Clare Balding - Böcker

The perfect novel for anyone who has ever dreamt of a fresh start…‘Funny, sensitive, and insightful – the perfect book to turn to at the end of a long day’ Bonnie GarmusAlex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years – until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading The Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance.But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be? The perfect feel-good read for Spring 2026, and a joyful celebration of new beginnings, community and rural life – buy your copy today! Readers love Pastures New: 'Books like [this] have become my safe haven … like a long country walk with a bit of rain and a warm fireplace in the pub at the end'

Charlie is excited when she finally gets a horse she can ride. She believes Noddy can help her family to afford their well-loved farm. But when Noddy does not want to gallop, Charlie must think outside the box to achieve her dreams. The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop is from Fluent Reader Level 4 and is ideal for more fluent readers aged from 7+ who are starting to read independently.Each book has been carefully checked by educational and subject consultants and includes comprehension puzzles, book band information, and tips for helping children with their reading. With five levels to take children from first phonics to fluent reading and a wide range of different stories and topics for every interest, Read It Yourself helps children build their confidence and begin reading for pleasure.

The perfect novel for anyone who has ever dreamt of a fresh start…‘Funny, sensitive, and insightful – the perfect book to turn to at the end of a long day’ Bonnie GarmusAlex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years – until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading The Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance.But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be? The perfect feel-good read for Spring 2026, and a joyful celebration of new beginnings, community and rural life – buy your copy today! Readers love Pastures New: 'Books like [this] have become my safe haven … like a long country walk with a bit of rain and a warm fireplace in the pub at the end'

The perfect novel for anyone who has ever dreamt of a fresh start…‘Funny, sensitive, and insightful – the perfect book to turn to at the end of a long day’ Bonnie GarmusAlex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years – until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading The Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance.But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be? The perfect feel-good read for Spring 2026, and a joyful celebration of new beginnings, community and rural life – buy your copy today! Readers love Pastures New: 'Books like [this] have become my safe haven … like a long country walk with a bit of rain and a warm fireplace in the pub at the end'

'A heart-warming story with a great girl-power message' - Jacqueline WilsonCharlie Bass is a horse-mad ten-year-old who dreams of owning her own pony. So when she accidentally manages to buy a racehorse, Charlie is thrilled.The horse she buys, Noble Warrior, looks the part: strong, fit and healthy. There's just one problem - he won't gallop. In fact, he won't even leave his stable without his best friend, a naughty palomino pony called Percy. Charlie is convinced that Noble Warrior has what it takes to be a champion. But can she prove it? Derby Day is fast approaching and only a win can save the family farm from being repossessed.The stakes couldn't be higher for the Basses. Can Charlie turn her chaotic family into a top training team? Can Noble Warrior overcome his nerves? Will Percy the pony ever stop farting?Find out in this classic, funny animal story, perfect for fans of Dick King-Smith and Gerald Durrell.

Clare Balding's second brilliant adventure for Charlie Bass and her funny family of humans and animals.Life is slowly getting back to normal for Charlie after her reluctant racehorse, Noble Warrior, won the Derby and saved her family from financial ruin. But drama soon returns to Folly Farm when thieves break into the farmyard in the dead of night and kidnap Noble Warrior! With the police baffled and no trace of the prizewinning thoroughbred to be found, Charlie launches her own investigation...

Penguin presents the audio download edition of The Racehorse Who Disappeared written and read by Clare Balding. Life is slowly getting back to normal for Charlie after her reluctant racehorse, Noble Warrior, won the Derby and saved her family from financial ruin. But drama soon returns to Folly Farm when thieves break into the farmyard in the dead of night and kidnap Noble Warrior! With the police baffled and no trace of the prizewinning thoroughbred to be found, Charlie launches her own investigation...

Charlie's racehorse has certainly earned the name Noble Warrior: he won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of nasty kidnappers. But now Noddy is facing his greatest challenge yet . . .Charlie's best friend Polly is still recovering from an accident that left her almost paralysed. But Polly has a real talent with horses - and she and Charlie are determined not to let it go to waste. Can the two best friends find a way to make Polly's equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who wouldn't gallop?

Penguin presents the audio CD edition of The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance written and read by Clare Balding.Charlie's racehorse has certainly earned the name Noble Warrior: he won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of nasty kidnappers. But now Noddy is facing his greatest challenge yet . . .Charlie's best friend Polly is still recovering from an accident that left her almost paralysed. But Polly has a real talent with horses - and she and Charlie are determined not to let it go to waste.Can the two best friends find a way to make Polly's equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who wouldn't gallop?

My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding is a funny, brave, tender story of self-discovery'I had spent most of my childhood thinking I was a dog, and suspect I had aged in dog years.'Clare Balding grew up in a rather unusual household. Her father a champion trainer, she shared her life with more than 100 thoroughbred racehorses, mares, foals and ponies, as well as an ever-present pack of boxers and lurchers. As a toddler she would happily ride the legendary Mill Reef and take breakfast with the Queen.She and her younger brother came very low down the pecking order. Left to their own devices, they had to learn life's toughest lessons through the animals, and through their adventures in the stables and the idyllic Hampshire Downs. From the protective Candy to the pot-bellied Valkyrie and the frisky Hattie, each horse and each dog had their own character and their own special part to play.The running family joke was that "women ain't people". Clare had to prove them wrong, to make her voice heard - but first she had to make sure she had something to say.'Moving, funny and larger than life' Michael Morpurgo'Magical, enchanting, riotously eccentric' Daily Mail'Funny and unexpectedly wise. Balding has lots of good stories to tell. It is impossible not to admire her honesty Mail on Sunday'The reading equivalent of snuggling by the fire with a labrador' The Guardian

Walking Home - Clare Balding's unmissable new book of Great British AdventuresClare Balding is on a mission to discover Britain and Ireland. She's conquered over 1,500 miles of footpaths, from the Pennine Way to the South-west Coast Path.As well as blisters and a twisted ankle, she's walked with extraordinary people - botanists, barefooted ramblers, whisky-drinking widowers...In Walking Home she shares these stories and tells of more (mis)adventures with her family and her wayward Tibetan terrier Archie. Along the way there are beguiling diversions and life-changing rambles.Finally, Clare embarks on the most important journey of all - the long walk home.Clare Balding's first book, My Animals and Other Family, was a runaway number one bestseller and won Autobiography of the Year at the 2012 Specsavers National Book Awards. Clare broadcasts on TV and radio for the BBC, Channel 4 and BT Sport. In 2013 she received an OBE for services to broadcasting and journalism. She lives in West London with her partner Alice, their Terrier Archie and a cat who couldn't give a damn called Itty.Praise for My Animals and Other Family:'You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want a horse' Caitlin Moran'Moving, funny, and larger than life' Michael Morpurgo'Simply fabulous' Jilly Cooper'Stonking anecdotes ... sharply charming' Guardian'Magical, enchanting, riotously eccentric' Daily Mail

*Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Children's Sports Book of the Year, 2022*'Falling off' is all part of life. The trick is to know how to dust yourself off, get back on, learn from your mistakes - and keep going!Clare Balding, TV presenter, sportswoman and bestselling author has had some spectacular falls in her life - from not fitting in at school and falling in with the wrong crowd, to last-minute hiccups and mistakes on live TV - so she knows what it takes to embrace your mistakes and move on from them!With personal stories from Clare herself and from the lives of the people she most admires, children will discover how to develop courage in the face of tough situations. Find out how Charlotte Raubenheimer of South Africa completed a triathlon while in lockdown at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Marvel at the amazing story of US surfer Bethany Hamilton, who got back in the water just one month after she lost her arm in a shark attack, going on to win her first US national surfing competition two years later. Plus many more stories including that of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, US soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat and Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg.With fun, quirky illustrations from Jess Holm, the 10 chapters of Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going explore 10 character-traits ­- RESILIENCE, PATIENCE, CONFIDENCE, COURAGE, FLEXIBILITY, CREATIVITY, SPEAKING OUT, MOTIVATION, KINDNESS and KEEPING GOING - that can help children to learn to embrace their mistakes, own them, and move on from them.

A HILARIOUS GUIDE TO THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, WHERE YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMALS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD - BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND COMMENTATOR CLARE BALDING"Truly engrossing... a very enjoyable read" - PA review"The perfect gift for sport and animal lovers" - Lancashire Evening PostWho would win in a race . . . the Australian tiger beetle or the peregrine falcon?Who is the strongest . . . the extraordinary ant or the grumpy gorilla?Who has the best superpower . . . the headless cockroach or the jet-powered squid?From speed, agility and strength to super-sensory prowess, these animal all-stars will compete to set incredible animal records. Perfect for animal lovers and packed full of TRUE animal facts, stats and world records, this is a funny guide to the world's most fascinating animals. The perfect gift for kids who love animals and sport. With laugh-out-loud commentary and incredible animal facts throughout, and rib-tickling illustrations by The Boy Fitz Hammond.

Every dog must have his day.There's nothing the British love quite as much as their dogs - but did you know that our canine companions have also shaped the history of this sceptred isle? From hunting to our hearths, and from herding to heavy industry, our dogs have accompanied us through centuries of social and economic change, and our relationship is still evolving today.In this fascinating alternative history of Britain, Clare Balding takes us on a journey across the length and breadth of the home nations, exploring our unique heritage of canine tradition and meeting the people who still live, work and innovate with their dogs. A story of companionship, loyalty and good old-fashioned hard work, Isle of Dogs is an unmissable read for anyone whose life has been transformed by a faithful hound.