The story:
This is a tale about a reckless, awkward boy named Sparrowhawk who becomes a wizard's apprentice after the wizard reveals Sparrowhawk's true name. The boy comes to realize that his fate may be far more important than he ever dreamed possible. Le Guin challenges her readers to think about the power of language, how in the act of naming the world around us we actually create that world. Teens, especially, will be inspired by the way Le Guin allows her characters to evolve and grow into their own powers.
When Sparrowhawk, a young student at the School for Wizards, becomes overanxious and tries his dangerous powers too soon, he unleashes a terrible evil throughout the land.

The story:
The Amber Spyglass is the third in a great series by Philip Pullman. The book is about a boy and a girl (will and Lyra) who are on a quest of which no one knows what to do. They are in the middle of a war between Lyra's father and God or the Authority as he is sometimes called. The war is being fought by every being imaginable, such as humans, Angles, and many other creatures.

The story:
Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl is back...and so is his cunning enemy, Opal Kobol. At the start of the fourth adventure, Artemis has returned to his unlawful ways. He's in Berlin, perparing to steal a famous impressionist painting from a German bank. He has no idea that his old rival, Opal, has escaped from prison by cloning herself. She's left her double behind in jail and, now free, is exacting her revenge on all those who put her there, including Artemis.

The story:
Thirteen-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has constructed a supercomputer from stolen fairy technology. In the wrong hands it could be fatal for humans and fairies alike. But no need to worry, Artemis has a brilliant plan. He's not going to use the computer; he's just going to show it to a ruthless American businessman with Mafia connections. His bodyguard, Butler, will be with him. What could possibly go wrong...?

The story:
Space Demons is a computer game invented by Professor Ito in Japan and given to Andrew in Austalia. Once Andrew and his schoolmates Ben, Elly and Mario have been drawn into combat, their own resentments and rivalries escalate the game to a deadly level. Unless they can master themselves as well as the game the demons will wipe them out for real.

The story:
After being orphaned at the age of 4, James Henry Trotter goes to live with his only other relatives, the horrific Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge. The aunts force James to do all the work around the house, never give him treats, and refuse to let him play with other children. One day a mysterious stranger gives James some magical crystals, which James accidentally drops underneath a dormant peach tree. By the next morning, the tree has sprouted a peach as big as a house. When James investigates, he finds the giant peach inhabited by friendly talking insects, who help James leave behind his ...

The story:
Eddie Dickens is sent off to stay with his aunt and uncle and a riotously funny comedy of errors ensues. When both Eddie Dickens's parents catch a disease that makes them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of hot water bottles, it's agreed he should go and stay with relatives at their house, Awful End. Unfortunately for Eddie, those relatives are Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud. . . .

The story:
Hector Brunty, has a dilemma: a talking brain tumour. Henry Tumour advises Hector on haircuts, high-fashion, and tactics for snogging the best-looking girl in school, Uma Upshaw. Can Hector overpower his tumour in order to get what he really wants ... before they both go under the knife?

The story:
Ten side-splitting stories revolving around Horrid Henry's school days: his attempts to get out of Nurse Needle's injections and sabotage Miss Impatience Tutu's dance class, his cunning ploy to be off school sick, his determination to meet the Queen, win at football and star in the Christmas play, and much more. In his dreams he is King Henry the Horrible, and everyone does just what he says -- but Horrid Henry knows that life's not like that. A spot-the-hidden-object picture, Henry's inventive sick notes, a letter from Buckingham Palace, pages from his diary, photos from the school year book and lots more extra material fills this funny book.

The story:
Finest stories from around the world--most of them old favorites: "Sleeping Beauty," "Rumpelstiltskin," "Cinderella," "The Arabian Nights," 33 more. Includes original 138 black-and-white illustrations.

The story:
This story of the 'Lost Years of Merlin' continues the saga of the young Merlin as he gains more understanding of his powers and a greater sense of self. This time, Merlin, accompanied by the young deer woman he's come to love, enters the evil-plagued Haunted Marsh in search of his stolen sword. There, he discovers the long-lost seventh Wise Tool and meets the Boy Ector, who's searching the marsh for something wanted by his unnamed master. The danger level is high in this episode; the theft of the sword is a trap intended to lure Merlin into the hands of a witch, Nimue, who is intent on destroying him. She does manage to infect him with a deadly condition, for which there is no cure. However, Ector believes his master can cure Merlin and leads him through the Mists of Time to the future, where Merlin comes face to face with his much older self trapped in the Crystal Cave by Nimue. Barron handles the contact between the two with a finesse that's believable and enhances the Arthurian ambience that has been so carefully crafted throughout the series. With lots of surprises and some laugh-out-loud humor to leaven the palpable feeling of doom, this should be eagerly devoured by the saga's fans.

The story:
In The Illustrated Mum, Wilson introduces us to Dolphin, a young girl living in the wake of her tattooed mother Marigold's manic depression. With her older sister, Star, on the brink of adulthood and facing the traumas of adolescence, and her mum sinking further and further into her illness, Dol has no-one to turn to when the constant bullying at school causes her to withdraw into her own world, and she begins to cope with the reality of her life by fantasising that she is a witch. Far from being a depressing and overwhelming read, Wilson introduces her readers to another of her classic resourceful heroines who deals with the extraordinary circumstances of her life with a mixture of humour and quiet intelligence which blossoms as the situation reaches its inevitable climax.

The story:
Teenager Martyn lives alone in a rundown neighborhood with his drunken, abusive father until one day, in a struggle, Dad falls, knocks his head, and dies. Martyn doesn't call 911, and the longer he delays, the harder it is to explain why he didn't call. Alex, his attractive friend across the street, gets pulled into the cover-up and so does her slimy boyfriend, Dean, who's especially interested in the big inheritance Dad had just received. Martyn's an avid mystery fan, so he knows how to cover his tracks. To trick his aunt, he and Alex lug the corpse into bed, make up the face, cover up the stink, and pretend Dad is sick and sleeping. They dump the body in a quarry, but first Martyn plants some of Dean's hairs under the corpse's fingernails. The macabre details are as compelling as the edgy realism, and Martyn's first-person narrative is dark and desperate. Suspense builds one day at a time while the corpse rots and Martyn lives with his loneliness, depression, and guilt. Did he murder Dad? No, "none of us has any control over what we do." Is the cover-up working? Not in the way he planned. This first novel is filled with surprise and reversal that make for a breathless read.

The story:
The story starts out simply enough: Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade--he wants it so bad he can taste it. He's been practicing all summer, running in the fields around his farmhouse until he collapses in a sweat. Then a tomboy named Leslie Burke moves into the farmhouse next door and changes his life forever. Not only does Leslie not look or act like any girls Jess knows, but she also turns out to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. After getting over the shock and humiliation of being beaten by a girl, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay. Despite their superficial differences, it's clear that Jess and Leslie are soul mates. The two create a secret kingdom in the woods named Terabithia, where the only way to get into the castle is by swinging out over a gully on an enchanted rope. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Jess and Leslie find solace in the sanctuary of Terabithia until a tragedy strikes and the two are separated forever. In a style that is both plain and powerful, Katherine Paterson's characters will stir your heart and put a lump in your throat.

The story:
Rosoff's story begins in modern day London, slightly in the future, and as its heroine has a 15-year-old Manhattanite called Daisy. She's picked up at the airport by Edmond, her English cousin, a boy in whose life she is destined to become intricately entwined. Daisy stays at her Aunt Penn's country farmhouse for the summer with Edmond and her other cousins. They spend some idyllic weeks together--often alone with Aunt Penn away travelling in Norway. Daisy's cousins seem to have an almost telepathic bond, and Daisy is mesmerized by Edmond and soon falls in love with him. But their world changes forever when an unnamed aggressor invades England and begins a years-long occupation. Daisy and Edmond are separated when soldiers take over their home, and Daisy and Piper, her younger cousin, must travel to another place to work. Their experiences of occupation are never kind and Daisy's pain, living without Edmond, is tangible.

The story:
The story is about the serious issue of world poverty. It tells of a young boy who finds a huge amount of money and must decide what to do with it.

The story:
The very first "Famous Five" adventure, featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, not forgetting tomboy George and her beloved dog, Timmy! There's a shipwreck off Kirrin Island! But where is the treasure? The Famous Five are on the trail - looking for clues - but they're not alone! Someone else has got the same idea. Time is running out for the Famous Five, who will follow the clues and get to the treasure first?

The story:
An exciting volunteer opportunity takes the Hardy boys to a fabulous soccer stadium in Paris, but excitement turns to detective work when strange occurrences threaten the safety of Frank, Joe, and the rest of Paris.

The story:
Laura Ingalls is heading west! The Ingalls family packs up their covered wagon and sets off for the big skies of the Kansas Territory, where wide open land stretches as far as the eye can see. Just when they begin to feel settled,they are caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict.

The story:
When Marilla Cuthbert's brother, Matthew, returns home to Green Gables with a chatty redheaded orphan girl, Marilla exclaims, "But we asked for a boy. We have no use for a girl." It's not long, though, before the Cuthberts can't imagine how they could ever do without young Anne of Green Gables--but not for the original reasons they sought an orphan. Somewhere between the time Anne "confesses" to losing Marilla's amethyst pin (which she never took) in hopes of being allowed to go to a picnic, and when Anne accidentally dyes her hated carrot-red hair green, Marilla says to Matthew, "One thing's for certain, no house that Anne's in will ever be dull." And no book that she's in will be, either. This adapted version of the classic, Anne of Green Gables, introduces younger readers to the irrepressible heroine of L.M. Montgomery's many stories.

The story:
Fourth-grader Kenny Watson tells about his African American family in Flint, Michigan, in 1963. We get to know his strict, loving parents and his tough older brother, who gets into so much trouble his parents decide to take him back "home" to Birmingham, Alabama, where maybe his strong grandmother will teach him some sense. Several of the family stories are a bit self-conscious (we keep being told we're going to laugh as Dad puts on a show and acts the fool), but the relationships aren't idealized. Racism and the civil rights movement are like a soft rumble in the background, especially as the Watsons drive south. Then Kenny's cute little sister is in a Birmingham church when a bomb goes off. She escapes (Curtis doesn't exploit the horror), but we're with Kenny as he dreads that she's part of the rubble. In this compelling first novel, form and content are one: in the last few chapters, the affectionate situation comedy is suddenly transformed, and we see how racist terror can invade the shelter of home.

The story:
Toad, Rat, Mole, Badger and the other appealing characters in "The Wind in the Willows" got their start a century ago as the stars of bedtime stories for the author's young son. Their adventures have delighted children of all generations for nearly a century. This attractive new edition of the treasured classic is sure to be cherished for years to come. "Sterling Children's Classics" is a new series presenting timeless classic works of fiction in handsome hardback volumes at an unbelievable price. Parents, teachers, librarians and of course young readers will welcome these beautiful, unabridged editions of evergreen children's favourites. Each beautiful book features: original full colour dust jacket artwork; three-piece cloth binding; the highest quality paper; detailed spot illustrations; and a ribbon page marker. It is beautiful classic literature at a classic price!

The story:
Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren - he felt sure of it. So did his brother Hazel, for Fiver's sixth sense was never wrong. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all...Published in 1972, "Watership Down" is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival against the odds.

The story:
An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.

The story:
Meet the Hunter family: Adam, a teacher, his wife Kate, and their children Hal, seventeen, and Charlotte, thirteen. And Prince, their black Labrador. It's Prince who is the narrator and protagonist of this tale. An earnest young dog, he strives hard to live up to the tenets of the Labrador Pact. (Labradors believe in 'Duty Over All', that duty being to remain loyal to their human masters, to serve and protect their Family at any cost. Other dogs, led by the Springer Spaniels, have revolted. Their slogans are 'Dogs for Dogs, not for Humans' and 'Pleasure not Duty'.) Mentored by an elderly Labrador called Henry, whom he meets each day in the park, Prince takes his responsibilities seriously, and as things in the Hunter family begin to go badly awry, his responsibilities threaten to overwhelm him. It all starts when a new couple move into the big house overlooking the park. Soon Adam is besotted with Emily, the beautiful aromatherapist, while her husband Simon seems to have played a significant part in Kate's past...Hal is tripping on acid and the house is invaded by his rowdy friends for a party; Charlotte's fallen out with Adam over her new boyfriend and tries to end it all with an And down in the park it's even worse: Henry has disappeared; Emily's dog Falstaff wants to lead Prince astray; has the terrifying Rottweiler Lear killed Joyce, the Irish wolfhound? In the end Prince is forced to break the Labrador Pact and take desperate action to save his Family.

The story:
When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister down a laundry chute, he hurtles into Underland, a world deep beneath New York City. There, humans live uneasily alongside giant spiders, vast cockroaches, huge bats and some appalling rats, and their fragile peace is about to fall apart. Gregor wants no part in their troubles. But when a strange prophecy reveals a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he knows there is no turning back.