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'My first thought is that it’s a pig that someone has lost to the river. Perhaps it fell off one of the barges that choke up the Thames. They’re a constant feature, toiling up and down, day and night, giving off black smoke that clings to the water.'Joe (15) and Edie (13) are orphans living in Victorian London. Forever worried that they will be sent to the dreaded workhouse, they scratch out a living the best way they can by mudlarking on the foreshore of the River Thames and selling their finds to the nortorious Hempson. One day they discover something macabre, and it will change their lives forever. The Grinning Throat is the first in the trilogy of The Mudlark Mysteries. Written by award winnng author, Kate Wiseman, it is historical fiction at its best. Suitable for readers from age 11 and upwards

“I am just going to write because I cannot help it.”Charlotte BrontëHaworth 1847. When Mother and her beloved twin brothers are taken by the Haworth ‘miasma’, to keep her family from the workhouse, 15-year-old Kate takes a cleaning job at The Parsonage, home to the Brontë family. Kate dreams of being a writer. Poverty and gender stand in her way and Luke Feather who wants to marry her, believes writing stories is a waste of time. When Charlotte Brontë discovers Kate’s passion for books and writing, an important friendship develops. Kate begins to embrace Charlotte’s radical ideas of equality and is thrilled when she spots clues that the Brontë sisters are writing stories. But how can Kate achieve her ambitions to write, while locked in the daily struggle to survive in Haworth?  Miriam Halahmy has written a novel which brings the Brontës alive for a new generation of readers. Themes of women’s rights, inequality and poverty are illuminated in beautiful character-driven storytelling. In a world of increasing inequality and global attacks on women’s rights, this is a novel for our time.

From award winning Children's author, Jenny Moore (Odelia and the Varmint and Emba Oak and the Terrible Tomorrows - comes an exciting new novel for young adults aged 12-16.Slettbyrd will transport you to snowy climes, to a distant land gripped by fear and prejudice and to a teenage boy who will do everything he can to protect the people he loves.  Ninety-nine years of winter.   Ninety-nine years since the first white-haired, three-thumbed slettbyrd – the scourge of the Gjördish people – was born.   Ninety-nine years since the red-cloaked Slettseeker arrived to destroy every last slettbyrd child… …with Janeck’s baby sister next on the list.  To save her, 14-year-old Janeck Potetsky will have to relearn everything he thought he knew about the world. He’ll have to take on the wild, snowy wastelands and the brutal prejudices of a century-long regime. He’ll have to defeat the all-powerful Slettseeker… or die trying.

It's been a year since a body found floating in the murky waters of the Thames thrust penniless Joe, Edie, Ottilie and Jack into the criminal underbelly of Victorian London.The Mudlarks, now raised from poverty, are pursuing their own ventures. But their new-found security is shattered when Jack crosses paths with a fearless street urchin called Flea.Flea knows the whereabouts of a deadly treasure hidden deep beneath London, and he needs their help to recover it. Yet they are not the only ones on the trail of the treasure, and the dark sewers beneath Hampstead hold forces more sinister than anything the Mudlarks have faced before.As they face criminals, cutthroats and things far worse, familiar faces will force Jack to confront memories he had struggled to forget, and the Mudlarks will fight to survive on their most monstrous adventure yet.

Winter, 1942, and eighteen months since the Germans invaded the beautiful island of Jersey.For Joe, Spinner, Clem and Ginger, memories of carefree days are fading. They try to lift everyone’s spirits with their band, and they play tricks on the enemy. The local newspaper is controlled by the Germans, there’s no post to England and telephone calls are monitored.Everybody is hungry.16 year-old Clem is angry. His brother’s been killed in action and his father is unwell. Then he and Joe discover that Russian slave labourers have been brought to Jersey to build bunkers for the German army. These prisoners are beaten, starving and desperate.The gang devise a plan. What if they can help the prisoners? Risking life and limb, they embark on an adventure to help in any way they can. But danger lurks in every corner and will it make it worse?Jacqueline King is a Channel Islander living in Somerset.

Mary, Georgia, 1851 'My Momma always told me that, one day, remarkable things would happen to me. ‘No, Mary,’ I hear her say, voice dripping like treacle, ‘not happen to you; you will do remarkable things.’ Not now though, trapped and with no room to properly breathe – nowhere to look even but the sky above and the earth under my feet pressed flat on the ground from working and walking from dawn until the sun sets low in a stretched wide sky of cerise and crimson. For now, my space to breathe is inside. In that little pocket deep deep within my chest or heart or something – the bit they can’t touch.' Clover has felt so alone since her mother passed away - there was only ever Mum and Clover and they were a team. That is until Clover discovers a box of old letters, dating back to 1851, where the voice of a young woman will tell Clover about her true heritage and the dark secrets that Mum hid from her. A YA novel by debut author, Natalie Lucy about the intergenerational legacy of enslavement.

In a galaxy beyond the Milky Way, three friends and their goofy sidekick discover a mysterious glowing orb. It draws them into the Emotosphere, where their adventure begins. Feelings run high and friendships are tested as they face the Galaxy of Woah and the swirling Vortex. Can these friends work together to master the 7 Cosmic Powers and navigate the Emotosphere? Will the cast of intriguing characters they meet along the way help them find their ultimate treasure? Through the 7 Cosmic Powers, young readers are introduced to tools for mental wellbeing, to help them cope with life’s ups and downs. A variety of evidence-based psychology strategies, from mindfulness to gratitude, are woven into the story using child-friendly imagery and language.Tales of the Emotosphere is a graphic novel with a fun adventure story at its heart, to engage young readers in social and emotional learning. Co-written by Russ Daff and Dr Susannah Redhead (Clinical Psychologist) with illustrations by Russ Daff.

Pomegranates for Peace is a Middle Grade novel centred on the aftermath of the October 7th 2023 atrocities conducted by Hamas in Israel and the terrible war in Gaza which followed. The story takes place in November 2023 in London when Tamara Cohen learns that her cousin Gidi who lives in Israel, is coming to stay with the family because his dad as a medic is on the front line and his mum has been taken ill and is in hospital. At first Tamara is upset because she has to give up her bedroom. Dad is withdrawn and angry and spends all of his time following the events unfolding in Isreal and Gaza. Mum is anxious about it too and worried about Gidi who hardly speaks and seems to have arrived with little clothing. Over the next few weeks, friendships in school become strained and Tamara is concerned that she is losing her best friend Yaz. Bouts of racism against Jewish and Muslim children and families, inside and outside of school are becoming more frequent and everyone in school, including the teachers, are taking sides. In the end it is Gidi who teaches the children that Peace is the path to sorting out the mess created by adults and opens their eyes to the youth leaders in Israel and Gaza who work tirelessly to build bridges of communication. Released on the 20th November, on World Children's Day. The day marks the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989. In 2025, World Children's Day calls on adults to listen to the future. Miriam Halahmy is a Jewish Anglo author and Peace Activist.

'They do say there be a witch in it, and if you let ‘un out, there’ll be a peck of trouble’Eleven-year-old Egg is having a rough year. Dad has a whole new family and she’s sure it’s all her fault. The last thing she wants is a mandatory school trip to the spooky Pitt Rivers Museum, but her strange, silver-haired teacher, Mr. Fellgrim, insists. When she’s paired with the popular Josh for a museum-wide treasure hunt, Egg thinks her luck might finally be changing.She's wrong.As the hunt leads them deeper into the eerie, artefact-filled halls, the shadows begin to stretch. Why does Mr. Fellgrim look exactly like a man in a hundred-year-old portrait? And where did the rest of her classmates go?When the museum lights flicker and die, a bone-chilling fog swallows everything. When Egg wakes up, she isn’t in the museum anymore. She’s staring through silver-tinted glass at a world that has grown impossibly large.Egg is trapped inside the Witch Bottle, one of the museum’s prize exhibits. Now, she must find the courage to face Priscilla— a powerful, ancient witch with a wicked plan. If Egg can’t find a way out, she’ll become much more than just a student on a school trip. She’ll be the museum’s newest permanent exhibit...

The Golden Skull is the third book  in Kate Wiseman’s Mudlarking Mysteries, the cosy crime series for teens.Ottilie Zhang has flourished since her escape from the clutches of China Jane. Her greatest joy is combing the Thames foreshore with Joe, looking for treasure.During one mudlarking expedition, she uncovers something astounding and troubling: a golden Aztec skull, once the property of a legendary pirate. It comes with a grim reputation.Ottilie’s hard-won happiness is threatened when China Jane once again tracks her down, offering an impossible choice: hand over the skull, together with a golden skeletal hand that once accompanied it, or Jane will order the deaths of her cherished friends, one by one.With only days to complete the task, Ottilie turns to fledging suffragette Adelaide Bing for help, encountering obstacles both human and ghostly as she fights against time itself to save her friends.

15 year olds Jude Chalk and Eddie Bree have been best friends since pre-school. Both are huge Star Wars fans and share a love of running.  When Eddie is given a terminal cancer diagnosis, he hands Jude his bucket list. Mission no.1 of 10, is to ask a girl out. Jude is horrified, terrified even, but does not want to let his best friend down. He gathers his courage and asks a new girl to the school,Tiggy Potts, on a date and is surprised to discover there’s a spark between them. But Tiggy has a secret that leaves Jude facing a difficult choice. Does he alert social services and risk losing her? Or does he pretend everything is fine?Meanwhile he is faced with Eddie’s final mission - a bungee jump. Terrified of heights, Judeovercomes his fears and leaps out over the river Tees. As he hurtles towards the water, hesuddenly understands what the bucket list is all about. Eddie Bree is gifting him experiencesthat will carry him through the dark days ahead.Grief-stricken after Eddie’s death, Jude spends days holed up in his room. Eventually, awarethat Eddie would be cross seeing him like this, he pulls on his running shoes and headsdown to the track where they used to train. Tiggy is there waiting for him, as she has beenevery morning since Eddie’s death. The spark Jude felt that first time he asked her out re-ignites. As he pounds lap after lap, he realises he owes it to his best buddy to embrace life and every damn thing it has to offer.

Illy, champion runner and the only care kid in school, doesn’t know who she is or where shecame from. All she has from her Mum is her name and a scrap of old lace. When her socialworker Kell finds Illy’s missing Life Story Book, can Illy and foster mum Jay put together themissing puzzle pieces of Illy’s past? Illy Blue, Who are You? follows Illy’s journey of discovery into her past and her worriesabout never really belonging anywhere. Can Illy learn to fully trust Jay, her new foster mum, and will her journeylead to yet more disappointment or the resolution she so deeply needs.Written by Social Worker, Ellie Pulze, Illy Blue, Who are You is a story for young peopleeverywhere and for those who have been in the care system and all those who work withthem.USPShort chaptersFor fans of Kate O’Shaughnessy, Jen Carney and Jacqueline Wison Jacqueline WisonWritten by Social Worker, Ellie Pulze, Illy Blue, for young people everywhere, thosewho have been in the care system and all those who work with them.

Slotting in beside THE MACHINE GUNNERS and WAR HORSE, A CAKE FOR THE GESTAPO tells the story of a fictional gang of kids in Jersey during the German Occupation in WW2, weaving in very real islanders’ own stories of the Occupation at its core – A history that has never before been told in children’s literature June 1940. Jersey. Joe makes light of his father’s unpredictable anger, and Spinner tries to ignore the school bully, Percy, while dealing with her own mounting fears. As for Ginger, her cousin, he’s nervous of the biggest bully of all, Hitler, while her neighbour, farmer’s son Clem, is apparently just keeping his head down. But on the sly, Clem is learning to box, has hidden a gun and he’s going to deal with Percy – and possibly the Germans – all by himself. All the same, none of them believes the Germans will actually invade. Then the island is bombed, Joe is injured and outrage turns to terror as the Germans arrive and their grip on the peaceful island tightens. Initially, the adults avoid direct confrontation, while the gang is determined to go further, aiming to destroy German morale and trip them up in their every move. At first, they simply play tricks on the soldiers, but as the situation worsens, their defiance escalates, leading them all into terrible, mortal danger. As the Occupation wears on, and deprivation turns to starvation, a distinct plan emerges for the kids - the successful elimination from the island of a Gestapo sergeant, the cruel and repugnant Viktor.

Reviews for Always Here for You:‘Truly gripping.’Saffia Farr, Editor, JUNO Magazine‘A must-read of our times.’WRD Magazine‘A heart-stopping portrayal. Essential reading for teens and parents of teens – this book may well save lives.’MIRIAM HALAHMYAngela Kiverstein‘A crucial read – current and compelling.’Penny Joelson‘Poignant, powerful and educational.’Emma Suffield,SLA UK School Librarian of the Year 2018‘Impossible to put down.’Lucas Maxwell, Portable Magic Dispenser‘A very important book.’From Bee With Love‘Compelling, insightful and urgently important.’Fallen Star Stories‘A poignant book with a very important message for teens.’A Beautiful Chaos‘A must read for all parents.’Motherhood: The Real Deal‘Incredibly well crafted.’My Chestnut Reading Tree‘An important reminder about online safety for a generation that often take the validity of their online relationships for granted.’Sarah ChurchillMiriam Halahmy's novel explores the realities of online grooming. It is told from the perspective of 14 year old Holly. Holly is a middle class girl from Brighton. She lives with Mum and Dad who love her, care about her but due to circumstances such as work pressure and Gran's loneliness and fragility after the death of Granddad, leave her at home alone. This would not be unreasonable in normal circumstances but Holly is at a particularly vulnerable time. Her best friend since nursery school has moved away to Canada. They had been inseperable and Holly has no friends at school. The novel follows Holly trying to make new friends and alongside this, meeting Jay, a boy online. The novel uses text messages and whatsapp messaging to tell the story of how Jay, another fourteen year old from a different school, become hopelessly engrossed in each other. Jay messages Holly all of the time, at 2am, at 3am and becomes desperate and sometimes sulky, when Holly doesn't message him back. Holly is flattered and soon even her newly forming school friendship group seem unimportant to her as she is increasingly flattered by and absorbed by Jay.But is he all her seems?Or is there something more sinister happening.With the debate raging about Smart phones and teenagers access to social media, this novel is ever more significant.It is pacy and gripping and easy to read. It would do well in all bookstores and in school libraries. It should be a classic for the PSHE reading list.Miriam Halahmy's Always Here for You was nominated for the Carnegie Medal

‘He spreads out his hands. They glow yellow, then orange. Threads emerge from underneath his nails, shining out of the skin. They weave themselves together, the fingers knitting their light-made lace until the threads form a fabric heading out of the glass panes and towards the fields. They cross the glass without so much as a shudder. Seo crafts his land.’ Seo Kuroaku has it all. Adopted as a boy by the formidable Sir Neil, he’s the youth champion of Twine, the high-pressured national sport. Played in arenas where thousands come to watch, weavers craft creatures from their fingertips to wage battle against fearsome opponents. But this is a Britain of much darker times - and Seo is harbouring a secret.When he is outed, Twine can’t help him. With the help of his little brother Minjun and Jack, the man he can’t decide if he loves or not, Seo has to find a way to get his life back on track, whilst facing the biggest match of his life. In The Game Weavers, Rebecca Zahabi has created a fantastical yet hauntingly contemporary narrative which is both love story and fable - The Game Weavers is a coming of age story about the importance of intimacy, family and self-acceptance.

Rapids Yan Harris is VERY EXCITED.Well, of course she is. It’s summer, she’s got over her depression and she’s in London for a week with her BFF Chelsea. After seventeen years in a sleepy village where everybody just knows them as The Chinese One and The Brainy One… life is calling.It’s a pretty cool prospect… if Chel can stop worrying about discourse in the Nordhelm fandom long enough to enjoy it. Chelsea’s worried about Yan, too, to Yan’s annoyance.Barely sleeping, barely eating, getting increasingly gobby, having an – ahem – close encounter in a toilet, giving a Tory MP a good kick in the shins, and running around kind of literally screaming… well, it’s all just good summer fun, isn’t it?Isn’t it?In the desperate battle of Yan vs. bipolar disorder, does the poor disease really stand a chance?Written by an author who lives with bipolar herself, this is a hilarious yet edge-of-your-seat ride, with friendship at its heart. Perfect for fans of Holly Bourne and Alice Oseman.“This book nails it—not just the vertiginous flights of bipolar, but also the pure joy of youth.” – Marya Hornbacher, author of Wasted and Madness: a Bipolar Life“Cleverly written, fast-paced and engaging. I rattled through it, desperate to know what happened.” – Nicola Morgan, author of Blame My Brain “You don't want to miss this story, it will hit you like a tidal wave.” – Lucas Maxwell, UK School Librarian of the Year 2017 “It’s impossible not to fall in love with Yan.” – Tabitha Suzuma, author of Forbidden and A Note of Madness “Authentic, dazzling and a vivid demonstration of why neurodivergent "own voices" are so important.” - Eric Lindstrom, author of Not if I See You First and A Tragic Kind of Wonderful  “Witty, inventive and incredibly immersive. Yan is a brilliant, heart-breaking character.” -Elen Caldecott, author of The Short Knife

Icarus and Velvet is a YA Fantasy written by award winning novelist Kate Wiseman.‘We increased the bounty on angels today,’ my father said. He was shielding his eyes as he squinted up through the ground window at the red, dying sun. ‘Five thousand pecs for a healthy woman or child…’ Humanity has splintered. Over millennia, the Avians of the Clifflands have learned to fly with wings of sky metal. The Subterraneans venture to the surface only to farm in vast glass domes. Between them lies the boundless and savage Wilderness. Suspicion and hostility between their cities shadow every aspect of life in this post-apocalyptic world.Icarus is a Seraphim, rare and destined for greatness. When he is sent on a deadly mission to far-off Subterranean Newtopia, his people’s hopes weigh on him as heavily as the wings on his back, or the bounty he must capture.Velvet is an outcast, shunned throughout Newtopia and protected only by her domineering father’s influence. Unwilling to bend to the patriarchal tyranny of the Elders, she dreams of freedom.Meanwhile, shadowy forces are plotting to overturn the long-simmering stalemate, unleashing conflict that will usher in a new and even darker world order.Threatened with a war that will end their people forever, Icarus and Velvet must struggle to survive. Flung together by fate, they must forge an alliance — or die.

Dan's dad is evolving  - but this is not how Dan sees things. He thinks he is losing Dad forever...Zelda Conway writes a novel exploring what it is like to have a parent who decides they need to change from being a man to becoming a woman. An insightful read for children and parents, and helpful for counsellors and teachers and all those who work with young people.

The Face in the Mirror is a teacher's manual for delivering poetry to children and young people as part of the PSHE and English curriculum. Complied by Judy Morris, a former head teacher and English specialist, this anthology contains 55 poems with commentaries, lesson plans, mindfulness and guidance for teaching staff. The anthology is divided into 11 sections. Each section covers categories of emotional wellbeing, such as Who Am I?, Friendships, Being Different, When good times turn to dark times, I'm alone, Losing and remembering, Facing my trauma, I'm standing strong, Looking for happiness, Trying to find answers and Facing the future without fear. Each section contains between four and six poems per category. The anthology collection was led by Judy Morris and supported by Elaine Bousfield, a counsellor and CEO of ZunTold. Elaine is also the founder of kooth.com.The poems are  mix of classical poetry, modern poetry and poems written by young people. The theme of emotional and mental health has never been more relevant for young people and teachers who teach them.  We hope, that this anthology will support students and staff and provide a rich resource to support young people's wellbeing in the classroom.

1779On tumultuous waters a girl is born as pirates board the ship . . .Jiddy Vardy is a survivor.Rescued at birth, she grows up in Robin Hood’s Bay, a community which harbours a dangerous secret that could get you killed.Always the outsider, with her dark skin and hair, at sixteen Jiddy is clever, brave and headstrong, soon risking her life and freedom to play her part in the Bay’s clandestine activities.Then, just as romance blossoms and Jiddy finally feels like she belongs, figures from the past threaten to tear her world apart, and she has to decide where her loyalties truly lie.A thrilling tale of one girl’s search for identity and love, set against a backdrop of wild seas, smuggling and violence.Yorkshire author Ruth Estevez previously worked as a scriptwriter for major BBC young people’s programming.

‘I bet no other school gives you the chance to chase super villains through hidden tunnels!’That’s what Milly Dillane has to say about life at Blaggard’s, A.K.A Gangster School. Milly and her new friend Charlie have just started at Blaggard’s. But what’s it like to be in a school that teaches lying, kidnapping and stealinginstead of Maths and English? Their parents and teachers are master criminals and want them to follow in their footsteps … but are Milly and Charlie just too … dependable?In this funny and exciting adventure, smart Milly and super-hacker Charlie face some of the worst villains around, including the cold-hearted Pecunia Badpenny and her sidekick: Wolf the evil electronic dog.Can Milly and Charlie beat Badpenny and her demonic plans? And are they criminal enough to keep their place in a school they’ve come to love?Kate Wiseman’s brilliant Blaggard’s is like Hogwarts for criminal kids!

Trouble is brewing at Blaggard’s School for Tomorrow’s Tyrants.Sir Byron’s Brain, a priceless legendary diamond, has gone missing. If it leaves the school grounds, Blaggard’s will be destroyed forever and the head teacher obliterated! Could the evil Brotherhood of Brimstone – an ancient secret society – have anything to do with it? Best friends Milly and Charlie embark on an adventure to find out. They discover a web of evil plots involving Gruffles, Charlie’s stinky dog, and Wolfie, the robot dog turned invisible superhero. On top of this, Blaggard’s is expecting a school inspection from the mysterious Dr X – Chief Inspector of Criminal Schools. He could turn up at any time, and no one know what he looks like.Time is running out for Milly and Charlie. Will Dr X appear? And can our heroes defeat the evil Brotherhood, rescue their canine companions and save the day?The rollicking second instalment in Kate Wisemans’ Gangster School series.

14-year-old Max only has one person he can really talk to. Her name is Ana – also known as anorexia, his eating disorder. Max writes to Ana every day. She feeds on his fears, encouraging him to lose more and more weight.For Christmas, Max gets an unusual present from his older brother Robin: a geocache. He hides it in the forest near their house, thrilled by the anonymity it gives him. Anyone can leave Max a note – and soon, he gets one from the mysterious ‘E’. Could it be the Evie, the new girl at school, playing tricks on him?In the midst of a family crisis, Max’s eating disorder quickly deteriorates. Ana pulls him further and further away from his family and friends, until he feels totally alone. Can anyone help him find a way out?Drawing on debut author Samuel Pollen’s own experiences, this is an unforgettable, uplifting story of one boy’s battle with anorexia.

It’s Crimicon – the annual meeting for promising young criminals – and this year it’s being held at Crumley’s, the dreaded School for Career Criminals, who also happen to be Blaggard’s bitterest rivals.It’s not until it’s too late to turn back that Milly and Charlie realise that Gruffles, Charlie’s devoted but stinky dog, has followed them. Can Milly and Charlie keep their school’s reputation as the best school for criminals, steer clear of Dr B L Zeebub, Crumley’s evil Head Teacher as well as keeping Gruffles out of harm’s way? What is the purpose of the mysterious machine that Zeebub has hidden away in the school’s basement? Can Trickery Hackett, an over-friendly Crumleian, really be on their side? Why does the animal-hating Zeebub allow a flock of weirdly large sheep to roam Crumley’s grounds? And since when have sheep been CARNIVOROUS?Milly and Charlie must use all their skills to find their way through the maze of traps and problems awaiting them at Crumley’s, to save Blaggard’s reputation and protect Gruffles from the Killer Sheep.