The story of Scotland from the Ice Age to the Vikings the Picts & the Romans to Robert the Bruce Mary Queen of Scots Bonnie Prince Charlie Flora Macdonald Sir Walter Scott Logie Baird Keir Hardie & many more famous Scots up to the present day Each page is packed with colourful pictures & witty captions & speech bubbles & a pithy text gives the facts & tells the story This is a fun book but it covers the material in a way that will make it attractive both to schools & to tourists With NESSIE THE LOCH NESS MONSTER a continuing bestseller in Scotland Richard Brassey is the perfect authorillustrator for a book that should have a long life ahead His co-author Stewart Ross is an ex-teacher with a special interest in Scottish history ...

The French Best-seller' The book France won't stop talking aboutundoubtedly a lovely Christmas gift for anyone with a keen interest in when & how the first vibrator was invented'
- Telegraph 'OOH la la We've come a long way from wrapping Lady Chatterley's Lover in brown paper'
- London Evening Standard ' Warm humane inclusive open-minded'
- The Times'A witty account that embraces everything from the earliest humans to the age of cybersex'
- Guardian' Funny erudite & devilishly sexy The Story of Sex is a treat for the whole family (except perhaps younger children & muffled prudes)'
- The Culture Trip A history of sex sexuality & human intimacy through the ages from our primate pasts to our robotic futures Sex is everywhere yet how many of us truly understand it? Our attitudes to sex & sexuality are forever in flux Driven by pleasure power revenge a desire for children or simply because it isn't allowed humans have had sex on the brain since pre-civilisation But what do we really know? In The Story of Sex we discover the truth including what eroticism really is when the first couple was established what phallic festivals were all about when chastity belts were used & how some ancient civilisations were far ahead of their time when it came to gender equality We learn how through the centuries religion superstition & morality laws have shaped our view of what is & isn't palatable
- with many cultures having come a long way from prohibiting masturbation (by way of a microscope) or considering homosexuality a 'perversion' while others continue to condemn promiscuous behaviour particularly of women
- & how technology & disease have redefined the limits of pleasure & reproduction The first graphic novel of its kind The Story of Sex brilliantly & humorously uncovers the most fascinating details of our sexual ancestry & foretells a future of virtual gratification Philippe Brenot is a psychiatrist & the Director of Sexology at Paris Descartes University Laetitia Coryn is a graphic artist & illustrator






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Before the Big Bang there was NOTHING AT ALL No galaxies no space no light & no sound Then suddenly 138 billion years ago IT ALL BEGAN This beautiful follow-up to The Story of Life brings to life the story of our universe for younger children Travel back in time to the Big Bang see galaxies & stars form watch the birth of our planet & how life begins join the first man on the moon & wonder what mysteries are still waiting to be discovered ...

At the end of Five Children & It the five children promised not to ask the Psammead for another wish as long as they lived but expressed a half wish to see it again some time They find 'it' again in a pet shop in Camden Town & their magic adventures start over again' It' leads them to a magic amulet
- half of it actually
- which they use it to try & find the other half It takes them back to ancient Egypt & Babylon The Queen of Babylon visits them in London bringing all her ancient customs with her
- which is awkward They visit the lost continent of Atlantis They see Julius Caesar in the flesh But none of these adventures run smoothly & if they forget the 'word of power' or lose the amulet what in the world will happen to them?


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THE THIRD BOOK IN THE PSAMMEAD TRILOGY FOLLOWING FIVE CHILDREN & IT & THE PHOENIX & THE CARPET'I love her books particularly the Five Children & It sequence' Neil Gaiman At a pet shop near the British Museum the children discover their old friend the Psammead caged & miserable The children pool their pocket money together to rescue it & in gratitude the Psammead tells them to buy an amulet
- or rather half an amulet Incomplete the magic charm can take them to any place & time to search for its other half; but when the amulet is whole it will have the power to give the children their hearts' desire In their quest the children visit ancient Egypt Atlantis & Babylon
- they even meet Julius Caesar But their adventures are not without danger if they lose the amulet on their travels they will be lost in time unable to ever return home' Endlessly surprising & inventive Edith Nesbit opened the door in the magic wardrobe pointed the way to platform nine & three quarters She even had a hand in building the Tardis & these are among her minor achievements She is also simply the funniest writer we have ever had' Frank Cottrell-Boyce With all the original illustrations by H R Millar beautifully reproduced This collection of the best children's literature curated by Virago will be coveted by children & adults alike These are timeless tales with beautiful covers that will be treasured & shared across the generations Some titles you will already know; some will be new to you but there are stories for everyone to love whatever your age Our list

Includes:: Nina Bawden (Carrie's War The Peppermint Pig) Rumer Godden (The Dark Horse An Episode of Sparrows) Joan Aiken (The Serial Garden The Gift Giving) E Nesbit (The Psammead Trilogy The Bastable Trilogy The Railway Children) Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Little Princess The Secret Garden) & Susan Coolidge (The What Katy Did Trilogy) Discover Virago Children's Classics



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Winner of the 2014 UKLA Book Award an eco-fable with heart & humour Brimir & Hulda are best friends living on a beautiful blue planet where there are no grown-ups life is wild & free & each day is more exciting than the last Until one day a rocket ship piloted by a strange-looking adult named Gleesome Goodday crashes on the beach He promises to make life a hundred times more fun
- with flying-powder & coated skin so that noone ever has to bathe again
- & even nails the sun to their sky But Hulda & Brimir soon discover that their endless fun has consequences they could never have imagined Could it be that Gleesome Goodday is not everything he seems? An extraordinary adventure of magic & generosity & a beautifully simple tale of selfishness & sacrifice The Story of the Blue Planet will delight & challenge readers of every age Andri Snaer Magnason is one of Iceland's most celebrated young writers In 2002 Love Star was named ' Novel of the Year' by Icelandic booksellers & received the DV Literary Award & a nomination to the Icelandic Literary Prize The Story of the Blue Planet
- now published or performed in 22 countries
- was the first children's book to receive the Icelandic Literary Prize & was also the recipient of the Janusz Korczak Honorary Award & the West Nordic Children's Book Prize Magnason is the winner of the 2010 Kairos Award



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Far far away the butterfly folk live in a kingdom of beautiful gardens The butterfly children play dance & sing all day long with their little brothers & sisters the caterpillars The children can't wait until the first day of spring when they will finally get their wings But first they must learn about the many brightly coloured flowers in the kingdom so they can take part in the flying procession of peacock swallowtail red admiral & many other butterflies Beautifully illustrated in the art nouveau style this is another classic children's story from the author of The Story of the Root Children & The Story of the Wind Children ...

A beautifully illustrative history of the world's most iconic & popular cars of all time Perfect for children & adult motoring fans alike! Cars do so much more than get us from A to B they are vehicles of beauty that allow drivers to determine their own destination Trace their extraordinary history in this gorgeously illustrated guide from Benz's first motor wagon to the jet-propelled Thrust SSC Along the way discover how the social upheavals of the past 140 years diverted the car's journey two world wars economic crashes the digital revolution & more Finally explore the fantastical cars that have been imagined in film & the incredible vehicles that await us in the future If you liked The Car Book Fifty Cars that Changed the World & Car Science you'll love The Story of the Car Written by acclaimed motor expert Giles Chapman & beautifully illustrated by the Us Now design studio this is a visual treat for anyone who is fascinated by cars The Story of the Car is the start of a groundbreaking series of stunning books on the social history of transport with The Story of Flight & The Story of Space Travel to follow ...

The heartbroken widow of a captain drowned at sea discovers a friendly amphibian at her lowest point But he is no ordinary frog
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Take one tent Fill with 12 amateur bakers Garnish with one venerable cookery writer one blue-eyed bread-maker & two comedy queens with a love of innuendo & there you have the recipe for the most popular show of our times When The Great British Bake Off made its debut in August 2010 it had the makings of a modest hit But nobody
- not the programme-makers & certainly not those first contestants
- could have predicted what was to come Here was a show in which the biggest weekly drama was whether or not a sponge cake would sink in the middle & oh how we loved it Here is the ultimate Bake Off fan book from bread lion to bin-gate; heart throbs to Twitter trolls; soggy bottoms to sticky buns This is the celebration of Britain's most popular cookery contest

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