Three hidden gems from the world`s best-loved children`s author, Enid Blyton, all rolled into one stunning bumper gift book. ...

`I adored Magic Misfits. This man is far too talented for my liking, & needs to be stopped!` David Walliams The first in a funny & magical new children`s books series from Emmy award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris. `I read this book with excitement, delight, & the increasing suspicion that it was going to make me disappear.` Lemony Snicket, author of the bestselling series A Series of Unfortunate Events & All the Wrong Questions This book contains a BIG SECRET. Read on if you dare... Do you believe in magic? Carter doesn`t. He knows magic tricks are just that
- tricks. & as a street magician he`s also pretty good at them. But then Carter runs away from his conman uncle & he finds himself alone & in danger from dastardly carnival ringleader, B.B. Bosso. He could really use some magic now... A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Dante Vernon leads Carter to a magic shop, where he teams up with five other like-minded kids & the MAGIC MISFITS are born! Can the gang use their magical talents to save the day & stop B.B. stealing a priceless diamond? And now for the BIG SECRET... Inside this book you will find a treasure trove of tips, codes & stage tricks that will help YOU join the Magic Misfits & make some magic of your own. (BUT DON`T TELL ANYONE.) Perfect for children aged 8 to 12 years old & fans of Lemony Snicket, David Walliams, David Baddiel, My Brother is a Superhero... & magic! Cover illustration by David Litchfield, winner of the Waterstones Children`s Books Prize 2016 for The Bear & the Piano. Neil Patrick Harris is an accomplished actor, producer, director, host, & author. Perhaps best known to audiences for his role as Barney Stinson on the hit comedy series How I Met Your Mother, he is currently starring as Count Olaf in the Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket`s A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Magic Misfits is his first book for children.
...

The first in a funny & magical new middle grade series from Emmy award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris. Do you believe in magic? Carter doesn`t. He knows magic tricks are just that
- tricks. & as a street magician he`s also pretty good at them. But then Carter runs away from his conman uncle & he finds himself alone & in danger from dastardly carnival ring leader, B.B. Bosso. He could really use some magic now... A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Dante Vernon leads Carter to a magic shop, where he teams up with five other like-minded kids & the MAGIC MISFITS are born! Can the gang use their magical talents to save the day & stop B.B. stealing a priceless diamond?
...

` This man is far too talented for my liking, & needs to be stopped!` DAVID WALLIAMS`I read this book with excitement, delight, & the increasing suspicion that it was going to make me disappear.` Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events, on The Magic Misfits The second in the hilarious & magical New York Times bestselling series from Emmy award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris. (VERY EXCITING WARNING: These books contain real magic tricks! As well as codes, ciphers & plenty of secrets hidden throughout...) Carter, Leila, Theo, Ridley, Izzy & Ollie all felt like outsiders, until they found each other & a shared love of magic & became... THE MAGIC MISFITS! Leila didn`t have the easiest start, growing up in an orphanage & getting bullied for being different. But she has a super-cool secret skill... Leila is an escape artist! & it comes in pretty handy when belonging to a group of magical best friends. When a famous psychic comes to town Leila & her pals realise they won`t be able to escape the big mystery coming their way. They soon find themselves chasing mad monkeys & banishing ghosts from haunted hotels... the Magic Misfits will do everything they can to save the town, will their magical skills be enough? Join the Magic Misfits as they discover friendship, adventure & more than a few hidden secrets, in the series that has a magic trick or two up its sleeve. Neil Patrick Harris is an accomplished actor, producer, director, host, & author. Perhaps best known to audiences for his role as Barney Stinson on the hit comedy series How I Met Your Mother, he is currently starring as Count Olaf in the Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket`s A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Magic Misfits series are his first books for children. ...

Hans Castorp is `a perfectly ordinary, if engaging young man` when he goes to visit his cousin in an exclusive sanatorium in the Swiss Alps. What should have been a three week trip turns into a seven year stay. Hans falls in love & becomes intoxicated with the ideas he hears at the clinic
- ideas which will strain & crack apart in a world on the verge of the First World War.
...

The Magic of the Swatchways was Maurice Griffiths` favourite book. In the words of John Leather, `few sailing books become classics like this one`, & since first publication in 1932 it has lost none of that fresh charm which has endeared it to so many generations of sailing. The book tells of cruising in a 6-ton cutter, a lean hulled 7-ton yawl, a converted smack, a sloop-rigged converted ships` lifeboat, a small barge yacht & a centreboard sloop in the heart of Maurice`s beloved East Coast shoal waters, & all infused with the Griffiths` trademark evocative charm. The Magic of the Swatchways will enthrall anyone who is entranced by the peace & solitude of the creeks at night & the moan of the sea on the sands. It provides a fascinating insight into a unique area which may never again be the same. ...

With her magic paintbrush, Shen can paint steaming pots full of fish & oysters to feed the hungry people in her village, but when the evil emperor hears of her gift he commands Shen to paint gold for him instead. She is determined to keep her promise to paint only for the poor, but how can she match the emperor`s mighty power? In The Magic Paintbrush, Julia Donaldson`s brilliant verse combines with beautiful illustrations from Joel Stewart, creator of The Adventures Abney & Teal, to bring vibrant life to a traditional tale of how a little girl`s integrity can withstand the corruption of power & greed. This edition features a stunning redesigned cover, making it a must-have addition to the bookshelves of all Donaldson fans
- big & small!
...

Full colour red Early Reader about the legendary Arthur, Merlin & the sword in the stone, written & illustrated by James Mayhew. Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books, perfect for building confidence in new readers & reluctant readers. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing & reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. Long ago, in the days of knights & castles & magic, there lived a wizard called Merlin. One night, in a churchyard in London, Merlin casts a spell on a sword. He pushes it into a stone & writes magic words, saying: He who pulls this sword out of the stone, is the true King of Engl&. Then Merlin waits for the boy who will be king. Full colour Early Reader edition of the popular myth about the sword in the stone. ...

Angela Carter`s classic The Magic Toyshop is a story of discovery, dramatic growth & sexual awakening. Melanie ventures in the midnight garden wearing her mother`s wedding dress; having closed herself out of the house, she climbs the apple tree in front of her window in the black of the moon, naked, in an attempt to go back to her room. Omens of disaster swiftly follow, transporting Melanie from rural comfort to London, to her uncle`s mysterious Toyshop.A story that uses magic, myth & constant reference to fairy tales to drags you into a dark enchanted London, where everything seems to governed by fear, lust & danger. A London that is smoky, dichensian & truce, populated by her Uncle Phillips` uncannily life-sized puppets & by darkness, which surrounds all things & eats away their colours. Angela Carter`s writing is pyrotechnic, fuelled with ideas, packed with images & spangling the night with her starry language. & The Magic Toyshop established her as one of the most imaginative & original writers of the twentieth century. ...

Settle down by the fire & immerse yourself in this mesmerising new colouring book for adults & children alike. Join celebrations across the world & throughout the years, from skating at the Rockefeller Center to surfing in Sydney & frost fairs on the Thames to Victorian toy shops. Travel with the wise men following a star, spot Santa`s sleigh skimming over the rooftops & discover dazzling gingerbread houses with Lizzie`s intricate inky illustrations. Fans of mindfulness & art therapy will love this beautiful Christmas gift book. ...