KAREN MCCOMBIE

When Danis mum gets the chance to study penguins in the Antarctic, she decides the best place for eleven-year-old Dani is a strict girls boarding school where uh-oh! students wear smart uniforms that includes SKIRTS!Having failed to change Mums mind, Dani finds herself having to say goodbye to Granny Viv, her dog Downboy and best friend Arch. But when they arrive at St Grizeldas it seems that theres been some drastic changes; gone are the uniforms and the rules, and in are chaos, anarchy and, er, goats. Surely Mums not going to leave her at the mercy of a crazy head-butting goat, a bunch of eight-year-olds masquerading as mutant goblins and a head teacher wearing a crown of picnic cutlery?But as a homesick Dani waits for Mum to make alternative arrangements, the madness of St Grizzles begins to warm Danis heartWith a definite whiff of St Trinians about it, St Grizzles is a laugh-out-loud middle grade read by best-selling author Karen McCombie, perfect for fans of A Murder Most Unladylike and Scarlet and Ivy.

When Arch turns up at St Grizzles having run away from home, Dani is delighted to introduce her best friend to her new classmates, only to discover that mixing her old life with her new one isnt quite as easy as shed imagined. And Arch isnt the only new pupil - super-smart Boudicca arrives, and in spite of everyones best efforts to make her feel welcome, she barely says a word to anyone and has a habit of vanishing. Its only when she meets Arch that Boudicca perks up and takes to following him around everywhere. Then she disappears. With the help of Granny Viv, its up to Dani and Arch to find Boudicca ... and unravel the truth about this shy tag-along zombie.

Want to know a secret? There is something very, very strange living in the trees behind my house. If you tiptoe slowwwwly and quietly (ssh!) to the bottom of my garden, you might hear it rustling and rootling and peh!ing in the dark undergrowth, on the other side of the low stone wall.And if you peek over the wall - holding your breath - theres a chance you could spot two saucer-round eyes blinking out of a strangely square opening in the tree roots . . .Ruby and Jackson get the surprise of their lives when they discover a Thing living at the bottom of their gardens. But Thing is cute, and funny, even if sometimes when hes upset he gets a bit ARRGHH! And thats when the trouble starts. Like the time he comes to school, and Ruby and Jackson find themselves mixed up in a terrible tangle of noodle-doodles!The second in a hilarious new series by best-selling author Karen McCombie, illustrated throughout with irresistable black and white line art by Alex T. Smith.

Want to know a secret? There is something very, very strange living in the trees behind my house. If you tiptoe slowwwwly and quietly (ssh!) to the bottom of my garden, you might hear it rustling and rootling and peh!ing in the dark undergrowth, on the other side of the low stone wall. And if you peek over the wall - holding your breath - theres a chance youcould spot two saucer-round eyes blinking out of a strangely squareopening in the tree roots . . .Ruby and Jackson get the surprise of their lives when they discover a Thing living at the bottom of their gardens. But Thing is cute, and funny, even if sometimes whenit upset it gets a bit ARRGHH!And thats when the trouble starts. Like the time Ruby and Jackson sneak Thing along with them on a school trip to the museum. In case youre wondering, it goes very, badly wrong . . . !

Ruby and Jackson get the surprise of their lives when they discover a Thing living at the bottom of their gardens. But Thing is cute and funny, even if sometimes, when hes upset, he gets a bit ARRGHH! And thats when the trouble starts. Like the time he goes to a pool party, and Ruby and Jackson find themselves face to face with an enormous inflatable monster...

When local schools are asked to make a film showcasing the surrounding area, Dani and the rest of St Grizzles set to work. But Spencer and his mates at the village school are determined to sabotage the work of the smelly Grizzlers.To Danis surprise, help comes in the form of Granny Viv who has secretly taken up residence in the schools tree house with Downboy the dog. Together they come up with the perfect ghostly video ... but will Granny Viv be able to stay once the competitions over?

Two great books in one featuring magic, mix-ups and muddles!Join Ruby, Jackson and Thing on not one but two great adventures in this brilliant bumper book.See what havoc Thing causes when Ruby and Jackson sneak it along on a trip to the petting zoo in The Great Expanding Guinea Pig.And in a seasonal spectacular, Thing helps Ruby and Jackson defeat some nasty bullies in Beware of the Snowblobs!

When a flood closes the village school, Lulu invites the staff and pupils to come and join them at St Grizzles. Dani and her friends cant believe their bad luck it was awful enough bumping into Spencer and his cronies in the village but now theyve got to share classrooms and lessons with them. Before long pupils are clashing with pupils, there are pranks aplenty and even the teachers arent getting along. Keen to create a happier environment Lulu comes up with the idea of putting on a show, but with tempers fraying its soon looking like a big failure. Determined that the show will go on, Lulu calls on Dani and co, as the oldest children in the school, to set a good example and make friends. But with Spencer up to his usual tricks, can the two rival groups put aside their differences long enough to turn a disaster into a triumph? This warm, funny series based in the maddest of mad boarding schools, is perfect for fans of SCARLET AND IVY and A MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE. "Fizzing with mayhem" Sally Morris, The Daily Mail

Nuevas peripecias (y algún que otro problemilla) para la extravagante y divertida familia Love, con la chispeante e ingeniosa Ally, por supuesto, a la cabeza.Cuando todo parecía estar relativamente tranquilo, de nuevo vuelven a pasar cosas raras en casa de los Love: ¿Por que, de pronto, Rowan se ha vuelto tan normal? ¿Por que anda papa tan preocupado? ¿Sera Linn capaz de aguantar mas de dos dias en su nuevo trabajo? Y, sobre todo, ¿sera la propia Ally capaz de conseguir uno?

En esto de las relaciones personales hay algunas sutilezas que a Ally se le escapan: ¿por qué está su abuela tan nerviosa porque va a traer a un amigo a cenar?, ¿por qué Richie/Ricardo, el ex de su amiga Kyra, tiene de pronto tanto interés en hablar con ella? Y, sobre todo, ¿por qué Sandie, siempre tan buena y tranquila, se pone histérica porque Ally quede con su amigo Billy? Definitivamente, las cosas del amor y la amistad son muy, pero que muy raras. 

Nueva Colección: El Mundo de Ally. Ally tiene trece años y vive en un barrio de Londres, es una chica urbana y actual que va al instituto. Debe compartir las tareas domésticas con sus hermanas, hacer los deberes, salir por ahi con sus amigos y, como no, se preocupa por la moda y por ligar. En resumen, es una chica normal con un modo muy divertido de ver las cosas, algo asi como una Bridget Jones de trece años. En Citas, dobles citas y muchos, muchos lios Ally esta bastante mosqueada. De pronto su padre se acicala y arregla mas de lo habitual. Algo esta pasando y Ally y sus hermanos no pararan hasta enterarse. ¡Claro! Es obvio: su padre sale con alguien. Y ese alguien es una mujer, una mujer que, claro esta , no es su madre. ¿Como sera? ¿Les caera bien? A Ally y sus dos hermanas, Linn y Rowan, no les queda otro remedio que montar un plan de espionaje para descubrir a esa misteriosa mujer que trae de cabeza a su padre.

De nuevo Ally nos cuenta en primera persona sus divertidas aventuras y las de su alocada familia: cómo tomarte que tu mejor amigo salga con alguien, qué hacer si tu hermano pregunta de dónde vienen las crias de raton y, sobre todo, como pasar desapercibida en la clase de danza del vientre.La barriguilla, esa eterna desconocida, es el problema que ahora mismo trae de cabeza (bueno, mas bien de vientre) a Ally: ¿como aceptarla?, ¿como disimularla? y, sobre todo, ¿como eliminarla sin dejar de inflarse a patatas fritas? Pero en su vida hay algunos otros conflictos: como su amigo Billy, que ha empezado a salir con una chica y hace sentirse rara a Ally: ¿son acaso celos?, ¿o es que el, aunque sea un poco, le gusta (¡Puaaaj!)? Y, por si fuera poco, al tranquilo Tor, ahora le ha dado por preguntar como "se hacen" los ratones... En fin: ¡HOMBRES!

Nueva Colección: El mundo de Ally. Ally tiene trece años y vive en un barrio de Londres, es una chica urbana y actual que va al instituto. Debe compartir las tareas domésticas con sus hermanas, hacer los deberes, salir por ahi con sus amigos y, como no, se preocupa por la moda y por ligar. En resumen, es una chica normal con un modo muy divertido de ver las cosas, algo asi como una Bridget Jones de trece años.

Oh, no, Linn ha sufrido un shock, un fuerte golpe en la cabeza, un terrible encontronazo que ha trastocado su vida y la de todos los que la rodean: ¡Un chico! Lo peor es que ya no es la de antes, ahora sonrie, todo le parece bien y, para colmo, no para de reirle las gracias a su chico, un elemento llamado Q (si, Q) que, incomprensiblemente para ella, resulta insoportable a todos los demas miembros de su familia.

Life isnt easy, especially if youre from another planetWith his space-pod destroyed, the Star Boy is adapting to life on Earth with help from his friends Kiki and Wes, but Kikis long list of donts is a constant reminder of how hard it is to pass for a convincing human.But more troubling for the Star Boy is the strange pings and pangs hes experiencing, and the hard-to-hide electrical surges that are worrying his human rescuers. And when the Star Boy accidentally channels his true form on to the whiteboard of every class at Riverside Academy, things reach a whole new level of panic. With frenzied reports of an alien sighting trending on social media, how can Kiki and Wes keep their friend safe?A heart-warming and otherworldly sequel to HOW TO BE A HUMAN, for fans of Tamsin Winter, Cath Howe and Ross Welford.

Who said friends have to match to matter?When the Star Boys space-pod crashes in the grounds of Fairfield Academy he knows he must seek shelter. Taking refuge in the schools boiler room to await rescue he discovers that the rooms small window is the perfect place to watch humans go by.The Star Boy knows about humans from his Earth lessons but no one from his planet has ever studied them up close. Now he has the perfect opportunity. There are two humans in particular that catch his attention a boy called Wes and a girl named Kiki. But as his curiosity grows so does his courage and, making a momentous decision, the Star Boy follows Wes and Kiki into class and into their lives.A warm and otherworldly story about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places, for fans of Tamsin Winter, Cath Howe and Ross Welford.

Neighbours Ruby and Jackson get the surprise of their lives when they discover a Thing living at the bottom of their gardens. And when Thing places a curse on the inhabitants of the new house thats been built over his old home, Ruby and Jackson find themselves up to their eyeballs in jellybabies, magic and BIG trouble.I never expected to be friends with a Thing. Well, you dont, do you? You usually think of friends being either boys or girls, or maybe even cute yappy dogs. Well, Thing certainly doesnt fit into any of those categories. Thing is just a... a... Actually, Im not sure quite how to describe it."A sort of troll crossed with a fairy crossed with a squirrel?" Jackson suggested, after we first discovered Thing."I is not a squirrel," Thing purred grumpily, twitching its squirrelly ears. "And not a fairy or a trolly. Whatever they is." By the way, I never expected to be friends with Jackson Miller either. I guess Ive got a bit of explaining to do, about Jackson and about Thing. (Oh, and about curses and jellybabies too, And the magic. I mustnt forget the magic!)Contains charming black and white line illustrations by Alex T. Smith

Little Bird has landed in America, far from her home in Scotland and far from the danger that stalked her family. But the new world holds new perils, and soon shes on the run again. From the teeming streets of New York to the prairies of the west, Little Bird holds tight to secrets and dreams of freedom. Then, on her journey, she comes face-to-face with an unwelcome ghost from the past...The brilliant sequel to Little Bird Flies, this is an exciting story of settling in the New World while still being haunted by everything youve left behind. Themes of emigration and immigration, race and social status are thought-provokingly explored by the brilliant Karen McCombie. A modern Little House on the Prairie!

Nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie MedalBridie lives on the remote Scottish island of Tornish, the youngest of three sisters. Although she loves her island, with its wild seas and big skies, she guiltily nurses a secret dream of flight - to America and the freedom of the New World. But her family are struggling under the spiteful oppression of the new Laird, and it seems that even some of the Lairds own household are desperate to leave. When the Lairds full cruelty becomes apparent, theres no more time for daydreams as Bridie needs to help the people she loves escape to safety.Cover and chapter head illustrations by Jasu Hu. Map illustration by Hannah Horn.The first in a gripping, dramatic new series from much-loved author, Karen McCombie."This involving, evocative tale, narrated by Bridie with a hint of period language, is a study of rich and poor, offering clearly-drawn characters."- Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times, Childrens Book of the Week"Theres heart in this Scottish adventure. . . This is (Karens) best. It has a vivid setting, emotional punch and characters to really care about." - Alex OConnell, The Times, Childrens Book of the Week"It may all seem a far cry from the "slushy, gushy love songs" of Allys World. And yet here, as there, McCombie displays her gift, which is to create a narrator who sounds thoroughly convincing, and to inhabit the consciousness of a child." Emily Bearn, The Telegraph"Little Bird Flies by Karen McCombie is the evocative and beautifully written tale of Bridie (Little Bird) who dreams of a bigger life than the one shes destined for on her tiny Scottish isle of Tornish. With themes of immigration and prejudice and characters youll root for, this will appeal to fans of Emma Carroll and Marie-Louise Jensen." - Michelle Harrison, author of A Pinch of Magic