Otter-Barry Books – serie

Gazing at the stars from five storeys up,smelling the bins from five storeys below. Overheard arguments,overheard laughter.A disappearing father and a Mermaid-Queen mother; statues that sing for flesh and blood; bullies who kick you under the table; perfect red trainers – and the things that lurk in the library….Award-winning poet Joseph Coelho’s astonishing new collection is a powerful and moving poetic narrative about growing up in the city.

See that tall, skinny kid with the ball in his handsayin see ya later to his mate?That’s me:Nathan WilderNate. 10 years oldand a week away from the end of Year 5. Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS is at his side - they’ve been inseparable since Nursery.But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in Turner, the school bully, Nate's world turns upside-down. As he struggles to make sense of this and forge new friendships, he’s dealt another blow when his youngest brother, Dylan is rushed into hospital.His new teacher, Mr Joshua, sees a spark inside of Nate that’s lit by his love of reading and writing and shows him how to use this to process what’s going on. But with so much working against him, and anger rising inside him, will this be enough?A powerful and lyrical story about finding your place in the world and the people that matter within it.

One hot day at the edge of the desert, Maryam and Issa know something exciting is going to happen. Mum and Dad bring spades, Uncle Cedric brings lots of plants and seedlings, the neighbours bring water. Everyone works together, digging, planting and watering – and the children all help too. Then they wait… and hope…Set in Mali, this powerful story is about the creation of The Great Green Wall of Africa, an exciting real-life project to bring trees, growth and regeneration across sub-Saharan Africa.