Steven Butler

A fresh, funny and accessible retelling of Jane Austen's classic story, with witty black and white illustrations throughout. Catherine Morland loves nothing more than reading a romantic novel, but as one of ten children she doesn't have much time for reading or for romance. When she is seventeen, her wealthy neighbours invite her to spend the winter season with them in Bath - to experience balls, the theatre and other social delights for the first time. Catherine makes friends with the passionate Isabella, and dances with a handsome man called Henry, and it seems that all her dreams are coming true. But real life doesn't always play out like a novel, and Catherine will have to overcome many obstacles before she can find her happy ending ... Steven Butler is an actor and writer from London. His books for children include The Wrong Pong series and Dennis the Menace. Steven's love of mischief made Northanger Abbey the perfect book to rewrite and he's excited to introduce Catherine Morland to a whole new raft of readers. Eglantine Ceulemans captures all of Austen's satire and wit, bringing her colourful casts to life with warm and funny black and white illustrations. Illustrated and retold editions are also available for: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park. The perfect way to discover Austen for the first time, this bright and bold collection features some of the most inspiring and famous heroines in English literature. For readers aged eight and up.

Welcome to Codâ??s Bottom â?? the sleepy seaside town with a spooky secret! From the author of The Nothing to See Here Hotel comes the second in the laugh-out-loud middle-grade series.

Sometimes being unusual is awesome! The people of Middleditch have been keeping a suspicious eye on the Garlics. Marguerite Garlic is an ex-opera singer from the big city, her father, Percival, is a jazz musician, and her son, Archibald, is... is... different. When Archibald inherits a dented old trumpet, a love of music is born in the unusual boy. He discovers that when he plays, he can see the music. Each note has a colour and a pattern, kaleidoscopic in its beauty. But complaints come from all over the town about Archibald’s incessant trumpeting. It's too jazzy! I'ts too noisy! It's too TRUMPETY! Seeking a place to practice his trumpet in peace, Archibald sneaks into the town clocktower and builds himself a den. It is here that he builds his masterpiece... A one-man band to wear on his back. It's perfect! But a twist of fate comes when a lightning storm rumbles-up over Middleditch and Archibald's clocktower is struck by lightning and... and... the one-man band he'd been intending to wear on his back, comes to life. Cogs... From the author of The Nothing To See Here Hotel series and Humbug: The Elf Who Saved Christmas - Steven Butler is one of our best loved storytellers. Perfect for fans of Wall-E and The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh. A gentle nod to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A story about friendship, othering and synaesthesia.

The early 20th century introduction of the legendary Auburn automobiles is intertwined with the history of the Butler family of Auburn, Indiana, who were involved with the car's creation. As one of the earliest employees of the fledging Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, the author Dr. Butler relates secrets of the museum's restoration and how it functioned in the early years after its inception. His journey through history culminates with his personal search for, purchase of, and exhaustive restoration of an iconic Auburn Boattail Speedster. Notably, the specimen being a car that his grandfather had upholstered on at least two occasions. An engaging read for anyone with a zeal for automotive history, and especially for those familiar with Auburn Cord or Duesenberg brands. The book reads as a first person narrative highlighted by rare photographs of the naked Auburn Speedster and what really lived underneath the paint and chrome of one of the world's most copied automobiles, His 1935, 851 model automobile, (body number 32922-E) was awarded the coveted Roy Faulkner Award for best Auburn at the annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club reunion in September 2022. This designation identifies his speedster as one of, if not the best example of, its kind in the world.

‘Funny, original and moving’ The Sun ‘Pick of the Week’ December 2022 The perfect festive story for readers aged 8 to 8,888! Meet the HUMBUG Family! Christmas Elves, but not as we know them... The Humbugs aren't the kind of family you see on sparkly wrapping paper, or in snowy storybooks about Santa's grotto. You won't see them on the front of Christmas cards, and they definitely won't be knitted on your grandma's favourite festive jumper. Those happy scenes are only for the likes of the workshop elves and certainly not the Humbugs. Nope! They manage a much less glamorous part of Santa's factory, the RPD Department... That's Reindeer Poo Disposal to you and me. YUCK! But when a mince-pie-related-mishap combined with an unfortunate letter-losing-incident sees them exiled from their home, the Humbugs - together with their clumsy Reindeer, Blister, and wheelie-bin sleigh - go on a great and daring adventure, where they discover the true meaning of Christmas, and the real heroes who make it special! "A perfect Christmas stocking present - a very funny, festive page-turner." - Jacqueline Wilson, author of The Story of Tracy Beaker "Humbug is that rare book: funny, original, thought-provoking, and an instant classic." - Francesca Simon, author of Horrid Henry "An exquisite Christmas story, full of imagination and heart. For the whole family to read year-after-year!" - Amy Huberman, author of The Day I Got Trapped In My Brain "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll need a mince pie - a new Christmas classic!" - Steven Lenton, author and illustrator of Genie and Teeny A hilarious, huge-hearted hug of a book; perfect for all ages. For fans of Matt Haig, The Christmasaurus, and Elf on the Shelf. With a touching and thought-provoking message to key-workers who tirelessly toil behind-the-scenes to make everyone's lives better.

Welcome to Codâ??s Bottom â?? the sleepy seaside town with a secret! Meet an unusual cast of ghosts in a laugh-out-loud middle-grade story by the bestselling author of The Nothing to See Here Hotel.

A range of simple stories for new readers, with beautiful colour illustrations. Ludo comes from a long line of famous bear stylists. He loves giving his customers sensible haircuts, whether it's a tidy trim or a perfect perm. Until Leonardo arrives in town. Soon Ludo's clients are having their feathers flapped and their curls combed by him instead. But only one bear can be named Bear Stylist Supreme. A charming celebration of creativity and teamwork.

The bestselling hits Dog Diaries: Mission ImPAWsible and Dog Diaries: Curse of the Mystery Mutt are together in one volume for the first time First, you'll read about the RUFF time Junior had when his pet humans went on a trip and left Junior behind in a FUR-RAISING place. Find out how Junior and his pooch-pals did the imPAWsible to get home. Then put on your detective hat and join Junior as he uses his smarts and his sniffer to track down the culprit TERRIER-izing his town It's up to Junior to solve a TAIL-CURLING mystery. Kids will HOWL with laughter reading this BARK-TASTIC 2-in-1 adventure, which includes 15 pages of fun bonus activities

The seventh illustrated children's book in the hilarious Dog Diaries series, featuring characters from James Patterson's bestselling Middle School seriesThe circus has come to town! I've never been to a real live circus before, but I know it will be the best thing EVER!

'A perfect story to tickle the funny bone of any young reader!' MEGAN RIXI have something very IM-PAW-TANT to tell you... I was with my mutt mates in the dog park when we saw something MONSTROUS through the trees... I recognized it straight away. It was a huge DINO-ROAR! Now, I know what you're thinking - dino-roars don't exist anymore, right? WRONG. I spotted one in the flesh, well in the bone... And it smelt tail-waggingly tasty! I followed its sniff-a-licious scent to the BIGGEST building I've ever seen, and the smells coming from inside were the most dusty, moldy, oldy, dirt-lectable whiffs I've ever wrapped my snout around. I don't know what the humongous building is, but what I do know is that I just HAVE to get inside. It will be the greatest challenge my pooch pack have ever faced!

Life as a dog is full of tail-wagging adventures. Join Junior the lovable mischief-making canine in this two-in-one bindup of Dog Diaries and Dog Diaries: Happy Howlidays. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy Junior is so excited to get to tell you all the fun stuff he's been up to: like protecting his home from evil raccoons and those people who bring mail every day. But then he gets in trouble and must go to . . . OBEDIENCE SCHOOL. Then comes the holidays, and Junior discovers the deliciousness of a roast turkey, which he can't help but taste. A "taste" that gets him labeled a Bad Boy. Now he's in the dog house . . . AGAIN. Will Junior ever redeem himself and earn the title of GOOD BOY?

Book yourself in for another getaway of bonkers mayhem at the world's best hotel for magical creatures!

Mildred, the ball, doesn't like being a dog's toy and tries to find a new job, but things don't turn out as she expects. Using the world's largest known database of writing for and by children, our experts have defined 300 ambitious words to help children succeed at school. We've combined these with fully-decodable books that help you match your phonics teaching and practice, while inspiring and engaging your young readers. Specially developed to enhance children's vocabulary alongside their decoding skills, these books are perfect for sharing.

Two action-packed stories about the superheroes-in-training at Hero Academy, who must work together and use their powers to outwit the super-baddies. In Power Swap, the friends find their superpowers have been swapped! In Out of Control, Jin tries to win the gold merit badge but goes a bit too far ⦠This exciting chapter book with carefully-levelled text is ideal for children who are beginning to read independently. Books with short chapters are a great way to build your child's reading stamina and confidence. The stories are packed with dynamic CGI-style illustrations - perfect for fans of comics. Tips for parents help to support your child's developing reading skills and the fun after-reading activities making reading fun while reinforcing comprehension. Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence. Read with Oxford Stage 5 equates to Oxford Levels 8 and 9 used in schools. For more information about the Read with Oxford Stages, as well as practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress, go to readwithoxford.com. Let's get them flying!

Grab your sunglasses and slather on the sunscreen In this laugh-out-loud adventure for kids and animal lovers everywhere, summer is here and Junior is getting his very own doggy vacation. It's me, Junior, back again with another tail-wagging tale of mischief-making I'll tell you all about the fur-raising time I had when my pet humans went on a trip without me, and the horrible place they left me. Here are some of the adventures I had: How I survived on a diet of icky vegetables, with no yummy, drool-inducing meat in sight My super-secret plan to steal delicious hamburgers How my pooch pals and I cooked up a grand scheme to break free and get back home. It's a dangerous mission, but as I always say, you can't keep a good dog down