Showing results by author "Nicola Skinner" in All Categories

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis. Luckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like 11-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns 12, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And there’s nothing wrong with that either...or so Minnie thinks.

Sorrel Fallowfield is so good at being good that teachers come to her when they need help remembering the school rules - and there are lots. Luckily, Sorrel doesn’t have any trouble following them, until the day she discovers a faded packet of Surprising Seeds buried under a tree in her backyard. Now she’s hearing voices, seeing things, experiencing an almost unstoppable urge to plant the Seeds in some very unusual places...and completely failing to win her school’s competition to find The Most Obedient Child of the School.

Frances’ parents were not prepared for her birth: they had a blanket and an easel and some paint, but not anything useful, like a car or a phone. So it’s no wonder Frankie has always had a temper. She was born on a beach, in a storm. What Frances was not prepared for was dying in a freak natural disaster that wiped out her whole town. Waking up 100 years later, Frances finds a whole load of new things to be angry about. And that’s before the visitors start turning up, treating her home like it’s a tourist attraction. Which it is.

Inspired by the true history of the SS Great Britain, Starboard is about the friendship, heroism and bravery that you can find in others, whether they’re made of flesh or iron. It’s about taking control of your own life and going on epic adventures. But most of all, it’s about finding out who you really dare to be, when you’re completely out of your depth.

Es wird bunt und wild und wunderbar! Melissas Heimatstadt ist betongrau und ordentlich. Für alles gibt es Regeln - und Melissa kann nichts so gut wie sie zu befolgen. Sie hat sogar den Titel "Folgsamstes Kind der Schule" zu verteidigen. Doch dann findet sie unter den Betonplatten auf ihrer Terrasse ein geheimnisvolles Päckchen voller Blumensamen, das alles auf den Kopf stellt. Plötzlich hört Melissa Stimmen und verspürt den Drang, die Samen auszusäen.