Common Or Garden

We often imagine that rarity is special - we seek out the most uncommon wild plants to tick off our lists, while overlooking the extraordinary appeal of the species we encounter day-to-day. Yet it's these plants -the most successful, able to adapt and thrive - which are truly fascinating. Botanist, writer and expert gardener Ken Thompson has set out to chart Britain's fifty most abundant wild plants and reveal the secrets of their success. He explores the roots of their common names, from the dog rose to Yorkshire fog, and explains the key traits that have led them to flourish across Britain. And, along the way, he shares his tricks for making your garden a haven for green life. Stunningly illustrated by Sarah Abbott, Common or Garden is a celebration of the everyday wonder of the plants that you can see, as Thompson enthuses, 'before you even have lunch'

It’s a true story! What would you do if you found a cow in your front garden? Find out how people coped when the cows came to town! Woodford-born artist Karen Humpage recalls the days when cows wandered around the suburban streets adjoining Epping Forest. See how their antics caused no end of consternation for homeowners and shopkeepers, frustration for motorists, wonderment and fun for children, and something to bark at for dogs. With the help of local peoples’ recollections, Karen’s gently humorous writing paints pictures of cow/human interactions, upsets to the suburban idyll and the occasional far-fetched flight of fancy. All accompanied by Karen’s gloriously colourful paintings complementing the text. Not just a book for the people of Epping Forest, this book will resonate with anyone who lives near to an area of common land where cattle are grazed.

Do you have what it takes to be a hero? Whether that’s running into a burning building, standing up for what you know is right, or saving the Princess it’s going to take everything you’ve got and more besides. In this genre-spanning collection of original stories, five women draw on resources they didn’t know they had: Cracking the Code - can Gemma Jones track down a missing woman? Never Going to be a Hero - Veronica, just wants a quiet life on Mephisto station, but Jade Dragon justice comes calling. All in - Rosa Velázquez, famous for rescuing a family, tries to rebuild her life, and Jude Webb is a complication she doesn’t need. Cancelled by the Cartel - Daisy Day has a chance to revenge her dead boyfriend, will she take it? The Second Son Squad - Abby Fisher, finds herself in the body of a teenage girl impersonating a boy in military school. How did she get there, and why? Join them, if you dare.

'The devil gave the woman a nudge: "Look at that belt full of money peeping out from under the butcher's shirt!"' Written for a local German journal and published in 1811, these fabulous, funny, jewel-like miniature tales describe con men, tricksters, disasters, murders, rascals and lovers, and include Franz Kafka's favourite story. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Johann Peter Hebel (1760-1826). Hebel's The Treasure Chest is available in Penguin Classics.

Offers entries for over six thousand idioms, including seven hundred new to this edition, and provides background information, additional cross-references, and national variants.

Learning English idioms can be difficult for ESL speakers. This book will help simplify some of the common words and expressions native English speakers use. Use it as a reference, or read it as a learning exercise, and you will improve your English in no time at all!

Collected together for the first time, read the first three books that inspired the How to Train Your Dragon films: How to Train Your Dragon/ How to Be a Pirate/ How to Speak Dragonese Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is a smallish Viking with a longish name. Hiccup's father is chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribe which means Hiccup is the Heir to the Hairy Hooligan throne - but Hiccup feels like a very ordinary boy. Can he be a Hero? This book bundle contains the first three hilarious stories in Hiccup's adventures with his dragon, Toothless. Will Hiccup lead ten novices in their initiation into the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. Can he steal back his book of Dragonese from the Romans? Can he navigate the Fortress of Sinister, and defeat the Monstrous Strangulator? Most importantly, can Hiccup really save the Isle of Berk with a dragon who looks like an ickle brown bunny with wings? There's only one way to find out...