The renowned children's writer Michael Morpurgo has written this vivid account of a child's stay at a farm, told in the form of letters home and illustrated with photographs of animals and children on location at the farm. Humorous and engaging, it conveys the fun and excitement of working closely with animals.

- Turquoise/ Band 7 books offer literay language and extended descriptions, with longer sentences and a wide range of unfamiliar terms.

- Text type - A recount of a visit.

- There is a timetable of the week's events on page 22 and an index on page 23 to help...

In The Marble Crusher, Albert is new at school and believes everything the bully Sid tells him about the principalMr. Mannersand his terrifying marble-crushing machine. Albert feels desperate when his marbles are confiscated, but Mr. Manners finds a way to turn the joke on Sid. In Colly s Barn, Annie must find a way to stop the farm's old barn from being torn down. Nothing, it seems, can save ituntil Colly the swallow and Screecher the owl help Annie save their home. In Conker, it s the time of year when conkersthe hard fruit of the chestnut treeripen. That means it s also time for conker...

A beautiful retelling by former children's laureate Michael Morpurgo, of this tradition tale of kindness, friendship and a real happily ever after. Find out what lies in store for Belle when she leaves her family behind to live with the Beast in his palace. Topaz/Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate. Text type: A traditional tale Curriculum links: English: fairy stories, myths and legends