`Everyone in Greenall Bridge knew Sam Carraclough’s Lassie. In fact, you might say that she was the best-known dog in the village ... because nearly every man in the village agreed she was the finest collie he had ever laid eyes on.’ Sam’s son Joe and Lassie are a devoted pair but a time comes when they have to be parted. The Carracloughs are not well off and when they fall on hard times Sam is forced to sell his champion dog to the Duke of Rudling, whose great estate borders their Yorkshire village. But Lassie escapes and makes her way home to the Carracloughs. The Duke, not one to be tricked by a dog, claims Lassie back and she is taken many miles away to the Duke’s other home in Scotland. But again Lassie pines for her proper home and escapes. Undaunted by the challenge, she sets off on the long trek back to her Yorkshire home. She faces many dangers and adventures along the way but she also meets some kind people who offer her help and comfort. At the end, when Joe has given up all hope of ever seeing his long-lost companion again, the weary Lassie returns and he finds her waiting for him at the school gates in her accustomed spot, just like old times. Lassie and Joe are joyfully reunited. Against all the odds, Lassie has come home!

Set in Scotland in 1751, Kidnapped remains one of the most exciting stories ever written. Young David Balfour, orphaned then betrayed by his Uncle Ebenezer, his so-called guardian, falls in with Alan Breck, the unscrupulous but heroic champion of the Jacobite cause. Shipwreck, murder and dramatic escape through the Highlands are just a few of the ingredients of this highly charged tale of intrigue, action and adventure. Catriona, the lesser-known sequel, immediately continues David’s story. Back in Edinburgh, he is caught up in the aftermath of the Appin murder; certain of the accused man’s innocence, David’s determination to testify on his behalf is impeded by a series of adventures, not least of which is hid passionate but problematic romance with Catriona, granddaughter of Rob Roy MacGregor. Alan Breck features again, becoming involved in the thrilling attempt to reunite the lovers. One of hi

The Little Prince is a modern fable, and for readers far and wide both the title and the work have exerted a pull far in excess of the book’s brevity. Written and published first by Antoine de St-Exupery in 1943, only a year before his plane disappeared on a reconnaissance flight, it is one of the world’s most widely translated books, enjoyed by adults and children alike. In the meeting of the narrator who has ditched his plane in the Sahara desert, and the little prince, who has dropped there through time and space from his tiny asteroid, comes an intersection of two worlds, the one governed by the laws of nature, and the other determined only by the limits of imagination. The world of the imagination wins hands down, with the concerns of the adult world often shown to be lamentably silly as seen through the eyes of the little prince. While adult readers can find deep meanings in his various encounters, they can also be charmed back to childhood by this wise but innocent infant. This popular translation contains the author’s own delightful illustrations, bringing to visual life the small being at the tale’s heart, and a world of fantasy far removed from any quotidian reality. It is also a sort of love story, in which two frail beings, the downed pilot and the wandering infant-prince who has left behind all he knows, share their short time together isolated from humanity and finding sustenance in each other. This is a book which creates a unique relationship with each reader, whether child or adult.

The Jungle Book introduces Mowgli, the human foundling adopted by a family of wolves. It tells of the enmity between him and the tiger Shere Khan, who killed Mowgli’s parents, and of the friendship between the man-cub and Bagheera, the black panther, and Baloo, the sleepy brown bear, who instructs Mowgli in the Laws of the Jungle.

Far from fading with time, Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale of fantasy has attracted a growing audience in each generation. Rat, Mole, Badger and the preposterous Mr Toad (with his `Poop-poop-poop’ road-hogging new motor-car), have brought delight to many through the years with their odd adventures on and by the river, and at the imposing residence of Toad Hall. Grahame’s book was later dramatised by A. A. Milne, and became a perennial Christmas favourite, as Toad of Toad Hall. It continues to enchant and, above all perhaps, inspire great affection.

With an Introduction and Notes by Michael Irwin, Professor of English Literature, University of Kent at Canterbury. Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen and the White Rabbit all make their appearances, and are now familiar figures in writing, conversation and idiom. So too are Carroll’s delightful verses such as The Walrus and the Carpenter and the inspired jargon of that masterly Wordsworthian parody, The Jabberwocky.

Mary Lennox was horrid. Selfish and spoilt, she was sent to stay with her hunchback uncle in Yorkshire. She hated it. But when she finds the way into a secret garden and begins to tend to it, a change comes over her and her life. She meets and befriends a local boy, the talented Dickon, and comes across her sickly cousin Colin who had been kept hidden from her. Between them, the three children work astonishing magic in themselves and those around them. The Secret Garden is one of the best-loved stories of all time.

The magical Peter Pan comes to the night nursery of the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michael. He teaches them to fly, then takes them through the sky to Never-Never Land, where they find Red Indians, Wolves, Mermaids and... Pirates. The leader of the pirates is the sinister Captain Hook. His hand was bitten off by a crocodile, who, as Captain Hook explains ’liked me arm so much that he has followed me ever since, licking his lips for the rest of me’. After lots of adventures, the story reaches its exciting climax as Peter, Wendy and the children do battle with Captain Hook and his band.

Dress the fashion models in an assortment of amazing outfits from the 1970s with the 200+ stickers provided. During the ’70s, hair grew bigger and platform heels got higher, inspiring fashion designers worldwide. Informative notes, photographs and sketches explain each ’look’ and add historical context.

This much-loved tale is one of Kipling’s Just So stories featured in the Usborne Reading Programme, with many more planned. First Reading Level 1 is for children who are just beginning to read independently. The Usborne Reading Programme contains more than 350 books across seven levels, and is aimed at children who are learning to read.

Children can enjoy dressing the fashion models in rich medieval clothes with the stickers included, and discovering the different types of medieval fashion worn by men and women and how they originated. This is an enlightening and entertaining sticker book which fashion enthusiasts and budding historians can mull over for hours. With over 100 stickers, informative notes, photographs and sketches explaining the background to each fashion. Historically accurate and checked by experts.

Four cute teddy bear friends have joined the property market, found a new house and are ready to move in. Help Becky Bear and her friends paint the new house and unpack all their belongings in time for a cheerful housewarming party. Children will have great fun using the stickers to complete the scenes. A great way to show children that moving house can be fun (and ideal way to keep them entertained during the process!)