Fiona Macdonald

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level Three dragon tales from different cultures. Find out how brave Maren defies the terrifying beast on her wedding day, how a dragon’s granny helps three boys escape his cruel claws, and how Tokoyo’s quest to free her father, sees her defeat the dreadful dragon and free her whole country at the same time. Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction. Text type: Traditional tales from other cultures Curriculum links: English: fairy stories, myths and legends; books from other cultures and traditions This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Divided into four sections, this encyclopedia covers the Aztec and Mayan world, the Inca Empire, the Native Americans and Arctic peoples. A variety of practical projects is included to help bring the past alive.

Step into the world of the Celtic people, with 15 step-by-step projects and over 400 exciting pictures. It offers a journey back to a time more than two thousand years ago, when the warlike Celts dominated northern and central Europe. Marvel at their bravery and nobility in battle, and discover why they were both feared and admired by the Greeks and Romans. It includes 15 easy and fun projects enable you to re-create the past - draw a classic Celtic border, craft an elaborate brooch, make a mighty warrior's shield and helmet, sculpt an elegant pot, forge an intricate wild boar statue, and build a roundhouse fit for a Gaelic chieftain. It features more than 400 photographs and illustrations include diagrams, historical maps and a pictorial timeline. It is ideal for home or school use for ages 8 to 12. Find out fascinating facts about the many different Celtic clans: the reasons for their migration, their mysticism and beliefs, and how they crafted exquisite metalwork. Delve into everyday life to find out what the Celts ate, where they lived, the brave heroes they revered and the deadly weapons with which they armed themselves. A selection of 15 practical projects will make learning stimulating, exciting and fun either at home or in the classroom: reproduce the famous Gundestrup bowl, make a Welsh harp and tuck into traditional Celtic oatcakes!

Myths and legends reveal much about a culture, including its most prized values and significant beliefs. Fables may feature animal characters, but they offer morals for real life. This fascinating book is bursting with 100 facts about the stories that have been handed down by different cultures around the world as well as accompanying images, quizzes, and activities, including crafts. Not only is each bite-sized topic interesting in itself, but readers will find connections to modern life, such as the origin of Valentine's Day. These myths and legends offer unique opportunities for a truly entertaining and educational reading experience.

Get ready: as a 12-year-old girl living in Britain in the 1880s, you are about to start work for a wealthy family. You will be busy all day long as a Victorian servant. This humorous title can be used as a background approach to wider issues in Victorian times, such as class divides, daily life and the position of men and women.

Imagine living in a world without pain.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.You wouldn't get headaches or stomach aches, and it wouldn't hurt when you cut yourself or touched something hot. A pain-free world may sound wonderful, but if pain did not exist, our lives would be very dangerous. We probably wouldn't survive for long. We would certainly be less healthy. And, just perhaps, we'd feel less good about ourselves. Learn about the science behind how our bodies are able to experience pain, the ways pain helps us to stay safe, and the ghastly reality of life before modern painkillers.

Take an incredible voyage on the Beagle with Charles Darwin.

You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Dentists! is part of a brand-new science and history strand within the internationally acclaimed You Wouldn't Want to Be series, created and designed by David Salariya.

In this brand new extended edition, you'll soon find out what it was really like to be in a medieval dungeon! Featuring full-colour illustrations which combine humour and accurate technical detail, this title includes a castle timeline, a guide to spooky castles, and some real-life grisly stories.

Captivating versions of some of the best myths and legends from around the world. TreeTops Myths and Legends are fascinating and action-packed stories that will motivate and inspire readers. These are some of the oldest and most enduring stories in the world, retold by leading contemporary children's authors to bring out all of the action, drama, humour and depth of the original stories in a way that makes them as exciting and meaningful today as ever. The stories are beautifully illustrated in a range of styles to bring each tale to life. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book. This pack contains 6 books, one of each of: Fables from Africa, When a Cat Ruled the World, Hercules the Hero, King Midas and other tales, How the World Began, Rama's Journey.

Captivating versions of some of the best myths and legends from around the world. TreeTops Myths and Legends are fascinating and action-packed stories that will motivate and inspire readers. These are some of the oldest and most enduring stories in the world, retold by leading contemporary children's authors to bring out all of the action, drama, humour and depth of the original stories in a way that makes them as exciting and meaningful today as ever. The stories are beautifully illustrated in a range of styles to bring each tale to life. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book. This pack contains 36 books, six of each of: Fables from Africa, When a Cat Ruled the World, Hercules the Hero, King Midas and other tales, How the World Began, Rama's Journey.

For thousands of years people have wondered how the world began. How the World Began includes creation myths that attempt to explain this. Meet gods, goddesses and giants at the beginning of time as they create the earth in these myths from China, North America, Australia, Britain and the South Pacific. Captivating versions of some of the best myths and legends from around the world. TreeTops Myths and Legends are fascinating and action-packed stories that will motivate and inspire readers. These are some of the oldest and most enduring stories in the world, retold by leading contemporary children's authors to bring out all of the action, drama, humour and depth of the original stories in a way that makes them as exciting and meaningful today as ever. The stories are beautifully illustrated in a range of styles to bring each tale to life. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.

You really wouldn't want to be a slave in ancient Greece! This title in the popular You Wouldn't Want to Be series features full-colour illustrations which combine humour and accurate technical detail.

Discover how woolly clothes are made, from the shearing of the sheep on the farm to the making of the yarn in the factory, to the creation of fabric for clothes and other products. This informative non-fiction text is decodable and has been written by Fiona Macdonald. Yellow/Band 3 books offer varied sentence structure and natural language.Text type: A non-fiction report.Pages 14–15 provide an opportunity for children to recap the story.Curriculum links: Science.This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

When the volcano Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago, the city of Pompeii disappeared under the ash. Four hundred years ago, Pompeii was rediscovered. The ash had preserved Pompeii so well that buildings, mosaics, statues and other artefacts have survived to the present day. So step back in time and discover what life was like in the Roman times. This is a Band 06/Orange book in the Collins Big Cat reading programme which offers varied text and characters, with action sustained over several pages. This is an information book with a timeline of events on pages 22 and 23, from eruption to discovering the lost city in the present day, allowing children to recap and discuss. This book supports discussions around history and what homes were like a long time ago. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader. For more guided reading books in this Collins Big Cat band, try Fire! Fire! (9780007186037) by Maureen Haselhurst.

There have been truly tyrannical warriors throughout history, and this book chronicles the worst of the worst. Readers encounter bloodthirsty military leaders like the vengeful Celtic queen Boudicca, the disturbingly ambitious Julius Caesar, and the egotistical Napoleon. The stories of each warrior are presented alongside a series of fascinating facts, including terrifying bits of trivia. Colorful illustrations add to this book in a way that is sure to keep readers engaged.

Where do peas come from? How do they grow and how do they get from the field to our dinner plates? All these questions and more are answered in this informative and photographic journey of the pea. Yellow/Band 3 books offer varied sentence structure and natural language. Text type: An information book. Children can recount the journey of the pea, from the soil to our dinner plate, in the flow chart on pages 14–15. Curriculum links: Science: Plants and animals. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

Follow a river from its source to the sea and see how it adapts to its surroundings in this highly photographic non-fiction report by Fiona Macdonald. Red B/Band 2B books offer simple but varied text with familiar objects and actions, combined with simple story development and a satisfying conclusion.Children can re-cap the journey of the river on pages 14–15.Text type: A non-fiction reportCurriculum links: Geography: Investigating riversThis book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

It's a full moon...what's that sound? Is it the howl of the werewolf, ready to pounce? There's a tapping at the window...could it be a vampire, coming to take his deadly bite? This book runs down the deadliest creatures of myth and legend, from the towering one-eyed Cyclops to the elusive Yeti of the Himalayas. Readers will learn how the snake-haired Gorgon, Medusa, could turn them to stone with just one ghastly glance, and how the mermaid's sweet song could lure them to a watery grave. These murderous creatures are truly terrifying

Offers an informative account of the vibrant history of Scotland, from its earliest inhabitants up to the beginnings of Stewart rule. This title celebrates the cultural achievements of the Scottish, giving an objective account of the nation's origins and history. It features informative inserts, illustrations, fact boxes and index.