Hachette Childrens
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Welcome to the brutal and elite world of Basgiath War College, where everyone has an agenda, and every night could be your last.
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to live a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general-also known as her tough-as-talons mother-has ordered her to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you''re smaller than everyone else, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don''t bond to "fragile" humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother''s daughter-like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader.
Alliances will be forged. Lives will be lost. Traitors will become allies...or even lovers. But sleep with one eye open, because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die. -
The Ickabog is coming... A mythical monster, a kingdom in peril, an adventure that will test two children''s bravery to the limit. Discover a brilliantly original fairy tale about the power of hope and friendship to triumph against all odds, from one of the world''s best storytellers. The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of gold, a king with the finest moustaches you could possibly imagine, and butchers, bakers and cheesemongers whose exquisite foods made a person dance with delight when they ate them. Everything was perfect - except for the misty Marshlands to the north which, according to legend, were home to the monstrous Ickabog. Anyone sensible knew that the Ickabog was just a myth, to scare children into behaving. But the funny thing about myths is that sometimes they take on a life of their own. Could a myth unseat a beloved king? Could a myth bring a once happy country to its knees? Could a myth thrust two children into an adventure they didn''t ask for and never expected? If you''re feeling brave, step into the pages of this book to find out... A beautiful hardback edition, perfect for sharing and gift-giving. Brought to life with full-colour illustrations by the young winners of The Ickabog competition.
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WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2017 WINNER OF THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD 2017 LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2017 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER 2016 AMAZON.COM #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Whitehead is on a roll: the reviews have been sublime' Guardian 'Luminous, furious, wildly inventive' Observer 'Hands down one of the best, if not the best, book I've read this year' Stylist 'Dazzling' New York Review of Books Praised by Barack Obama and an Oprah Book Club Pick, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead won the National Book Award 2016 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2017. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. All the slaves lead a hellish existence, but Cora has it worse than most; she is an outcast even among her fellow Africans and she is approaching womanhood, where it is clear even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a slave recently arrived from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they take the perilous decision to escape to the North. In Whitehead's razor-sharp imagining of the antebellum South, the Underground Railroad has assumed a physical form: a dilapidated box car pulled along subterranean tracks by a steam locomotive, picking up fugitives wherever it can. Cora and Caesar's first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But its placid surface masks an infernal scheme designed for its unknowing black inhabitants. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher sent to find Cora, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. At each stop on her journey, Cora encounters a different world. As Whitehead brilliantly recreates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America, from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once the story of one woman's ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shatteringly powerful meditation on history.
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From the award-winning creator of The Queen's Hat and The Queen's Handbag comes a third hilarious Christmas tale taking the reader on a whirlwind royal tour of the world! The Queen has raced around London and dashed all over the UK. Now she is setting off around the world in search of the perfect Christmas present - and she's not alone. Father Christmas is here to help! From the North Pole to the Sydney Opera House, via the State of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids and more - will the Queen find a gift that is truly special? And who is it for?! A witty and stylish celebration of the Queen and the world's best known landmarks, created by Steve Antony, winner of the Oscar's First Book Prize, nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Praise for The Queen's Hat : 'This is a wonderful romp of a read that's a great introduction to London, royalty and all that makes Britain great.' - Sun 'This picture book is hard to beat for its sweet simplicity and charming monochromatic drawings.' - The Times