A Boy And A Ball

The cloudless sky suddenly roared like thunder. Shadows, swift and frightening, descended. The boys brother grabbed him by the arm. Run, quickly, But my ball. Leave it. From the Prime Ministers Literary Award-shortlisted creators of Feathers, comes this compassionate tale of a familys search for a safe place to call home.

Get ready for more round-the-world adventure with Samantha Spinner and her brother, Nipper, in the third book in this hilarious, puzzle-packed series filled with super-secret messages! Perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and classics like Holes. At last! Samantha Spinner tracked down her uncle! Now it's her big chance to learn everything. And now that he's safe and sound, it's time to get some answers. There are so many questions to ask--it's almost impossible to know where to start. Where did the RAIN come from? And what about the SUN? Who made the umbrella and all the incredible ways to travel? What did Uncle Paul mean when he told her to watch out for the... Wait a minute. Nipper's missing. Where did he go? What's that strange trail of yarn? Can't a girl take her eyes off her super-annoying little brother for ten minutes? (If you've been paying attention, then you know that the answer to that last question is "No! Of course not!") Praise for the Samantha Spinner series: "A winning mix of fast-paced action, fascinating facts, bathroom humor, and hidden puzzles . . . [that is] sure to please action-loving middle-grade readers." --Kirkus Reviews "Wild, wacky, and occasionally gross." --The Bulletin

"An adventure story about a boy and his dog running through the neighborhood and playing catch"--

For anyone who can't see a ball without wanting to kick it, head it, shoot it, or boot it! 'Not eating an ice-cream Or riding a bike No - kicking a ball Is what I like.' 'What I like best, yes, most of all in my whole life is . . . kicking a ball. A wonderful rhyming story, with narration by Allan Ahlberg himself, Kicking A Ball will not disappoint. First written as a poem, the little boy in the story has been brought to life perfectly by artist Sebastien Braun. Every parent will be able to immediately relate to the simple joy felt by a boy simply kicking a ball, and how there is nothing else quite like it. The incomparable Allan Ahlberg takes us on a journey from childhood to fatherhood full of humour, warmth, friendship . . . and football.

Separated from his family when they were forced to flee their home, a young East African boy named Deo lives alone in the Lukole refugee camp in Tanzania. With scarce resources, bullies have formed gangs to steal what they can, and one leader named Remy has begun targeting Deo. But when a coach organizes the children to play soccer, everything begins to change for Deo. And for Remy. By sharing the joy of play, ñno one feels so alone anymore.î Readers everywhere will be inspired to read how play can change lives.

Owen loves playing ball. But it doesn't always "love" him back. And after a particularly disastrous day on the field, Owen is benched. He is feeling so low that he doesn't even notice the ball rolling through a hole in the fence until it's gotten away. In his effort to get it back, he discovers that he has more skills than he realizes.

Kvetchy Boy's habit of complaining about every little thing that happens to him drives away all his friends.