For Younger Readers
Robin Hood: one of the most iconic figures of British legend. Now, for the first time, the ‘true’ story of how he became an outlaw, outwitted Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham, exposed corruption, won the hand of Maid Marian and reclaimed his ancestral home can finally be told. Filled with characters both familiar and less familiar – including Sir Guy of Gisborne, and the hilarious Hench and Men – and featuring links to twelve original songs available online, The Adventures of Robin Hood is a fresh, funny re-telling of a classic tale. Perfect for children aged 9-13, this brand-new novel appeals to children of all ages.
Arlo Lightstorm was not his real name. Not to begin with anyway. His real name was Arlo Lester, and Arlo Lester was a pretty normal ten-year-old boy. He liked football. He didn’t have much time for girls. He enjoyed video games. He had some trouble with bullies. But then, one magical summer, Arlo discovered a whole new world, and a whole new side to himself. Drawing on the myths of ancient Greece, this is an exciting, action-packed adventure that all children will enjoy, but especially those who love history.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Daisy who was a princess. But Daisy had not always been a princess, and becoming one overnight was not necessarily a dream come true, not with the evil Dr Zigglybugg and his fiendish plans around, anyway. Read the exciting and amusing adventures of Princess Daisy and her arch enemy Dr Zigglybugg in this new novel for children by Christopher Loft. Featuring “Two Towers Castle”, “The Lady of Shalott”, “The Abominable Snowman”, and many more stories, in which Daisy outwits Dr Zigglybugg at every turn!
Well known as the cleanest city in Europe, if not the world, Hamelin seems the perfect place for Sarah Weatherman to bring her accident-prone son, Bert. Hamelin is a world of cleanliness and tidiness, where there’s a place for everything and everyone knows their place. However, just as Sarah and Bert arrive, the town is besieged by a plague of rats and only one man seems able to help the beleaguered mayor and councillors.
With links to all-new songs, performed and recorded by Andy Merrifield, ‘The Pied Piper of Ham-a-lee-in’ is more than just a retelling of a well-loved tale. It is a humorous musical adventure that the whole family will enjoy.
Once upon a time, a little girl walked through the forest to visit her grandmother, who was not very well. On the way, she met two other children, who had been abandoned by their father, and they in turn stumbled across a girl who had been put into a deep sleep. Oh, and there was another girl (with long hair), kept prisoner at the top of a tall tower. And … three little pigs, a wolf, a cowardly prince (and his helpful horse), not to mention a boy with a beanstalk in his back garden. And we mustn’t forget the fairies, of course. And a couple of giants. And the witches, all three of them. These shouldn’t really be called fairy tales. These stories are scary tales!
For Older Readers
Part pulp-fiction detective thriller, part existential mystery, Missim Woods is the story of Jack Sharp, a Los Angeles private detective. Down on his luck, with too many memories haunting his mind and not enough alcohol to block them out, Jack unexpectedly receives two missing persons cases. His efforts to solve them both will take him from the gutters of Skid Row to Burbank airport, from Hollywood movie studios to the wide, open spaces of Montana. But is Jack Sharp who he appears to be? And how can he know for sure? Set in 1941, this is a story of a man in search of himself, in search of the soul of his nation, in search of the very nature of reality. Missim Woods: many paths lead in, but getting in is not the problem.
Over Our Heads is the story of Silver Lake Academy, surely the worst school in the country. Pupils are routinely tortured, made to disappear or simply forgotten about; staff are constantly under the thumb of the grotesque Senior management Team and the devilish figure of Catherine Dinglesby, headteacher. Anyone who has worked in mainstream education in the last couple of decades will recognise these stories. You will laugh, cry, nod your head in agreement and shake it from side to side in bewilderment. Over Our Heads exposes much of what is wrong with the education system today, but also points the way forward to a brighter future.
A man takes a job as a waiter in a café that does not serve food. A woman inherits a house in which previous owners have been driven insane. Serial killers and zombies seek social acceptability through meals. Women go to extreme lengths to make men do their share of the housework. In this new collection of short stories, Christopher Loft creates a world by turns baffling and absurd, frightening and hilarious, ridiculous and profound. In doing so, he provides both an escape from and a reflection of the world we live in. Welcome to the storybook café.
Learn how to travel through time (perhaps!). Meet Everett Granger. By day, an employee of the local fast-food chain; by night, a would-be investigative reporter. When Everett tunes into the police scanner, he stumbles upon a secret that will change not only his life, but the lives of all his friends and maybe even the entire universe. Or should that be the multiverse? Taking in Nixon’s White House, the wild west, and a futuristic planet or two, Time Burners is a breathtaking ride through the spacetime continuum, and will leave readers thrilled, possibly a little confused, but hopefully inspired.