Get Kids Reading

Why is blood red? Why are carrots orange? Who invented the lightbulb? Why is the world 'going green'? Is the sky really blue? And what is ultraviolet light?You'll discover the answers to these questions—and many more—in this incredible collection of scientific facts about colour. We'll talk about light (the most important thing) and waves (not the kind you see at the beach—though you will learn why the sea looks blue!). You'll find out how some animals are able to glow in the dark and how others change their colours to hide from predators. Keep reading to discover why leaves change colour in the autumn, why your veins look blue but your blood is red, and why the language we use shapes the colours we see...And you'll learn exactly how to make a rainbow—in space.

Have you ever found something mysterious? Something you had no idea what it was but you had this feeling it was important, that it held a secret?Mary Anning was a fossil hunter, scouring the cliffs and seashores of Lyme Regis for strange rocks and shells. Monstrous marine reptiles and dinosaurs had once reigned the land and seas here millions of years ago, disappearing only to leave mysterious traces for humans to puzzle over.Mary's fossils paved the way for modern palaeontology and helped to piece together a picture of how the dinosaurs lived and evolved. Little did she know that 200 years later we would still be talking about her discoveries and how she influenced our understanding of the history of the earth.Unearth the mysteries of ancient fossils and discover the life and legacy of Mary Anning in this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled book for curious young readers. Illustrated by Kate Winter, this is a book to treasure and to read again and again, perfect for fans of natural history and curious young explorers.

"Human beans is not really believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking we exist."One dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant!Luckily it is the Big Friendly Giant (the BFG), who is no ordinary bone-crunching giant, but instead prefers snozzcumbers and frobscottle to children.But there are other giants in Giant Country. And those giants have a plan to gallop far and wide to find some tasty human beans to eat.Can Sophie and the BFG stop them?

Everyone talks about how powerful the oceans are, how huge, how mysterious, and about all the underwater creatures living down in the deep. But they've got no one to stand up for them! Olivia Alez is loving her life away from the royal palace. Now she isn't a princess anymore; she's even more determined to be a science investigator, finding out things about the world around her. When she goes to visit her uncle Cassander for a holiday, she realises there's a huge problem: the oceans are filled with rubbish, and she can't see any fish swimming about. They're nothing like the bright blue seas full of life that she's seen before. When Captain Max and his parrot turn up, Olivia and her best friend Ravi decide that getting on board their pirate ship as they hunt for treasure might be a good way to find out what's going on in the water. But they quickly realise that they've got more to discover than they ever imagined...

This book about Taylor Swift—the singer and songwriter whose distinctive talent for storytelling has made her one of the biggest superstars in both country and pop music—is an inspiring read-aloud for young children as well as their Swiftie parents!Endorsements"A must-have for any Taylor Swift collection." — Rolling Stone

Acclaimed picture book biographer Jeanette Winter has found her perfect Jane Goodall, the great observer of chimpanzees. Follow Jane from her childhood in London, watching a robin on her windowsill, through her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania, when she was invited by the brilliant scientist Louis Leakey to observe chimpanzees, and on to her worldwide crusade to save these primates, who are now in danger of extinction, and to protect their habitat. Young animal lovers and Winter's many fans will welcome this fascinating and moving portrait of an extraordinary person and the animals to whom she has dedicated her life.EndorsementsNamed a Best Book of the Year by The Boston Globe.Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews.Named a Best Book of the Year by Booklist.Named a Best Book of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education.

Kayla made peanut butter treats for Jillian's new puppy, Thor.But now the treats are missing. What does Kayla know? There are three treats missing. King was in the kitchen. King's breath doesn't smell like peanut butter.What does King know? There's an intruder in the house.How will they solve the mystery?

A picture book biography of Harriet Tubman, written in verse.We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose spirit could not be broken.

Billie Jean King is one of the greatest tennis players of all time.This volume features Billie Jean King, the world champion tennis player who fought successfully for women's rights. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos.Read about this amazing woman athlete in the seventeenth picture book in the series of biographies about heroes. This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves.EndorsementsNew York Times bestselling series

As the snow begins to fall, Grandad helps Sara build an igloo in the garden, and Sara sculpts a small polar bear to watch over it. And what better way to spend a snowy night than sleeping under the stars?But when Sara awakes in the middle of the night, she finds the igloo is no longer in the garden but lost in a world of ice … and her snow bear has transformed into a real, live polar bear cub. As Sara and the cub set out on an enchanted journey through the wilderness, will they ever find their way home?

Rosie loves visiting the barn cats that live on the farm near her grandmother's house. Her favorite is a kitten she has named Ginger. When the farm is sold, a rescue shelter is called to collect the cats for adoption. Can Rosie find Ginger so she can bring Ginger home?

Mia and her star animal, a fox named Bracken, must use their special powers to stop the forces of dark magic. Mia's older sister has started acting strangely and the Star Animals sense dark magic at work. Soon Mia discovers that the new compact mirror that her sister, Cleo, has been using must be to blame. Can the girls use their newfound Star Magic to help make things right?Do you believe in magic? Mia and her friends do! A whole world of magical adventures awaits! Featuring black and white illustrations throughout.

At birth, Hermes, son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, says his first "Gimme!" "The world!" the newly born Hermes says. "It's even better than I expected! I love it! I want it all!"This book is filled with joy, exuberance, and humor. On his first day of life, Hermes manages to trick a turtle into surrendering its shell and a ram into surrendering its horns, thereby inventing the lyre, music, and song! He also manages to steal his brother Apollo's precious cows, but later redeems himself by outwitting the giant brothers Otus and Ephialtes, who have kidnapped Mars. These adventures and more, all derived from classical mythology, are told with great humor as well as a twenty-first-century sensibility by the colossally talented Mordicai Gerstein. The art in this graphic novel is truly spectacular, with 250 illustrations executed by a master artist and filled with unique humor.In this brilliant, hilarious graphic novel about the mischievous, fun-loving messenger of the gods, Caldecott Medal winner Mordicai Gerstein transports classical mythology to the twenty-first century.EndorsementsBank Street Best Book of the Year.

Mr Hare meets Mr Mandela is one of the last stories Chris van Wyk wrote before he died and it originally appeared in Sunday Times 10 South African Stories for Children. Mr Hare finds a R200 note on his doorstep. When he turns the note over he sees Mr Mandela’s face and decides to brave the big city of Johannesburg to return it to Mr Mandela. But Mr Hare cannot read and he comes across many people along the way who want to get their hands on Mr Mandela’s money. Mr Hare also cannot work out why the note keeps changing colour!Endorsements“Van Wyk said he wanted to be read by everyone; by those about whom he wrote and by those who found his own culture foreign; he chose to write in several genres because ‘I could’.” — Mail & Guardian, Maureen Isaacson“Kids loved him [Chris van Wyk] — he visited schools all around the country to tell stories and get kids reading. He simply captivated them.” — Daily Maverick, J Brooks Spector

Our canine superhero returns in Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder, the suspenseful and hilarious twelfth graphic novel by Dav Pilkey.P.U.! Dog Man got sprayed by a skunk! After being dunked in tomato juice, the stink is gone but the scarlet red color remains. Now exiled, this spunky superhero must struggle to save the citizens who shunned him! Will the ends justify the means for Petey, who's reluctantly pulled back into a life of crime in order to help Dog Man? And who will step forward when an all-new, never-before-seen villain unleashes an army of AI robots?

Nine-year-old Beezus Quimby has her hands full with her little sister, Ramona. Sure, other people have little sisters that bother them sometimes, but is there anyone in the world like Ramona? Whether she's taking one bite out of every apple in a box, or secretly inviting fifteen other four-year-olds to the house for a party, Ramona is always making trouble — and getting all the attention. Every big sister can relate to the trials and tribulations Beezus must endure. Old enough to be expected to take responsibility for her little sister, yet young enough to be mortified by every embarrassing plight the precocious preschooler gets them into, Beezus is constantly struggling with her mixed-up feelings about the exasperating Ramona.

Andy and Terry live in the world's best treehouse! It's got a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory, a tank of man-eating sharks and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you're hungry! Just watch out for the sea monkeys, and the monkeys pretending to be sea monkeys, and the giant mutant mermaid sea monster... Oh, and whatever you do, don't get trapped in a burp-gas-filled bubble...The story follows Andy and Terry's crazy adventures in their treehouse as they try to write a book, and is told through a combination of text and fantastic cartoon-style illustrations.

When Babe arrives at Hogget Farm, Mrs. Hogget’s thoughts turn to sizzling bacon and juicy pork chops—until he reveals a surprising talent for sheepherding, that is. Before long, Babe is handling Farmer Hogget’s flock better than any sheepdog ever could. Babe is so good, in fact, that the farmer enters him into the Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials. Will it take a miracle for Babe to win?

Princess Smartypants doesn't want to get married; she'd rather live with her pets. Commanded by her parents to find herself a husband, the princess sets tasks for her horde of suitors. All of the potential husbands fail miserably as the gleeful princess looks on — until Prince Swashbuckle appears...

Discover the amazing diversity of the African continent in this beautiful book, with words by Atinuke and lively illustrations from Mouni Feddag.Her beautifully-written text captures Africa’s unique mix of the modern and the traditional, as she explores its geography, its peoples, its animals, its history, its resources and its cultural diversity. The book divides Africa into five sections: South, East, West, Central and North, each with its own introduction. This is followed by a page per country, containing a delightful mix of friendly, informative text and colourful illustrations. The richest king, the tallest sand dunes and the biggest waterfall on the planet are all here, alongside drummers, cocoa growers, inventors, balancing stones, salt lakes, high-tech cities and nomads who use GPS!

In her first middle-grade novel, award-winning picture book author and illustrator Angela Dominguez tells a heartwarming story based on her own experiences growing up Mexican-American.Stella Díaz loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. But Stella Díaz is not a betta fish. Betta fish like to be alone, while Stella loves spending time with her mom and brother and her best friend Jenny. Trouble is, Jenny is in another class this year, and Stella feels very lonely.When a new boy arrives in Stella's class, she really wants to be his friend, but sometimes Stella accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. Plus, she has to speak in front of her whole class for a big presentation at school! But she'll need to get over her fears soon, because Stella Díaz has something to say!Stella Díaz Has Something to Say introduces an infectiously charming new character with relatable writing and adorable black-and-white art throughout. Simple Spanish vocabulary is also integrated within the text, providing a bilingual element.

Iris was born deaf, but she's never let that define her; after all, it's the only life she's ever known. And until recently she wasn't even very lonely, because her grandparents are both deaf, too. But Grandpa has just died, and Grandma's not the same without him. The only place Iris really feels at home anymore is in her electronics workshop where she loves taking apart antique radios.Then, during a science lesson about sound waves, Iris finds out about a whale who is unable to communicate with other whales. The lonely whale awakens something in Iris. She's determined to show him that someone in the world knows he's there.Iris works on a foolproof plan to help the whale, but she soon realises that that is not enough — she wants to find the whale herself.One stolen credit card, two cruise ship tickets, and the adventure of a lifetime later, Iris and the whale each break through isolation to help one another be truly heard in ways that neither had ever expected.A stirring and heartwarming tale of a young deaf girl who is determined to make a difference, the perfect read for fans of Wonder.

This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature.Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White's Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, among many other books.EndorsementsOne of America's top 100 most-loved novels — PBS’s The Great American Read

In Steeds of the Gods, Demon, the official Olympian beast keeper, is caught between Helios and Poseidon, who are planning a race to see which of their steeds is the fastest. Both vengeful gods have requested Demon’s help, but he can choose only one.Which mythical horse will win the race?