A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy and is known as @agatharoza on Wattpad.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children. Angelica is also the author of Hunt A Killer, a PERFECT SCORE novel, under the pen name A.M. Ellis, which she wrote as an IP for Scholastic in the US.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A.T. Emerald

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

Aaron Edwards is a senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, specialising in terrorism and counter-insurgency. He is the author and editor of several books, including Defending the Realm: The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945, and has lectured all over the world on aspects of national and international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

PublicationStatus

Brand

Format

AgeRange

Series

Imprint

CategoryLabel

What makes the ultimate Sunday League footballer? YouTube star ChrisMD has turned amateur Sunday afternoon kick-arounds into a social media event - and now, for the first time, he's sharing all of his secrets. Join Chris as he reveals the characters, training tricks and top-level dietary regime (greasy sausage roll from the village café) that has got him where he is today. 
 
Chris's debut book also includes behind-the-scenes photos from his life as a YouTuber, plus his proudest moments, biggest embarrassments and favourite memories from his years of making videos with everyone from the Sidemen to his own family. 
 
Includes links to exclusive, never-before-seen ChrisMD videos.

Thrills, Skills and Molehills

The Beautiful Game?

Beatrix Potter

Everyone has gone football crazy! It's rabbits versus squirrels. But surely squirrels can't play football, can they...? Peter Rabbit and his friends have hit the screen on CBeebies and everybody wants to join Peter Rabbit's club! So much more than a story - study the map, enjoy the adventure then complete Peter's special skill challenge.

Peter Rabbit Animation: Football Fever!

Morris Gleitzman

Premiership football as you've never seen it before. Morris Gleitzman, bestselling author of Bumface and Two Weeks with the Queen, introduces us to a marauding fluffy mascot, a wise-as-an-owl landlady and a WAG called Terrine, in an irresistible story of how one boy helps stressed-out top footballers find the fun in a kickabout again, with help from his fearsome agent (and little sister), Bridie.

Extra Time

Allan Ahlberg

Sebastien Braun

For anyone who can't see a ball without wanting to kick it, head it, shoot it, or boot it! 
 
'Not eating an ice-cream 
Or riding a bike 
No - kicking a ball 
Is what I like.' 
 
'What I like best, yes, most of all 
in my whole life is . . . kicking a ball. 
 
A wonderful rhyming story to read aloud, Kicking A Ball will not disappoint fans of Allan Ahlberg. First written as a poem, the little boy in the story has been brought to life perfectly by artist Sebastien Braun. Every parent will be able to immediately relate to the simple joy felt by a boy simply kicking a ball, and how there is nothing else quite like it. 
 
The incomparable Allan Ahlberg takes us on a journey from childhood to fatherhood full of humour, warmth, friendship . . . and football.

Kicking a Ball

Chris Bradford

JACK FLETCHER IS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE 
 
The port of Nagasaki is within reach, but the Shogun's samurai are closing in fast for the kill. So too is Jack's old school rival, Kazuki. Every road is blocked and every mountain pass guarded as Jack makes his final dash for safety. 
 
But, with all of Japan hunting him, he's going need a miracle to survive. And, even if he reaches the end of the road, will there be a ship bound for home? Or will he be burned at the stake first? 
 
Only the Ring of Sky knows his fate...

The Ring of Sky (Young Samurai, Book 8)

Owen Slot

Sam has discovered a talent no-one knew he had . . . 
 
Sam is the fastest boy on his paper delivery round - and under suspicion for being too speedy. 
But when Sam's boss spots his talent for cycling, he also sees an opportunity. 
 
And so years of rigorous training begin as Sam prepares to race in the Olympic Velodrome. Can Sam handle the expectation, now his skills have been recognised? 
 
 
**From an award-winning chief sports reporter for The Times. Owen will be reporting on the Olympics for The Times, lending even more authority as the author of this series in the lead-up to the Games. 
** In addition to the success of Team GB's cyclists, the Velodrome is one of the most iconic Olympic buildings for London 2012. Cycling for Gold features non-fiction facts and figures woven into an inspiring fictional story.

Cycling for Gold

Tom Palmer

The Squad - kickass teenage spies with the perfect cover. They are also part of an England youth football team. Wherever trouble is kicking off, the Squad are sent in. They're more than a match for any kind of enemy. In the first book in this exciting new series from Foul Play author Tom Palmer, the Squad are sent to Krakow, Poland just before the Euro 2012 tournament there.

The Squad: Black Op

Everyone knows Danny Powell was born to run. 
But no one knows Danny dreams of beating the fastest man on the planet. 
 
Until one day Danny accidentally lets it slip, and that's it. His ambition is out there - and everyone's laughing at him. Except, what if Danny could be the next 100m world champion? With the Olympic Games on his doorstep, there's only one way to find out. Will Danny's family and friends cheer him over that finishing line - and watch his dream come true? 
 
** From an award-winning chief sports reporter for The Times. Owen will be reporting on the Olympics for The Times, lending even more authority as the author of this series in the lead-up to the Games. 
** The 100m mens final is the one of the most popular Olympic events, and Running for Gold features non-fiction facts and figures woven into an inspiring fictional story.

Running for Gold

JACK FLETCHER IS BATTLING THE HIGH SEAS 
 
Ambushed by the Shogun's samurai, Jack and his friends have only one hope of escape - the Seto Sea. But with ferocious storms, man-eating sharks and ninja pirates at every turn, their chosen route is fraught with danger. 
 
A treacherous crew only adds to their problems as they flee south from a ruthless samurai sea lord. Unless Jack can harness the Ring of Wind, he and his friends are destined for a watery grave . . . 
 
Book 7 in the blockbuster Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford. Visit www.youngsamurai.com for competitions and FREE teacher resources.

The Ring of Wind (Young Samurai, Book 7)

A short story for the Young Samurai series! 
 
Japan, 1612. Shipwrecked and his father murdered by ninjas, Jack Fletcher is rescued by the legendary swordmaster Masamoto Takeshi and taken to his samurai school in Kyoto. Hunted by the ninja Dragon Eye, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins . . . 
 
In order to perfect his fighting skills, Jack goes on a gasshuku. But nothing can prepare him for the punishment of warrior camp - the climax of which is to enter the Way of Fire, a terrifying ritual that burns away evil. Can Jack overcome his fear and walk the Way of Fire? 
 
 
Part of the award-winning Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford. 
Visit www.youngsamurai.com for competitions and to find out more about the books. 
Previously published for World Book Day. 
'A fantastic adventure that floors the reader on page one and keeps them there until the end' - Eoin Colfer 
'Addictive' - Evening Standard

Young Samurai: The Way of Fire (short story)

Timothy Knapman

Gwen Millward

If you go down to Dragon Wood today, you're in for a big surprise. With cakes and candles, fearsome dragons and best friends too, there's nothing quite like a birthday in Dragon Wood... 
 
A curious little Dragon has a very important football match, and it's his best friend, the Benjamin's birthday too. Will his team win the match? And what exactly is a birthday party? Find out in this new picture book, the magical sequel to the much-loved Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood.

Happy Birthday in Dragon Wood

Meet Danny Harte. 
Football fan and crime detective. 
 
Danny loves supporting his local team, City FC. So when everyone starts supporting the Italian team Forza FC, Danny is angry. His club is in jeopardy and needs their support. Danny decides to investigate the sudden popularity of the new team - starting with Forza's billionaire owner - and that's when the danger really kicks off. . . 
 
Can Danny uncover the sinister reasons behind Forza's success - and save City at the same time?

Foul Play: Own Goal

Jack Fletcher has been left for dead. 
 
Bruised and battered, Jack Fletcher wakes up in a roadside inn wrapped only in a dirty kimono. He has lost everything, including his memory of what happened. 
 
Determined to discover the truth, Jack goes on a quest to retrieve his belongings - his precious swords, his friend Akiko's black pearl and most important of all, his father's prize possession. Relying on his samurai and ninja training, Jack realises The Ring of Water is the key to his survival. 
 
But with only a washed up Ronin - a masterless samurai - for help, what will Jack manage to find? What will he lose? And what will he have to sacrifice?

The Ring of Water (Young Samurai, Book 5)

In recent months there has been a spate of burglaries at the houses of players from Danny's favourite football club, City FC. Danny wants to know who's behind it all and is on the case. 
 
But after scouting out the crime scenes, there are newspaper reports of a young boy having been seen hanging around. 
 
Danny needs to find out who's behind these crimes - and fast. If he doesn't, he might have turned from crime detective into the biggest suspect of them all...

Foul Play: Killer Pass

JACK FLETCHER IS ON THE RUN 
With no sensei to guide him, he has just his wits and his swords against many new and unknown enemies, as he journeys along the treacherous road to the port of Nagasaki and perhaps home... 
 
But the Shogun's samurai are hot on his trail. Barely escaping their clutches, Jack runs headlong into a trap. Kidnapped by ninja and led to their village deep in the mountains, Jack has no means of escape. 
The only question is who will kill him first - the ninja or samurai?

The Ring of Earth (Young Samurai, Book 4)

When Danny Harte finds out there's been an anonymous foreign buy-out of his favourite club, City, he's furious - the fans were about to buy it themselves. The club is being secretive and Danny is determined to find out what's going on - until he's caught staking out the club by the police and cautioned. His parents are furious, and his friends too. No one is talking to him. 
 
But when Danny discovers Adam, a kid from Ghana, dumped by his agent who'd promised him a place as a junior at City, and lost in a foreign country he knows nothing about, Danny realizes there are worse ways of being alone. He decides to take Adam's story to the press - with terrifying consequences for them both . . .

Foul Play: Off Side

Linda Chapman

Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true. . . 
 
Brand new pupils arrive at the magical skating school for some sparkling new adventures!

Skating School: Amber Skate Star

James, Lily and friends have had some bad news - football is now banned at their school. But they all love football! So if they're not allowed to kick a ball the playground, they'll have to find another way to play - in secret . . .

The Secret Football Club (Pocket Money Puffin)

Young Samurai meets The Matrix 
 
Scott is selected as a games tester by Vince Power, creator of Virtual Kombat, the most realistic martial-arts video game ever invented. But when friend and rival Kate fails to return from the Virtual Arena, Scott begins to wonder if it's more than just a game... 
 
A thrilling adventure from Chris Bradford, creator of the bestselling Young Samurai series.

Virtual Kombat (Pocket Money Puffin)

Danny is obsessed with two things: football &ndash; especially City Football Club &ndash; and investigating crimes. So when England and City footballing hero Sam Roberts is reported missing the day after Danny saw him being taken, blindfolded, into the bowels of the City FC stadium late at night, he's determined to get to the bottom of it. But is Danny getting into something he can't handle?

Foul Play

Russian billionaire Dmitri Tupolev and a mystery Englishman agree to fix an important match in Russia's favour by intimidating the England goalie, Alex Finn. But Alex goes against their wishes. His punishment: an 'accidental' car crash and he's out of the return game in Russia. 
 
Something is going on with England's replacement goalie, and Danny soon finds himself caught up with the criminals of the footballing underworld. Will he unravel the match-fixing mystery?

Foul Play: Dead Ball

Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true . . . 
 
Emily and her skating-school friends are thrilled to be learning to drive sledges pulled by fluffy huskies. The competition that week to win the blue skates is a winter sledge-ski-skate race! 
 
The girls have to choose the best person in their team for each leg of the race, but will they discover that winning the race isn't all it takes to be Ice Princess?

Skating School: Blue Skate Dreams

Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true . . . 
 
Emily can't believe her time at ice-skating school in the sparkling Magic Land of Ice and Winter is coming to an end. She has met the most wonderful friends! 
 
But the time has come to find out who will be the true Ice Princess and skate their way to saving this magical world . . .

Skating School: Silver Skate Surprise

June 1613. Japan is threatened with war and Jack is facing his greatest battle yet. 
 
Samurai are taking sides and, as the blood begins to flow, Jack's warrior training is put to the ultimate test. His survival - and that of his friends - depends upon him mastering the Two Heavens, the secret sword technique of the legendary samurai Masamoto Takeshi. But first Jack must recover his father's prize possession from the deadly ninja Dragon Eye. 
 
Can Jack defeat his ruthless enemy? Or will the ninja complete his mission to kill the young samurai . . .

The Way of the Dragon (Young Samurai, Book 3)

Elizabeth Matterson

No parent, teacher or nursery group should be without this classic treasury. There are songs, rhymes and games for every occasion, all chosen for their proven popularity with young children. Collected from all over Britain, the contents reflect the cultural diversity of the nation, making it an outstandingly rich and stimulating collection. Since the first edition of This Little Puffin was published over thirty years ago, it has been revised and updated, allowing it to remain the most invaluable book of its kind.

This Little Puffin...

Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true . . . 
 
Emily loves dancing at ice-skating school and this week the girls get to invent their own routine - and design their costumes! 
 
Soon Emily is busy practising - but she is so eager to succeed that she forgets her friends. Will Emily remember that being a good friend means more than winning the pair of precious pink skates?

Skating School: Pink Skate Party

Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true . . . 
 
Emily and her skating-school friends can't wait to go on an exciting two-day scavenger hunt. 
 
The girls must work in teams and they all want to win the very special scarlet skates. But will they discover that listening to each other is even greater than winning?

Skating School: Scarlet Skate Magic

Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true . . . 
 
Emily loves to skate and when she is whisked away to a magical ice-skating school she can't believe her luck. 
 
But some of the girls aren't very friendly and she doesn't know what to do. Can Emily be brave and skate her way to happiness - and win the prized pair of wonderful white skates?

Skating School: White Skate Wishes

The fifth book in the fast-paced Football Academy series. 
 
James has been a junior player at United for a long time. Everyone expects him to follow in his dad's footsteps and play for England one day. But James isn't so sure. He has something he wants to do even more than football. Something that means he would have to give up football. The problem is he doesn't want to disappoint his dad. At a tournament in London, where he is pitched against Arsenal and Chelsea players, James finally makes his mind up.

Football Academy: Free Kick

Ben is at his happiest playing for United and is getting top marks from the coach. But every day at school is a trial for Ben, as he struggles to hide a huge secret from his teachers and classmates. 
Ben's secret is starting to affect his game - can he swallow his pride and ask for help before he sidelines himself - for good?

Football Academy: Reading the Game

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

Filters

Category

Age

Publication Date

Format

Series

Imprint

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter