Search results for ""Author Amy Sparkes""

An uplifting and reassuring picture book filled with hope and new beginnings. My tree had been there from the beginning... and I loved it. Beautifully told and stunningly illustrated, My Tree is a story about the joy and adventure of life, the dark clouds that sometimes hang over us, and how endings can also be new beginnings. This comforting picture book is uplifting, reassuring and rather like a hug - one that will keep you warm long after reading. Lyrical and heartfelt story by award-winning author, Amy Sparkes Beautifully vibrant illustrations full of warmth by bestselling illustrator, Fiona Lumbers Gently touches on the circle of life in a hopeful and child-friendly way

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Evie is very young when she is evacuated from wartime London and sent to live with a foster family in the countryside. Unsure of her new surroundings and desperately missing her family, she doesn''t hold much hope for the months ahead. Then, on Christmas morning, she is given a doll and Evie thinks this must be the best present she has ever had. Yet standing here now in the Repair Shop, thinking back on her childhood, she realizes that in fact the greatest gift was the kindness bestowed upon her by her foster family and her ability to remember it always as she holds her precious doll close to her.This heart warming Christmas story about a little girl who discovers the enduring power of kindness and understanding is the perfect tale for this very special time of year.

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Step into the The Repair Shop in this uplifting tale about two brothers and their treasured bicycle.A happy and heart-warming tale based on a real story, featured on best-loved TV show The Repair Shop. Brothers Matthew and Ben were blown away when a kid from the other side of the village turned up one day on a brand-new Chopper bike! It was all the brothers could talk about and they dreamed of having their very own bike, but they knew their family would never be able to afford it. Unbeknownst to Matthew and Ben, their parents both got secret jobs so that they could make their boys' dream come true.

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Adventurous, magical and brilliantly funny next book in the House at the Edge of Magic series.Nine and her friends have cured the house's hiccups and are off to the strange and utterly unpredictable Back of Beyond in search of Professor Dish – Spoon's best friend and partner in all things alchemy.When they find Dish trapped by the greedy witch Ophidia in the basement of a particularly marvellous shop, it soon becomes clear they're going to need something more than Flabberghast's dicey magic and Nine's quick thinking to triumph this time. What they really need is a rather clever witch – one particularly good at curses...A new instalment in the brilliantly funny, magical and commercial series for readers age 8+.

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Adventurous, magical and brilliantly funny sequel to The House at the Edge of Magic."Magically warm and wonderfully weird, it's Terry Pratchett meets Diana Wynne Jones" – Louie Stowell, author of Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being GoodNine and her friends have broken the curse on their marvellous, magical House, and are free to travel the worlds once more! Their first stop: The Wizarding Hopscotch Championships.There's only one problem: the House is nervous about travelling – and gets the hiccups! Bouncing from world to world with every "HIC!", they finally land at the championships, only for Flabberghast to have an unfortunate run-in with square number seven, and find himself faced with the terrible Tower at the End of Time.But maybe here they can find out how to cure the House's hiccups, and Nine might finally discover who left her the beloved music box, and who she really is...A young middle grade novel full of humour, magic and mischief – and the second in a three book series.

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A heart-warming family tale based on the real story of a musical teddy bear, featured on best-loved TV show, The Repair Shop. Sue has always longed for a sister so when her parents tell her they are adopting a little girl from Hong Kong she is over the moon with excitement. When Kwai arrives, her new surroundings feel strange and unfamiliar and, despite Sue's attempts to help, Kwai finds it difficult to settle into her new home. Then, one day, Sue has a wonderful idea and buys Kwai a very special gift - a musical teddy bear - that Kwai falls in love with instantly. For Kwai, the bear represents the start of her life in the UK and now, in The Repair Shop, Kwai hopes that the team can restore the beloved bear for her to relive the treasured memories from her childhood.

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No-Wings the dragon cannot fly, so he spends his days puffing out cloud pictures using his dragon smoke. When he is banished by the Dragon King, he meets Toby, who has run away from his own village. They soon become firm friends but what can they do to prevent a battle between the dragons and humans? The Cloud Dragon is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 6-7 years

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Interest ages: 4-7 Level: KS1 Subject: reading In this non-decodable, Reading Corner poetry book, there are lots of fun poems to explore. From a kangaroo who loves lollipops to a shark who doesn't like the dark, there are lots of funny animals to read about. Part of the Bug Club reading series used in over 3500 schools A Bug Club Reading Corner book designed for reading for pleasure Helps your child develop reading fluency and confidence Suitable for children aged 4-7 This title is part of Pearson's Bug Club, a reading programme used in over 3500 schools. Reading Corner books are designed to help children to develop a love of reading through reading for pleasure. For more Bug Club books and learn at home resources, search for Bug Club.

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Adventurous, magical and brilliantly funny final book in the House at the Edge of Magic series.Nine and her friends are headed to the mortal realm in search of the only thing that will shake a very tricky witch off their tail: a priceless stargold locket. It lies hidden in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures, guarded by Nine's old foe the formidable gangmaster of all the thieflings in London.Even if Nine can get her hands on the locket, the friends must find a way to release its power and for that they must travel through the World Between Worlds to the lighthouse on the Isle of Illusion, where nothing is quite as it seems

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Step into The Repair Shop in this magical Christmas children's tale about a very special doll.When little Susan is evacuated from wartime London and sent to live with a family in the countryside, she doesn't hold much hope for the months ahead. Then, on Christmas morning, she is given a doll and Susan thinks this must be the best present she has ever had. Yet standing here in The Repair Shop, thinking back on her childhood, she realizes that in fact the greatest gift was the kindness bestowed upon her and her ability to remember it always as she holds her precious doll close to her.

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Tim can't find his favourite teddy bear, and needs him in time for bed! Tim searches high and low in his bedroom, but the teddy is nowhere to be found ... But what is that lump under the covers at the end of the bed? Could that be Ted? When Tim Lost Ted is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 4-5 years

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Can the worst pirate ever find his way home from the Island of No Return? Set sail with the funniest pirate on the seven seas in this hilarious adventure for readers of 7+ with brilliant pictures throughout from ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS illustrator Ben Cort. My stupid brother has tricked me into the worst holiday ever… on the Island of No Return. I’m stuck here with just a chicken for company unless I can find some treasure – then Blackbeard says he will come and get me (nice of him). All I have to do is follow a treasure map through a jungle full of pirate-eating creatures (no problem), into the deepest, darkest probably-haunted cave (not at all scary, not at all scary, not at all scary) and track down the hidden gold that is so well hidden everyone gets lost trying to find it (perfect). My life is ruined. Signed Pirate Blunderbeard. Pirate Blunderbeard might be on the worst holiday ever but it’s also the funniest - laugh-out-loud fun for readers of 7+

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What would you do if you received an invitation to run a zoo full of huge, scary monsters?The brave little boy in this story leaps at the chance, and although the monsters seem scary at first, he soon has them eating out of the palm of his hand. This is an exciting, imaginative, hilarious adventure that encourages little readers to have confidence and stand up for themselves, from the illustrator of Dogs Don't Do Ballet and Rhinos Don't Eat Pancakes.SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROALD DAHL FUNNY PRIZE 2013SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKTRUST BEST BOOK AWARD 2014Amy Sparkes is donating a percentage of her royalties to Tommy's (registered charity number 1060508). Tommy's exists to save babies' lives through funding research and providing information. To find out more visit www.tommys.org

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Jack is a very mischievous cat. In this humorous rhyming story, he gets stuck in a hat and then stuck up a tree too! Will the family be able to get Jack back down? And if they do, will Jack be able to stay out of mischief for more than five minutes? Get Back, Jack! is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 4-5 years

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Can the worst pirate ever win the Pirate of the Year Award…? Set sail with the funniest pirate on the seven seas in this hilarious adventure for readers of 7+ with brilliant pictures throughout from ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS illustrator Ben Cort. Mum is making me take part in the stupid Pirate of the Year Award. All I have to do is fight an enormous sea monster, (doom), beat my oh-so-brilliant brother at something (please please please) and find the legendary treasure that no one has ever found EVER in the history of EVER (easy peasy, then). Wish me luck! Pirate Blunderbeard. Blunderbeard might be the worst pirate ever but he’s also the funniest – laugh-out-loud fun for young readers of 7+

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Step into the The Repair Shop in this heart-warming tale about a very special toy bus.Elsie and her little brother, David, love watching the red buses that drive past. David longs to be able to toddle up to see them a little closer, but he has cerebral palsy and finds it difficult to stand. One day, Elsie has an idea to buy David a beautiful, big red bus to play with and encourage him take his very first steps. And now, in The Repair Shop, Elsie hopes that the team can restore the beloved bus ready for her little grandson to take part in the magic of his first steps.A heart-warming family tale based on the real story of a very special toy bus, featured on best-loved TV show, The Repair Shop.

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Book Band: Gold (Ideal for ages 6+) A laugh-out-loud, zany tale about monsters, friendship and bath times, ideal for children practising reading at home or in school. Gerald the monster HATES baths. Being all washed and clean? Yuck! So Gerald’s mum hires Maggie, a professional monster washer, to help. Can Gerald learn to have fun at bath time? This hilarious story from Amy Sparkes is perfect for Key Stage 1 (KS1) children who are learning to read by themselves. It features colour illustrations by Jack Viant and lovable characters that children will easily relate to. _______________ Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. The series is ideal for both home and school, with gorgeous colour illustrations, tips for parents, and fun activity ideas. Online guided reading and teaching notes, written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), are available at bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader.' - Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher

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Set sail with the funniest pirate on the seven seas in this hilarious adventure for readers of 7+ with brilliant pictures throughout from ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS illustrator Ben Cort. Pirate Blunderbeard is on a voyage with his cousin Redruth and Grandpa Greybeard. Blunderbeard hopes it will be like a holiday cruise, ice-cream, deck chairs and maybe a bit of swimming. But Grandpa Greybeard is on a mission. He wants to get his favourite ship back from the Scariest Pirate on the high seas he wants Blunderbeard to help. What could possibly go wrong? Pirate Blunderbeard on might be on the worst mission ever but it’s also the funniest – laugh-out-loud fun for readers of 7+

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A little girl is off on a pirate adventure. She travels across the sea and lands on an island. What will she find in the cave at the end of her pirate quest? The Pirate Quest is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 4-5 years

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On Monday I saw twenty chimps, skipping in the rain! They danced with some umbrellas, then they did it all again! In this humorous rhyme, a little girl looks out of her bedroom each day as the weather changes. In her imagination she 'sees' lots of funny and unusual animals playing in the garden. Wacky Weather is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 5-6 years

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Set sail with the funniest pirate on the seven seas in this hilarious adventure for readers of 7+ with brilliant pictures throughout from ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS illustrator Ben Cort. When super-famous actor Jolly Roger comes to make a movie on Crossbones Island, Pirate Blunderbeard is determined to get the main part. He just has to convince Jolly that his pet chicken, Boris, is a parrot (oh dear), act alongside an evil Giant DeathClaw Lobster (eek!), and beat his crafty brother Blackbeard to the lead role . . . What could possibly go wrong? Pirate Blunderbeard might be in the worst movie ever, but it’s also the funniest. Laugh-out-loud fun for readers of 7+.

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A fantastic rhyming picture book story from Roald Dahl Prize award-winning Amy Sparkes and the illustrator behind the hugely successful Goodnight series for children, including Goodnight Tractor and Goodnight Spaceman. Ellie Pengelly is fed up and bored, until she gets a pair of MAGICAL new wellies! When Ellie goes out to explore in her new wellies she jumps into a puddle but … something jumps out! When the strange Flibberty-Gibberty starts juggling with jam, guzzling and gobbling food and squeezling toothpaste he makes quite a mess! Will Ellie manage to clean up all the mess before mum gets home? Action-packed storytelling is perfectly paired with Nick East's high-energy illustrations in this fantastic picture book that fizzes and whizzes with fun! Children will love the Flibberty-Gibberty – a wonderful character who is similar to Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat and the Psammead from Five Children and It – and the rollicking, rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud and ideal for children 3 years of age and up. Amy Sparkes is a talented storyteller and is the author of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize nominated Do Not Enter the Monster Zoo. She lives in Devon with her husband and five young children. Amy enjoys having adventures and writing stories about other people having adventures. She is a passionate supporter of baby charities and 5% of author royalties from Ellie’s Magic Wellies is being donated to baby charity ICP Support. Nick East has worked as a museum designer for many years but his love of children’s books has always been a huge part of his life. He illustrated The New Royal Baby, The Mouse Who Sailed the Seas, and Do Not Wash This Bear for Egmont, and has also worked with publishers including Little Tiger Press, Puffin, Penguin and QED. He loves using his drawings to communicate his ideas and passions and has always used them to tell stories. He lives near York with his wife and children.

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Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds features exciting fiction and non-fiction decodable readers to enthuse and inspire children. They are fully aligned to Letters and Sounds Phases 1–6 and contain notes in the back. The Handbooks provide support in demonstration and modelling, monitoring comprehension and expanding vocabulary. It’s Mama Monster’s birthday, and as she loves to eat, the monster children want to make …a mega monster treat! This wonderfully funny rhyming poem is filled with misunderstandings and unusual ingredients and is written by Amy Sparkes. Green (Band 5) books offer early readers patterned language and varied characters. The focus sounds in this book are: /ai/ ay, ey, a-e /u/ o-e /igh/ i, i-e /ur/ ir /oo/ ui, u-e, ew, ue /ow/ ou /e/ ea /o/ a /oo/ oul /oa/ ow/ee/ ea /ar/ a Pages 22 and 23 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall. Reading notes within the book provide practical support for reading Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds with children, including a list of all the sounds and words that the book will cover. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

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A celebration of the power of imagination, written by Amy Sparkes and illustrated by Sandra de la Prada."I have a question, a question for me:when I am BIGGER, what will I be?"This uplifting picture book follows several children as they dream about what they might become when they are older. Some imagine themselves as writers, others as pirates or explorers. And the secret? The only limit to what our futures hold is the power of our imagination.Readers will meet fairies, giants, unicorns, dragons and a whole host of fascinating characters as they journey across the desert, over the ocean, into space, through an enchanted forests and deep underground.

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