Books published by publisher Blackie Children's Books

What if your dog kept a diary too?"... a delightful story that teaches children how to keep their pets safe... the perfect tool to prepare children for pets." Liz Konkel for Readers' FavoriteSasha is a lucky pup! He takes a long walk each morning, he gets a healthy treat when he comes back, and "Big Boss Bob", his loving owner, plays ball with him every day.He also keeps a diary which was a secret until now!But Sasha’s life is not perfect. In this diary entry, Sasha reveals just how much he hates his red leash! Bob insists however that the leash is needed to keep everybody safe.Will Bob and Sasha find a solution to Sasha’s troubled relationship with his leash?Read this funny and gorgeously illustrated rhyming picture book to find out!"I can't praise enough the beautiful artwork by Joanna Pask... I will be referring this book to friends that have small children." Tiffany Ferrel for Readers' FavoriteScroll up and Order your copy now!

Feisty girls take to the helm of a pirate ship in this new Emily Windsnap adventure! Ordinary girl on land, magical mermaid in water... Bubbling with magic, fun, friendship and oceans of adventure. A must-read for girls aged 8+.When Emily Windsnap's boyfriend Aaron is captured by pirates there's only one option - join a rival pirate crew and persuade them to help rescue him. The Pirate Prince agrees, as long as Emily assists in finding the Trident's Treasure first.But as if boarding a pirate ship weren't dangerous enough, Emily soon discovers that pirates hate mermaids. If her true identity is revealed, her life - and Aaron's - will be at risk.How will Emily keep her secret when the only way to win the treasure is by turning into a mermaid?

Winner of the 2012 Branford Boase Award, this is Annabel Pitcher's stunning debut about ten-year-old Jamie, and the way his life and his family are shaped by the sister in an urn on the mantelpiece. Five years ago, Jamie's sister, Rose, was blown up by a terrorist bomb. His family is torn apart by their grief. His mum runs away. His dad turns to drink and hate. Rose's surviving twin sister Jasmine stops eating, gets piercings and dyes her hair pink - anything to look different to her twin. But Jamie hasn't cried in all that time. To him, Rose is just a distant memory.Jamie is far more interested in his cat, Roger, his Spiderman T-shirt, and his deep longing and unshakeable belief that his Mum will come back to the family she walked out on months ago.But moving away for a Fresh New Start introduces Jamie to something else very interesting - a girl named Sunya. Sunya is bright, exciting and fun, and the one person at school he can call a friend. But how far can this new friendship grow when Jamie is desperate that his dad doesn't find out?

The second book in a spookily funny new series, where the living meet the dead and survival is a race against time. Perfect for fans of Skulduggery Pleasant and Who Let the Gods Out. Welcome to the Embassy of the Dead. Leave your life at the door. (Thanks.) Jake may have already outrun and outwitted a grim reaper - saving his own life, as well as the soul of an innocent ghost - but his spooky adventure has only just begun.... In return for helping ghost Stiffkey resolve his unfinished business and travel to the Afterworld, Jake has now been awarded an official position working for the Embassy of the Dead, protecting ghosts in need. He didn't ask for it and, to be honest, he doesn't necessarily want it, but saying 'no' to the Embassy isn't an option. Now Jake must journey even deeper into the mysterious world of ghosts where, on a rowdy night undercover at the Hangman's Social Club, he overhears a plot to destroy the very fabric between the world of the living and the dead. With his ghostly gang at his side - hockey stick-wielding Cora and Zorro the fox - Jake must do the impossible. He has to be a hero. Again. His life - and ultimately his death - depends on it.

WINNER OF THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD 2019 WINNER OF THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE 2019SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019Told with heart and humour, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a child's perspective on the refugee crisis, highlighting the importance of friendship and kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense.There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it.He's nine years old (just like me), but he's very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn't like sweets - not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite!But then I learned the truth: Ahmet really isn't very strange at all. He's a refugee who's run away from a War. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. And the more I find out about him, the more I want to help.That's where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we've come up with a plan. . .With beautiful illustrations by Pippa Curnick

It's Hallowe'en and Podgy Bottom is in trouble. All over town cars are being shrunk to the size of a matchbox in the blink of an eye; a giant purple bunny rabbit is running riot and a strange-looking broomstick is causing chaos and calamity... Sounds like a case for Wings & Co, the famous fairy detective agency! Can Emily, Budget and Fidget put a stop to this magical mischief before it's too late?Another fantastic story for younger readers from Sally Gardner, winner of the COSTA BOOK AWARD 2013, and acclaimed artist, David Roberts. If you loved David Walliams's GANGSTA GRANNY, you'll love these hilarious tales of mischief, mayhem, magic and mystery.

A New York Times bestseller and laugh out loud thriller from Carl Hiaasen about a missing cousin, a half-crazy governor, giant gators and justice -- swamp justice, that is.Typical Malley - to avoid being shipped off to boarding school, she takes off with some guy she met online. Poor Richard - he knows his cousin's in trouble before she does. Wild Skink - he's a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, the unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets and giant gators. Carl Hiaasen first introduced readers to Skink more than 25 years ago in DOUBLE WHAMMY, and he quickly became Hiaasen's most iconic and beloved character, appearing in six novels to date. Both teens and adults will be thrilled to catch sight of the elusive 'governor' as he pursues his own unique brand of swamp justice. With Skink at the wheel, the search for a missing girl is both nail-bitingly tense and laugh-out-loud funny.

Number One for fiendish fun! Horrid Henry takes to the skies in UP, UP AND AWAY!Horrid Henry is back and cheekier than ever in this brand-new book from the internationally bestselling author Francesca Simon. Contains four brand-new stories, featuring Horrid Henry wreaking havoc on an airplane, being forced to write an essay about the Tudors, sabotaging the school play and sneaking on to a forbidden rollercoaster.Illustrated by Tony Ross, these timeless stories offer an irresistible introduction to reading for pleasure, featuring one of the best-loved characters in children's fiction.

Fifteen year old Casey Blue lives in East London's grimmest tower block and volunteers at a local riding school, but her dream is to win the world's greatest Three Day Event: the Badminton Horse Trials. When she rescues a starving, half-wild horse, she's convinced that the impossible can be made possible. But she has reckoned without the consequences of her father's criminal record, or the distraction of a boy with melty, dark eyes, with whom she refuses to fall in love. Casey learns the hard way that no matter how high you jump, or how fast you gallop, you can never outrun the past. A real life thriller that delves into the competitive and elite equestrian world from the 2011 BLUE PETER BOOK OF THE YEAR award-winning author.