Recommendations based on "Persian Penalty"

Imagine making friends with a polar bear… The Last Bear is perfect for readers of 8+, beautifully illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold – winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and illustrator of Harry Potter 20th anniversary edition covers.WINNER OF THE 2022 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDWINNER OF THE 2022 WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2022“This is an important first novel, important for us, for polar bears, for the planet. It is deeply moving, beautifully told, quite unforgettable.” Michael Morpurgo.There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life…This moving story will win the hearts of children the world over and show them that no one is too young or insignificant to make a difference. The Last Bear is a celebration of the love between a child and an animal, a battle cry for our world and an irresistible adventure with a heart as big as a bear’s.‘A dazzling debut . . . A magical, confidently told story – with beautiful illustrations by Levi Pinfold . . . I predict a roaring success’ The Times

The beautifully illustrated new adventure from cherished friends and Sunday Times bestsellers BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON'James has a way to speak to your soul. This book is nothing short of comforting and heartwarming' VEX KING'While the drawings have the charm of Winnie-the-Pooh, the captions have the depth of ancient proverbs' GUARDIAN'A beautifully illustrated book which draws on tender moments. Exquisite' DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE__________'We shall go on a journey, across the river . . .'Join Big Panda and Tiny Dragon as they set off on an extraordinary adventure in this companion to the global bestselling phenomenon Big Panda and Tiny Dragon.Although content in their temple high up in the mountains, Tiny Dragon realises that something feels incomplete. So it is that they decide to make a journey together, to new and distant lands.As they encounter dangers and challenges, they learn that everything they need is already inside them and that change, though sometimes scary, is possible and, with patience, can lead to better things.Inspired by Buddhist philosophy and spirituality, the story of these whimsical characters makes the perfect gift for anyone looking for a little hope and comfort.__________'If we have to be lost,' said Big Panda, 'I am glad it is with you . . .'

"A novel full of miracles.”  — Newsweek “Breathtaking. . . unforgettable. . . . This profound, funny, bighearted novel, in which people actually find love and kinship in surprising places, is also heavenly. . . . A rare feat and a triumph.” — Cosmopolitan In Pigs in Heaven, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver, recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguish Contribution to American Letters, picks up where her modern classic The Bean Trees left off and continues the tale of Turtle and Taylor Greer, a Native American girl and her adoptive mother who have settled in Tucson, Arizona, as they both try to overcome their difficult pasts. When six-year-old Turtle Greer witnesses a freak accident at the Hoover Dam, her insistence on what she has seen and her mother's belief in her lead to a man's dramatic rescue. But Turtle's moment of celebrity draws her into a conflict of historic proportions. The crisis quickly envelops not only Turtle and her mother, Taylor, but everyone else who touches their lives in a complex web connecting their future with their past. Pigs in Heaven travels the roads from rural Kentucky and the urban Southwest to Heaven, Oklahoma, and the Cherokee Nation as it draws the reader into a world of heartbreak and redeeming love, testing the boundaries of family and the many separate truths about the ties that bind.

A gorgeously written standalone from the acclaimed author of The Last Bear, Hannah Gold’s second novel is a touching story about adventure, recovery, and love—perfect for fans of Pax and A Wolf Called Wander.When Rio is sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, he feels completely alone. Then he makes a new friend on the foggy beach—a girl named Marina, who teaches him about the massive grey whales that migrate nearby.As Rio grows to love the whales, he discovers that his mother loved them, too. He’s suddenly sure that if he can somehow find a way to connect her with these gentle giants – and especially with a particular whale named White Beak – she will get better and come to join him in California. But White Beak is missing—and Rio must embark on a desperate journey across the dangerous ocean to find her.An excellent choice for readers in grades 3 to 7, this fierce celebration of friendship includes information about the struggles facing real gray whales from climate change, pollution, and over-fishing.

A New York Times bestseller! “Don’t miss this dazzling tour de force.”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal winning author of The One and Only IvanThis gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf’s incredible journey to find a safe place to call home. Illustrated throughout, this irresistible tale by award-winning author Rosanne Parry is for fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan.Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home.Inspired by the extraordinary true story of a wolf named OR-7 (or Journey), this irresistible tale of survival invites readers to experience and imagine what it would be like to be one of the most misunderstood animals on earth. This gripping and appealing novel about family, courage, loyalty, and the natural world is for fans of Fred Gipson’s Old Yeller and Katherine Applegate’s Endling.Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout and a map as well as information about the real wolf who inspired the novel.Plus don't miss Rosanne Parry's stand-alone companion novel, A Whale of the Wild.

Soon to be a major motion picture!Winner of the Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestsellerThis unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself. Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, art, and hope.The One and Only Ivan features first-person narrative; author's use of literary devices (personification, imagery); and story elements (plot, character development, perspective).Plus don't miss Katherine Applegate's Endling series!

'Can all animals talk?' Jack asked.'Well, of course they can,' said Boadicea the Shetland Pony. 'We're not idiots, you know.'----------Jack is a very small and bendy boy. So small and bendy, that he can hide inside his own school bag! Other than bending and hiding, his favourite thing to do is to go to Old Mr Mudge's junkyard and ride the horses, Lightning and Boadicea. It's definitely better than going home to his drippy Aunt Violet, smelly Uncle Ted and evil cousin Kelly.But when he (accidentally) runs away, he finds himself on an adventure to free his mum from prison- with the help of a lot of talking animals! Filled with excitement, fun and far too much horse poo, this is the hilarious new story from national treasure Ade Edmondson, author of Tilly and the Time Machine.

Don't miss this humorous and heartwarming picture book by debut creator Breanna Carzoo about an unlikely everyday hero: a fire hydrant! Perfect for fans of The Good Egg and The Bad Seed. Meet Lou. Lou has an important job . . . as the neighborhood toilet for dogs on their walks. Useful as he may be, he gets the feeling that deep down inside, there might be more to him than that. He just doesn't seem to know exactly what yet. When disaster strikes, will Lou find out what he's made of and save the day From debut creator Breanna Carzoo comes a charming and funny story that reminds us to never let anyone--including yourself--hold you back from sharing your gifts with the world. Kids will fall in love with Lou and his journey of self-discovery as he saves the day from a fire that breaks out in an apartment building nearby. You'll never be able to look at a fire hydrant the same way again! A BARNES & NOBLE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS SHORTLIST PICK! A KIRKUS BEST PICTURE BOOK OF 2022! A 2024 COLORADO CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD NOMINEE! A 2023 GRAND CANYON READER AWARD NOMINEE! THE NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023! A MISSOURI BUILDING BLOCK PICTURE BOOK AWARD NOMINEE! CHOSEN FOR THE 2022 SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS ORIGINAL ART SHOW! A 2024 DONNA NORVELL OKLAHOMA BOOK AWARD NOMINEE! A BLUE CRAB YOUNG READER AWARD HONOR BOOK! A 2024-2025 LOUISIANA YOUNG READERS AWARD NOMINEE! AN OKLAHOMA REDBUD READ-ALOUD AWARD NOMINEE! A 2023 MICHIGAN LIBRARIAN ASSOCIATION TOP ELEVEN MITTEN AWARD FINALIST!

Ballet Shoes is the much loved classic by Noel Streatfield 'I wonder . . . if other girls had to be one of us, which of us they'd choose to be?' Pauline longs to be an actress. Petrova is happiest playing with cars and engines. And if she could . . . Posy would dance all day! But when their benefactor Great-Uncle Matthew disappears, the Fossil girls share a future of a dazzling life on stage, where their dreams and fears will soon come true . . . Noel Streatfeild once said that Ballet Shoes was 'really a fairy story with its feet half-way on the ground' - a magical description for a magical book. Noel was born in Sussex in 1895 and was one of three sisters. Although she was considered the plain one she ended up leading the most glamorous and exciting life! After working in munitions factories and canteens for the armed forces when WWI broke out, Noel followed her dream of being on stage and went to RADA where she became a professional actress. She began writing children's books in 1931 and Ballet Shoes was published in 1936. She quickly became one of the most popular authors of her day. When she visited Puffin exhibitions, there were queues right out of the building and all the way down The Mall. She was one of the first winners of the Carnegie Medal and was awarded an OBE in 1983. Noel Streatfeild lived in London. She died in 1986. Also by Noel Streatfield: Ballet Shoes; Tennis Shoes; The Circus is Coming; The House in Cornwall; The Children of Primrose Lane; CUrtain Up; Party Frock; The Painted Garden; White Boots; The Fearless Treasure; The Bell Family; Wintle's Wonders; New Town; Apple Bough; A Vicarage Family; The First Book of the Ballet; The Children on the Top Floor; Away from the Vicarage; The Growing Summer; Caldicott Place; Thursday's Child; Beyond the Vicarage; Ballet Shoes for Anna; When the Siren Wailed; Far To Go

Girl by day. Cat by night. Ready for adventure. In the fourth book of this chapter book series, Kitty, a little girl with catlike superpowers, teams up with another superhero to save a bakery from certain disaster. Kitty and the Treetop Chase is perfect for newly independent readers and for fans of Rebecca Elliott’s Owl Diaries. When a new family moves into town, Kitty is excited to make another friend. But George, Kitty’s new neighbor, is quiet and seems to have nothing in common with Kitty. When night approaches, Katsumi, a member of Kitty’s cat crew, tells Kitty about a dog causing a commotion in the bakery. Kitty decides to use her catlike superpowers to investigate, and it turns out that George has his own superpowers, too! Together, they set off to track down the mischievous dog before he can cause even more damage. Kitty and the Treetop Chase is the fourth book in a series about Kitty and her superhero adventures. With a charming main character, loads of cats, and striking two-color art on every page, Kitty is the perfect pick for newly independent readers. Includes fun facts about cats!