Best Selling Books by Daniel Pennac

"Anyone who loves to read and wants our young people to develop a similar passion will savor" Better than Life "- an enchanting, beautifully written, and wise book."--Regie Routman An essential guide to helping children discover the pleasures of reading! In "Better than Life," Daniel Pennac shares the secrets that all book lovers treasure. Delving into his experiences as a parent, a writer and a teacher, he asks, how does the love of reading begin? How is it lost? And how can it be regained? This remarkable book explores simple ways to create a life-long devotion to reading: how reading aloud can ensure that a love of books beginswhy it is important that children develop a private relationship with bookswhat "The Reader''s Bill of Rights" can do to guarantee children value reading This book reads like a novel with gripping anecdotes from literature and fresh insights into creating and nurturing enthusiastic readers.

"Things are never simple for Malaussène and his extended family of misfits and chancers," and this continues as "Queen Zabo, the redoubtable doyenne of publishing ... [convinces him] to impersonate the world''s best-loved, but hitherto anonymous author, J.L.B."--Jacket.

Daniel Pennac has never forgotten what it was like to be a very unsatisfactory student, nor the day one of his teachers saved his life by assigning him the task of writing a novel. This was the moment Pennac realized that no-one has to be a failure for ever. In School Blues, Pennac explores the many facets of schooling: how fear makes children reject education; how children can be captivated by inventive thinking; how consumerism has altered attitudes to learning. Haunted by memories of his own turbulent time in the classroom, Pennac enacts dialogues with his teachers, his parents and his own students, and serves up much more than a bald analysis of how young people are consistently failed by a faltering system. School Blues is not only universally applicable, but it is unquestionably a work of literature in its own right, driven by subtlety, sensitivity and a passion for pedagogy, while embracing the realities of contemporary culture.

Benjamin Malaussène and family are far from happy when his fortune teller younger sister Thérèse marries the aristocratic Count Marie-Colbert de Roberval at a televised wedding – a ceremony from which Marie-Colbert has unceremoniously banned the madcap Malaussène clan. Two days later, Thérèse turns up in Paris’s Belleville quarter back early from their honeymoon, only to narrowly escape death as her fairground caravan is mysteriously torched to the ground. When that same day his sister Thérèse’s husband is found dead at the foot of his luxury apartment’s stairwell, Benjamin Malaussène, professional scapegoat, packs his bags ready for the police to haul him off. Only it’s Thérèse the police arrest when she refuses to disclose her whereabouts the night of her husband’s murder. Without her alibi – which might have something to do with her sudden pregnancy – it’s over to Benjamin to save the day. Family and friends join forces to leave no corner of Paris unturned in their search for the true culprit.

The Fairy Gunmother is the first of a series of novels featuring the same anti hero, Benjamin Malaussène. Pennac has created a uniquely comic, indeed deranged, story of flying bullets, battered egos - and coppers left a little perplexed.

A comedy on a public relations man in a department store in Paris whose job is to mollify angry customers. Benjamin Malaussene is doing splendid work until the store is bombed and people die, whereupon he becomes a suspect.

Manuel Pereira da Ponte Martins, beloved dictator of the state of Teresina in Brazil, develops agoraphobia the day a fortune-teller predicts he will die being torn limb from limb by an angry mob. His life becomes unbearable and he decides to hire a double to stand in while he set off to enjoy himself in the fleshpots of Europe. A few years later, the barber-turned-dictator also grows tired of running the country and employs the same trick as his predecessor to leave for Hollywood. On the boat there, he introduces himself as Charlie Chaplin. But everyone is convinced that he is none other than Rudolph Valentino disguised as Chaplin. When he arrives in New York, both the real actors are waiting for him. Back in Teresina, the doubles follow one another, fooling the people with ease. When Pereira comes back, he is astonished to discover that his stand-in doesn t look anything like him and reacts in a way that can only precipitate his meeting with fate."

Rescued from certain death by a kindly dog at the city dump, an abandoned puppy grows up fending for himself until he finds a home with a willful little girl. Could she be the mistress of his dreams?

From a particularly humiliating accident at scout camp, to the final stages of terminal illness, Daniel Pennac''s warm, witty and heart-breaking novel shows the rise and fall of an ordinary man, told through his observations of his own body. It is with damp eyes (not to mention underpants) that our narrator begins his diary, seeking through it to come to terms with the demoralising quirks of his fleshy confines. Through the joys and horrors of puberty to the triumphs of adolescence, we grow to love him through every growth, leak and wound, as he finds himself developing muscles, falling in love, and then leaving school to join the French Resistance. Yet, as ever, this is only half the story. As years pass and hairs grey, everything he took for granted begins to turn against him. Tackling taboo topics with honesty and charm, Pennac''s wit remains sharp even as everything else begins to sag. This is a hugely original story of the most relatable of unlikely love stories: a human, and the body that defines him.

Drawing on his experiences as a child, parent, and teacher, the author presents an impassioned defense of reading for pleasure.

Analyse : Roman d''humour. Roman policier (énigme).

A classic, essential read by master storyteller Daniel Pennac, with a new foreword written by Michael Morpurgo. The wolf has lost nearly everything on his journey to the zoo, including an eye and his beloved pack. The boy too has lost much and seen many terrible things. They stand eye to eye on either side of the wolf''s enclosure and, slowly, each makes his own extraordinary story known to the other...

Jean and Germaine are the most affable couple the little village of Colle sur Loup has ever seen. A duke married to a commoner, they have no children, no jobs, and are disastrous cooks! They like to indulge in life''s small pleasures; their books, their garden, and their after-lunch naps. They live for each other, and for their love. Their simple happiness intrigues, fascinates, infuriates and is the envy of all those around them. Daniel Pennac knew Jean and Germaine well. He spent his time at their house reading, watching, learning, and, of course, trying Germaine''s catastrophic efforts in the kitchen! He''s now taken it upon himself to tell the story of those happy days, and of a love that has always captivated him.

"Benjamin Malaussene, the Belleville scapegoat, and his family of half sisters and brothers are once again the target for a series of increasingly catastrophic mishaps which culminate in his imprisonment on 21 counts of murder. Meanwhile, the real serial killer remains at large." --Book Jacket.

After their umpteenth defeat at Lucky Luke’s hands, the Dalton brothers get into a big argument that ends with the four of them splitting up. They make a deal: Whoever is first to get a million dollars will be the leader of the gang. Going their separate ways, trying various schemes, each spreads his own kind of mayhem, forcing poor Lucky Luke to do four times the work to keep up with their antics !

Lecture suivie

It’s the start of the 1860s, and the Old West is changing—a change that comes as a shock to the Daltons when they’re arrested not by Lucky Luke, but by... Allan Pinkerton! The man is determined to turn bandit-hunting into a modern, rational business—even at the cost of the American people’s personal freedom. It’ll be up to Lucky Luke to ensure that the USA is protected against all evil-doers, rascals and lawmen alike...

Kamo won''t get on a bike. Not even his friend''s grandfather''s classic. He says he has a bad feeling - it turns out he was right. As he lies in his hospital bed it seems to his friends that their funny, crazy pal is turning into someone else - someone firece and strong who can escape from anywhere.

Sujet : vous vous réveillez un matin et vous constatez que, dans la nuit, vous avez été transformé en adulte. Complètement affolé, vous vous précipitez dans la chambre de vos parents : ils ont été transformés en enfants. Racontez la suite.

Essai.

La question de l''école est abordée du point de vue du mauvais élève, mêlant souvenirs autobiographiques et réflexions sur la pédagogie et les dysfonctionnements de l''institution scolaire, sur le rôle des parents et le souhait des jeunes de savoir et d''apprendre. Prix Renaudot 2007.

"Un matin, Le Petit a décrété : - Je veux mon papa. Il a repoussé son bol de chocolat et j''ai su, moi, Benjamin Malaussène, frère de famille, que Le Petit n''avalerait plus rien tant que je n''aurais pas retrouvé son vrai père. Or ce type était introuvable. Probablement mort, d''ailleurs. Après deux jours de jeûne Le Petit était si transparent qu''on pouvait lire au travers. Mais il repoussait toujours son assiette : - Je veux mon papa."

Torna Daniel Pennac i la mítica família Malaussène amb una comèdia coral plena d''ironia, amb trets del millor thriller. Benjamin Malaussène, convertit en guarda de seguretat d''una editorial, està passant una temporada allunyat de París per ajudar a protegir Alceste, l''autor d''un best-seller amenaçat de mort pels seus propis familiars. Mentrestant, els joves de la tribu Malaussène passen l''estiu dispersats pel món ajudant diferents ONG. A París, un important empresari corrupte ha estat segrestat, i la jutgessa Talvern, germana petita de Benjamin, és l''encarregada de la instrucció del cas, que es complicarà de mala manera a mesura que avancin els esdeveniments. Pennac torna amb una comèdia coral a l''estil de Molière però amb trets i ritme de thriller, farcida de fets estrambòtics que flueixen en cascada i amb els girs tan ben posats que el lector no pot parar de llegir.

Escrita de manera sencilla y con grandes dosis de fantasía, esta desternillante aventura cuenta la historia de tres niños que una mañana se despiertan y se dan cuenta de que se han convertido en adultos. Durante la clase de francés del profesor Crastaing, tres de sus alumnos, Igor, Nourdine y Joseph, se pasan un dibujo satírico. En él una multitud enfurecida marcha tras una pancarta que reza: «Crastaing, cabrón, irás al paredón!». El profesor, ofendido, les impone un castigo: para el día siguiente tienen que hacer una redacción sobre el tema: «Despierta usted cierta mañana y comprueba que, por la noche, se ha transformado en adulto. Enloquecido, corre a la habitación de sus padres. Se han transformado en niños. Cuenten la continuación». Así comienza la desternillante aventura de estos excéntricos personajes: los señores niños y los niños señores que deberán enfrentarse a los problemas cotidianos de sus nuevas identidades. ¡Qué difícil es meterse en la piel del otro! La crítica ha dicho... «Pennac exhibe una sencillez vecina a la coquetería y una candidez astuta.» El Periódico «Un libro excepcional.» El Mundo «Con humor y ternura, análisis críticos y fórmulas efectivas, Pennac ofrece una brillante y sabrosa lección de inteligencia.» Faro de Vigo

Ce serait l''histoire d''un dictateur agoraphobe qui se ferait remplacer par un sosie. Ce serait l''histoire de ce sosie qui se ferait à son tour remplacer par un sosie. Mais c''est surtout l''histoire de l''auteur rêvant à cela dans son hamac. Et c''est l''éloge du hamac : ce rectangle de temps suspendu dans le ciel.

Mercredi 18 novembre 1936 Je veux écrire le journal de mon corps parce que tout le monde parle d''autre chose. (13 ans, 1 mois, 8 jours) Jeudi 10 janvier 1974 Si je devais rendre ce journal public, je le destinerais d''abord aux femmes. En retour, j''aimerais lire le journal qu''une femme aurait tenu de son corps. Histoire de lever un coin du mystère. En quoi consiste le mystère? En ceci par exemple qu''un homme ignore tout de ce que ressent une femme quant au volume et au poids de ses seins, et que les femmes ne savent rien de ce que ressentent les hommes quant à l''encombrement de leur sexe. (50 ans et 3 mois) Lundi 26 juillet 2010 Nous sommes jusqu''au bout l''enfant de notre corps. Un enfant déconcerté. (86 ans, 9 mois, 16 jours) De 13 à 87 ans, âge de sa mort, le narrateur a tenu le journal de son corps. Nous qui nous sentons parfois si seuls dans le nôtre nous découvrons peu à peu que ce jardin secret est un territoire commun. Tout ce que nous taisions est là, noir sur blanc, et ce qui nous faisait si peur devient souvent matière à rire.

Segunda entrega de las aventuras de la tribu Malaussène, que se inició con La felicidad de los ogros . Ancianas que plantan cara a los jovencitos, vejetes que se drogan instigados por una misteriosa enfermera, comisarios que enseñan a robar... y Benjamin Malaussène tiene que hacer frente a todo ello. Cuando empezó a escribir El hada carabina, segunda entrega de las aventuras de la tribu Malaussène, Daniel Pennac se dijo: «Voy a divertirme dando vuelta a los estereotipos; y no a uno, sino a todos de manera sistemática». Y logró crear una gran novela -premiada en varias ocasiones- en la cual, además de la intriga, brillan la ternura, la profundidad psicológica, el sentido del humor y la denuncia social. La crítica ha dicho... «Un estilo que mezcla la extravagancia con el rigor de la acción clásica; una atmósfera criminal y poética; y un héroe en el que convergen la soledad y una familia numerosa y delirante. Pennac ha entrado en la aristocracia de los autores franceses de novela negra.» Le Monde des Livres «Aficionados a la novela negra: ¡dejad inmediatamente lo que estéis leyendo y corred a la librería a comprar El hada Carabina de Daniel Pennac!» Le Figaro Littéraire

Daniel Pennac va ser un alumne amb una discapacitat coneguda com a disortografia que li mermava la seva capacitat per retenir informació i era poc apte per a l''aprenentatge de llengües, tant la pròpia com estrangeres. És a dir, no va ser un alumne brillant sinó més aviat el contrari. Gràcies a l''educació que va tenir i al suport dels seus mestres va saber superar-ho i ha acabat convertint-se en professor i escriptor. En aquest text, a mig camí entre la novel·la i la biografia, fa un homenatge als educadors i als nens que sempre han estat els últims de la classe, narrat des de la seva experiència. Una obra plena de reflexions pedagògiques que no deixarà indiferents professors, pares i alumnes

Neste romance escrito por Daniel Pennac, ele traz duas histórias de vidas: a do Lobo Azul, que foi capturado no Alasca, sua terra natal e posto em um zoológico do outro lado do mundo, e o menino África, que depois de perder sua família e ter sua vila destruída, parte pelas areias do deserto do Saara com um camelo e um mercador chamado Toa, até chegar no mesmo zoológico que o Lobo Azul se encontra. Ao se olharem fixamente, durante horas, e repetidos dias, África enxerga a vida do Lobo Azul pelo único olho aberto do lobo (o lobo teve um dos olhos atingidos quando foi capturado). E o Lobo também enxerga tudo que passou na vida de África, pelo seu único olho aberto (após conhecer o lobo, África fecha um dos olhos e não abre por meses).

NOUVELLE ÉDITION enrichie d''une lecture du texte de Daniel Pennac par Sandrine Bonnaire et de fiches pédagogiques à télécharger gratuitement. La voix de Sandrine Bonnaire et le trait de Serge Bloch apportent sensibilité et humanité à ce petit livre solidaire, à partager le plus largement possible! Les bénéfices des ventes de ce livre sont reversés à la Cimade, association de solidarité active avec les migrants, réfugiés et demandeurs d''asile.

Après L''Agence Babel et L''Evasion de Kamo, on retrouve le narrateur et son inséparable ami Kamo. Leur professeur de français leur donne un sujet de rédaction qui provoque une véritable épidémie dans la classe...

Un chien raconte les déboires qu''il a eu à endurer à cause de la méchanceté des parents de sa petite maîtresse