{"title":"Nicola Skinner","description":"\u003cp\u003eNicola Skinner's children's books invite young readers into vivid worlds filled with whimsy and wonder. With enchanting titles like \u003cem\u003eBloom\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCrow\u003c\/em\u003e, her stories combine gentle storytelling with imaginative themes that delight the senses and spark curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the adventurous spirit of \u003cem\u003eGiant\u003c\/em\u003e to the gentle mystery of \u003cem\u003eStarboard\u003c\/em\u003e, Skinner weaves narratives that balance emotion and discovery. Her books are perfect for nurturing a love of reading through captivating characters and thoughtful prose.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"bloom-by-nicola-skinner-9780008297404","title":"Bloom","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA beautifully written, incredibly original, and wickedly funny novel for readers aged 10 and older – \u003cem\u003eBloom\u003c\/em\u003e is for everyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in, and for anyone who has ever wanted a little more colour and wildness in their lives…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A riotous, original and timely reminder that sometimes rules are made to be broken.\" – The Guardian’s Books of the Year 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSorrel Fallowfield is growing up – in a REALLY surprising way…\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSorrel Fallowfield is so good at being good that teachers come to her when they need help remembering the school rules – and there are LOTS.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLuckily, Sorrel doesn’t have any trouble following them until the day she discovers a faded packet of Surprising Seeds buried under a tree in her backyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNow she’s hearing voices, seeing things, experiencing an almost unstoppable urge to plant the Seeds in some very unusual places… and completely failing to win her school’s competition to find The Most Obedient Child of the School.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd all that’s before flowers start growing out of her head…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46543132917996,"sku":"9780008297404","price":18.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25893943482190.jpg?v=1749734964"},{"product_id":"giant-by-nicola-skinner-9780008422486","title":"Giant","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Readers will be laughing and crying all at once. This book is an astonishing, unique feat of the imagination’ \u003cem\u003ei News\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom critically acclaimed author Nicola Skinner, her most brilliant book yet – a darkly comic story about staying true to yourself, even if it means tearing everything down …\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLuckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And there’s nothing wrong with that either . . . or so Minnie thinks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut when a dreadful earthquake strikes, Minnie realises she’s not quite ready to say goodbye to her giant – not forever – not yet. So Minnie goes on the run, betraying her parents and everyone she knows. The secrets she uncovers on her journey threaten to pull everything down: and so begins a desperate race against time in which she will confront the truth about her island, her giant . . . and ultimately herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46686464737516,"sku":"9780008422486","price":19.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/27144763482190.jpg?v=1753287722"},{"product_id":"crow-by-nicola-skinner-9781800902190","title":"Crow","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew girl Hattie hopes a scarecrow will protect her den at school, but she soon realises she can’t control him … A darkly comic tale from acclaimed author Nicola Skinner.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen lonely Hattie feels out of place at her new school, she creates a scarecrow—\u003cem\u003eCrow\u003c\/em\u003e. Hattie wants him to guard the den she finds in the playground, the only place she feels happy and comfortable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePoor Crow really just wants to have fun with the other children, but he takes his job for Hattie very seriously, and his behaviour starts to get scarier and scarier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWill Hattie realise that Crow is ruining her chance to make new friends before it’s too late?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticularly suitable for readers aged 7+ with a reading age of 7.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46993489953004,"sku":"9781800902190","price":16.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5121993482829.jpg?v=1763091355"},{"product_id":"starboard-by-nicola-skinner-9780008422448","title":"Starboard","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Spectacular. A wild, hilarious, surreal adventure of self-discovery’ \u003cem\u003eGuardian \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A fabulously entertaining, hugely inventive novel of epic adventure, friendship and bravery’ Editor’s Choice, \u003cem\u003eBookseller\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe extraordinarily inventive and inspiring new middle-grade novel from the rapturously acclaimed author of BLOOM.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of Kirsten, an \u003cem\u003eapparently\u003c\/em\u003e happy and successful 11-year-old YouTube star who meets a ship that comes alive… and is claimed by it as its new captain as it breaks free from its dry dock.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInspired by the true history of the SS Great Britain, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStarboard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is about the friendship, heroism and bravery that you can find in others, whether they’re made of flesh or iron. It’s about taking control of your own life and going on epic adventures. But most of all, it’s about finding out who you really dare to be, when you’re completely out of your depth…\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46996178501868,"sku":"9780008422448","price":16.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780008422448.jpg?v=1763124057"},{"product_id":"giant-by-nicola-skinner-9780008422462","title":"Giant","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Readers will be laughing and crying all at once. This book is an astonishing, unique feat of the imagination’\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003ei News\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom critically acclaimed author Nicola Skinner, her most brilliant book yet – a darkly comic story about staying true to yourself and the people you love, even if it means tearing everything down . . .\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLuckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. 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