Showing titles in Growing Up & Facts of Life

A brilliantly funny, gripping novel from a born storyteller, The Parent Agency is an epic wish-fulfilment adventure for every child - and for the child in everyone. Barry said, a third time, "I wish I had better parents!" And then suddenly the entire room started to shake. Barry Bennett hates being called Barry. In fact it's number 2 on the list of things he blames his parents for, along with 1) 'being boring' and 3) 'always being tired'. But there is a world, not far from this one, where parents don't have children.

Luke is a comic-mad 11-year-old who shares a tree house with his geeky older brother, Zack. Luke's only mistake is to go for a wee right at the wrong time. While he's gone, an alien gives his undeserving, never-read-a-comic-in-his-life brother superpowers and then tells him to save the universe. Luke is massively annoyed about this, but when Zack is kidnapped by his archnemesis, Luke and his friends have only five days to find him and save the world.... Hilariously narrated by Joe Thomas.

A boy called Christopher is visiting his reclusive grandfather when he witnesses an avalanche of mythical creatures come tearing down the hill. This is how Christopher learns that his grandfather is the guardian of one of the ways between the non-magical world and a place called the Archipelago, a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures we tell of in myth live and breed and thrive alongside humans. They have been protected from being discovered for thousands of years; now, terrifyingly, the protection has worn thin, and creatures are breaking through.

George and Harold have played a trick or two on nearly everyone at Jerome Horwitz Elementary. When their latest prank causes the school’s cranky cafeteria ladies to quit, Mr. Krupp hires a trio of unusual replacements - who happen to look an awful lot like aliens! Will that curtain-caped crusader, Captain Underpants, save the day once more? Or will those outer space cafeteria ladies have him for lunch? The Captain Underpants series is perfect for listeners of all ages.

Daisy's worst ever enemy Chloe is desperate to win back her friends so she announces she's going to have the best sleepover in the world. There's going to be a swim in a luxury pool, a special makeover for every guest, and a real live meeting with a social media superstar. All Chloe's old friends are invited, even Daisy's best friend Emily. But Daisy is left out. Daisy's sister Lily is non-verbal but she's learned Makaton at her new special school. She signs to Daisy that she wants a sleepover.

Gemma and Alice were born on the same day and have been devoted best friends ever since. Despite Gemma's larger-than-life personality and Alice's quieter, calmer character, the two are inseparable – until Alice has to move house, all the way to Scotland. Gemma is utterly distraught, particularly at the thought that Alice might find a new best friend. Is there anything Gem's brothers, or perhaps her Grand dad, can do to help?

It's business as usual in the run up to Christmas at Santa's Workshop - and toy elves Holly and Tog are busy making gifts for children all around the world. But Father Christmas isn't feeling well, and Holly is worried that things won't be finished on time. Inventing a robot to help out with festive duties seems like a fantastic idea, until Father Christmas is KIDNAPPED and a race against time to save him and the big day begins.

The war is over. The false prophecy has been fulfilled. But the dragonets still have enemies. A dark evil, buried for centuries, is stirring. And a young NightWing may have had the first true prophecy in generations. Something is coming to shake the earth. Something is coming to scorch the ground. Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice. Unless the lost city of night can be found.

Beauty Cookson is no beauty. She's a plain, timid girl who constantly feels inferior to the super-confident, snooty girls at school. Worse than the teasing in the playground, though, is the unpredictable, hurtful criticism from her father. Beauty and her meek, sweet mother live in uneasy fear of his fierce rages, sparked whenever they break one of his fussy house rules.

The irresistible Paddington Bear, who was found in Paddington station, returns in this reissued novel, with a brand-new cover design. 'Even Paddington can't come to much harm in half an hour,' said Mrs Brown optimistically. But who else other than Paddington could hang Mr Curry's lawnmower from a treetop or set Father Christmas' beard on fire?

The world of Minecraft comes to life in this thrilling adventure! Gameknight999 loved Minecraft, but above all else, he loved to griefto intentionally ruin the gaming experience for other users. When one of his father’s inventions teleports him into the game, Gameknight is forced to live out a real-life adventure inside a digital world. What will happen if he’s killed? Will he respawn? Die in real life? Stuck in the game, Gameknight discovers Minecraft’s best-kept secret, something not even the game’s programmers realize.

Stella Batts is back! Stella is in third grade, she wants to be a writer, and her parents own a wonderful candy shop. Life should be pretty good, right? In Pardon Me, Stella needs to find a new best friend after her friend Willa moves away. But finding a new best friend is not easy. Things are looking up when she meets Evie, the new girl in town. She is going to be in Stella s class at school and she needs a new best friend, too.Stella can t wait to introduce her to the other third graders. Except when they get to school, things don't exactly go the way Stella planned....

In A Case of the Meanies, mean boy Joshua continues to plague Stella when he decides to have a birthday party at her parent's candy store. He invites everyone in the class except her! Stella has to figure out how to be a pleasant hostess when she's not on the guest list. It's just another day in the life of Stella Batts!

Jess and Tracy Beaker have found happiness in The Dumping Ground. Not that Dumping Ground - the children’s home that Tracy grew up in - but a seaside antique shop full of treasures, along with Flo, the owner, and Alfie, their dog. Jess is looking for a fantastic new boyfriend for her mum (mostly because Tracy’s awful ex Sean is back on the scene). But Jess has bigger problems of her own. She’s being picked on by a local kid who’s got it in for her. But when Jess uncovers the truth about her new enemy, it means big changes for the Beaker Girls....

Em adores her funny, glamorous dad – who cares if he's not her real father? He's wonderful to her, and to her little brother Maxie and sister Vita. True to form at Christmas, Dad gives them fantastic presents, including a real emerald ring for his little Princess Em.Unfortunately he's got another surprise in store – he's leaving them. Will Dad's well-meaning but chaotic attempts to keep seeing Em and the other children help the family come to terms with this new crisis?

Being a sister isn't always easy ... but what's the very worst thing about your sister? Marty and her sister Melissa couldn't be more different. Marty loves her Converse trainers, playing football, hiding in her secret den and helping her dad with his DIY. But Melissa loves Justin Bieber and all things pink, girly and pretty. The sisters can manage to live together, despite their occasional scraps but then Mum tells them they have to share a room.

Phoebe Robinson loves making up stories - just like her wonderful, imaginative dad. When he mysteriously disappears, Phoebe, Perry, Becks and their mum must leave everything behind and move to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. Struggling to feel at home and missing her dad terribly, Phoebe's only distraction is her guinea pig, Daisy. Until the family discover the thrilling steam trains at the railway station and, suddenly, every day is filled with adventure. But Phoebe still can't help wondering: what is Mum hiding, and, more worryingly, is Dad okay?

The wackiest road trip in history continues in book four of the New York Times best-selling Genius Files series, following twins Coke and Pepsi as they dodge villains and visit weird-but-true landmarks from Texas all the way to Roswell, New Mexico. With the real-kid humor that has earned him millions of fans around the world, and featuring all-new weird-but-true locations around America, From Texas with Love is absolutely batty!

Penguin presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of Topsy and Tim: The Complete Audio Collection by Jean and Gareth Adamson, read by Daniel Weyman and Kate Rawson. Topsy and Tim are always finding fun adventures in the real world, and this collection of stories is perfect for young children having first experiences of their own. A collection of 26 audio stories with fun sound effects and music.

Billy Slipper is a fairly normal boy with a not-so normal family. All he wants to do is add to his 'Collectabillya' (an assortment of weird and wonderful objects) in peace, but his cleaning-mad mum and his horrid twin sister have other ideas. However, they don't bargain on Billy finding his best ever Collectabillya - Jumblecat! Jumblecat is...well, a jumbled-up cat (who talks, by the way), and he's set to change their lives forever.