Showing results by author "Matilda Woods" in All Categories

The charming, eccentric, heartwarming tale of a friendship between a lonely old coffin maker whose family is gone and a little boy in need of safe harbour. Everybody on the wonderful Italian island knows Alberto. The old man has made coffins for the great, the good, the poor and the rich for as long as they can remember. They know, too, that ever since his wife died and his children left, he's withdrawn further and further into himself. Indeed, he's become positively grumpy.

Curious, pin-bright Oona Britt dreams of setting sail with her ship’s captain father for a life of excitement on the wild waves. She has read stories of a magical creature - the Nardoo - who swims through the stars at night, and she stows away on whaling boat the Plucky Leopard for an adventure full of myths and marvel among the ice caps. In her second outing, Matilda Woods has crafted an enchanting, charming story of bravery on the ice-tipped ocean.

With a shrill whistle the Night Train is off, delivering its passengers to children's dreams. The yeti, the ballet dancer, the friendly monster and the princess all have starring roles. Then the train comes to an unexpected halt. A tree has fallen across the track, and there's no way the guard can move it on his own. It's a race against time and the passengers will need to use all their talents to get the train moving again. Can they reach their dreams before midnight?

In the city of Hodorf, the Tattercoats live by a strict code. Only steal what you need, don't leave a trace of yourself behind and if another Tattercoat is in trouble, you must always help them out. These are the rules that guide Nim's life as she and her rat, Nibbles, live on the streets and the rooftops of the only place she's ever called home. So when a new boy named Otto comes to town and gets caught up in the devious plottings of a former Tattercoat who's fallen from grace, Nim takes it upon herself to come to Otto's rescue.

Alberto lives alone in the town of Allora, where fish fly out of the sea and the houses shine like jewels. He is a coffin maker and widower, spending his quiet days creating the final resting places of Allora’s people. Then one afternoon a magical bird flutters into his garden, and Alberto, lonely inside, welcomes it into his home. And when a kindhearted boy named Tito follows the bird into Alberto’s kitchen, a door in the old man’s heart cracks open. Tito is lonely too – but he’s also scared and searching for a place to hide.

When Oona Britt was born in the magical town of Nordlor, where all of the homes are built from wrecked ships, her parents never expected her to be a girl. Having listened to a faulty prediction from a washed-up soothsayer, they were promised 'bold and brave son', so as the youngest of seven sisters, Oona's birth became a disappointment - especially to her sea captain father, who doesn't believe there's a place for girls aboard ships. But Oona is different from the rest of her family. She longs for adventure and knowledge.

In the city of Hodorf, the Tattercoats live by a strict code. Only steal what you need, don't leave a trace of yourself behind, and if another Tattercoat is in trouble, you must always help them out. These are the rules that guide Nim's life as she and her rat, Nibbles, live on the streets and the rooftops of the only place she's ever called home. So when a new boy named Otto comes to town and gets caught up in the devious plottings of a former Tattercoat who's fallen from grace, Nim takes it upon herself to come to Otto's rescue.