The Stage 7 Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories provide humorous storylines to engage and motivate children. The popular characters and familiar settings are brought to life by Roderick Hunt and Alex Brychta. The stories are unchanged from the previous edition but the cover notes have been updated to support adults in sharing the story with the child.
Engaging new artwork and coversAlex Brychta's unique style of artwork enthrals and entertains children, and the fresh new look will heighten their pleasure in reading the stories. With freshly drawn artwork for all the favourite core stories at Stages 2 - 5 and fantastic new covers, Oxford Reading Tree is more appealing thanever!Stories children loveThe Oxford Reading Tree stories have always captivated children's imagination, inspiring them to read - and the stories and characters in the new editions haven't changed at all. Apart, that is, from an exciting new story at Stage 3, The Egg Hunt, which replaces the Dolphin Pool.Simplified structureWe have also simplified the structure of the scheme in response to feedback from you: Owls Storybooks become Stages 6 and 7 Storybooks; magpies become Stages 8 and 9 Storybooks; wrens at Stage 2 have become patterned stories at Stage 1+; and wrens at Stage 3 are now patterned stories at Stage 2.New teaching support materialIn addition to the existing guided reading cards, perfect for use in guided reading sessions, we have brought out new teaching materials to reflect the needs of teachers in today's classroom:DT Flexible, friendly teacher's notes included FREE with each pack of Oxford Reading Tree books - these are easy to store and will save you hours of preparation!DT New Take-Home cards for every Storybook from Stages 1 - 9 to help parents or carers get the most out of reading with their childDT Free resources website at www.oup.com/uk/primary with downloadable photocopy mastersDT New Teacher's Handbook and special edition for Scotland
A violin and a middle-school musical unleash a dark family secret in this moving story by an award-winning author duo. For fans of The Devil's Arithmetic and Hana's Suitcase. It's 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers -- and the death of her beloved grandmother -- Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she's been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her "husband" is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school. Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather's attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner -- strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.
“Such a visual piece . . . readers young and old will return to the story to look more deeply; they won’t be disappointed.” — Booklist (starred review) In a city full of hurried people, only young Will notices the bird lying hurt on the ground. With the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and takes it home. Wistful and uplifting in true Bob Graham fashion, here is a tale of possibility — and of the souls who never doubt its power.
In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend. "All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death." In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life. Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home. Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank. "Epic . . . Rambunctious . . . Highly entertaining." -- New York Times Book Review"Intimate and touching . . . the stuff of legend." -- San Francisco Chronicle"An immensely charming and moving tale." -- Boston GlobeNational Bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalistA New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the Year from National Public Radio, American Library Association, San Francisco Chronicle, BookPage, Newsday, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Literary Hub
CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD WINNER • CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK • A NEW YORK TIMES BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK Acclaimed artist Faith Ringgold seamless weaves fiction, autobiography, and African American history into a magical story that resonates with the universal wish for freedom, and will be cherished for generations. Cassie Louise Lightfoot has a dream: to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on “tar beach,” the rooftop of her family’s Harlem apartment building, her dreams come true. The stars lift her up, and she flies over the city, claiming the buildings and the city as her own. As Cassie learns, anyone can fly. “All you need is somewhere to go you can’t get to any other way. The next thing you know, you’re flying among the stars.”
'Lottie Parker is one of the most compelling characters in Irish detective fiction' LIZ NUGENT, bestselling author of Our Little Cruelties She shivered, though the kitchen was warm. Icicles of foreboding trickled down her spine. With trembling hands she whipped back her hair at the nape of her neck. As she turned away from the window, she missed the shadow passing by. One dark winter morning, bride-to-be Cara Dunne is found hanging in her home, dressed in her wedding dress, with a lock of hair removed. Detective Lottie Parker is first on the scene. Looking at Cara's bruised and battered body, she wonders who could have hated her enough to kill her at the happiest time of her life. The case takes a darker turn that afternoon with another shocking discovery; the broken body of a second young woman, pushed from the roof of the hospital where she worked. Fiona Heffernan was also due to be married, and her body is clad in a wedding dress, a lock of her hair cut off. The killings seem so personal that Lottie is convinced the girls have been killed by someone they knew. When she goes to break the news to Fiona's family, she's on the alert for anything suspicious. But then she makes a discovery that causes her blood to run cold; Fiona's eight-year-old daughter Lily didn't return home from her dance recital that afternoon. Terrified that Lily will be the next victim of a twisted and dangerous individual, Lottie takes the case into her own hands, risking her life when she comes face-to-face with the killer. If you love Karin Slaughter, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, you'll be hooked by this heart-stopping thriller from Patricia Gibney. Broken Souls will keep you guessing until the very last page! Read what everybody is saying about Broken Souls: 'Totally addictive and I loved it!! . . . This is a thrill a minute police procedural that just doesn't let up, so many twists and lots going on it really is unputdownable, but that comes as no surprise as every book in this series has been a 5-star read' Goodreads Reviewer, FIVE STARS 'I love the twists and turns in the plot that keep you guessing right to the end. And that ending! My heart was breaking. I cannot wait for the next one!' Goodreads Reviewer, FIVE STARS 'It was as brilliant as all of the other books in this series. A great storyline with all the usual twists and turns we expect from Patricia's writing but a few red herrings in there. Just as I think I have it figured out a spanner is thrown into the works and I have to think again. I couldn't put it down. Bring on the next book, I can't wait!!' Netgalley Reviewer, FIVE STARS 'A fabulous mix of thrills, mystery, psychological mind twists and a clever, thick plot . . . A gripping page-turning, riveting book. Highly recommend' Goodreads Reviewer What an amazing book. I couldn't put it down. had my attention from start to finish. plenty of suspense and twists and turns. just when i thought i had it figured out i was proven wrong. will definitely recommend. Can't wait for more' Goodreads Reviewer, FIVE STARS
