With this book, 8-12 year-olds should never again cry, 'What will I read next? This is an up-to-date guide to the best children's books around - from classics to titles published at the end of 2003.

Why does Mrs Mackle think Susan Solly is the worst child ever? Just what did Susan do that was so terrible? And what did it have to do with snails?

With their parents away, brother and sister Clarrie and Will must live with Uncle Len, a music-hall ventriloquist whose dummy, Frozen Billy, gives Clarrie the creeps. Soon Will is part of the act and Clarrie is scared that Frozen Billy is taking over their family.

I am NOT going to Charm School.... But Bonny s mother needs her to take a one-day class and Charm School is all there is. Can Bonny cope with listening to Mrs Opalene s Handy Hints (like how to bleach your elbows )? And what about the other girls the awful, self-obsessed little princesses who really want to win the Glistering Tiara. After Bonny s day there, Charm School will never be the same again..."

Traditionally, families gather together for Christmas. In Ralph's case, this means ten or more weird adults and ghastly cousins. Jammed into a small house for three days, the TV on the blink and Mum on the verge of a breakdown, it soon becomes obvious that more definitely does not mean merrier.

A lovely, quiet Sunday. Well, that's until Aunt Susan - an unstoppable force - is on the phone insisting that Harry and his family come down to help her with a local event she's promised to organise: the Great Toadpool Show. But Aunt Susan has no idea of the mayhem she's about to unleash.

Cass has always been there for Tom, her twin - racing off to laugh with him in the old, abandoned ice house or planning how to foil Jamieson, the farm's creepy pest-killer. But now Cass is a teenager, she is changing - she wants her privacy and feels suffocated by their life on the farm. Bewildered, Tom struggles to regain their former closeness, but only succeeds in alienating both Cass and Jamieson's daughter Lisa. Until the night of the storm . . .

Ian s best friend, Stolly, is up on cloud nine. He s in the hospital, unconscious, and hooked up to machines. The question Ian is trying to answer is: How did Stolly end up there?
In a way, Stolly s always been on cloud nine, living life by his own rules and making those rules up as he goes along. His parents careers have them constantly rushing around, so Ian s family has all but adopted Stolly. That s why it s up to Ian to figure out what happened to his best friend. But once the pieces start coming together, the answer doesn t seem to make any sense."

Ally's overbearing, acid-tongued mother makes his life difficult. Their Sunday visits to see his aunt in a mental hospital are particulary painful, until Ally finds a hidden garden inhabited by two eco-warriors.

TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book. Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking...