This superb collection of war stories includes: War Horse, Friend or Foe, Waiting for Anya. The former Childrens Laureate again demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller. In the tradition of Goodnight Mr Tom, Carrie's War, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, this collection of war stories takes children to the he... This superb collection of war stories includes: War Horse, Friend or Foe, Waiting for Anya. The former Childrens Laureate again demonstrates why he is considered to be the master storyteller. In the tradition of Goodnight Mr Tom, Carrie's War, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, this collection of war stories takes children to the heart of a tumultuous period in history. A fantastic gift book for the young avid reader that will provide excellent context for children studying WWII. Michael has written more than one hundred books for children including An Eagle in the Snow, Listen to the Moon, Private Peaceful, and An Elephant in the Garden. He has won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Childrens Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.

Two classic stories about the Isle of Scilly from Britain's best-loved children's author, Michael Morpurgo. The Wreck of the Zanzibar: Life on the Scilly Isles in 1907 is bleak and full of hardship. Laura's twin brother, Billy, disappears, and then a storm devastates everything. It seems there's little hope...that is until the Zanzibar is wrecked on the island's rocks and everything changes. Why the Whales Came: Gracie and her friend, Daniel have always been warned to stay away from the Birdman and his side of the island. They find a message in the sand and discover the Birdman is not who they thought. Then the children get stranded on Samson Island...Former Children's Laureate and award-winning author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, demonstrates why he is considered to be the master story teller with these engrossing Island Tales.

Vivid re-imagining of the legendary hero Robin Hood by bestselling author of War Horse. After a fierce storm, a boy discovers a human skull, buried beneath the roots of an ancient tree. A skull with a legendary story! Tell the sheriff, tell Sir Guy of Gisbourne, tell everyone in Nottingham, that the Outlaws rule here in Sherwood, that we rule in the king's name! I am Robin Hood. Homeless and lost in a dark, strange forest, young Robin is rescued by a motley crew of misfits. He yearns to avenge his father and seek justice against cruel oppressors, to finally defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham, once and for all. And through his friends, Robin Hood finds the courage to become a legendary hero.

Eloise has always loved Joan of Arc. Noble, honest and brave, she was everything Eloise wishes to be. And on a bright sunny day in Orleans, Eloise has a very special daydream! A superb re-imagining of Joan of Arc by master storyteller and author of War Horse. There was only one creature on this earth who really knew Joan. He was a sparrow, just an ordinary sparrow!He was her best friend on this earth, maybe her only friend, too. A young girl faces an impossible task — to save her beloved France from tyrants. To free her country, Joan will lose everyone she has ever loved. But she listens to her heart and believes in her calling. Through patience, perseverance and unbreakable spirit, Joan of Arc leads armies to victory and finds the strength to face the cruellest of destinies.

This title features two beautiful, compassionate animal stories from the snowy north, The Rainbow Bear and Little Albatross, by internationally bestselling War Horse author, Michael Morpurgo. Collected together for the first time and featuring Michael Foreman's original stunning illustrations, this is a gem of a book to be enjoyed over and over again.

From the multi award-winning and bestselling author, a beautifully re-packaged, 4u2read version, of this moving story of a girl and an injured fox cub. Clare has lived her whole life on a farm, but she's never seen a fox — until she finds a tiny, injured cub who's lost his mum. Clare cares for him herself, but has to keep him hidden from her father who thinks foxes are vermin — pests that should be shot. Can she keep the cub safe? Beautifully crafted story from the former Children's Laureate and best-selling author.

This story is not a story at all. It all happened. On New Year's Day Becky Morley begins to write her diary. By March, her world has changed for ever. Foot-and-mouth disease breaks out on a pig farm hundreds of miles from the Morleys' Devon home, but soon the nightmare is a few fields away. Local sheep are infected and every animal is destroyed. Will the Morleys' flock be next? Will their pedigree dairy herd, the sows with their piglets, and Little Josh, Becky's hand-reared lamb, survive? Or will they be slaughtered too? The waiting and hoping is the most agonizing experience of Becky's life...

A thrilling and moving novel about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war, for anyone who loved The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips or The Butterfly Lion! Dresden, 1944. Elizabeth and Karli's mother works at the zoo, where her favourite animal is a young elephant named Marlene. Then the zoo director tells her that the dangerous animals — including the elephants — must be shot before the town is bombed. Unable to give Marlene up, their mother moves her into the back garden to save her! and then the bombs start to fall. Their home destroyed, the whole family must flee the bombed-out city and through the perilous, snow-covered landscape, all the while avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer. It would be hard enough to do, without an elephant in tow!

In the town of Hamelin, the rich folk live high off the hog, while the poor and sick must scavenge in the trash that's left behind. And that trash keeps building up and up until a horde of rats overruns the town. In this lively retelling, a spunky street kid narrates the age-old tale of a piper who offers to rid a town of its rats for a single gold coin, then lures away the town's children when the greedy mayor reneges on the deal. With a nod to contemporary social and environmental themes, former British Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo and illustrator Emma Chichester Clark team up to charm readers with a compelling--and ultimately hopeful--new take on a timeless story.

Billy was a champion soccer star, playing for Chelsea in the 1930s. But that was before war broke out... This tale is told through the voice of an 80 year-old man, who looks back on his life as Chelsea's champion striker until the outbreak of war in 1939 and on through his subsequent life.

A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm! Six fantastic stories in one volume! Mossop's Last Chance: There's mice in my barley sacks, there's rats in my roof and now there's mice in the corn bin. This time I've had enough. If you aren't up to the job, you will have to go. Mossop the old farm cat likes to sleep — and not much else! So when Farmer Rafferty tells him to catch twenty-six mice by sunset, all the animals have to pull together to give Mossop one last chance! Albertine, Goose Queen: A fox is on the loose, and all the animals except Albertine the goose have hidden themselves inside. Albertine is safe on her island in the pond — at least so she thinks, until the fox starts swimming towards her! Jigger's Day Off: Jigger the sheepdog has just one day off a year. Just one day to chase all those little animals hiding in the corn. But even the best made plans can go wrong! Pigs Might Fly! It's a long hot summer, and Pintsize the piglet wonders if it might be cooler in the sky. But when he tries to fly, he annoys just about everyone. It's time he learned his lesson! Martians at Mudpuddle Farm: Have Martians landed on Mudpuddle Farm? Farmer Rafferty seems to think so. Now it's up to Albertine, Goose Queen, to work it out. Luckily she's the cleverest goose in the whole world, so if anyone knows what to do, she will! Mum's the Word: Something strange is going on at Mudpuddle Farm. Egbert the goat is not himself at all. Instead of grumbling, he's singing and dancing! And he's even greedier than usual!

Joy and heartbreak combine in this bittersweet tale of a champion greyhound`s journey through life — and from owner to owner!

From master storyteller Michael Morpurgo comes Little Foxes. Bullied at school, nagged in Aunty May's tenth-floor council flat, there's only one place Billy really feels alive — in the wilderness by the canal. There he watches a cygnet on the water and protects a family of fox cubs. Then his secret place is discovered and the fox family decimated. Unwanted and unloved, Billy and the last fox run for their lives.

A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm...Two fantastic stories in one volume! Martians at Mudpuddle Farm: Have Martians landed on Mudpuddle Farm? Farmer Rafferty seems to think so. Now it's up to Albertine, Goose Queen, to work it out. Luckily she's the cleverest goose in the whole world, so if anyone knows what to do, she will...Mum's the Word: Something strange is going on at Mudpuddle Farm. Egbert the goat is not himself at all. Instead of grumbling, he's singing and dancing! And he's even greedier than usual...

«A charming series of adventures for younger readers, featuring a family of all sorts of animals that live in the farmyard behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm...Two fantastic stories in one volume! Mossop's Last Chance: «There's mice in my barley sacks, there's rats in my roof and now there's mice in the corn bin. This time I've had enough. If you aren't up to the job, you will have to go.» Mossop the old farm cat likes to sleep — and not much else! So when Farmer Rafferty tells him to catch twenty-six mice by sunset, all the animals have to pull together to give Mossop one last chance...Albertine, Goose Queen: «Good morning, Madam, I've come to eat you. Your friends have all gone. There's no one to help you now. They're all very stupid, aren't they?» A fox is on the loose, and all the animals except Albertine the goose have hidden themselves inside. Albertine is safe on her island in the pond — at least so she thinks, until the fox starts swimming towards her...»

This work offers an invaluable insight into storytelling from one of today's greatest writers. This collection by the 2003-2005 Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, contains short stories, essays and commentaries to illuminate the craft of storytelling. Analyzing all aspects of writing — character, plot, sources and inspiration, retelling and biography — it is perfect for anyone, young or old, who loves great stories and wants to know more about the art of telling tales.

How far would you go to find yourself? The lyrical, life-affirming new novel from the bestselling author of Private Peaceful There were dozens of us on the ship, all up on deck for the leaving of Liverpool, gulls wheeling and crying over our heads, calling good-bye! That is all I remember of England. When six-year-old orphan Arthur Hobhouse is shipped to Australia after WWII he loses his sister, his country and everything he knows. Overcoming enormous hardships with fellow orphan Marty, Arthur is finally saved by the extraordinary people he meets and by his talent for boat-design and sailing. Now he has built a special boat for his daughter Allie — a solo yacht designed to carry her to England in search of his long-lost sister. Will the threads of Arthur's life finally come together? I was there on the quayside to see Allie take her out for the first time, saw her dancing through the waves, and I knew I'd never built a finer boat.

Michael Morpurgo's inspiring new story of Robbie, a boy in a coma — victim of a car accident. Locked inside his own head, able to hear but not move or speak, Robbie tries to keep himself from slipping ever deeper into unconsciousness. Robbie, football fan and animal lover, runs after his dog Lucky one day when he chases a cat and is hit by a car. Unconscious, Robbie lies in hospital, unable to speak, move or eat. But he can hear; he is aware, even though his family and friends don't know this. Inside his head, we hear Robbie's thoughts; on his Mum and sister, why his parents are separated. His friends and family try desperately to reach him — even Zola, his favourite Chelsea footballer, comes to see him. And still Robbie can't 'wake up'. Until one day, against hospital rules, Dad brings Lucky into the hospital. Can Lucky bring Robbie back to life?

A moving story of a brother, a sister and a swallow, and how all are in some way victims of the horrors of landmines. Olly's brother Matt wants to go and work with children who have been made orphans, through war, in Africa. He wants to be a clown and make them laugh. His mother and sister want him to stay in England and go to university. Hero, a swallow, has a journey to make too. He must fly to Africa for the winter to join all the other swallows. His journey is difficult and fraught with danger. Three separate stories are woven into one powerful and moving novel whose central theme not only exposes the horrors of war and of landmines, but also the endurance of the human spirit.