Two unemployed samurai are saved from drowning by the Ainus, a primitive people on a northern Japanese island, and are torn in their loyalties when the possibility of war arises between the Ainus and a band of Japanese settlers.

From National Book Award in Fiction finalist Andrew Krivak comes a gorgeous fable of Earth’s last two human inhabitants, and a girl’s journey home In an Edenic future, a girl and her father live close to the land in the shadow of a lone mountain. They possess a few remnants of civilization: some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, a comb. The father teaches the girl how to fish and hunt, the secrets of the seasons and the stars. He is preparing her for an adulthood in harmony with nature, for they are the last of humankind. But when the girl finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, it is a bear that will lead her back home through a vast wilderness that offers the greatest lessons of all, if she can only learn to listen. A cautionary tale of human fragility, of love and loss, The Bear is a stunning tribute to the beauty of nature’s dominion. Andrew Krivak is the author of two previous novels: The Signal Flame, a Chautauqua Prize finalist, and The Sojourn, a National Book Award finalist and winner of both the Chautauqua Prize and Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He lives with his wife and three children in Somerville, Massachusetts, and Jaffrey, New Hampshire, in the shadow of Mount Monadnock, which inspired much of the landscape in The Bear.

A cheerful and action-packed adventure about the importance of friendship and community from a successful author and illustrator duo! Once there was a river flowing through a forest. The river didn't know it was capable of adventures until a big bear came along. But adventures aren't any fun by yourself, and so enters Froggy, Turtles, Beaver, Racoons, and Duck. These very different animals take off downstream, but they didn't know they needed one another until thankfully, the river came along. This hilarious picture book and heartfelt message celebrates the joy and fun that's in store when you embark together on a ride of a lifetime. A Caldecott Honor Book!

Billedbog. A bear knocks on a door, and a boy tells the bear to go home, but the bear keeps coming back. When the bear finally stops coming back, the boy misses him

What would happen if a bear came to babysit? As Mum and Mike head off on their honeymoon, Arno and Bibi get caught up in the crazy chaos that comes with having a bear in charge. Download the full eBook and explore supporting teaching materials at www.twinkl.com/originals Join Twinkl Book Club to receive printed story books every half-term at www.twinkl.co.uk/book-club (UK only).

Longlisted for the Women's Fiction Prize Mummy never yells. Mostly not ever. Except sometimes. Anna is five. Her little brother, Stick, is almost three. They are camping with their parents in Algonquin Park, in three thousand square miles of wilderness. It's the perfect family trip. But then Anna awakes in the night to the sound of something moving in the shadows. Her father is terrified. Her mother is screaming. Then, silence. Alone in the woods, it is Anna who has to look after Stick, battling hunger and the elements to stay alive. Narrated by Anna, this is white-knuckle storytelling that captures the fear, wonder and bewilderment of our worst nightmares - and the power of one girl's enduring love for her family.

Otto lives in a book and is happiest when his story is being read. But Otto has a secret: when no one is looking and the mood strikes, Otto walks right off of his book's pages! Full color.