Michael Morpurgo

Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Greatest Stories: Oxford Level 19: Moby Dick

Sometimes we kill the whale. Sometimes the whaling kills us.When Ishmael joins the crew of the Pequod he is told of the danger he faces, but he still longs for the adventure that whale-hunting brings. As the ship travels the globe looking for its prey, Ishmael realises that there is more to their mission than oil, blubber and riches. Captain Ahab is a man consumed by obsession, but will he ever find the elusive Moby Dick? This tale beautifully depicts thepower and mystery of the magnificent whale, and the trials of those who seek to harm him.TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children.The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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Geraldine McCaughrean, Herman Melville, Victor Ambrus, Michael Morpurgo, Kimberley Reynolds
Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Greatest Stories: Oxford Level 18: Emma

Matchmaking Emma thinks she is quite the expert when it comes to love; setting up her friends is her favourite pastime. But sometimes her interfering doesn't get her the results she wants! With all the dashing young men in her life, will Emma ever stop to think about what might be inside her own heart? Austen's classic and much-loved tale is marvellously retold, bringing with it all the drama and intrigue of Regency life.TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children.The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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Rebecca Stevens, Jane Austen, Briony May Smith, Michael Morpurgo, Kimberley Reynolds
Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Greatest Stories: Oxford Level 16: Gawain and the Green Knight

One snowy Christmas, the mysterious Green Knight rides into King Arthur's court and issues a fearsome challenge. One year later, young Sir Gawain rides out to find him. Will Gawain be able to fulfil his quest and prove that he is worthy to sit at the table of King Arthur? Escape into an epic medieval adventure, adapted from the famous 14th century poem.TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children.The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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Philip Reeve, Pearl Poet, Philip Reeve, Michael Morpurgo, Kimberley Reynolds
Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Greatest Stories: Oxford Level 14: The Well at the World's End

When a girl is sent to find a well at the end of the world, simple acts of kindness lead her to more than she expects. A lost daughter captures the heart of a prince, but will she be reunited with her father? An unfortunate girl is given not one, but two impossible tasks to spin straw into gold, and to guess the name of an unknown creature. The girls will have to use their hearts, charms and wits to find solutions to their problems.TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children.The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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Jane Feaver, Joseph Jacobs, Isabella Mazzanti, Michael Morpurgo, Kimberley Reynolds
Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Greatest Stories: Oxford Level 18: Grimm

In Grimms' fairy tales, things are not always as they seem ... An evil stepmother casts one spell too many in Little Brother and Little Sister. Can the Goose Girl prove her royal heritage and claim her husband? Of three sons, only one truly loves his father, but he must struggle to prove his loyalty in The Water of Life. A king promises his children to animals of the wild but is there more to these creatures than meets the eye? These four fairytales and their stunning illustrations will capture and enchant children's imaginations.TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the worlds best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children.The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.

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Jan Davidson, Brothers Grimm, Niroot Puttapipat, Michael Morpurgo, Kimberley Reynolds
Boy Who Would Be King

A beautifully illustrated full-colour tribute to King Charles III, published to mark his coronation – from the bestselling creators of There Once Is a Queen. There once was a boy who was going to be king one day . . . From the Nation’s Favourite Storyteller Sir Michael Morpurgo comes a poetic celebration of our new monarch, King Charles III, beautifully illustrated in watercolour by acclaimed artist Michael Foreman. There once was a little boy, born a prince. Encouraged by his parents, he grew up with a passion for the countryside, wanting to look after it. Then, as the longest-serving Prince of Wales in British history, he dedicated decades of his life to raising awareness for conservation. Now our king, his devoted work will continue to inspire the protection of our planet for future generations. This allegorical story tells how – with the help of a tiny acorn – a wise old woman gives a lonely boy, who would be king, the courage and determination to change the world for the better, for everyone. An exquisite companion to There Once Was a Queen, this commemoration of King Charles III’s coronation is a gift book truly to be treasured.

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Michael Morpurgo

R 501.00
There Once is a Queen

“There once is a Queen ever constant to her people…” From the Nation’s Favourite Storyteller Sir Michael Morpurgo comes a poetic celebration of our Queen and longest reigning monarch, beautifully illustrated in watercolour by acclaimed artist Michael Foreman. Created in partnership with the Jubilee Pageant Committee. There once was a little girl, born a princess. While she was still a young woman, she became a queen, our Queen Elizabeth II. Her reign of seventy years, making her the longest serving female monarch in history, saw her stand steadfast through triumph and tribulation, and through the monumental changes that have shaped our world. This remarkable queen remained devoted to crown, to country . . . and a corgi or two! Beginning with the late queen as a little girl, planting an oak tree with her father, There Once is a Queen follows her incredible story in a way that will bring this historic reign vividly to life for readers, big and small, around the globe. An exquisite gift book and commemoration of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee, it marks a unique moment in our shared history and will be a treasured keepsake for generations to come.

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Michael Morpurgo, Michael Foreman

R 435.00
War Horse 40th Anniversary Edition

DISCOVER AND CHERISH THIS BEAUTIFUL HARDBACK 40th ANNIVERSARY ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE BELOVED MODERN CLASSIC, WAR HORSE. Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic and nation’s favourite children’s novel… 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. With a stunning new cover from fine arts photographer, Nine Francois and chapter illustrations from award-winning war artist, George Butler. National treasure, Michael Moropurgo’s, War Horse was adapted by Steven Spielberg as a major motion picture with Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The National Theatre production opened in 2007 and has enjoyed successful runs in the West End and on Broadway.

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Michael Morpurgo

R 435.00

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'n Nuwe begin is moontlik na groot trauma

As ek Mariette Wenhold se Myner van my hart in een woord moet opsom, sou ek sê dit is intens. Waarom sê ek so? Hoofsaaklik omdat die onverwerkte trauma waarmee Katarien Roos spook, veel erger is as dit wat mens normaalweg in ’n romanse teëkom. Ek het iets redelik aardskuddend begin vermoed toe sy nie by haar huis kan ingaan nie.
Haar volatiele geaardheid, wat ’n paar maal lei tot uitbarstings of onversetlike optrede, kan ook grotendeels toegeskryf word aan dit wat in haar verlede gebeur het en haar genoop het om Suid-Afrika te verlaat. Die skrywer gebruik hierdie element om deurentyd afwagting en spanning te skep deurdat die volle waarheid nie sommer vroeg in die storielyn onthul word nie.
Verder is die liefdestoneel ook nogal intens. Armand du Toit is ’n held waaroor menige romanseleser sal swymel. Hoewel Katarien haarself as “emosioneel onbeskikbaar” beskou (p.141) is hy presies die man wat sy nodig het om deur haar skanse te breek. Hy, en ’n predikant wat as berader optree.
Familiebande kry baie aandag in hierdie verhaal en die tienerseun laat mens sommer weer glo in die jeug. Tweede kanse, op enige ouderdom, laat ’n romantiese leser sommer goed slaap as jy die boek neersit.

'n Tweede kans vir Ruben en Carli

Misverstande is volop in romantiese verhale. Dit gee vir ’n skrywer lekker materiaal om die storie mee te weef. Beslis só in Ballade van die liefde, die nuwe Romanza deur Mari Roberts.
Ons vind die hoofkarakter, Carli, in Botswana, waar sy werk by Die Park, ’n privaat wildtuin langs die Kgalagadi. Sommer uit die staanspoor is dit duidelik dat sy hier wegkruip, maar die wat en hoekom word nie sommer dadelik uitgelap nie. Daar is ’n lieflike dogtertjie betrokke en ’n oupa en ouma waarvoor sy baie lief is.
Die storielyn kry momentum wanneer ’n toergroep by die lodge aandoen en die rede vir haar jarelange wegkruipery, skielik voor haar staan. Mens wil aggressie te wagte wees, maar Ruben verras met vasberadenheid en geduld wat voortduur totdat al die misverstande opgeklaar is.
Die skrywer het goed daarin geslaag om spanning en afwagting te skep, en die gelukkige einde is besonder bevredigend. Knap gedaan, Mari.

'n Sterk vrou versus die intimiderende eienaar van die buurplaas

Cecilia Nortjé se nuwe Romanza, Maanskyn en brandewyn, voldoen aan al die vereistes vir ’n geslaagde romanse. Die held en heldin ontmoet vroeg in die storie, die vonke spat behoorlik, maar daar is dadelik ’n onderliggende aantrekking wat mettertyd al hoe duideliker manifesteer.

In pas met die moderne romanse is die heldin, Beatrix, of Trix of Bea, afhangende van watter hoed sy dra, ’n sterk vrou wat haar nie laat intimideer deur die eienaar van die buurplaas nie. Ray, wat die Landauer Distilleerders bedryf, is ook ’n goeie voorbeeld van ’n baie aantreklike romantiese held, kompleet met goeie maniere en ’n wens om Trix se plasie te bekom.
Dit is dan juis ook laasgenoemde visie wat die sluwe antagonis gebruik om onmin te bewerk tussen Trix en Ray. Nodeloos om te sê, is die sukses van Skye se plan van korte duur en seëvier die liefde.

Die verhaal van Tumelo se grootword en sy swaeltjie se herstel

Terwyl daar kosbare lewenslesse en leergeleenthede opgesluit is vir jongmense in ’n boek soos Die seun met die swaeltjie, is dit die onthou van lank gelede wat my met ’n intensiteit kom aanval het met die lees daarvan.
Ek is ’n produk van Johannesburg in die sestigs en sewentigs, daar gebore en grootgeword. Parkstasie en die Nelson Mandelabrug ken ek, en Hillbrow… Saam met jeuggroepe Vrydagaande daar gaan rondloop. Daarom het ’n ongelooflike hartseer my getref om saam met Tumelo en Dikeledi die groot stad, soos dit deesdae daar uit sien, te gaan ontdek.
Ons is almal bewus van die uitdagings van enkelouers van alle rasse, maar om die statistieke so swart op wit te sien, is ontnugterend. Verder is daar talle kinders, soos Tumelo en Dikeledi, wat nie een nie maar albei ouers verloor, een aan die dood, die ander aan hulpeloosheid. “Huise sonder ouers. En nou is hulle ook een.” (p.69 e-boek)
Die storielyn is veel meer as die verhaal van ’n swaeltjie wat liefdevol versorg word totdat sy herstel en weer kan vlieg. Dit is ook die grootword van Tumelo, wat nog tot op hede getwyfel het aan sy eie vermoëns. Daar is ’n oortuiging wat hom noop om sy pa te gaan soek: “Almal is besig om self te verdrink. Hier is soveel hartseer. Mense sonder werk. Swanger tieners. Drank. Inbrake. Huise sonder ouers.” (p.85 e-boek)
Die skrywer balanseer die swaar met ’n paar elemente wat mens opnuut laat glo in ubuntu, aan medemenslikheid. Soos ’n taxibestuurder wat kinders kosteloos laat saamry, bure wat omsien na mekaar.
Die seun met die swaeltjie is sopas aangewys as die wenner in die Lapa Jeugromankompetisie. Die teikengroep is jongmense van ongeveer 11jaar en ouer, maar beslis nie daartoe beperk nie. Baie geluk aan Fanie Viljoen met hierdie prestasie.

Neem 'n reis na die pragtige Skotland saam met Frances, wat soek vir heling

Sunet du Plessis is ’n indrukwekkende nuwe stem in Afrikaanse romans. Sy is wel deeglik onderlê in die taal en skryfkuns, weliswaar met artikels en kortverhale en gewapen met ’n BA in tale. Groete uit Skotland is haar debuutverhaal en wel in die geestelike fiksie genre.
Vergelyk jy die skrywer se biografie met dié van die fiktiewe karakters in die storie, is daar genoeg parallelle om te verseker dat die storielyn geloofwaardig is. Frances beleef ’n pynlike ontnugtering wat haar noop om Skotland toe te gaan, na waar haar oorlede ma se wortels lê. Die manlike hoofkarakter wat sy daar ontmoet, is ook ’n Suid-Afrikaner, ’n jong predikant met ’n groot trauma in sy verlede – die besonderhede waarvoor die leser moet wag tot byna aan die einde van die verhaal.
Een van die boublokke van die storielyn, is die kontroversiële kwessie van homoseksualiteit. Die skrywer hanteer dit sensitief sodat geen leser, wat jou oortuiging mag wees, sal aanstoot neem nie. ’n Verdere bousteen is die feit dat slegte dinge ook met goeie mense gebeur. Verhoudings wat op verskillende maniere uitgedaag word, is volop in die ryk storielyn.
‘n Beeld wat my bybly, is dié van skanse wat mense om hulself bou. “Ons kan nie die skanse wat mense om hulle bou met die geweld van ons oortuigings afbreek nie. Maar, ons kan oorstap en by hulle vuur gaan sit, na hulle luister en dáár wees vir hulle.” (p.182)
Groete uit Skotland is uitgegee deur Luca, die geestelike druknaam van Lapa Uitgewers.

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