In 1914, the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked one of the most destructive conflicts the world had ever seen. This is the story of the First World War, and the people who lived and died fighting in it. It is a narrative account of WWI, written specially for children who are ready to tackle longer and more complex subjects. It is part of the Usborne Reading Programme developed with reading experts at the University of Roehampton.

One of Shakespeare's greatest plays retold for English Language learners. Macbeth is the bravest general in Scotland, and a loyal servant to King Duncan. But then he hears that one day, he could be king himself. Mad with ambition, Macbeth sets out on a bloody path to power.Comes with a CD, which contains full readings of the text by native speakers in both British English and American English.

Seven titles in the popular First Reading series are re-issued with hardback covers with audio CDs inserted into a wallet inside the back cover, making this book and CD easy to store together. The Young Reading series is developed with reading expert Alison Kelly from Roehampton University to help young readers grow in confidence and ability.

This title presents seven new titles in the award winning Very First Reading series, designed for children who are learning to read. It is based on the principles of synthetic phonics as recommended by the DCSF (now DfE)'s 2006 Rose Report on the Teaching of Early Reading. Most schools now incorporate phonics in teaching beginner readers. It includes inspired rhyming stories on themes children love, including ships and sailors, magic and mix-ups, exploration and adventure, not to mention animals and pets (some distinctly spooky ones!). It provides superb artwork by world-class illustrators in a brilliant range of styles. It is designed for a child to read together with an adult, with the child taking a greater share of the story in each book to achieve confident, independent reading. It includes stories followed by fun puzzles to test comprehension and provide further practice. It gives guidance notes for parents in each book, with further extensive support for parents and teachers on the Usborne Quicklinks Website.

This is a new addition to the See Inside series about ships throughout history from Viking longboats to Spanish galleons, ironclads to aircraft carriers. Lifting the flaps reveals the insides of ships from across the ages, explaining in simple, clear language what they were used for, how the crew and passengers lived and how they sailed the oceans. It includes a gate-fold page of a huge aircraft carrier.

This is a new title in the fantastic First Reading series, part of the Usborne Young Reading Programme. It is aimed at children who are beginning to read. It offers a gentle introduction to the time of the dinosaurs, with a glossary and pronunciation guide. Developed in consultation with Alison Kelly, who is a Principal Lecturer in Education and an early reading specialist from Roehampton University, every title in this series features clear and compelling text accompanied by charming and highly appealing illustrations. It is designed to motivate children as they learn to read.

This is a new addition to the See Inside series about how things — from the most mundane household objects to most complicated machines — work and operate. Lifting the flaps reveals the insides and machinations of machines and devices, explaining in simple, clear language exactly how they work. The machines include: diggers, cars, cranes, toilets, taps, microwave ovens and cinema projectors.

This is a new title in Young Reading Series Two, which is aimed at children whose reading ability and confidence allows them to tackle longer and more complex stories. It presents Shakespeare's classic tale of madness and murder, treachery and witchcraft retold for a younger audience. It is developed in consultation with Alison Kelly, who is a senior lecturer in education and an early reading specialist from Roehampton University.