Fiona Macdonald

Young Jim Hawkins's quiet life at the Admiral Benbow Inn is shattered when a mysterious old sea-captain arrives with a locked chest and a deadly secret. Soon Jim is swept into a dangerous adventure involving a stolen treasure map, a perilous sea voyage and a crew of ruthless pirates led by the unforgettable Long John Silver. This vivid graphic novel adaptation brings Stevenson's classic tale of courage, loyalty and betrayal to life through dramatic full-colour artwork and clear, faithful storytelling. Part of the Classic Comics series, it combines fast-paced visual narrative with a helpful running glossary at the foot of each page, supporting readers with challenging vocabulary and nautical terms while keeping them fully immersed in the story. Perfect for schools, libraries and adventure-loving readers, this edition makes a timeless tale accessible, exciting and visually irresistible.

Where do Christmas traditions really come from and why do we do them? Christmas: A Very Peculiar History takes a witty, sideways look at the season's myths, mysteries and merriment, uncovering the stories behind everything from midwinter rituals and the Twelve Days of Christmas to decorations, gift-giving and the meaning of Boxing Day. Blending lively storytelling with quirky snippets and seasonal sidebars, readers will discover how pagan evergreens became Christmas decorations, why 'Xmas' isn't a modern invention, and how different countries celebrate the darkest days of the year. With festive features throughout, from a simple Yule Log-style recipe and a glossary for curious minds, it's the perfect dip-in companion for anyone who likes their Christmas with a twist.

Scotland's history is anything but ordinary, and this lively guide proves it. Scotland: A Very Peculiar History brings the nation's story together in one engaging volume, tracing events from early settlers and ancient monuments to kings, queens, inventors, rebels and revolutionaries. Packed with strange-but-true tales, grisly moments, surprising achievements and sharp humour, it explores how Scotland was shaped by invasion, invention, religion, empire and resistance. Readers will encounter doomed monarchs, fierce clan chiefs, religious radicals, world-changing thinkers and unlikely heroes, while discovering how Scottish identity evolved through centuries of conflict, union and dramatic change. Accessible, fast-paced and richly illustrated, this is narrative history with personality, filled with timelines, fact boxes, maps and comic-style artwork. Perfect for curious readers who want to know not just what happened but why it mattered, this book is an entertaining, informative introduction to Scotland's past for families, classrooms and anyone who enjoys history with a twist.

Take an incredible voyage on the Beagle with Charles Darwin - an expedition that will shape scientific discovery forever!Step aboard the Beagle with Charles Darwin and witness his voyage of discovery from meeting Captain Fitzroy to his modest return nearly five years later.

Roman Colosseum explores the architectural achievements and hidden secrets held within the walls of this ancient arena. Step inside the enormous, boldly designed Roman Colosseum and uncover the secret lives of the people who lived, worked and built this ancient monument.

A beautiful, informative visual guide to the medieval period, featuring spectacular cutaway illustrations.

The Classic Comics series is the authoritative graphic guide to the greatest masterpieces in literary history.This title chronicles Shakespeare's tragic tale of two doomed star-crossed lovers, an ancient family feud and its terrible consequences. Follow Romeo and Juliet as they meet, fall in love and ultimately fall apart in Verona, and see how their revolutionary love shakes the foundations of Verona itself.Specially commissioned full-colour artwork brings excitement and atmosphere to this classic tale. Speech bubbles work with the main text to emphasise and enhance the retelling. A running glossary at the foot of each page helps young readers with any challenging vocabulary without disrupting their reading experience.

The Classic Comics series is the authoritative graphic guide to the greatest masterpieces in literary history.Who is the mysterious Mr Hyde, who stalks the streets of Victorian London at night committing indescribable crimes? And why does he have such a hold over the famous and respectable Dr Henry Jekyll? As the mystery unfolds, a shocking truth emerges... This engaging story is presented as an exciting and fast-paced graphic novel which remains faithful to Robert Louis Stevenson's original text.Specially commissioned full-colour artwork brings excitement and atmosphere to this classic tale. Speech bubbles work with the main text to emphasise and enhance the retelling. A running glossary at the foot of each page helps young readers with any challenging vocabulary without disrupting their reading experience.

Step into the world of the Ancient Egyptians Make your own beaded collar, challenge a friend to the ancient game of senet, make papyrus paper, learn to write in hieroglyphs, measure time with a water clock, and paint a life-size pharaoh. Fascinating facts and thirteen easy-to-do activities involve young readers in exploring this ancient civilization and its people.

Viking Town is an invaluable guide to one of the most important periods in history.Step inside a Viking town and discover for yourself what it was like to live and work in this bustling centre of long-distance trade. Admire the well-built houses before joining the town's defenders as they fight off an attack by rivals from across the sea. This is a superbly-illustrated look at the daily lives of different types of Vikings.With superb cutaway illustrations, we explore the astounding architectural achievements and day-to-day activities of the Vikings, looking at how they ate, dressed, entertained themselves and sometimes fought. Informative captions, maps, a complete glossary and an index makes this title an ideal educational aid for children aged 9 and up studying this period.

This book foregrounds the provision of education for young people who have been remanded or sentenced into custody. Both international conventions and national legislation and guidelines in many countries point to the right of children and young people to access education while they are incarcerated. Moreover, education is often seen as an important protective and ‘rehabilitative’ factor. However, the conditions associated with incarceration generate particular challenges for enabling participation in education. Bridging the fields of education and youth justice, this book offers a social justice analysis through the lens of ‘participatory parity’, the book brings together rare interviews with staff and young people in youth justice settings in Australia, secondary data from these sites, a suite of pertinent and frank reports, and international scholarship. Drawing on this rich set of material, the book demonstrates not only the challenges but also the possibilities for education as a conduit for social justice in custodial youth justice. The book will be of immediate relevance to governments and youth justice staff for meaningfully meeting their obligation of enabling children and young people in custody to benefit from education; and of interest to scholars and researchers in education, youth work and criminology.

Divorced, beheaded, and died. Divorced, beheaded, survived! Uncover the secret lives of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives and what life was like as a Tudor queen.Henry VIII has asked for your hand in marriage, but marrying the King was no easy option. Henry VIII was a powerful, ruthless leader, with a track history of beheadings, adultery and scandal. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Tudor court, this book explores Henry and his many wives - what went right, what went wrong, and what ultimately became of them all. With information on the church's break with Rome and the roles of key figures, such as Wolsey and Cranmer, this treacherous guide is the perfect curriculum companion to the Tudor period.The ever-popular You Wouldn't Want to Be series transports readers to the grisliest times and places in history, perfect for reluctant readers. The first-person narrative approach puts children in the shoes of some of the most unfortunate people ever to have lived.

This book foregrounds the provision of education for young people who have been remanded or sentenced into custody. Both international conventions and national legislation and guidelines in many countries point to the right of children and young people to access education while they are incarcerated. Moreover, education is often seen as an important protective and ‘rehabilitative’ factor. However, the conditions associated with incarceration generate particular challenges for enabling participation in education. Bridging the fields of education and youth justice, this book offers a social justice analysis through the lens of ‘participatory parity’, the book brings together rare interviews with staff and young people in youth justice settings in Australia, secondary data from these sites, a suite of pertinent and frank reports, and international scholarship. Drawing on this rich set of material, the book demonstrates not only the challenges but also the possibilities for education as a conduit for social justice in custodial youth justice. The book will be of immediate relevance to governments and youth justice staff for meaningfully meeting their obligation of enabling children and young people in custody to benefit from education; and of interest to scholars and researchers in education, youth work and criminology.

This book investigates how paid care work and employment are being transformed by policies of social care individualisation in the context of new gig economies of care. Drawing on a case study of the creation of a new individualised care market under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme the book provides important insights into possible futures for social care employment where care is treated as an individual consumer service. Bringing together sociological, political science and socio-legal approaches the book demonstrates how, in individualised care markets and with ineffective labour laws, risks of business and employment are devolved to frontline care workers. The book argues for an urgent re-evaluation of current policy approaches to care and for new regulatory approaches to protect workers in diverse forms of employment.