Tim Stevens – illustratör

‘One of the greatest ever writers for children’ – Garth Nix ‘A true original’ – Katherine Rundell ‘Truly magical … Guaranteed to leave you gasping’ The Bookseller ‘She is the best writer of magical fantasy for children’ Evening Standard In this beloved modern classic, young Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell… Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Sophie makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above her town, Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls…There Sophie meets Michael, Howl’s apprentice, and Calcifer the fire demon, with whom she agrees a pact. Her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl and Michael and her quest to break her curse come alive with Diana Wynne Jones’s unique combination of magic, humour and imagination.From one of the most beloved, bestselling and award-winning fantasy writers of all time.

An hilarious story, told in letter form, about King Alfred – he who burnt the cakes, and his battles with the Vikings.Berwin, son of Egfrith, writes to Wulfric, son of Elred using his miraculous new talent of reading and writing. Berry’s spellings leave a lot to be desired and in his hilarious letters he tells a tale of mixups and mayhem when King Alfred hides in his family’s cottage but is mistaken for a Dirty Dane – their word for the Vikings. A completely new perspective on why and how those cakes got burned!Fast and very, very funny from the prize-winning author of The Demon Headmaster and other books.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right levelBrother Aelred has remarkably smelly feet. To spare the other monks' noses, he is given the job of tending to the pigs. However, when Viking raiders arrive to attack, loot and pillage the Brothers' monastery, it is Brother Aelred, the humblest, gentlest monk, who saves the day. Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.Text type – A humorous story.An illustrated character web on pages 38 and 39 helps readers to describe Aelred’s character.Curriculum links – History: Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? A Viking case study; PE: Invasion games; RE: What do signs and symbols mean in religion?This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right levelIn Selim-Hassan the Seventh, a teenager is determined not to follow in his father’s footsteps (but his great-great-great-great grandfather has other ideas). In The Wall, a young nomadic girl is determined to return her grandmother to the land of her birth, across the Great Wall of China. Diamond/Band 17 books offer more complex, underlying themes to give opportunities for children to understand causes and points of view.Two alternative career paths for Selim-Hasan on pages 54 and 55 help children to discuss the options that Selim-hassan had and the decisions he made.Text type: Two stories from other culturesCurriculum links: Geography: Passport to the world; Citizenship: Living in a diverse world.This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.