One stormy night the sea-thing child a draggled heap of scales & feathers is flung up on the beach. Afraid of the wild waves & the storm skies he meets a fiddler crab with no bow & together they avoid facing their fears. Finally though he finds his star his courage & his ocean self. ...

The true story of three men & their dreams for a racehorse -- Seabiscuit -- that symbolised a pivotal moment in American history as the 20th-centurys greatest nation found the courage to bet on itself to win against the odds. Now a major motion picture directed by Gary Ross & starring Toby Maguire & Jeff Daniels. In 1936 the habits of 19th-century America were finally consigned to history just as Margaret Mitchells Gone with the Wind" was published. In their place modern America was born. But what defined this new era? Nothing more than the story of Seabiscuit a stunted colt with asymmetrical knees that had for two years been hacked around no-good race tracks leading to permanent leg damage. Yet by 1937 Seabiscuit could draw crowds of 60 000 & had more newspaper column inches devoted to him than Mussolini Hitler or Roosevelt his popularity peaking during his appearances at the Santa Anita Handicap. America had gone to the races for the first time since the Depression & fallen in love with a misshapen colt of great character. Now it wanted a winner. Seabiscuit is also the story of three men: Tom Smith a former Wild West showman was the trainer; Red Pollard abandoned by his poverty-stricken family at a race track became the rider; & Charles Howard a pioneer car manufacturer in San Francisco in the 1920s was the owner & financier. These three combined to create the legend of Seabiscuit & epitomise a dream for the emerging new America." ...

James Bond is back in action with the stunning Flicka von Grusse at his side & his licence to kill renewed once more. His target ...

Launched in 2009 this annual has rapidly established a reputation as an authoritative but completely affordable summary of all that has happened in the naval world in the previous twelve months. It combines the standing features of regional surveys with one-off major articles on noteworthy new ships & other important developments. Besides the latest warship projects it also looks at wider issues of importance to navies such as aviation & electronics & calls on expertise from around the globe to give a balanced picture of what is going on & to interpret its significance. Planned special features for this year include in-depth studies of the navies of Italy & Ireland plus analyses of significant new warship classes: the French Aquitaine class frigates Indian Shivalik class Project 17 frigates & US Bertholf class national security cutters. Intended to make interesting reading as well as providing authoritative reference there is a strong visual emphasis including specially commissioned drawings & the most recently released photographs & artists' impressions. For anyone with an interest in contemporary naval affairs whether an enthusiast or a defence professional this annual has become required reading. ...

Launched in 2009 this annual has rapidly established a reputation as an authoritative but completely affordable summary of all that has happened in the naval world in the previous twelve months. It combines the standing features of regional surveys with one-off major articles on noteworthy new ships & other important developments. Besides the latest warship projects it also looks at wider issues of importance to navies such as aviation & electronics & calls on expertise from around the globe to give a balanced picture of what is going on & to interpret its significance. This year special features include in-depth studies of the navies of Brazil Australia & Pakistan plus analyses of three significant new warship classes: the USN's advanced amphibious warfare ship Makin Island (LHD-8): Sweden's futuristic Visby class stealth corvettes; & the BAE Systems offshore patrol vessels. Intended to make interesting reading as well as providing authoritative reference there is a strong visual emphasis including specially commissioned drawings & the most recently released photographs & artists' impressions. For anyone with an interest in contemporary naval affairs whether an enthusiast or a defence professional this annual has become required readin ...

Vern the self-styled outlaw film critic is described by Hellboy" director Guillermo Del Toro as "equal parts Hells Angels & Pauline Kael... a national treasure!" Now Vern unleashes his magnum opus: an in-depth study of the worlds only aikido instructor turned movie star/director/writer/blues guitarist/energy drink inventor the ass-kicking auteur Steven Seagal. " "A book thatll shake the very foundations of film criticism break their wrists & then throw them through a window." "" ...

Having given up a high-powered job & the lifestyle to match Tessa Hainsworth had no idea how hard she would struggle when full of optimism she fulfilled her dream of moving to rural Cornwall with her young family one September. In the first book Up With the Larks Tessa" charted her first turbulent year with the " Royal Mail" & her transformation from outsider to Posh Postie adopted Cornishwoman & much-loved member of her new community. In " Seagulls in the Attic" Tessa is now a pillar of the community or so she thinks. Life is becoming hard for her & her family as they realise that being part of a small community is not quite the idyll she had been lead to believe as lack of money & the demands of family life take their toll. But as with the first book Tessa finds the fun & resilience to turn all the hardships to her advantage
- eventually. It is rapidly becoming a must-read book for all those who hanker for an escape to the country."
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When a fisherman called Huw falls in love with a selkie
- half-woman half-seal
- she gives him her sealskin as a sign of her

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A boy takes home a seal skull that he finds at the beach. It has dark empty eyes that stare back at him. Now a storm is brewing & his room is filled with shadows
- will he be able to calm the storm? This mysterious story by Anne Curtis is evocatively illustrated by Chris Corner. * Collins Big Cat Progress builds confidence helping struggling pupils not only to read but to love reading * Dual-banded books provide age-appropriate interest level material matched with a lower reading ability level * Every book is levelled by reading expert Cliff Moon to ensure precise systematic measurable progression to help close the ability gap * The books use a range of reading strategies: phonic graphic syntactic & contextual to build confident accurate fluent readers * Designed to build speaking & listening skills as well as reading skills the books are highly visual & include incredible illustrations & photographs * Every book has a Key Stage 2 look-&-feel to engage older pupils & avoid stigmatisation * Topics are relevant for children in years 3-6 & connected to the curriculum & framework objectives for these years to support inclusion * Progress titles contain a Reader Response page to encourage the pupil to respond to & recall what they have read. This offers an ideal opportunity to check comprehension * Ideas for Reading written by primary literacy expert Gill Howell are included in the back of every book to help you support the reading needs of each child
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A boy & his grandfather watch as a baby seal is born on the rocks near their home & from that day a special friendship is created between them. Despite his disability the boy is a keen surfer & he enjoys many afternoons surfing with the seals. One day however he gets into trouble in rough seas & the young seal saves him. Their friendship brings happiness & meaning at the important stages of the boy's life. ...