Books by Jenny McLachlan

Science geek Meg is left to look after her little sister for ten days after her free-spirited mum leaves suddenly to follow up yet another of her Big Important Causes. But while Meg may understand how the universe was formed, baby Elsa is a complete mystery to her. And Mum's disappearance has come at the worst time: Meg is desperate to win a competition to get the chance to visit NASA headquarters, but to do this she has to beat close rival Ed. Can Meg pull off this double life of caring for Elsa and following her own dreams? She'll need a miracle of cosmic proportions .Fans fell in love with the warmth, wit, romance and fierce friendships in Flirty Dancing, Love Bomb, Sunkissed and Star Struck, and Stargazing for Beginners has all that and galaxies more. This is the best kind of real-life fiction - with big themes and irresistible characters, it goes straight to your heart.

Meet the ghosts in this hilariously heart-racing and spooky adventure and young souls of 8+ by the author of the bestselling Land of Roar series. Perfect for fans of BBC's Ghosts!Sid Jones loves hanging out in the graveyard with her best friend Zen - they are desperate to see a real-life ghost!But when Sid accidentally summons a 300-year-old pirate from the dead, it opens the door to the HALFWAY HOUSE - a magical inn FULL of lost souls from across the ages, all trapped there by a sinister landlord.There are more ghosts that Sid could ever have imagined - and they're all sure Sid is there to save them! (Sid's sure there's been some kind of mistake.)But someone else is watching, and they're not happy about Sid helping the ghosts . . . TICK, TOCK - TIME IS RUNNING OUTAnother epic adventure series from the author of the Land of Roar, with magic, peril, pirates, lots of laughs and LOADS of ghosts!

The final book in the epic and bestselling children's fantasy series that will make you believe in magic ... Perfect for fans of Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon, Michelle Harrison's A Pinch of Magic, as well as classic children's fantasy adventures, Narnia and Jumanji.

Charkris has had an amazing summer helping his nan at an elephant sanctuary. Now back at school, he has many stories to tell, but not all of his friends believe him. Prompt thoughtful discussions and develop higher-level comprehension skills with Reflect - a series of emotionally powerful fiction and non-fiction with realistic settings.

The magical new book in the bestselling middle-grade fantasy adventure series, The Land of Roar.A series that celebrates the power of imagination and finding the greatest adventures in the most ordinary of places - perfect for children aged 8, 9, 10 and upwards, and fans of Narnia, Jumanji and How to Train Your Dragon.Featuring breathtaking illustrations throughout by Ben Mantle and stunning fold-out cover artwork.Twins Arthur and Rose can't wait to go back to Roar, the fantasy world they get to through their grandad's attic. Roar is a land of dragons, mermaids, unicorns, ninja wizards and where anything they can imagine can be real. But when they return there's no time for exploring, because a message arrives from their scarecrow enemy, Crowky. WHAT'S IN THE BOX? The Box would always contain the things that scared the twins most - and if Crowky gets hold of it, Roar could be in more danger than ever. Soon they find themselves on another thrilling adventure, accompanied by old friends and new faces and seeing parts of Roar they'd almost forgotten. But will they get to the box before Crowky does? And if it opens, what will they see?Praise for The Land of Roar:'This funny, captivating story is filled with the painful pangs of growing up and the transporting qualities of imagination' GuardianJenny McLachlan is the author of several acclaimed teen novels including Flirty Dancing, Stargazing for Beginners and Truly, Wildly, Deeply. Before Jenny became a writer, she was Head of English in a secondary school; she now loves visiting schools as an author and delivering funny and inspiring talks and workshops. When Jenny isn't thinking about stories or writing stories, she enjoys living by the seaside, cycling and running over the South Downs. The Land of Roar series is Jenny's middle-grade debut.Ben Mantle began his illustration career early, picking up his first award in a local library colouring-in competition aged seven. He went on to study Animation at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design before working as an animator. Ben has illustrated a number of children's books including Rudey's Windy Christmas (HarperCollins) and Callum's Incredible Construction Kit (Egmont) which won the 2013 Bishop's Stortford Picture Book Award. He is also the creator of the award-winning The Best Birthday Present Ever!and The Best Christmas Present Ever! published by Macmillan Children's Books. Ben lives and works in Brighton.

Book band: Lime (Ideal for ages 6+)A sweet and magical story, ideal for children practising their reading at home or in school. Olive Brown is scared of just about everything. She is a worrier and what she needs is some courage. Well, one day Grandpa gives her a little box of magic and inside is a special chocolate unicorn who is about to show Olive what it truly means to be brave...This heartwarming story about finding courage from best-selling author Jenny McLachlan is perfect for children who are learning to read by themselves at Key Stage 1 (KS1). It features charming illustrations from Sarah Lawrence and relatable characters young readers will find hard to resist._______________Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. The series is ideal for both home and school, with gorgeous colour illustrations, tips for parents, and fun activity ideas. Online guided reading and teaching notes, written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), are available at bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader. Fun, stretching, just the right length, full of adventurous vocabulary and punctuation.' - Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher

In this rhyming story, Doug and the rest of his class arrive at school but quickly discover that there are no teachers to be found! What will they decide to do with their day of freedom? There's a Chicken in my Bookbag is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 6-7 years

Minu likes to visit the pond in the park to look at the ducklings, but one day she notices that her cat, Socks, is interested in the ducklings, too! Can Minu help to keep the ducklings safe? The Quack in the Kitchen is part of the Galaxy range of books from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Galaxy provides captivating fiction and non-fiction for Pink A to White band. The rich collection of highly decodable books immerses children in a range of cross-curricular topics and genres. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and activities to support reading at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 5-6 years

A charming story about pets, ideal for children practising their reading at home or in school.All Harvey wants is a pet, yet his dad says that their flat is too small. But surely it's big enough for a slimy slug, or a hairy spider, or even an ant called Teeny, right? Will Harvey ever find a pet small enough?This exciting and humorous story from well-loved author Jenny McLachlan is perfect for children who are learning to read by themselves and for Key Stage 1. It features engaging illustrations by Sarah Hoyle and characters young readers will find hard to resist.Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. They are packed with gorgeous colour illustrations and include inside cover notes to help adults reading with children, as well as ideas for activities related to the stories.'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader. Fun, stretching, just the right length, full of adventurous vocabulary and punctuation.' (Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher)Book Band: WhiteIdeal for Ages 6+

Betty Plum has never been in love. She's never even kissed a boy. But when H.O.T. Toby starts school it's like Betty has been hit with a thousand of Cupid's arrows. It's like a bomb has exploded - a love bomb! More than ever Betty wishes her mum hadn't died when Betty was a baby. She really needs her mum here to ask her advice. And that's when she finds hidden letters for just these moments. Letters about what your first kiss should feel like and what real love is all about . Is Betty ready to fall in love? Will she finally have her first kiss?

Following on from Flirty Dancing, Love Bomb and Sunkissed, Jenny McLachlan's next book is perfect for fans of Geek Girl and Louise Rennison.A spotlight shines down on the two of us and everyone drifts into the shadows... Pearl is destined to be the star of this year's school musical. Being the lead is all she wants - especially as it means kissing super-hot Jake Flower.Then a new girl walks into the audition... Hoshi can sing, she's an amazing dancer and she's seriously cute. Before Pearl knows it, she's stolen her part, her friends and Jake's attention!But this girl doesn't know who she's messing with. Pearl's used to battling every day and she's not going down without a fight. Sparks are going to fly!