The epic adventure of Lyra Belacqua and her friend Will Parry, wandering through parallel worlds in search of knowledge about the enigmatic Dust, is widely acknowledged as a masterpiece of storytelling that is both thrilling and profound. As well as awards, there have been controversies, but Pullman refuses to be drawn on the ‘meaning’ of His Dark Materials; as he writes on his webpage, ‘I’m not in the message business. I’m in the “Once upon a time” business’. Young Adult The three titles included in this set are:Northern Lights (Read more...) Subtle Knife (Read more...)Amber Spyglass (Read more...)

Written by experts in their field and offering easy-to-follow explanations accompanied by photographs, diagrams and entertaining illustrations, the books in 'The Secret Life of...' series break complex subjects down into easily digestible chunks without compromising on clarity. Young adult.The two titles included in this set are: The Secret Life of the Brain (Read more...) The Secret Life of Genes (Read more...)

Aiming to help children become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, each workbook in the engaging Brain Boosters series comprises interactive puzzles and brainteasers to teach numeracy and logic skills and practice questions to test the learning. Age 6+ The two titles included in this set are: Times Tables and Multiplication Activity Book (Read more...) Adding and Subtracting Activity Book (Read more...)

Cool, calm and courageous, Dirk Pitt is the ultimate man of action, travelling the globe on dangerous maritime missions for the US National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). These four novels follow Dirk on some of his most thrilling adventures in locations as far flung as the Black Sea and Panama. The four titles included in this set are: Crescent Dawn (Read more...) Havana Storm (Read more...) Odessa Sea (Read more...) Poseidon's Arrow (Read more...)

Biteback Espionage Classics reprint vintage accounts of real-life covert intelligence operations and underground networks behind enemy lines, from the First and Second World Wars to the Cold War. The three titles included in this set are: The Unknown Courier (Read more...) MI9 (Read more...) Double Cross in Cairo (Read more...)

Karin Slaughter’s tough, visceral thrillers pit Special Agent Will Trent and other detectives against a range of brutal killers across the prosperous suburbs and stark housing projects of Atlanta, Georgia. The three titles included in this set are: Cop Town (Read more...) Triptych (Read more...) Fractured (Read more...)

With colouring pages, 150 stickers to complete the seasonal images and an egg-shaped jigsaw, Happy Easter, Twirlywoos! encourages pre-schoolers to develop hand-eye coordination. More activities featuring the colourful characters, including a dot-to-dot, a maze and pictures that can be completed time and again, are offered in the Wipe Clean Activity Book. Age 3+ The two titles included in this set are:Happy Easter, Twirlywoos! (Read more...) Wipe Clean Activity Book (Read more...)

With simple line drawings featuring the Twirlywoos and their friends, and stickers to complete colourful scenes including playing with balloons and riding on the toy train, these activity books enable small children to practise fine motor skills and enjoy the world of the popular TV characters. Age 3+ The two titles included in this set are:Twirlywoos Colouring Book (Read more...) It's the Twirlywoos! (Read more...)

Pre-schoolers can practise forming letters, numbers and basic shapes time and again by tracing the outlines provided in these activity books, which also offer space and prompts for them to create their own pictures. Four chalks and a wipe-clean cloth are included. Slightly off-mint. Age 5+The two titles included in this set are: Milo's Chalk Activity Book (Read more...) Hoot's Chalk Activity Book (Read more...)

As Bobo the panda and his animal friends play hide and seek and enjoy a party, they introduce primary concepts to small children, who can join in the fun by lifting the flaps in these board books. Age 3+The four titles included in this set are:Opposites (Read more...) Shapes (Read more...) Numbers (Read more...) Colours (Read more...)

The two titles included in this set are:On the Farm (Read more...) Things That Go (Read more...)

With short chapters and colourful illustrations, these books are aimed at newly independent readers and feature a suggested activity and discussion point to help engage children with the story’s theme. Each one is from the Gold Band on the Bloomsbury Young Readers scheme. Age 5+ The three titles included in this set are: Alice Goes to Hollywood (Read more...) Mighty Max (Read more...) Eye, Eye, Captain! (Read more...)

One of the world’s most successful writers, John Grisham trained and worked as a lawyer in Mississippi and centres many of his stories on the legal profession. A number of his books have been made into successful films including The Firm and The Pelican Brief. The five titles included in this set are: The Partner (Read more...) The Street Lawyer (Read more...) Skipping Christmas (Read more...) Bleachers (Read more...) Playing for Pizza (Read more...)

In settings as diverse as the battlefields of the Crimea and lawyers’ offices in 1920s London, Katharine McMahon’s novels are both thought-provoking and entertaining, drawing on the author’s own wide-ranging life experiences and following ‘my old habit of writing about powerful women acting against the grain of their historical context’. Off-mint. The five titles included in this set are: A Way Through the Woods (Read more...) The Rose of Sebastopol (Read more...) The Crimson Rooms (Read more...) Footsteps (Read more...) Confinement (Read more...)

Illustrated by the noted Fife-based cartoonist Bob Dewar, Birlinn's compact Food Bible series showcases the very best of Scottish ingredients and cookery. The first volume, written by Shirley Spear of the acclaimed Skye restaurant Three Chimneys celebrates marmalade in all its forms; the second offers advice on and recipes featuring soft fruits. The two titles included in this set are: The Scottish Berries Bible (Read more...) The Three Chimneys Marmalade Bible (Read more...)

Known for her warm tales of country life, Rebecca Shaw (1931–2015) was a Sunday Times bestselling author and all 28 of her books remain in print. Most of her novels are set in the fictional villages of Turnham Malpas and Barleybridge, both inspired by her rural Dorset location, and follow the lives and loves of the local residents. Off-mint. The three titles included in this set are: The Village Green Affair (Read more...) Love in the Country (Read more...) A Village Feud (Read more...)

A former Professor of Russian History at Oxford University and the author of several important works on Soviet history, Robert Service has been described by a fellow biographer of Stalin, Simon Sebag Montefiore, as ‘the founding maestro of Stalinist history’. This trilogy comprises a single-volume life of Lenin (2000), the critically acclaimed biography of Stalin (2004) and a genuinely revelatory study of Trotsky (2009). The three titles included in this set are: Trotsky (Read more...) Lenin (Read more...) Stalin (Read more...)

Betty Burton creates a powerful sense of place in her stories, which are often set in her own home county of Hampshire and characterized by strong female characters. The three novels in this set follow a working-class Portsmouth girl as she breaks free of her roots and plays her part in the fight against fascism in the 1930s and 1940s. The three titles included in this set are: Not Just a Soldier's War (Read more...) The Girl Now Leaving (Read more...) The Face of Eve (Read more...)

Harlan Coben’s thrillers have ingenious plots, psychological complexity and the kind of suspense that keeps you turning the pages into the early hours. Our four novels feature some of Coben’s trademarks – mysteries of the past creeping into the present, family, and final, breath-taking twists.The four titles included in this set are:Run Away (Read more...) Home (Read more...) Fool Me Once (Read more...) Don’t Let Go (Read more...)

Confident, down-to-earth Rosie Strange doesn’t believe in witches. Then she inherits the ramshackle Essex Witch Museum and, with its enigmatic curator Sam Stone, finds herself investigating a series of eerie, unsettling mysteries. The two titles included in this set are: Strange Sight (Read more...) Strange Fascination (Read more...)

Born in the Midlands, Will Dean now lives in Sweden, in an isolated clearing at the centre of an elk forest – a landscape of Nordic noir. His protagonist in these two much-acclaimed thrillers is Tuve Moodyson, a young, ambitious and deaf reporter on a small-town local paper, who will brave the menace of the forest to get the whole story. The two titles included in this set are: Dark Pines (Read more...) Red Snow (Read more...)

Kurt Austin and his teams in the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) take on six more cases including secret conspiracies, criminal masterminds and even environmental catastrophes in this set of NUMA thrillers from Clive Cussler, the master of underwater action and adventure. The 6 titles included in this set are: Zero Hour (Read more...) Nighthawk (Read more...) The Rising Sea (Read more...) Ghost Ship (Read more...) The Pharaoh's Secret (Read more...) Sea of Greed (Read more...)

In Grant County, Georgia – Karin Slaughter’s home state – Heartsdale is a small town that suffers more than its fair share of horrific murders. These unflinching thrillers follow the investigations of the local medical examiner and coroner, Sara Linton and the chief of police, Sara’s ex-husband, Jeffrey Tolliver. The five titles included in this set are: Blindsighted (Read more...) Kisscut (Read more...) Indelible (Read more...) A Faint Cold Fear (Read more...) Faithless (Read more...)

Daisy Styles grew up in Lancashire, surrounded by strong women and listening to their stories – including the reminiscences of real munitions factory girls. Carefully researched and vividly told, Styles’s wartime novels celebrate a ‘monumental turning point in women’s lives’. The four titles included in this set are:The Bomb Girls (Read more...) The Bomb Girls' Secrets (Read more...) The Code Girls (Read more...) The Wartime Midwives (Read more...)

Rosie Goodwin has written many heart-warming sagas, set in both the past and the present day. She also holds the distinction of being the first author in the world to be permitted to write sequels to Catherine Cookson's trilogies, featuring the popular characters created by her predecessor. The four titles included in this set are: The Sand Dancer (Read more...) The Misfit (Read more...) The Lost Soul (Read more...) The Empty Cradle (Read more...)

Lizzie Lane is a pseudonym of Jean G Goodhind, an author with a passion for storytelling with over 50 novels to her several names, including crime mysteries, exotic sagas and historical romance. Lizzie Lane specializes in stories set in England during the Second World War. The four titles included in this set are: Wartime Brides (Read more...) War Baby (Read more...) Home Sweet Home (Read more...) A Wartime Friend (Read more...)

Through colouring and doodling children can explore the homes of Olobob Top’s residents in Make Your Own Olobob Home, before designing their own treehouse using some of the 250 stickers. Once finished, they can venture further in The Amazing World of Olobob Top by tracing their way through mazes set in the forest, under the sea and in the air – decorating them with even more stickers. Age 4+

The two titles included in this set are: The Big Book of Everything Underground (Read more...) The Big Book of Snow and Ice (Read more...)

The two titles included in this set are: My First Animals (Read more...) My First Words (Read more...)

Aimed at young readers who have wondered what would happen if the hero of a story chose a different course of action, each book in this series gives the openings of some of the greatest tales ever told. Ruled pages follow on which to write a new continuation, with inspiring illustrations, plot suggestions, storywriting tips, quizzes and useful words. Age 7+ The four titles included in this set are: My Book of Stories: Myths (Read more...) My Book of Stories: Adventures (Read more...) My Book of Stories: Fairy Tales (Read more...) My Book of Stories: Shakespearean Tales (Read more...)

John Grisham was a practising lawyer before he turned to writing but since his first book, The Firm, appeared in 1991, he has become the master of the modern legal thriller. Our set contains five cases, plus a story inspired by Grisham’s own childhood in rural Arkansas. The six titles included in this set are: The Broker (Read more...) The Associate (Read more...) The Testament (Read more...) A Painted House (Read more...) The Pelican Brief (Read more...) The King of Torts (Read more...)

Known for her adventurous, fast-moving plots that feature strong female protagonists, Dilly Court is a Sunday Times bestselling author. This set comprises six novels, each one rich with period details that create an evocative picture of life in London’s slums in the early 20th century. The six titles included in this set are: The Dollmaker's Daughters (Read more...) The Cockney Sparrow (Read more...) Mermaids Singing (Read more...) The Best of Sisters (Read more...) The Constant Heart (Read more...) Tilly True (Read more...)

This set comprises ten novels by Sunday Times bestselling author Dilly Court. Each story paints an evocative picture of London life in the early 20th century, and features a strong female protagonist, well-researched period detail and adventurous, fast-moving plots. The ten titles included in this set are: A Mother's Trust (Read more...) The Beggar Maid (Read more...) Cinderella Sister (Read more...) A Loving Family (Read more...) The Workhouse Girl (Read more...) The Ragged Heiress (Read more...) The Best of Daughters (Read more...) A Place Called Home (Read more...) The Orphan's Dream (Read more...) The Lady's Maid (Read more...)

Josephine Cox, who died this year, was born in 1938 into a family of ten children brought up in a poor cotton-mill house in Blackburn, Lancashire. Despite her success as a bestselling novelist, she remained true to her roots and her books mingle new stories of northern life with scenes and characters from her own working-class past. The six titles included in this set are: Tomorrow the World (Read more...) The Gilded Cage (Read more...) Rainbow Days (Read more...) Love Me or Leave Me (Read more...) Let Loose the Tigers (Read more...) Her Father's Sins (Read more...)

The two titles included in this set are: Betsy Goes to School (Read more...) Betsy Visits Her Grandparents (Read more...)

The two titles included in this set are:My Animal Book (Read more...) My Head-to-Toe Body Book (Read more...)

These colourful books, printed on thick card, contain everything you need to play ten board games, with double-sided boards and counters to punch out, a die to assemble, clear explanations of the rules and a note of how long each game takes to play. Age 8+ and not suitable for children under 3. The two titles included in this set are: The 10 Best Games of All Time (Read more...) The 10 Best Games in the World (Read more...)

In these two books, Murray Naylor acts as our guide to a selection of cathedrals and churches, all of which are within easy reach of a railway station. He offers an introduction and personal appreciation of the ecclesiastical builders and their contribution to Christian culture, and observations on the railway, past and present, and its engineers. Both books include details and maps of rail routes and around 200 photographs. The two titles included in this set are: England's Cathedrals by Train (Read more...) England's Historic Churches by Train (Read more...)

Continuing the tradition begun by Ian Allan in the 1940s, the ABC Rail Guides are the long-trusted source of information on all the locomotives, multiple units and rolling stock used on the railways of Britain and Ireland. Listed in operator order, entries include route maps and photographs, and stock numbers are also separately listed and cross referenced. The two titles included in this set are: Main Line Systems (Read more...) Light Rail and Heritage Railways (Read more...)

Each of the titles in Pen and Sword's Fact File series gives an overview of a class of military equipment. Every model or variation is given a separate entry containing a brief history, technical data table, illustrations and photographs, often of it in use. The four titles included in this set are: German Half-Tracks and Wheeled Vehicles (Read more...) German Artillery (Read more...) Panzers of the Wehrmacht (Read more...) German Heavy Artillery Guns (Read more...)

The protagonist of this humorous ‘cosy’ mystery series is the eccentric retired art teacher (and crime magnet) Miss Seeton, who possesses an uncanny ability to sketch vital clues into her drawings – a skill that quickly becomes invaluable to Scotland Yard. The three titles included in this set are: Picture Miss Seeton (Read more...) Miss Seeton Draws the Line (Read more...) Witch Miss Seeton (Read more...)

In these lively accounts of journeys with her more reluctant husband, agnostic Jill Dudley seeks ‘answers to impossibly difficult questions’ through encounters with the sites, people, festivals and beliefs associated with different religious traditions, both ancient and modern. The four titles included in this set are: Lap of the Gods (Read more...) Holy Smoke! (Read more...) Gods in Britain (Read more...) Ye Gods! (Read more...)

Science fiction and fantasy have given programmes such as Star Trek and Doctor Who the freedom to explore controversial social issues and, on a personal level, questions of emotion, identity, memory and the perception of reality. In these books, each comprising 19 or 20 essays, the contributors analyse psychological problems raised by the adventures of the space and time explorers. The three titles included in this set are: Star Wars Psychology (Read more...) Doctor Who Psychology (Read more...) Star Trek Psychology (Read more...)

Compiled from the Press Association’s archives, these visual histories of Britain in the 1970s and 1980s evoke the spirit of each decade through reportage photographs of prominent personalities, events and scenes of everyday life, arranged chronologically and accompanied by detailed captions. The two titles included in this set are:The 1970s (Read more...) The 1980s (Read more...)

The two titles included in this set are: First Term at Malory Towers (Read more...) The Twins at St Clare's (Read more...)

Zorro, the masked alter ego of Don Diego de la Vega, first rode out on his black stallion to avenge the oppressed of Spanish California in The Curse of Capistrano (1919). Zorro was so popular, his creator, Johnston McCulley (1883–1958), wrote three more books of adventures. The novellas are read here by Bill Homewood. Unabridged. The items included in this set are:Sign of Zorro (Read more...) Further Adventures of Zorro (Read more...) Zorro Rides Again (Read more...)

A lovable character created by the noted French illustrator Alain Grée, Romeo is a dog who loves exploring. In this set of board books, he finds himself in three different environments and needs help to identify what will appear on the following page from the clue given. Age 2+ The three titles included in this set are: Romeo Explores the Seaside (Read more...) Romeo Explores the Garden (Read more...) Romeo Explores the Farm (Read more...)

Georgette Heyer began her hugely successful literary career in the 1920s and was writing up until her death in 1974 – her last book was published posthumously. Mostly set in Regency Bath, with meticulously researched period detail, Heyer’s romances were ignored by critics and adored by her readers. The four titles included in this set are:Lady of Quality (Read more...) Friday's Child (Read more...) Black Sheep (Read more...) Bath Tangle (Read more...)

Fresh out of journalism school, Rebekah Roberts lands a job as a crime reporter for a seedy New York tabloid. The stories she covers will draw her into the city’s underworld, and its complex mosaic of closed communities. The three titles included in this set are: Run You Down (Read more...) Invisible City (Read more...) Conviction (Read more...)

With almost 30 years of sugar-craft experience, Lindy Smith was inspired to start a career as a culinary artist when she made her own wedding cake. In this series, she offers step-by-step illustrated tutorials on stencilling, piping and flower-work – demonstrating how to recreate her signature fresh, modern look on cakes, cupcakes and cookies for all occasions. The three titles included in this set are:Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible: Stencilling (Read more...) Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible: Piping (Read more...) Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible: Flowers (Read more...)

These fold-out maps show major roads and rail routes, and indicate the locations of places of interest, national parks and heritage sites. Distance indicators are given to aid navigation, and more detailed plans of major cities are also provided. The two titles included in this set are: Southern France (Read more...) Northern France (Read more...)

Bold, brave and occasionally brilliant, Shaun the Sheep spends an inordinate amount of time endeavouring to outwit the Farmer and his long-suffering sheepdog Bitzer. Ideal for newly independent readers, these chapter books feature humorous, fast-moving plots, witty characterizations and inventive illustrations. Age 6+ The three titles included in this set are: Shaun the Sheep - The Farmer's Llamas (Read more...) Shaun the Sheep Movie - The Book of the Film (Read more...) Shaun the Sheep: Flock to the Seaside (Read more...)

Each double-page spread in these engaging activity books offers an animal drawing tutorial comprising four simple step-by-step instructions to complete on the themed background – allowing budding artists to sketch scenes such as a pig enjoying a muddy puddle, a crab scuttling along a sandy beach and a lion prowling the savanna. Age 5+ The three titles included in this set are: Let's Draw Wild Animals (Read more...) Let's Draw Sea Animals (Read more...) Let's Draw Farm Animals (Read more...)

The two titles included in this set are:I Want a Bunny! (Read more...) I Want My Dad! (Read more...)

Written and illustrated by Tony Ross, this much-acclaimed series follows the Little Princess as she overcomes the trials and tribulations of being a small child with the help of King and Queen, the palace staff, the Prime Minister and her faithful teddy, Gilbert. This set of 10 stories includes, I Want My Potty!, I Don’t Want to Go to Bed! and I Want to Do it by Myself! Age 3+ The ten titles included in this set are: I Want to Do it by Myself! (Read more...) I Want My Dinner! (Read more...) I Don't Want to Go to Bed! (Read more...) I Want My Dad! (Read more...) I Don't Want to Wash My Hands! (Read more...) I Want My Tooth! (Read more...) I Want My Potty! (Read more...) I Want Snow! (Read more...) I Want My Mum! (Read more...) I Want My Dummy! (Read more...)

Charles M Schulz's wry depiction of childhood in suburban America, Peanuts grew to become one of the best-loved comic strips in history. These volumes chart the early trials and tribulations of characters such as sweet-natured Linus and his indefatigable sister Lucy, laconic beagle Snoopy, and, of course, 'Good Ol' Charlie Brown'. The three titles included in this set are: Peanuts 1950–1952 (Read more...) Peanuts 1953–1954 (Read more...) Peanuts 1955–1956 (Read more...)

Combining the charm of retro gaming with the convenience of a puzzle book, these volumes present a variety of challenges designed to test levels of logic and strategy. The rules are clearly explained, and the answers provided at the end. The two titles included in this set are: Tetris Puzzle Book (Read more...) PAC-MAN Puzzle Mazes (Read more...)

Through tearing and sticking paper these two books for younger crafters encourage creativity and concentration. Each comprises eight bright nature-themed designs to make from the thirty sheets of coloured paper included. Age 7+ The two titles included in this set are: Jungle Animals (Read more...) Insects and Flowers (Read more...)

The first of these intricately illustrated search-and-find activity books features seven magical unicorns hiding in worldwide locations from Venice to New York City; in the second, a group of rabbits search for Easter Eggs in fairy-tale settings including Geppetto's workshop and Aladdin's cave. Age 5+ The two titles included in this set are: Where's the Bunny? (Read more...) Where's the Unicorn Now? (Read more...)

Charming pen-and-ink illustrations accompany these quirky tales about the trials and tribulations of young dragon Drake as he attempts to reconcile his interactions with the human world with his father's outdated expectations. Age 4+ The two titles included in this set are: Dragons in Love (Read more...) Dragons: Father and Son (Read more...)

DI Jimmy Perez, created by bestselling British crime author Ann Cleeves, has featured in eight novels since 2006, investigating suspicious deaths in the close-knit communities of the Shetland islands. The award-winning series inspired the popular BBC drama Shetland. The seven titles included in this set are: Cold Earth (Read more...) Thin Air (Read more...) Dead Water (Read more...) Blue Lightning (Read more...) Red Bones (Read more...) White Nights (Read more...) Raven Black (Read more...)

With quotes from noted thinkers, botanists and culinary experts, each of the illustrated volumes in this series outlines the history and health benefits of one superfood ingredient. Recipes for food and drinks as well as natural beauty treatments and household products are followed by instructions on how to grow your own from seed or stone. The four titles included in this set are: Super Food: Pomegranate (Read more...) Super Food: Cucumber (Read more...) Super Food: Beetroot (Read more...) Super Food: Avocado (Read more...)

The inquisitive Twirlywoos begin each day with fresh eyes, using trial and error to discover how the things in the world around them work. Tying in with the CBeebies series, each book explores concepts including cause and effect, spatial awareness, sharing and friendship – modelled through amusing scenarios and repetition. Age 2+ The six titles included in this set are: In and Out (Read more...) Meet the Twirlywoos! (Read more...) Gone! (Read more...) Wrapping! (Read more...) Upside Down (Read more...) Hello, Chickedy! Hello, Chick! (Read more...)

Created by the award-winning Max Velthuijs, Frog and his friends face issues that stir strong emotions, and experience fear, love and loss. The books offer positive responses to their feelings and demonstrate the value of friendship. Age 3+ The ten titles included in this set are: Frog and the Treasure (Read more...) Frog and the Birdsong (Read more...) Frog is Frightened (Read more...) Frog in Love (Read more...) Frog and the Stranger (Read more...) Frog in Winter (Read more...) Frog and a Very Special Day (Read more...) Frog is Frog (Read more...) Frog Finds a Friend (Read more...) Frog is a Hero (Read more...)