Filled with vividly beautiful descriptions of land and seascapes, this roller-coaster novel quietly maps the changing nature of childhood through time.

After Jim helps save a beached dolphin, 'Smiler' returns whenever called to take Jim for a ride on his back out to sea.

The stories encompass themes of life, death, friendship, love and revenge and each is preceded by a short paragraph explaining the inspiration behind it.

This is a beautifully written tale of an exceptional friendship which survives beyond the boundaries of culture and language.

Although Jackie looks after Gran's tatty old donkey, Barnaby, she longs to have her own horse like the local boys. And when she finds an old broken gnome in a skip her fortunes start to change.

Quentin Blake's distinctive illustrations adorn this charming retelling of the nativity, which would be perfect for reading aloud on Christmas Eve.

This classic story is given a contemporary twist. The Merry Men become the Outcasts: a gang of the disabled, disfigured and dispossessed fighting back against tyranny.

Morpurgo encourages writers of all ages to nurture the seeds of creativity we all hold within us, and strives to reassure those who find school an unfulfilling and unpleasant place, as he did.

The Prince invites entertainers to the palace to cheer up the Princess. The puppeteers come too and perform the greatest story – the Christmas Nativity story.

Powerful illustrations underline this captivating tale of loyalty and bravery.

Like Michael Morpurgo's other stories, this is a convincing and compelling tale that illustrates beautifully the value of friendship, family and positive thinking.

Steven Spielberg enjoyed this story so much he has turned it into his latest film. Joey is a young farm horse, sold to the army at the beginning of the First World War. Through his eyes the reader experiences the devastation of the Western Front, his capture by the Germans and his entrapment in No Man's Land. This moving book is beautifully written by a former Children's Laureate.