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Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child.Tom tucked a blanket round him, drew up a chair by the fire and watched Willie fall asleep. The tales he had heard about evacuees didn't seem to fit Willie. 'Ungrateful' and 'wild' were the adjectives he had heard used, or just plain 'homesick'. He was quite unprepared for this timid, sickly little specimen.Britain, 1940. With World War Two raging all around, young children are being sent from their homes in the city to the countryside for safety. When eight-year-old Willie Beech first arrives on Tom Oakley's doorstep, neither are quite sure what to make of each another. Brought up in terrible poverty, Willie is terribly shy, and totally unprepared for village life - but the gruff-but-gentle 'Mister Tom' quickly takes him under his wing. Neither he nor Willie could ever have predicted the journey they will go on together - nor the unbreakable bond that will be formed.Winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, and rightly hailed as a true classic of children's literature, Goodnight Mister Tom is a beautifully told, deeply moving story about the power of friendship, kindness, hope - and love.'Everyone's idea of a smash-hit novel: full-blown characters to love and hate, moments of grief and joy, and a marvellous story that knows just how to grab the emotions' - Guardian

Bridge to Terabithia is an unforgettable story of friendship and loss by award-winning author Katherine Paterson.Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the class, but when a girl named Leslie Burke moves into the neighbouring farm his life changes forever. Even though she runs faster than him, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay - she's clever and funny and not a bit soppy. And it is Leslie who invents Terabithia, the secret country on an island across the creek where he can escape his troublesome family.The only way to reach Terabithia is by rope-swing where Jess and Leslie become King and Queen, defeating giants, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against their enemies. They are invincible - until tragedy strikes. It is more dreadful than anything Jess had ever dreamed of, but as he struggles to cope with his grief and anger, he finds that his family value him more than he'd thought and that, still King, he could even save Terabithia for the future.Reissued in 'A Pufifn Book' series of Puffin modern classics, Bridge to Terabithia is a Newbery Medal winner.

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. On foggy mornings, Charlotte's web was truly a thing of beauty . Even Lurvy, who wasn't particularly interested in beauty, noticed the web when he came with the pig's breakfast. And then he took another look and he saw something that made him set his pail down. There, in the centre of the web, neatly woven in block letters, was a message. It said: SOME PIG!This is the story of a little girl named Fern, who loves a little pig named Wilbur - and of Wilbur's dear friend, Charlotte, a beautiful large grey spider. When Fern's uncle decrees that Wilbur must become bacon, Fern, Charlotte, Templeton the rat and all Wilbur's farmyard friends come up with an ingenious plan to fool the humans, and save their very special pig. Joyful, funny, and deeply moving, Charlotte's Web is a story about the power of friendship, and celebrating what makes everyone special. It is rightly heralded as one of the greatest children's books ever written. "E. B. White's writing is perfect... And Garth William's muted illustrations are entirely without fault. Whether read aloud or solo, this is a book well deserving of its 'classic' status." - The Children's Book Review

An epic story that has been beloved for generations, Watership Down has become one of the most famous animal stories ever written. Join in the adventure with this 50th anniversary edition, now with a foreword by Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles.Fiver, a young rabbit, is very worried. He senses something terrible is about to happen to the warren. His brother Hazel knows that his sixth sense is never wrong. So, there is nothing else for it.They must leave immediately.And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all . . . __________ Richard Adams originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters and they insisted he publish it as a book. It quickly became a huge success with both children and adults, and won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal in 1972.

'One of the literary greats of the 20th century' Margaret AtwoodThe first book of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin is a tale of wizards, dragons and terrifying shadows. The island of Gont is a land famous for wizards. Of these, some say the greatest - and surely the greatest voyager - is the man called Sparrowhawk. As a reckless, awkward boy, he discovered the great power that was in him - with terrifying consequences. Tempted by pride to try spells beyond his means, Sparrowhawk lets loose an evil shadow-beast in his land. Only he can destroy it, and the quest leads him to the farthest corner of Earthsea.

Meet the Moomins - all 8 magical adventures relaunched in a stunning new package. Celebrating 80 years since the first Moomin book was published!Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Moominsummer Madness complete with a charming new cover design.It all begins on a hot day in June, and a volcano dropping black ash on Moominmamma's washing. A crack appears in the ground, and Moomintroll's toothbrush slips straight down into it! When a great flood wave comes crashing through Moomin Valley, the Moomins find themselves in a brand new home . . .They seem to grow in wisdom and delight every time I read them - Philip Pullman

A beautiful hardback edition of Michelle Magorian's bestselling novel Goodnight Mister Tom. This edition has a stunning Puffin 'cloth' Classics cover design and gorgeous printed endpapers and is perfect for the family bookshelf.When the Second World War breaks out, young Willie Beech is evacuated to the countryside. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the care of kind old Tom Oakley. But then his cruel mother summons him back to war-torn London . . . Will he ever see Mister Tom again?'Everyone's idea of a smash-hit first novel: full-blown characters to love and hate, moments of grief and joy, and a marvellous story that knows just how to grab the emotions' Guardian

One of the classic works of fantasy by renowned writer of the genre, Ursula K. Le Guin.'One of the literary greats of the 20th century' Margaret AtwoodAs a young dragonlord, Ged, whose use-name is Sparrowhawk, is sent to the island of Roke to learn the true way of magic. A natural magician, Ged becomes an Archmage and helps the High Priestess Tenar escape from the labyrinth of darkness. But as the years pass, true magic and ancient ways are forced to submit to the powers of evil and death. Including: A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore; Tehanu.

'One of the finest, most magical and extraordinary children's books ever written.'- Anne Fine, author and former Children's LaureateTen-year-old orphan Maria lives in her ancestors' crumbling mansion. Exploring the grounds one day, Maria discovers a wild, half-forgotten island in the middle of a neglected lake - and an extraordinary secret. For the island is home to a community of tiny people - the Lilliputians that Gulliver first met on his famous travels.But as Maria grows closer to her new friends, her own life is in grave danger. Her wicked governess and the cruel vicar are plotting to steal her rightful inheritance - and they will stop at nothing. How can Maria keep the Lilliputians safe, while protecting herself?Cover illustration by Jill Murphy, creator of The Worst Witch series.

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. Only the right name gives beings and things their reality. A wrong name makes everything unreal. That's what lies do. Bastian is nobody's idea of a hero, least of all his own. Through the pages of an old book he discovers a mysterious magical world - a world of dragons, monsters, witches and giants. A world that is doomed unless a human can save it. Can Bastian succeed in battling terrible foes and find the strength he needs to give the Empress a new name? The epic and unforgettable classic fantasy adventure which has captured the hearts of readers of all ages and inspired the much-loved, immersive 1984 movie.'A rich, enjoyable read . . . drawing in the most potent elements of fairytale, myth, and invented fantasy' Observer

'Philippa Pearce's books are outstanding' - GuardianSid, Peggy and Amy adore the two gerbils, Bubble and Squeak, but their mother detests them. A major family battle results, and it's clear life is never going to be quite the same again. But after a near fatal encounter between Bubble and Ginger the cat, Mrs Sparrow begins to see that life with a pair of gerbils might not be so bad after all.

Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities' Sunday TelegraphTen-year-old Gerald doesn't know why his older brothers and sisters complain so much. With snakes in the bath and scorpions on the lunch table, the family home on the Greek island of Corfu is a bit like a zoo so they should feel right at home... Gerald joyfully pursues his interest in natural history in the midst of an unconventional and chaotic family life - all brilliantly retold in this very funny book.

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child.Featured in Stranger ThingsWe can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts. When Charles and Meg Murry go searching through a 'wrinkle in time' for their lost father, they find themselves on an evil planet where all life is enslaved by a huge pulsating brain known as 'It'.Meg, Charles and their friend Calvin embark on a cosmic journey helped by the funny and mysterious trio of guardian angels, Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which. Together they must find the weapon that will defeat It.A groundbreaking and inspiring story of travel through time and space to battle a cosmic evil which has sold millions of copies and transformed children's literature. Winner of the Newbery Medal.

The story of Annie - everyone's favourite orphan - with an introduction by writer, actor and comedian Miranda Hart.It's 1933 and for as long as she can remember, 11 year old Annie has believed that her mother and father would come back to her New York City orphanage to get her. But mean Miss Hannigan the headmistress is making Annie's life a misery. So she runs away to find her parents - and along the way she rescues a friendly dog, meets millionaire Oliver Warbucks, and has a many scary and exciting adventures. Will kind-hearted Annie find a way to escape her hard-knock life?The author THOMAS MEEHAN is the playwright of the original Broadway play and he has expanded the story of the plucky little orphan in this classic American tale.Thomas Meehan was born in New York in 1929. He worked as a journalist for the New Yorker magazine and wrote comedy sketches for the satirical TV show, 'That Was the Week That Was'. He received a Tony Award for Annie in 1977, for The Producers in 2001 and in 2003 for the musical Hairspray. He currently lives in New York city and in Nantucket, Massachusetts.Also available in A Puffin Book: GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM and BACK HOME by Michelle Magorian CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE and THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN by E. B. White THE BORROWERS by Mary NortonSTIG OF THE DUMP by Clive KingROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY by Mildred D. TaylorA DOG SO SMALL by Philippa PearceGOBBOLINO by Ursula Moray WilliamsMRS FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Richard C O'BrienA WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'EngleTHE CAY by Theodore TaylorTARKA THE OTTER by Henry WilliamsonWATERSHIP DOWN by Richard AdamsSMITH by Leon GarfieldTHE NEVERENDING STORY by Michael EndeTHE FAMILY FROM ONE END STREET by Eve Garnett

One of the best-loved children's classics of all time, this is the complete, original story of Watership Down. Something terrible is about to happen to the warren - Fiver feels sure of it. And Fiver's sixth sense is never wrong, according to his brother Hazel. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all . . .This much-loved tale of courage and survival is now a beautiful new animated series for television, full of excitement and adventure - perfect for all the family to enjoy.

Once upon a time, there was the most beautiful, extraordinary princess. At least, until the day of her christening, when a grumpy fairy placed a spell to make her ORDINARY! Princess Amethyst Alexandra Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne (also known as Princess Amy) doesn't mind being ordinary- she gets to play in the woods, and run about to her heart's content! But when she realises that her parents intend for her to marry a dreary prince, she must take matters into her own hands. She may have been born ordinary, but Princess Amy's adventures are nothing but! Is Princess Amy your #GirlHero? Check out the other stories in our #GirlHero collection- which character is your favourite?A Wrinkle in TimePollyannaPride and PrejudiceAnnie Ballet ShoesChinese Cinderella The Borrowers A Little PrincessAnne of the Green Gables Little Women The Secret Garden

The complete collection of the classic Borrowers stories by Mary Norton.Arietty Clock isn't your typical little girl. Although she is little. Very little, in fact. She's a Borrower. She lives with her family in a large house that isn't technically theirs- it belongs to the 'human beans'. Arietty and her father, Pod, spend their days borrowing the human beans' possessions- her father is very good at borrowing. He can scale curtains using a hatpin and bring back a doll's teacup without breaking it! The Borrowers are very happy with their life and borrowing ways. Until Arietty makes friends with a boy. A human bean boy. And from that moment, danger is never far away.Can they avoid the great disaster of 'being seen'?In this complete collection, you can join Arietty on all of her adventures! The Borrowers Afield: The Clock family escape to the fields where their cousins live, but it's a long and dangerous journey. At last they find a new home and adapt to country life.The Borrowers Afloat: Homeless again, Arrietty looks forward to a life away from the dark country cottage, to one full of sunshine.The Borrowers Aloft: The family are now living in the model village of Little Fordham - a complete village tailored to their size. All they have to do is avoid being seen by the visitors, but one night the owner of a rival village comes with a cardboard box ready to catch them . . .The Borrowers Avenged: Pod, Homily and Arrietty have managed to escape with the help of Spiller. They move into the old rectory where they live happily until the Potters come looking for them. After a horrifying encounter in the church, the Potters get their just desserts and the Borrowers can live peacefully once and for all. Poor Stainless: Young Stainless, a Borrower boy, goes missing on a mission to borrow some parsley and an enormous search ensues.

The Little Girl and the Tiny Doll by Aingelda Ardizzone and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone has been delighting generations of children.There was once a tiny doll who belonged to a girl who did not care for dolls. One day when the little girl was shopping in the supermarket with her mother, she threw the tiny doll into a deep freeze. So the tiny doll had to stay there, cold and lonely, and frightened by people shuffling all the food round her. But someone came along who felt sorry for her, and thought of ways to make her happier, so the tiny doll began to smile again.

Fleeing from the evil Sir Philip Morton, Peter Brownrigg finds himself on the wrong side of the law. On the run to London he meets Kit and the two decide to stick together. But a chance discovery endangers their lives and soon Peter is deep in murderous plots, secrets and even treason.Set in the turbulent days of Elizabeth I, this classic story of danger and intrigue conjures up a world of mystery, twists and turns and thrilling action.

In Back Home, Michelle Magorian, author of the bestselller Goodnight Mister Tom, tells the powerful and unforgettable story of Rusty, returning to England after being evacuated to America for five years in the Second World War.After five happy years in America, Rusty must return to England: the place she used to call home.But it doesn't fell like home. Rusty's mother is like a stranger, her little brother doesn't know her and why does the food taste so bad? Rusty just can't get used to the rigid rules and rationing and her strict new boarding school. Lonely and homesick, Rusty makes friends with Lance, another returned evacuee, and her indomitable spirit leads her into a dramatic and devastating rebellion. . .Guardian Children's Fiction award-winning Michelle Magorian is the author of the iconic war-time children's book, Goodnight Mister Tom.Also by Michelle Magorian:Goodnight Mister Tom; Back Home; Waiting for my Shorts to Dry; Who's Going to take Care of Me?; Orange Paw Marks; A Little Love Song; In Deep Water; Jump; A Cuckoo in the Nest; A Spoonful of Jam; Be Yourself; Just Henry

From the author of Charlotte's Web, a charming story of a bold, adventurous little mouse.Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George and Snowball the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's an adventurous and heroic little mouse. His daring escapades include racing a toy boat in a Central Park pond, retrieving his mother's ring from a drain, and crawling inside a piano to fix the keys for his brother. When his best friend, a beautiful little bird called Margalo disappears from her nest, Stuart is determined to track her down. He ventures away from home for the very first time in his life and finds himself embroiled in one exciting adventure after another, making new friends and meeting old ones along the wayAlso available in A Puffin Book: CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE and THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN by E. B. White E. B. White was born in New York in 1899 and died in 1985. He kept animals on his farm in Maine and some of these creatures crept into his books, such as STUART LITTLE which was made into a film in 2000 starring Hugh Lawrie. E. B. White received many awards including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 1970, an award given every five years to authors who have 'made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children'.

THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN is an uplifting story by E. B. White, author of CHARLOTTE'S WEB in which wildlife and nature blend with fantasy to make a tender, humorous and unforgettable animal tale.Unlike other cygnets, Louis, the trumpeter swan, cannot utter a sound. But with the encouragement of his father, Louis sets out to overcome his problem. One way of doing this Louis decides, is to learn to read and write and so he sets off to Montana to find his friend Sam Beaver. Louis goes to school with him and learns to read and write, but when he returns to the lakes and falls in love with the beautiful Serena, he is upset that Serena can't read his sign, which says 'I love you'. Once again his parents are determined to help him find a new way of expressing himself and it is his father who dreams up the brilliant solution that will put Louis firmly on the path to success and fulfilment.E. B. White was born in the USA. He travelled about trying all sorts of jobs before he joined the New Yorker magazine and became a writer. In 1970 he was awarded the prestigious Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web and in honour of his outstanding contribution to children's literature. E. B. White died in 1985.Also by E. B. White:Charlotte's Web and Stuart LittleAlso available in A Puffin Book: GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM and BACK HOME by Michelle Magorian CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE and THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN by E. B. White THE BORROWERS by Mary NortonSTIG OF THE DUMP by Clive KingROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY by Mildred D. TaylorA DOG SO SMALL by Philippa PearceGOBBOLINO by Ursula Moray WilliamsMRS FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Richard C O'BrienA WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'EngleTHE CAY by Theodore TaylorTARKA THE OTTER by Henry WilliamsonWATERSHIP DOWN by Richard AdamsSMITH by Leon GarfieldTHE NEVERENDING STORY by Michael EndeANNIE by Thomas MeehanTHE FAMILY FROM ONE END STREET by Eve Garnett

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. The Thing sitting in the corner seemed to be interested. It got up and moved towards Barney, into the light. Barney was glad to see it was Somebody after all. Funny way to dress though, he thought, rabbit-skins round the middle and no shoes or socks. Barney spends a lot of time by himself, and often goes wandering off alone. One day he is exploring by the edge of an old chalk-pit, when it gives way. Finding himself in some sort of cave, Barney is astonished to discover a 'somebody' living there: somebody with a lot of shaggy hair and two bright black eyes, wearing a rabbit skin and speaking in grunts. Barney names him Stig, and the two quickly become best friends. Of course nobody believes Barney when he tells his family all about Stig. But Barney doesn't care. He and Stig are far too busy having a brilliant series of unforgettable adventures.Much-beloved by children for generations, Stig of the Dump is the ultimate story about the joyful freedom of mucking around outdoors, having fun away from the grown-ups . . . ! "This lovely story about the unlikely friendship between Barney and stone-age Stig has stood the test of time . . . contemporary children will love reading about the pair's lively adventures" - Booktrust

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. 'Don't move!' said a voice, and the voice, like the eye, was enormous but somehow, hushed - and hoarse like a surge of wind through the grating on a stormy night in March. Arrietty froze. 'So this is it,' she thought, 'the worst and most terrible thing of all: I have been "seen"!The Borrowers live in the secret places of quiet old houses; behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They own nothing, borrow everything, and never forget their most important rule: you must never, ever be 'seen' by the human beans.Arrietty is desperate to be an expert Borrower like her father, Pod. But it's dangerous work, and girls are forbidden to venture Upstairs. Arrietty is thrilled to be given a chance to prove herself - but disaster strikes on her very first outing: she is seen by The Boy! But to everyone's surprise, a wonderful, unlikely friendship is formed. But soon the Borrowers find themselves in terrible danger, and only The Boy can help.Full of wonderfully inventive details and beautiful, gentle humour, The Borrowers is a timeless tale of bravery, friendship and borrowing . . ."Beautifully written, poetic and almost always alarming, the Borrowers have something very mysterious, sad and exciting about them" - Sunday Times

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the classic story of a girl growing up in the deep South. Set in Mississippi at the height of the American Depression, this is the story of a family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride and independence against the forces of a cruelly racist society.'We have no choice of what colour we're born or who our parents are or whether we're rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here.'The Mississippi of the 1930s was a hard place for a black child to grow up in, but still Cassie didn't understand why farming his own land meant so much to her father. During that year, though, when the night riders were carrying hatred and destruction among her people, she learned about the great differences that divided them, and when it was worth fighting for a principle even if it brought terrible hardships.Winner of the highly prestigious John Newbery Medal in the USA in 1977.

Celebrating 80 years of Gobbolino - the charming tale of a witch's cat who would rather be a kitchen cat, with the original line drawings illustrations by the author, Ursula Moray Williams.Gobbolino, the witch's cat with one white paw and bright blue eyes, would rather be a quiet cat who sits by the kitchen fireside all day. So he sets out on a journey to find a new home, but when people discover he is a witch's cat he is blamed for mysterious happenings, such as the farmer's milk turning sour and the orphanage children's gruel turning into chocolate.Will Gobbolino ever find the loving, trusting home of his dreams?This celebratory anniversary edition features a forward from Harriet Muncaster, creator of the Isadora moon series. A perfect story for the classic A Puffin Book series.

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. They are not like other rats. They work at night, in secret . . . Time is running out for Mrs Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children. She must move her family before the farmer destroys their home. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and is too sick to be taken on such a perilous journey.Help comes in the unexpected form of a highly extraordinary breed of super-intelligent rats. The rats of NIMH come up with a brilliant solution to Mrs Frisby's problem but the rats are in danger too, and little by little Mrs Frisby discovers their extraordinary past . . .A thrilling fantasy adventure with heartwarming characters and some extraordinary rodents. Winner of the Newbery Medal.

THE CAY is a tense and compulsive survival story by Theodore Taylor of a young boy and an old man adrift on the ocean, then marooned on a tiny, deserted island. It is also a fascinating study of the relationship between Phillip, white, American, and influenced by his mother's racial prejudices, and the black man upon whom Phillip's life depends.

One of the best-loved animal stories of our time."Twilight over meadow and water, the eve-star shining above the hill, and Old Nog the heron crying kra-a-ark! as his slow dark wings carried him down to the estuary."The classic story of an otter living in the Devonshire countryside which captures the feel of life in the wild as seen through the otter's own eyes.Tarka is born in Owlery Holt, near Canal Bridge on the River Torridge, where he grows up with his mother and sisters, learning to swim and catch fish, and to beware the hunters' cry. His life is one of adventure and play, but soon he must fend for himself, travelling along streams and rivers to the open sea, sometimes with female otters White-tip and Greymuzzle. Always on the run, Tarka has many close shaves until he finally meets his nemesis, the fearsome hound Deadlock.Henry William Williamson was born in 1895 in Brockley, south-east London. The then semi-rural location provided easy access to the countryside, and he developed a deep love of nature throughout his childhood. He became a prolific author known for his natural and social history novels. He won the Hawthornden Prize for literatrure in 1928 for Tarka the Otter.Also available in A Puffin Book: GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM and BACK HOME by Michelle Magorian CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE and THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN by E. B. White THE BORROWERS by Mary NortonSTIG OF THE DUMP by Clive KingROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY by Mildred D. TaylorA DOG SO SMALL by Philippa PearceGOBBOLINO by Ursula Moray WilliamsMRS FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Richard C O'BrienA WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'EngleTHE CAY by Theodore TaylorWATERSHIP DOWN by Richard AdamsSMITH by Leon GarfieldTHE NEVERENDING STORY by Michael EndeANNIE by Thomas MeehanTHE FAMILY FROM ONE END STREET by Eve Garnett