Europe

Materials from Europe

Gangsta Rap

School, what school? My name is X-Ray-X So be careful how you flex I used to freestyle in me bedroom But me daddy got me vex The teacher kicked me out of the classroom Now I’m rapping in The Rex.

Ray has trouble at home and trouble at school. It’s the last straw for everyone when Ray and his friends Prem and Tyrone are permanently suspended. But they know what they want, more than most, perhaps. Their headmaster decides to give them a second chance, a chance to live their dream of forming a rap group. Through a specialized social program, the boys are taught the business of the music industry, what it takes to record an album, and how to lay down a track. Within weeks they have become the Positive Negatives, and within a few months they have signed a record deal and are on their way to the top. But their dream soon becomes a nightmare as violence escalates around them. Suddenly, not only their careers but their very lives are at stake. The Positive Negatives are determined to prove that you don’t need to be a gangster to be a great rapper.

Teen’s Top 10 (Awards)

Granny Was a Buffer Girl

Eighteen-year-old Jess is leaving for college–and she’d like to leave her family behind. But when the family gathers to bid Jess farewell, they begin to tell stories. And each story binds them closer to Jess’s heart. A novel which celebrates the continuity of life and the importance of family, sure to appeal to a wide audience.

You’ve Got Blackmail

Lozzie Cracknell is a girl on the edge. Her parents have recently separated; she forgot to mail the invitations to her mum’s super-important client party; the school bully is out to get her following an unfortunate e-mail incident involving Photoshop and a picture of a horse’s behind; and now it looks like Mum might be dating her English teacher, the utterly loathsome Mr. Hilary Barnett. Just when she’s got about as much stress as she can handle, Lozzie and her best mate Dex stumble upon a tantalizing mystery—it seems Mr. Barnett is being blackmailed. But who on earth would blackmail a bore like him, and why? As they delve deeper into the mystery, questions pile on top of questions, and the one thing that does become clear is that danger can lurk in totally unexpected places . . . Packed with irresistibly quirky characters, startling twists, and laugh-out-loud humor, this breathlessly paced comic mystery is all but impossible to put down.

Olly And Me 123

A renowned picture book creator makes learning numbers a breeze by weaving them into the familiar scenes of a young child’s world. One is me, Katie. Here I am, all by myself. But I’m not by myself for long. Katie and her baby brother, Olly, make two, which is a good thing when they want to play hide-and-seek. Like every young child, Katie has plenty of things to count, like a friend’s four kittens, six guests at a tea party, or ten people on a crowded bus. Shirley Hughes’s sure, simple language and beguiling, realistic illustrations add up to a gentle story that easily builds preschoolers’ familiarity with numbers.

Bob’s Best-Ever Friend

Bob is feeling glum. His friends Billy and Sam are off visiting a pet show on Pluto, there are no space tourists to entertain, and Bob is bored. What he needs is a best-ever friend, to help him with intergalactic missions and jigsaw puzzles — but, being Bob, he doesn’t seem to notice the potential furry friend who is begging for his attention! This edition also includes the greatest glow-in-the-dark poster in the galaxy.

Three Little Kittens and Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes

This wide-ranging collection of favorite nursery rhymes is selected and illustrated by the award-winning artist Tony Ross.  Every child needs a good nursery rhyme book, and parents will be thrilled with the comical art in this one. Ross’s inimitable illustrations portray these classic rhymes with a contemporary edge and more than a touch of gleeful wit. Perfect for reading together, this humorous book is one to be treasured for many years to come.

Sure Fire

For fifteen-year-old twins Rich and Jade, their lives have just been turned upside down. When their mother is tragically killed in a car crash, their long- lost father John Chance appears to collect them at the funeral. He’s a bachelor who lives on his own, and it’s clear that Rich and Jade aren’t welcome. But when Chance suddenly disappears, Rich and Jade uncover the truth: He’s a spy. And now, whoever kidnapped their father is after them, too.

Dangerous, fast-paced, and packed with action, Sure Fire is a gripping adventure from the master of the modern thriller.

Thank You, World

Eight very different kids, from eight different continents, all go about their day and experience the same moments of happiness: greeting the sun in the morning, swinging on a swing, flying a kite, being tucked in by Mommy at bedtime.

Fish Who Cried Wolf

The little fish Tiddler comes late to school every day, but always with an elaborate excuse that entrances his classmates — and annoys his teacher! One day, as he’s thinking up his next story, a net sweeps him up and hauls him far away. How will Tiddler find his way home? All he has to do is follow the trail of his biggest, fishiest story yet! For every parent or teacher who knows the boundless creativity of a perpetually late child, this book shows how to channel that energy into stories to be shared with friends and family. With a bouncy, bubbling rhyme . . . . . . and vibrant undersea illustrations, THE FISH WHO CRIED WOLF is sure to become the next read-aloud favorite from the bestselling author-illustrator team behind THE GRUFFALO and ROOM ON THE BROOM.