McCartney Paul. At the speed of sound (DVD + CD)

“One in ten trees comes up sweet…” • In the inhospitable Black Swamp of Ohio, the Goodenough family are barely scratching out a living. Life there is harsh, tempered only by the apples they grow for eating and for the cider that dulls their pain. Hot-headed Sadie and buttoned-up James are a poor match, and Robert and his sister Martha can only watch helplessly as their parents tear each other apart. One particularly vicious fight sends Robert out alone across America, far from his sister, to seek his fortune among the mighty redwoods and sequoias of Gold Rush California. But even across a continent, he can feel the pull of family loyalties…

- The fascinating history of castles told for children just beginning to read growing in reading confidence and ability • - Explains in a lively way why castles were first built, what it was like to live in one, and the cunning tricks used to defend them • - Featuring the humorous illustrations of Teri Gower • - Part of the Usborne Reading Programme developed with reading experts at the University of Roehampton • - The CD includes lively music and sound effects, and a listen along version followed by a read along version with prompts for page turns

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is the second part in Douglas Adams' smash hit sci-fi comedy and cult classic series. This stunning gift edition is illustrated by Costa Award winning Chris Riddell • 'One of the greatest achievements in comedy. A work of staggering genius'' – David Walliams • If you've done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the end of the Universe? • Which is exactly what Arthur Dent and the crew of the Heart of Gold plan to do. There's just the small matter of escaping the Vogons, avoiding being taken to the most totally evil world in the Galaxy and teaching a space ship how to make a proper cup of tea • And did anyone actually make a reservation?

Newly qualified teacher Tom Dwyer has been given his first post in Risingdale, a sleepy little village at the very top of the Yorkshire Dales. Unsure if he'll ever fit into this close-knit community, Tom joins a motley staff at the village school. With pupils who know more about sheep than they do arithmetic, Tom has his work cut out for him • Add to that an altercation with the beautiful but stand-offish Miss Janette Fairborn and an argument with the local squire's son, and Tom's first term proves a baptism of fire. But Tom soon finds himself growing fond of Risingdale, and with a class of lively and demanding pupils, an end-of-term show to put on, and a jewellery thief at large, he will find himself at the centre of drama, secrets revealed, and plenty of love, laughter and new friendships