow White a piece of tart to give her energy, she accepts. But is the kind old lady all she seems?

When a huge storm causes a tree topple over and trap Smokey and Rascal, Tara and Dad are besides themselves with worry. How can they rescue the horses? Luckily Plod saves the day! The Storm is part of the Starcross Stables series; four books for Band 7 of the Start Reading programme.

Goose has lost her egg, but where could it be? Detective Dog looks all about the farmyard but he cannot find it anywhere. Detective Dog is a series of four books at green band 5 of the Start Reading programme.

Everyone is having fun at the beach

A thirsty giant arrives at the palace and asks for a drink. The queen won't let him in-he stinks! Princess PJ wants him to stay. Whatever can she do go get him to wash?

It's the Cactus Thorn town picnic and Sheriff Stan is going to sing for the crowd.

Start Reading is a new series of highly enjoyable books for beginning readers at KS1. They have been carefully graded to correspond to the Book Bands now widely used in schools. This enables readers to be sure that they choose books that match their own ability. There is very careful and gentle graduation from Band to Band. The books can be shared with an adult or read independently. They promote the enjoyment of reading through reading real, satisfying stories with a beginning, a middle and an end. Freddy's Family is at Book Band 4 in the Start Reading series. Freddy and his family have great fun- they go to the park, they play tricks on each other but sometimes they are very naughty...

Evacuated to the countryside to escape the nightly German air raids in London, Harry and his friends decide to play their own Battle Of Britain. But as a German plane, chasing a British Spitfire, steams into the sky little does Harry know how dangerously real his battle is about to become.

Myths, legends, folk tales, fables, trickster stories, humourous stories, adventure stories, mystery stories, historical stories, fantasy, science fiction, stories with familiar settings, stories that raise issues ... all kinds of complete stories for Literacy and reading for pleasure. Chosen by an expert in the use of children's literature in the classroom, this is a collection of 70 complete texts from a range of cultures which are perfect for the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy at KS2. It is also an exciting and immensely varied treasury of short stories that will be enjoyed by all readers. Authors range from Aesop and Arthur Ransome to a role call of the very best for today's young, including Anthony Horowitz, Morris Gleitzman, Alexander McCall Smith, Michael Rosen, Michael Morpurgo, Philippa Pearce, Jan Mark, Jeremy Strong, Adele Geras, Paul Stewart, Malorie Blackman, Jamila Gavin and Beverley Naidoo.