It wasn’t addressed to anyone at all, but Ben knew it was for him. It would lead him to an old, shambolic museum, full of strange and bewitching creatures. A peculiar world of hidden mysteries and curious family secrets . . . and some really dangerous magic.Filled with her own wonderful illustrations, The Hippo at the End of the Hall is Helen Cooper's debut novel.

    With diplomatic relations quickly unravelling, this pack of spies soon comes into their own: the horse-loving German at home in Berlin’s underground; the young American sports journalist; the mysterious Luftwaffe officer; the Japanese diplomat and the most unlikely one of all... the SS officer’s wife.Despite constant danger and the ever-present threats of discovery and betrayal, Allen’s network unearths top-secret plans for a new German fighter plane – and a truly devastating intelligence prize... an audacious Japanese plan to attack the United States. But can they prove it?The race is on.

    'Oh sweet mangoes of heaven!' Everyone has dreamed of being able to get rid of their brother or sister at one time or another – but for Jonny, the dream is about to become a reality with SiblingSwap.com! What could be better than someone awesome to replace Ted, Jonny's obnoxious older brother. But finding the perfect brother isn't easy, as Jonny discovers when Sibling Swap sends him a line of increasingly bizarre replacements: first a merboy, then a brother raised by meerkats, and then the ghost of Henry the Eighth! What's coming next?! Suddenly old Ted isn't looking so bad. But can Jonny ever get him back? A hilarious tale of wish fulfilment gone wrong that every child will relate to – perfect for fans of Pamela Butchart, My Brother is a Superhero and David Baddiel's The Parent Agency.

    But the VW doesn't survive the trip; it explodes just after Claudia jumps out with her cat. She is rescued by handsome Clay Parker, and it isn't long before -commitment-phobe Claudia is falling for him. But an obstacle immediately presents itself in the form of Clay's not-yet-ex-wife, Monica, who is also an instructor at UC Santa Cruz. Claudia tries to ignore her growing feelings for Clay as she focuses on her job and its challenges, including obnoxious students, Monica's wrath, and the demanding department head, who just happens to be Clay's mother. -Kristine Huntley

    

    His wife, his department-ordered psychiatrist, and even Jake himself are all beginning to question just how these sanctioned kills are affecting his mental health. Nobody wants him to end up like Lee Staley, his mentor and ex-partner---now out on permanent psych leave, drinking himself to death, and the prime suspect in a series of shootings that have paralyzed Northern California.Jake doesn't believe that Staley's guilty, but since their job has taught them to kill, how easy would it be for his friend to cross over to the other side? How easy would it be for him?On every police force in the country, there's a SWAT sniper going about his daily life, acting like an average cop, until the moment when the call comes in. Then they become a hostage's last hope and a criminal's worst nightmare. To some, they are silent heroes---to others, silent killers. Grant Jerkins and Jan Thomas's Done in One pulls back the curtain on their world.

    The Kildares are poor but happy. But when their croft is wrested from them, Daisy's Aunt Jane, who is housekeeper to Dr and Mrs Venables, offers to take Daisy back to Liverpool so that the child can be a companion to her employers' orphaned niece, Cynthia. Daisy is a tomboy, young for her age, self-willed and hot-tempered. In Ireland she was seldom in school but often in trouble. Now, however, she tells herself that she must conform. She begins to work hard in school, and though she and Cynthia don't get along, she meets Jake, the chauffeur's son, and life in Liverpool becomes easier to bear. When Jake goes to university, Daisy means to follow suit, but war intervenes and instead, she starts work at a munitions factory, and falls in love for the very first time...

    A collection of short stories and excerpts from Michael Morpurgo's most famous children's novels.

    She’s thought up a hundred different things that could go wrong—and they’re all totally embarrassing! Olivia doesn’t want to cancel on her best friend at the last minute, BUT… maybe she should just stay home?

    In the span of one day, Judian goes from the burden of farm chores to a crushing responsibility for the lives of his family. With his father and brother gone to war, he must keep the others safe and evade the enemy. If only he can trust the guides which appear, seemingly unbidden, he may succeed. Yet, he has so much to learn, and so little time. He struggles to keep to the fringes of the conflict, but the magic he discovers draws him deeper, toward the truth of the war. Mages from a distant land are driving the enemy forces. To what end? Follow Judian as he comes of age in a world of portents and spellcasting. Though life as a farm boy left him longing for more adventure, he must be careful with his wishes during the fateful year he becomes a man.

    Fleeing her fanatical republican family, Molly O’Dowd arrives nearly penniless in London at the end of the nineteenth century. Plunged into the world of East End gambling houses and brothels, Molly invests what little money she has in a typing course, her only way out. This investment will lead her on the path to establishing herself as a woman of power and means.From the rough-and-tumble world of the London docks to the luxurious hotels and restaurants of the fashionable West End, Molly captures the temper of the times – the unrest of the labouring classes, the courage of the suffragette movement, the ravages of the First World War. Molly wins and loses in the tempestuous world of the capital but her energy and determination never flag and tides change when she meets a man who could match her in business… and in love. This rags-to-riches historical romance is perfect for fans of Lily Graham, Natalie Meg Evans and Fiona McIntosh.

    The ship he was on with his mom had been caught in a storm and slammed against some rocks. Soaked by the pouring rain and confused by the darkness, Tyler and the other children had jumped into a lifeboat. It was what they’d been taught by the captain their first day on the ship. But the adults had all gotten on a separate lifeboat. When the two crafts hit the water and were battered by the waves, there had been no way to keep them together. 

We are on our own. Just Us Kids

    Great.And, of course, it couldn't be something interesting like nail polish or why maybe there should be a special class in nail polish and how to get it out of your beagle's ear. (Mom, if you're reading this, I'm not admitting anything. Somebody else could have painted a heart in his ear.)Angeline just had to be aware of one of those THINGS THAT ADULTS LIKE.

    But now, they are coming the realization that happily ever after might not be attainable, or even a reality. Harlow’s dreams of walking down the aisle are shattered when a muffled gunshot forces her to question her new husband’s character. Is Drake Morgan the determined entrepreneur she thought he was or a gangster and ruthless killer? After a bout with alcoholism and an emotional breakdown, Nivea is trying to rebuild her life, but the explosive result of her child’s paternity test threatens to destroy her fragile family ties. Desperate for her new man to put a ring on it, Vangie sacrifices her morals and puts a lifelong friendship to the test. From the bestselling author of Big Juicy Lips and Double Dippin’, this edgy new novel is sure to please both Allison Hobbs fans and newcomers looking for a spicy read.

    Harry Gruber plays the role of Scrooge in his school's production of "A Christmas Carol," and he is extra nervous about tonight's performance because his father is in the audience -- not away for business, as usual. Will the story's message of Christmas cheer and the redemptive power of love reach his father's distracted Scrooge heart?