Books with author Mark Hoffmann

A young entrepreneur sets out to earn some money and discovers the value of a dollar (and of dirt)! Perfect for fans of Lemonade in Winter, The Most Magnificent Thing, and Rosie Revere, Engineer.Birdie doesn't know much about money. All she knows is that she wants a new soccer ball that costs $24.95. The fastest way to that $24.95 is going into sales, but what to sell? All her belongings? Not much of a market for those. Birdie needs something that she has in abundance and that everyone needs. So when she sees everyone in her neighborhood working on their yards, she realizes she's hit pay dirt. Literally!Soon Birdie is raking in the dough, with profits of all varieties: quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies, even dollar bills! Now she can buy that soccer ball, but does her business plan have any holes?An industrious tale about striking it rich!"A terrific treatise for early financial literacy that subtly teaches about worth determination, pricing structures, coin values, marketing techniques, and the reward of hard work, all supported by a delightful story with a round-headed protagonist in amusingly huge, face-swallowing glasses and itty-bitty pigtails."--Booklist"Our heroine has a positive outlook and doesn't let things get her down. The book demonstrates how even a young child can be a great entrepreneur. A light, fun, and ­educational tale that would work wonderfully as a two-voice read-aloud."--SLJ"Hoffman's acrylic and color pencil illustrations are pleasingly eccentric. There's a stealthy math lesson here as Birdie counts her coins, and her can-do attitude makes for a nice message about the value of hard work."--The Bulletin"Hoffmann cleverly intertwines early math skills with messages of working toward goals and problem-solving. Worth it, dirt and all."--Kirkus

Little George is determined to get the one and only gift he needs this Christmas... Santa's green magical socks. For centuries, children have always wondered how Santa delivers all the toys to boys and girls all over the world in one single night! Now the secret is revealed and Little George knows just how Jolly Old Saint Nick does it. Join Little George on his quest to capture those coveted Christmas Socks from the Man in Red. This will be the best Christmas ever! A story of magic and wonder as the true meaning of Christmas is revealed.

The World Atlas of CoffeeCoffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Where coffee comes from, how it was harvested, the roasting process and the water used to make the brew are just a few of the factors that influence the taste of what we drink. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.Country by country - from Bolivia to Zambia - he then identifies key characteristics and the methods that determine the quality of that country's output. Along the way we learn about everything from the development of the espresso machine, to why strength guides on supermarket coffee are really not good news. This is the first book to chart the coffee production of over 35 countries, encompassing knowledge never previously published outside the coffee industry. For everyone who wants to understand more about coffee and its wonderful nuances and possibilities, this is the book to have.

Hassan feels out of place in a new cold, grey country. At school, he paints a picture showing his colourful Somalian home, covered with the harsh colours of war from which his family has fled. He tells his teacher about their voyage from Mogadishu to Mombasa, then to the refugee camp and on to England. But gradually things change. When Hassan's parents put up his next picture on the wall, Hassan notices the maroon prayer mat, a bright green cushion and his sister Naima's pink dress - the new colours of home.

The latest installment in the critically acclaimed Stravaganza series begins with Matt, the new Stravagante. Despite having a beautiful and very smart girlfriend, Matt is insecure because he is dyslexic. He discovers that he is capable of traveling between two worlds when a leather-bound book transports him from his home in England to Talia, the parallel-world version of Italy, where he meets a fellow-Stravagante named Luciano-who is hiding from the powerful di Chimici family. Luciano has just killed the head of that family in a duel, and is in grave danger. Banding together, Matt and Luciano must resist the di Chimici family, who are on the verge of making a terrifying breakthrough into our world.

A beautifully illustrated anthology featuring fourteen classic children's fairy-tales, perfect for bedtime, as retold by children's author Mary Hoffman. As well as favourites such as Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, A First Book of Fairy Tales also includes some wonderful stories that you might not know, such as The Fisherman and his Wife and Diamonds and Toads. Introduce your little one to the characters that enchanted you as a child, or meet the cast of a new story together. Mary Hoffman's charming retellings use simple language, ideal for reading or hearing aloud, while Julie Downing's stunning illustrations bring the characters to life, so children can follow and enjoy the fairy tales through the pictures.

When Matt is unexpectedly transported to the Scriptorium of Padavia (real-life Padua) University, he discovers he is a Stravagante who can travel through time using his talisman, a leather-bound book. Together with Luciano, now studying at the University, and Arianna, in disguise as a boy, he must fight the dangerous di Chimici clan who are on the verge of making a terrifying breakthrough into our world.A breathtaking and thrilling novel that will delight all Stravaganza fans.

The Stravaganza series returns with ever-more-dangerous politics and intrigue. Sky, a new Stravagante, is whisked away from his dreary life in London to Giglia, the Talian version of Florence. Featuring favorite characters from the first two titles in the series, including Georgia and Falco, as well as a host of exciting new characters, this breathtaking adventure will not disappoint. But beware-in the beautiful City of Flowers, much that seems beautiful is in fact poisonous...

Set in Talia, a parallel world very similar to 16th-century Italy, the narrative follows Lucien, who in our world is very ill. Given a marbled notebook to use as a diary, the notebook is the unexpected means that transports Lucien to this dangerous new world; a world that thrills to the delight of political intrigue and where a life can be snuffed out with a flash of a merlino blade. The city of Bellezza (Venice in our world) is astonishingly evoked, with a filmic eye to detail, from the sensuousness of silks and velvets, to the thrill and danger of assassination attempts both and foiled and successful. The world of Talia is unforgettably and convincingly real.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the publication of Amazing Grace, the spirited little girl with a big imagination is coming back to Puffin in two fun chapter books! In Encore, Grace!, when Grace's family and group of friends change, Grace turns to her imagination to cope with things like a new girl in school and the death of a family friend. In Bravo, Grace!, Grace deals with more change. This time her mother is remarrying and they are moving to a new house, there's a bully in school, and there's a new baby on the way! But despite all the changes, Grace always has her family and friends to support her, and she always finds a way to handle new situations in positive ways."Hoffman's successful African-American protagonist provides a wonderful role model for today's multicultural school community in this second volume of short, clear, event-filled chapters." - Kirkus Reviews review for Encore, Grace!