New Releases by Colin Thompson

Ruby was made in 1934 by Austin Motor Company in Longbridge, England. She''s shiny, she''s beautiful and this is her story.

Sometimes it gets pretty crowded in the naughty corner ... Babies George and Cleopatra, 14-year-old Peter, 38-year old Brian, Nigel the cat, Credence the dog, and Monique, the yellow bird all of them have spent time in the naughty corner. It s meant to make them think about their behaviour, but they''ve turned it into a place to have fun. The only member of the family who hasn t spent time in the naughty corner is Maureen, aka mum. She couldn t be naughty if she tried. She thinks being good makes you a better person but perhaps it just makes your life dull and grey.

"The Floods are back in their rightful place as rulers of Transylvania Waters and there is an enormous amount to do to bring the country out of the Dark Ages. What does a country need to become part of the modern world? Well it needs socks, PlayStations and genetically modified sausages, but above all else it needs maps. Winchflat''s wife, Maldegard, has been appointed Transylvania Waters''s first ever Official Map Maker. What she and Edna Hulbert discover during their travels will astound, terrify, amuse, and intrigue you. Who were the original inhabitants of Transylvania Waters?"--P. [4] of cover.

The Floods children are suspects in a murder case! There''s been a murder at Quicklime College and the world''s most famous Forensic Special Investigator, Grusom, has been sent to investigate. With the help of his super-smart new assistant, Avid, and a can of magic beans, Grusom unearths the clues that will help him find the murderer. In no time, he has five suspects. Their names are Winchflat, Morbid, Silent, Merlinmary and Satanella Flood ... Will the Floods be able to stay hidden from the law - and from the evil enemy who is secretly following their every move - until they can prove their innocence?

The fourth book in Colin Thompson''s brilliantly funny series about a family of witches and wizards who might be living in your town. The youngest child in the Flood family, Betty, is a pretty little girl, who looks quite normal - unlike some of her brothers and sisters. She goes to the normal primary school down the road and she even has a normal best friend, Ffiona Hulbert. But Betty is not normal - she is a witch. When Bridie McTort, the school bully, starts throwing her weight around, Betty knows exactly what to do. And when Ffiona''s dad gets bullied at work, Betty knows how to fix that too. Meanwhile, Winchflat Flood has been watching old Frankenstein movies and has decided he wants to build a human of his own ...

The Floods family are on the run from an angry father with a talent for exploding, some very nasty but rather bumbling spies and the prospect of a life down the toilet... The Floods family are on the run! Travel back in time to faraway Transylvania Waters and find out what happened when a lowly drain cleaner called Nerlin Flood fell in love with the royal princess Mordonna. Can the two escape from an explosively angry King Quatorze, the nastiest spies in the land, and the prospect of life down the toilet? Why does their eldest child, Valla, drink blood? Was Satanella really turned into a dog because of an accident with a prawn and a faulty wand? This is your chance to find out how all the Floods children came to be born - or created.

The first in a laugh-out-loud series from the ingenious mind of much-loved children''s author Colin Thompson. Nerlin and Mordonna Flood have seven children, most of whom were not created in the traditional way like you or me, but were made in the cellar, using incredible mystical powers, some very shiny Jamie Oliver saucepans and a small chemistry set. The youngest child, Betty, is a normal, pretty little girl - but she''s a useless witch. Her attempts at magic often go wrong, with unexpected yet welcome results. The next-door neighbours should’ve known better than to rob a family of witches and wizards. But they did, and they''re about to find out what the Floods do to bad neighbours...

The second book in Colin Thompson’s brilliantly funny series about a family of witches and wizards who might be living in your town. Look through the cobwebbed, murky arched window in deepest Patagonia, and this is what you might see... Every day five of the Flood children travel halfway round the world to Quicklime College, the ultimate school for witches and wizards. There''s no time for silly games flying around on broomsticks. Sports day is coming up, and before you even wonder how four-legged Satanella copes with the three-legged race, here''s a secret for you. Orkward Warlock, the vilest child in the school, and his sidekick, The Toad, hate the big happy Floods family. And they''re plotting to kill the Floods - on sports day.

What do you get when you cross the legendary heroes of Camelot with the legendary humour of Colin Thompson? The Dragons! In the days when dragons roamed the earth turning people into toast, a mighty King ruled the world. This King lived in the great castle of Camelot in the beautiful island of Avalon. Guided by the great wizard Merlin, this King became a legend and his name was Arthur. The trouble with legends is that every time their stories are told they become more and more fabulous, so useless twits are often turned into superheroes.This is the true story of King Arthur, who was not a superhero. He was a nasty little spoilt brat who was totally up himself. Or was he . . .?

King Arthur has been overthrown. Long live King Arthur! The Dark Ages are over and the wonderful Days of Yore have begun. Everyone is looking forward to a magnificent coronation of the new King Arthur, followed by huge amounts of legendary peace and happiness that will entirely cover the whole of Avalon and there will be purple tights for all. But there is a rebellion in the land. Brat, the old false king, and Bloat, a teenage dragon, have vowed to overthrow the lovely wonderful King Arthur and bring back the Dark Ages. But Morgan le Fey and Sir Lancelot and a thirsty vampire will save the day. Or will they?

The Floods take on Wall Street and solve the global financial crisis in the ninth book of their hilarious, bestselling adventures. The world is in a recession and millions of people have lost millions of dollars. And just when things are about to get even worse, the Floods set up Summer School in New York and take control. Hooray, help is at hand - but as they say, charity begins at home. So millions of people will probably lose millions more dollars, but it will all work out fine in the end. Well, for the Floods anyway. Hey, come on. They’re witches and wizards, not some sort of charity.

HOW TO LIVE FOREVER by Colin Thompson and illustrated by author. This mythical story is about Peter''s journey searching for the book How to Live Forever in a library, with a thousand rooms, that comes alive after closing. Korean edition translated by Lee Ji Won. In Korean. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.

In a castle, in the heart of an almost-forgotten country, lived a king, who, like all the kings before him, had one dream - to discover the secret of gold. As the dawn of the new Millenium approached, the king''s 19th alchemist, Spinifex, goes to more and more extravagant lengths to build the machine that will realise the king''s dream.

Looks can be deceiving. . . . Betty Flood looks normal, she attends a normal school, and she does normal homework. She comes from a family of wizards and witches, though, and that means she is anything but normal. Betty''s new best friend, Ffiona Hulbert, however, is a completely ordinary girl from a regular family. She even has normal problems—like school-yard bullies. When Betty decides to use the Floods'' magic to help Ffiona and her family, you can bet that even they won''t be normal for long!

Bad luck seems to follow Norman and Brenda. Neither can find someone to love. Both try a pet, but it''s not the solution hoped for. And then one day Norman and Brenda meet.

Illustrated compilation of things those who make it through the snarling front gate of 13 Acacia Avenue without being eaten, past Queen Scratchrot''s grave in the backyard without having their ankle grabbed, and down into the cellars of the Floods without being turned into a Belgian geography teacher, might see.

After years on the run, the Floods are coming home. And just in time too. Since Nerlin and Mordonna fled Transylvania Waters, things there have gone from worse to much worse. King Quatorze has bled the country dry. He''s even sold everyone''s shoelaces. It''s time for a change, time for life with a lot less cabbage and a lot more chocolate. But first the Floods have to get rid of the old king ...

Orkward, Quicklime College''s biggest bully, devises a horrid plot to get the better of the Floods, a family of witches and wizards, during the annual sports day competition.

A family of wizards and witches living in an ordinary neighborhood in an ordinary town decides that they have had enough of the noisy family living next-door and makes them disappear.

George, a lonely orphan who lives with his grandmother, finds happiness and love after he brings a sad dog named Jeremy home from an animal shelter.

THE FLOODS 1: NEIGHBOURS Nerlin and Mordonna Flood have seven children, most of whom were not created in the traditional way like you or me, but were made in the cellar, using incredible mystical powers, some very shiny Jamie Oliver saucepans and a small chemistry set. The youngest child, Betty, is a normal, pretty little girl - but she''s a useless witch. Her attempts at magic often go wrong, with unexpected yet welcome results. The next-door neighbours should''ve known better than to rob a family of witches and wizards. But they did, and they''re about to find out what the Floods do to bad neighbours . THE FLOODS: PLAYSCHOOL Look through the cobwebbed, murky arched window in deepest Patagonia, and this is what you might see... Every day five of the Flood children travel halfway round the world to Quicklime College, the ultimate school for witches and wizards. There''s no time for silly games flying around on broomsticks. Sports day is coming up, and before you even wonder how four-legged Satanella copes with the three-legged race, here''s a secret for you. Orkward Warlock, the vilest child in the school, and his sidekick, The Toad, hate the big happy Floods family. And they''re plotting to kill the Floods - on sports day.

Building and Communicating Shareholder Value will be the single most valuable investment your organisation makes on the road to delivering sustainable shareholder value. The creation of shareholder value is the primary objective of any organisation, be it a plc or privately funded company - and research indicates that the pressure senior managers already face to deliver value will intensify significantly into the future with a global economy. Today, it is vital that all senior management builds and delivers superior long-term value to meet and exceed the expectations of all its organisations shareholders. Discover how this book will enable you to deliver superior long-term value to its shareholders and encompass the retention of its employees, customers and suppliers for long-term benefits. ''Success is within you and the sky''s the limit. Have passion to learn and let the knowledge help you to be successful in life'' Colin Thompson

In response to the stark reality of children around the world dying from starvation, and from natural disasters over which we have no control, thirteen internationally famous artists created a book, the royalties earned being donated to the Save the Children Organisation in Australia.

Comparing the short, happy lives of rats with the long, complicated, dissatisfied lives of humans can lead to depression for the humans. The answer: simplify.

Colorful, fanciful castles are described.

The Floods are suspects in a murder case--can they prove their innocence before it''s too late? There''s been a murder at Quicklime College and the world''s most famous Forensic Special Investigator, Grusom, has been sent to investigate. With the help of his super-smart new assistant, Avid--and a can of magic beans--Grusom unearths the clues that will help him find the murderer. In no time, he has five suspects. Their names are Winchflat, Morbid, Silent, Merlinmary, and Satanella Flood. Will the Floods be able to stay hidden from the law--and from the evil enemy who is secretly following their every move--until they can prove their innocence?

The youngest child in the Flood family, Betty, is a pretty little girl, who looks quite normal - unlike some of her brothers and sisters. She goes to the normal primary school down the road and she even has a normal best friend, Ffiona Hulbert. But Betty is not normal - she is a witch.