The spellbinding new novel from one of the world's best-loved authors, Paulo Coelho. This is the story of Brida, a young Irish girl, and her quest for knowledge. She has long been interested in various aspects of magic, and has taken courses in astrology, tarot, and numerology, but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom, who begin to teach her about the world. Her teachers sense that Brida has a gift, but cannot tell what that is. Meanwhile, Brida pursues her course ever deeper into the mysteries of life, seeking to answer questions about who she is. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, and teaches her about overcoming her fears and trusting in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world, and how to pray to the moon. She seeks her destiny, as she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch. This enthralling novel incorporates themes fans of Paulo will love. It is a tale of love, passion, mystery and spirituality.

What are the 50 key events you need to understand to grasp British history? If you could choose the 50 things that define British history, events of significance not only in themselves, but in their importance to wider themes running through the country's past, what would they be? Hugh Williams has made that selection, and the result is a fascinating overview of Britain's past. He refines British history into a series of key themes that represent a crucial strand in the nation's history, and pinpoints the seminal events within those strands — Roots: from the Roman invasion to Britain's entry into the Common Market; Fight: from the Battle of Agincourt to the Falklands War; The Pursuit of Liberty: from the Magna Carta through the Glorious Revolution to the foundation of the NHS; Home and Abroad: from Sir Francis Drake and Clive of India to the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush; and All Change: from Chaucer and the English language to the invention of the web. With great clarity, simplicity, and a zest for the marvelous stories that underpin many of these events, Hugh Williams explains the linkage between each one and its importance in the progress of British history as a whole. Along the way, he has some fascinating tales to tell, making this a highly enjoyable read as well as a perceptive insight into the nation's past, and vital for anyone who wants quickly and enjoyably to grasp the essential facts about Britain's history.

«Lily loves Blue Kangaroo, but sometimes he disappears and Lily says, «Where are you, Blue Kangaroo?» And Blue Kangaroo waits for Lily to find him...When Lily goes to the park, she has a great time, but forgets to hold on tight to Blue Kangaroo and nearly loses him. And when Lily goes shopping with Aunt Jemima, she leaves poor Blue Kangaroo on the bus! Luckily he is returned to her, but by now Blue Kangaroo is feeling very anxious. Then one day, Lily goes to the zoo with Uncle George and again Blue Kangaroo is nearly lost, but the trip gives him an idea that will mean he never be lost again. But where, oh where is Blue Kangaroo the very next morning? AGE 2-6.»

Lily and Blue Kangaroo are inseparable. Whatever Lily does, Blue Kangaroo does too. But Lily is not always fair, and when she is naughty it is Blue Kangaroo who gets the blame. One day Lily is very bad indeed, and Blue Kangaroo is taken away from her and placed on a shelf downstairs until he learns to behave...But will he? In the middle of the night Blue Kangaroo hops down from the shelf, draws a special picture saying 'sorry' and slips it under Lily's mum's door. Lily's Mum wants to know who drew the lovely picture. And Lily whispers, 'It was you, Blue Kangaroo!'

When Marley, the world's most rambunctious pup, gets into trouble, he runs away. He eventually learns that his family loves him, even when he's been bad.

From the best selling author of Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls and Cat and Mouse, a breathtaking novel of terror and suspense. Maggie Bradford is on trial for murder — in the celebrity trial of the decade. As one of the world's best loved singer-songwriters, she seems to have it all. So how could she have murdered not just one, but two of her husbands? Will Shepherd was Maggie's second husband. A magnificent athlete and film star, he was just as famous. But Will had dark, dangerous secrets that none of his fans could have imagined! Secrets that his own wife could never have dreamed of.

Biscuit is walking to Grandpa's house, and he's having such a good time that he doesn't want the walk to end. But the little puppy knows that the only thing better than a walk to Grandpa's house is a visit with Grandpa himself! The youngest of readers are sure to enjoy strolling with Biscuit through this charming, easy-to-read adventure.

The sensational human story of the hunt for oil, and the politics, power and personalities involved. Over the last 20 years, oil prices have soared from $7 a barrel to $147 and down to $37. Amid economic boom and bust, speculators, traders, politicians and monarchs have plotted to earn fortunes from oil, and prayed for salvation from unpredictable natural and man-made disasters. Behind the headlines are the crushing rivalries between men and women exploring for oil five miles beneath the sea, battling for control of the world's biggest corporations and gambling billions of dollars twenty-four hours every day on oil prices. Success or failure for all those extraordinary personalities depends on squeezing their rivals and squeezing the crude out of the rocks. Overweening vanity and greed absorb those titans whose ambitions are forging the world's quest for oil. Exploiting unprecedented close access to the lives of irrepressible traders in New York, oil-oligarchs in Moscow, corporate chieftains in Dallas and London, and wily politicians floating in jets across the globe, Tom Bower presents the untold story of the most important quandary of our times: why, if there is plentiful oil in the earth, does mankind face a dire shortage threatening our lives? Self-interest is propelling the squeeze and there seems to be no salvation.

What is a carbon footprint? Why do we think that the climate is changing? How does climate change affect our lives? And most important of all, what can we do about it? In partnership with the children's charity Plan, this book explores the topical issue of Climate Change and what it means through the experiences of children around the world.

Fred was bored. He didn`t like going to the shopping centre with his mum and his little sister. But then by mistake he took the lift to the 99th floor and found an alien who needed his help.

What`s the tallest building in the world? How long did it take to build the Eiffel Tower? How have cars developed? Find out the answers and trace how designs have changed through the years and across the world in this visually stunning information book.

Two spooky stories from double-Carnegie-winner, Berlie Doherty. Dark and atmospheric these two tales send a chill down the spine. A desolate winter moor is the backdrop to the first story of a haunting friendship, and, in the second, when the past comes back to haunt Charlie, it becomes impossible to tell what is real and what isn`t.

Berlin in 1938 is not a safe place to be if you're Jewish. For Matti and many other Jewish children it means being sent to England for safety. Placed with a foster family in the British countryside, Matti is happy but desperate for his parents to join him. He starts working on a plan, but will it work out in time? 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 story set in the past. A map of Europe on pages 46-47 shows Matti's route from Berlin to London. Curriculum links: History: What was it like for children in the Second World War?

What`s it really like to go on safari? What do you take? What will you find? Go on a journey with Jonathan and Angela Scott to the famous game parks of Kenya, and discover the excitement, the wonder and the dangers of travelling into the wild.

The final work from the brightest star in science fiction's galaxy. Arthur C Clarke, who predicted the advent of communication satellites and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey completes a lifetime career in science fiction with a masterwork. 30 light years away, a race known simply as the One Point Fives are plotting a dangerous invasion plan, one that will wipe humankind off the face of the Earth... Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, a young astronomy student, Ranjit Subramanian, becomes obsessed with a three-hundred-year-old theorem that promises to unlock the secrets of the universe. While Ranjit studies the problem, tensions grow between the nations of the world and a UN taskforce headed up by China, America and Russia code-named Silent Thunder begins bombing volatile regimes into submission. On the eve of the invasion of Earth a space elevator is completed, helped in part by Ranjit, which will herald a new type of Olympics to be held on the Moon. But when alien forces arrive Ranjit is forced to question his own actions, in a bid to save the lives of not just his own family but of all of humankind. Co-written with fellow grand master Frederik Pohl, The Last Theorem not only provides a fitting end to the career one of the most famous names in science fiction but also sets a new benchmark in contemporary prescient science fiction. It tackles with ease epic themes as diverse as third world poverty, the atrocities of modern warfare in a post-nuclear age, space elevators, pure mathematics and mankind's first contact with extra-terrestrials.

Lucy is sure there are wolves living in the walls of her house. But, as everybody says, if the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over.

This short biography of William Shakespeare by world famous writer Bill Bryson brims with the author's inimitable wit and intelligence.

A story of first love and second chances from the bestselling author of Love Rules.

«This is the story of Athena, or Sherine, to give her the name she was baptised with. Her life is pieced together through a series of recorded interviews with those people who knew her well or hardly at all – parents, colleagues, teachers, friends, acquaintances, her ex-husband. The novel unravels Athena's mysterious beginnings, via an orphanage in Romania, to a childhood in Beirut. When war breaks out, her adoptive family move with her to London, where a dramatic turn of events occurs… Athena, who has been dubbed «The Witch of Portobello» for her seeming powers of prophecy, disappears dramatically, leaving those who knew her to solve the mystery of her life and abrupt departure. Like «The Alchemist», «The Witch of Portobello» is the kind of story that will transform the way readers think about love, passion, joy and sacrifice.»