Monthly Archives: November 2016

Last Year was not the best of years for Claire Mason.

Claire Mason got a diary for Christmas. It should be filled with entries about her life at college as she prepares to sit exams. The pages should be crammed full of exciting happenings and future plans. Instead, Claire's diary tells of a family illness, and the tough decisions it forces her to make.

Join Claire as she tells the story of her most difficult twelve months to date.

The latest title from author Iain McLaughlin, Last Year is from our new YA Reads series, a compelling story that your students will not want to put down. YA Reads are ideal for reluctant readers aged 14-18 and focus on mature themes with stories that are relevant to young adults.

Each novel is suited to those with a reading age as low as 8 and is around 5,000-6,000 words long. The fast-paced storylines and varied content will have a wide appeal.

Logan, Eva and Otis, Logan's dog, are used to strange things happening in Strange Town but when the ground is being torn up all over town, they take it upon themselves as The Strange Town Squad, to investigate!

Lawns, sports pitches and parks are being torn up one by one. Mounds of dirt are appearing all over town. Who or what is causing all this destruction and who will gain from all he damage.

Going Underground is one of eight titles in Danny Pearson's brilliantly inventive new series, Strange Town. Written specifically for reluctant readers aged 9-12, these humorous and light-hearted stories will capture the attention of boys and girls alike and will have them asking for another one as soon as they have finished!

The bright, colourful illustrations by Steve Beckett entice readers into the world of Strange Town and will completely engross them in the bizarre and amusing stories.

Each title features a general introduction to ensure that every book can be

What could possibly be causing the green glow from the new purple bins in Strange Town?

Logan, Eva and Otis are used to bizarre and unusual things happening in their town, but this is new!

Logan is woken by his Mum and told to take out the rubbish. A new bin has appeared at the end of their driveway. New bins have been given to everyone on the street. Has the council left yet another bin for recycling or has it come from elsewhere?

This entertaining new series has been carefully written to appeal to children aged 9-12 with a reading age of 7-8. Rubbish Invasion is one of eight titles in Danny Pearson's new series, Strange Town, and features a general introduction to ensure each title can be read as a standalone novel, a map to help the reader picture the world of Strange Town, and a page highlighting any difficult vocabulary.

Daniel Blythe's Kill Order, transports you into the future and takes you on a journey of murder, deception and intrigue.

The year: 2238. The place: Station Zero, an outpost on the Galactic Rim. It's a place where corrupt plans are hatched, where the low life of the Universe do their dark deals.

Caleb Grayden is a killer for hire. A special kind of shape-shifter, he's viewed with suspicion. His latest job is easy – but what happens next is not quite what Caleb expected.

Accused of murder, he has to rely on his eager young lawyer, Jandri Jax. But Caleb's story has a twist – and it's one which Jandri may regret finding out...

Featuring no more than 6,000 words, Kill Order is within reach of struggling readers who have a reading age of 8-9. With the look and feel of a novel coupled with a modern, appealing cover, we're confident your students will be hooked on this compelling story and want to read more.

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Do you think people are bored with vampire stories? Well they haven't read The Craving by Cliff McNish!

This novel, written specifically for struggling readers, completely captives it's reader and pulls them into the story and rewards them with rich, descriptive language suitable for those with a reading age of 8-9.

The Craving has you hooked from the first page until the last, and has a fantastic twist...

All his life Elias has been treated differently from other teenagers. Protected. Guarded.

He always thought it was because his Dad had a special job that put him in danger.

It's only when Elias starts to get thirsty that he realises his family is part of a much darker secret. A secret that involves him. A secret that will change the world.

Our first series of Hi-Lo YA Reads will not disappoint its audience, with between 5,000-6,000 words per story and bite-sized chunks of text, all eight titles will ignite reluctant

As part of the Strange Town crew, Logan is used to bizarre happenings but nothing can prepare him for his dad's taste in music, which he finds very strange and ultra-embarrassing. Guess what? His dad's favourite band The Iron Stones is coming to town and he's off to see them. What's more, much to his amazement, Logan's best friend Eva thinks the band rocks and can't wait to hear about the gig.

However, when Logan's dad returns home exhausted, all may not be as it seems. The band members are 70 years old yet run around like teenagers. Eva and Logan are suspicious and determined to find out what's going on. There's clearly mystery in the music, so they head off with Otis the dog in search of clues and answers. Can the crew work out the secret to the ageing rockers youthful antics? Read The Iron Stones to find out more...

With simple yet punchy sentences, full page vibrant colour illustrations and humorous storylines, this series will appeal to reluctant readers. Strange Town

Jaz and Dex are 16 and in love. But there's a problem, the course of true love does not run smooth.

Jaz's parents have forbidden her to see boys and worse is yet to come...

The pair keep their love secret until one day Jaz doesn't feel well. Her dad sees them together and tells Dex he'll kill him if he tries to meet Jaz again. As Jaz's illness gets worse, Dex is desperate to see her because he knows she's the only girl he'll ever truly love. He just hopes he can win over her parents in time to help her through her illness. Will he win the race against time?

In The Stars is the latest title from author Echo Freer and one of our must-read YA Reads. Our YA Reads are ideal for reluctant readers aged 14-18 and focus on mature themes with stories that are relevant to teenagers and young adults.

Each novel is around 5,000-6,000 words in length with bite-sized chunks of text, making the stories accessible and suited to those with a reading age as low as 8. The series

Do you ever wonder why you've bought something you didn't really need? Maybe, just maybe, you were affected by the hypnotizing advert from Strange Town!

When Logan's parents return from the new megastore, Spend-A-Lot, with nothing but junk, Logan and Eva can't understand why they seem elated with their new purchases until the bright, flashing lights appear on the TV...

"Come down now to Spend-A-Lot! Your new, friendly, local, super-happy megastore. We have everything you need at low prices. So why don't you come on down and buy, buy, buy?"

Shopping Spree is one of eight comical stories in Danny Pearson's new series Strange Town. With many years of experience writing and editing titles specifically for reluctant readers, he knows what will capture their attention and has skilfully written these titles to be accessible for 9-12 year olds with a reading age of 7-8.

Danny has joined forces with the fabulous illustrator, Steve Beckett. Together they have developed

Malana lives on a planet called Paradise with sandy beaches and beautiful sunshine. But she hates it.

She doesn't want to spend her life slaving for tourists. She wants to move to the planet of New Prospect and choose her own future.

A man from a big company offers her the chance. But there's a catch. And when Malana finds out what it is, she knows she has to run away.

Tim Collins has written another captivating novel for young adults. Paradise completely beguiles the reader and transports them into Malana's world where the reader is left desperately trying to turn the page to see what happens next!

Written for 14-18 year olds who have a low reading age of 8-9 coupled with the look and feel of a real book, Paradise will engross any reluctant reader and will leave them wanting more.

With no more than 6,000 words, our YA Reads are perfect for KS4 and 5 students who struggle with a 'normal' book, but who want to read a novel with more mature themes than