Author: Mrs Odie

A national treasure’s journey to the brink and back.

‘Will I wake up?’
‘There’s a 50:50 chance.’

Michael Rosen wasn’t feeling well. Soon he was struggling to breathe, and then he was admitted to hospital, suffering from coronavirus as the nation teetered on the edge of a global pandemic.

What followed was months on the wards: six weeks in an induced coma, and many more weeks of rehab and recovery as the NHS saved Michael’s life, and then got him back on his feet. Throughout Michael’s stay in intensive care, a notebook lay at the end of his bed, where the nurses who cared for him wrote letters of hope and support. Embarking on the long road to recovery, Michael was soon ready to start writing about his near-death experience.

Combining stunning new prose poems by one of Britain’s best loved poets and the moving coronavirus diaries of his nurses, doctors and wife Emma-Louise Williams, this is a beautiful book about love, life and the NHS. Featuring original illustrations by Chris Riddell, each page celebrates the power of community, the importance of kind gestures in dark times, and the indomitable spirits of the people who keep us well.

From the author of the bestselling Hatchet comes a true story of high-stakes wilderness survival!

If not for his six-hundred-mile journey from the busy Chicago city to a captivating Minnesotan farm aged five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book aged thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his daring teenage enlistment in the army, he might not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller.

Gone to the Woods: A True Story of Growing Up in the Wild is the entrancing true story of Gary Paulsen’s childhood, of grit and growing up, and is the acclaimed author at his rawest and most real.

With surprising honesty and words that resonate long after reading, A Hurricane in My Head tackles the themes of friendship, bullying, technology and the life of a modern teenager. These poems say the things we can’t always put into words; they may make you laugh, they may make you cry, but they will most definitely make you reminisce, escape, discover…

This is a truly stunning collection from Matt Abbott, nationally acclaimed writer and performer, with poems that will make you want to become a poet and put your own words to paper – much to the perplexity of any careers advisor!

This beautiful atlas is a celebration of the unusual events, objects and people that make our world such a fascinating place.

Living on the planet are more than 7 billion people, all with their own interests, traditions and ways of life. And the extraordinary scenery – from the icy poles to scorching hot deserts, lush tropical rainforests, giant rocky caves and canyons, remarkable rivers, lakes and seas, also provides a home to a phenomenally wide range of different animals and plants.

This unbelievable round-the-world adventure will take you through all of the planet’s continents and countries, and on the way you’ll get to see just how diverse the world can be. The beautifully illustrated maps feature key aspects, such as borders, capital cities and major rivers, and are perfect for engaging young readers.

Discover facts and stats about the country or region and get up close and personal with some of Earth’s most mysterious and unusual creatures, places, objects and events in this beautiful world atlas for children and adults alike.

In more than 100 interviews, children and young adults reveal their personal tips and tactics for honing the creative benefits of dyslexia, enabling them to thrive in school and beyond. Strategies include ways to develop confidence and self-belief. The contributors have outlined specific approaches they feel have helped them, and others that haven’t. The book contains stunning illustrations by 8-18 year olds with dyslexia.

The first-hand accounts are inspiring in the way they normalise dyslexia and reveal the many success stories. There is an additional section for professionals who work in education or special learning environments, with advice given by school students themselves.

Marinka dreams of a normal life, where her house stays in one place long enough for her to make friends. But her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning.

For Marinka’s grandmother is Baba Yaga, who guides spirits between this world and the next. Marinka longs to change her destiny and sets out to break free from her grandmother’s footsteps, but her house has other ideas…

Age range 9 to 14 Growing up in East Germany in the 1960’s, football mad Karl wants nothing more than to play for his hometown club. However, when this dream finally comes true, he soon finds out that playing for the mighty Dynamo Berlin comes at a cost. Karl realises that the team are run by the dreaded Stasi Police and he’s required to be more than just a football player. When he refuses to become an informant, he finds himself falling foul of powerful men who always get what they want. Of course, as he falls out of love with football, he could always simply up and leave. Couldn’t he? It’s not to be – players don’t leave Dynamo Berlin until the Stasi decide.

Before she disappeared, Riley’s mama used to tell him stories about the Whispers, mysterious creatures with the power to grant wishes.

Riley wishes for lots of things. He wishes his secret crush Dylan

liked him back. He wishes the bumbling detective would stop asking awkward questions. But most of all he wishes his mother would come home . . .

Four months later, the police are no closer to finding out the truth – and Riley decides to take matters into his own hands.

But do the Whispers really exist? And what is Riley willing to do to find out?