Showing results by publisher "W. F. Howes Ltd" in Growing Up & Facts of Life

Polly Pecorino rescues animals, and she can talk to them, too. She spends all of her time caring for those at Happy Days Zoo, where the devious owners, Mr and Mrs Snell, will do anything to make money. One day, they steal a bear cub, certain that he will do wonders for ticket sales, but the ferocious bears living in Wild Bear Woods want their cub back. Will Polly be brave enough to stand up to the Snells and take Booboo, the bear cub, back where he belongs?

Sisters Tansy and Belle are the stars of the grand finale of a circus show - a dazzling and perfectly timed trapeze act where they soar through the air like shimmering butterflies. One night, desperate to impress her older sister, Tansy attempts a spectacular jump and falls. Now terrified of heights, all Tansy can do is watch from below while Belle shines above. But when Belle mysteriously vanishes and Tansy’s shadow miraculously comes to life, Tansy discovers that the courage she needs to rescue her sister may have been inside her all along.

My name is Sam. I am eleven years old. I collect stories and fantastic facts. By the time you read this, I will probably be dead. Sam loves facts. He wants to know about UFOs and horror movies and airships and ghosts and scientists, and how it feels to kiss a girl. And because he has leukaemia he wants to know the facts about dying. Sam needs answers to the questions nobody will answer.

Flick is a magician who needs answers. Her father is still missing, and top illusionist the Great Fox doesn't seem interested in finding him, despite his promises. Meanwhile, she and her friend Charlie must represent the Great Fox in a new competition in the Swiss town of Linth. The Global Order of Magic is electing a new chancellor, and the Fox insists that if he wins, it will help—but Flick isn't so sure.

Lauren, Jack, Ruby and Billy live by the seaside with their mum and dad. But their parents are always arguing, and then their dad moves out. Lauren and Jack decide they have to get them together again. And so begins Operation Eiffel Tower... in which the four children try to raise money to give their mum and dad a treat in an attempt to make them happier.

Leif is not unlucky. Yes, he does split his trousers at least once a week. And yes, he's always tripping up. But he's determined to become a true Viking hero, just like his father. Can he unravel the riddles of a witch to find a magical shard of rock that has fallen from a shooting star and wield its magical powers? He will have to journey deep into the heart of polar bear country, outwitting all kinds of mythological creatures along the way.

Alex Neptune is struggling to get to grips with his new oceanic powers...so the last thing he needs is Haven Bay being attacked by pirates in a ship made of rubbish. The marauders are hunting for the missing egg of the elusive water dragon—and Alex is determined to reach it first to stop them stealing its power. Along with friends Zoey and Anil—plus a clumsy seal, a lock-picking hermit crab and some seriously menacing otters—Alex sets out on a treasure hunt to a secret shipwreck where they must face three monstrous challenges.

After his dad's death, Konrad stops speaking. Not a word at home or school. But that begins to change when he meets Maya on the beach he loved to explore with Dad. She doesn't mind his silence. It gives her a chance to be heard, because at home no one seems to notice her. When the pair go on a last visit to Konrad's family bookshop before it's sold, they soon get lost in the pages of Konrad's favourite book of folk tales. Whisked back in time to quest with a dragon, they must find themselves and their voices, as well as a happy end to the story in the book and in real life.

On a storm-ravaged night, a 19-year-old girl is murdered. Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her killer. Cole is a dark-eyed devil who doesn't care if he lives or dies; Ruben is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys' journey from their half-gypsy home in a London junk yard to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister's death.

Young gymnast Pearl dreams of winning gold in Paris. It's what Mum would have wanted. However, elite training camp is super tough, even with the help of best friend Ryan and rising star Jada-Rae. Think ice baths, rivalry … sabotage. When others will do anything to win, what will Pearl risk? Safety? Morals? Friendships?

Princess Ellie always wants to sneak off to the stables - and especially when she realises something's wrong with her pony, Starlight. But Meg the groom won't tell her what it is. To take her mind off it, Ellie goes for a ride on the beach. But then disaster strikes, and she's stuck! How will she get back to her beloved Starlight?

After traveling to the seaside kingdom of Lilah's betrothed prince, Lulath, Celie and her companions are busy training griffins, enjoying wedding festivities and finishing construction of a grand ship. But on their maiden voyage, the ship steers them far off course into uncharted waters. Celie and Lilah hope that the ship is taking them to the ancient island where unicorns once roamed, but as the journey grows longer and supplies run low, they realise they are in trouble....

Indie's seen a wooden cat that she just has to have, even if her friends think it's weird. Only problem is, it's really expensive. With her parents in a cash crisis, Indie will have to raise the money herself. Will her moneymaking schemes go to plan?

When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. Amongst the dynamic crew is young pirate prodigy Connor Tempest. Meanwhile, Connor's twin sister Grace enjoys a bittersweet reunion with their mother, Sally, who has some important and shocking news for her daughter. As Grace uncovers the truth about her family's past, she realises that she and Connor face a daunting and uncertain future.

The children of Mivtown have grown up hearing the legend of the monsters of the loch. But it’s only a story - a warning to stay away from the water. Then strange things start happening in the village. Effie’s rabbit Buster escapes from a locked hutch, her mum disappears without trace and slugs start to infest her home. Along with her best friend Finn, Effie begins to hunt for clues to solve the mysteries of Mivtown. Could this all be connected to the legend? Is it really just a story, or is there something lurking in those deep, dark waters?

Skipton House Community Centre may look ramshackle, but it is soon at the heart of Erin's life - especially the cooking club. When the building is suddenly threatened with closure, Erin and her new friends, Tanya, Frixos and Sam, form The Cooking Club Detectives. Can they, and their four-legged assistant, Sausage, uncover who the mystery culprit is and save Skipton?

Ophelia Bottom longs for a boring life. Instead, she's stuck living in a rickety converted van and managing Bottom's Travelling Theatre, the moveable stage where her embarrassing actor parents put on occasionally disastrous plays. Every day, she wishes she lived in an ordinary house, with parents who worked ordinary, undramatic jobs. When the family gets stuck in the seaside town of Stopford, Ophelia's dream appears to be coming true: all the Stopford residents seem to have very normal lives.

Flick is a magician out of tricks. Every attempt to find her father has so far failed. Now the police have accused him of stealing the Crown Jewels—and they want Flick's help to work out how he did it. Flick and her best friend, Charlie, travel to Cornwall, where they believe her father may be hiding in an abandoned museum of magic. There they find master illusionist the Great Fox, also hot on the trail. But something else is hidden at the heart of the museum—the Bell System, the most dangerous magic trick the world has ever seen.

The squirrels Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both manmade and of the fox and bobcat variety) and mysteries are revealed.

Princess Ellie is pony-mad! She’d much rather ride one of her ponies or muck out the stables than entertain dull royal visitors. One day, when Ellie is riding through the woods, her brave Welsh pony suddenly whirls around and refuses to go any further. Has Rainbow seen a ghost? It’s a real puzzle and Princess Ellie is determined to solve it.