Michael Morpurgo

Tomas hates school, hates books and hates stories. Forced to visit the library, he stops to listen to magical tales that the Unicorn Lady spins. These tales draw him in and are about to change the course of his life for ever...

Set against the backdrop of war-torn Europe, I Believe in Unicorns explores the power of stories to transform lives.

When a young boy goes from the city to stay on the farm, he discovers a world he never knew existed - a world of vegetable gardens, ducks and geese, where the sheep graze in the fields, where apples and pears grow in the orchard. He also meets Jemima the pig: she smells and she slobbers, she breaks out of her pen to steal potatoes, and she’s the undisputed queen of the farm.

Soon, he’s hiding acorns in his pockets to feed to her every time he sees her. But then, Jemima starts to feel ill. Could she have eaten too many acorns? Or does this queen of a pig have a secret? 

This is a World Book Day 2022 title.

Escaping from China as the Japanese invade, Ashley and Uncle Sung embark on a perilous journey across the Himalayas.

When battling the hostile environments of the mountains, and finding himself alone in an unfamiliar world, Ashley’s courage is put to the test. And a mysterious and terrifying encounter at the hands of an unknown tribe might just change everything.

When 10-year-old Will's father dies in the Iraq war, his mother surprises him with a trip to Indonesia. He is riding Oona the elephant on the beach when a tsunami wave comes crashing in and Oona begins to run. With nothing but the shirt on his back and a bottle of water, Will must learn to survive deep in the jungle.

Michael Morpurgo has lived on a farm deep in rural Devon for more than forty years. In Spring, he observes the season unfold around him, as fragile new shoots emerge, buds turn to blossom and grey skies give way to blue.

As the natural world shakes off a long winter, Michael watches lambs being born on the farm, delights in a fanfare of bluebells in the woods, and sings to the birds, dressed in his wellies and dressing gown. He shares small moments of joy found in the back garden, as well as more dramatic encounters with sparrowhawks, hares and otters.

With new poems and reminiscences about childhood and springs gone by, this is an enchanting memoir of a season from one of the world's best-loved authors.

In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.