New Releases by Richard Platt

Jump into the shoes of some of the world''s greatest explorers Rediscover the discoveries of the great men and women who risked life and limb to reach the four corners of the earth in this fascinating book. Hang onto the coattails of explorers as their adventures are told in thrilling detail. As well as following the lives of these explorers, you''ll find out what they discovered, where they discovered it, and why their journeys changed your life. Photos and illustrations from centuries of discovery, along with amazing facts on dangers faced from the South Pole to outer space, will make you an expert on epic adventurers. Explorers is part of the Mega Bites series, which uncovers the secrets of history, science, and the natural world. Investigate the most complicated thing in the universe - your Brain; then journey to the most mysterious as we dive into a Black Hole; and closer to home, marvel at the genius of the world''s smartest Codebreakers! Whichever title you pick, you''ll get the expert knowledge and fun facts you need on each topic, with every book packed with illustrations, fun stories, and anecdotes.

How does the body protect itself from infections? What makes your tummy rumble? Are you taller at the beginning or end of the day? This extraordinary book actually takes you inside - and around - the human body to see how it works, with the help of some truly unique illustrations and some very small people! Explore your brain, your bones, and everything in between in incredible cross-section drawings of all the body systems. Inside each one are teams of tiny characters busy at work, and explaining what''s going on. Every page is packed with jaw-dropping facts. Did you know that the skin is your largest organ - in an adult, it''s 2 sq m (22 sq ft). Have you ever thought about how heavy the brain is? Well, it''s about 1.4 kg (3 lb) and is crammed with 100 billion nerve cells that help you think and move. And by the time you turn 75, your heart will have pumped blood around your body 4,000 million times! With the challenge of finding two tiny explorers making their way through the body, learning about anatomy has never been so much fun!

How many rivets and bolts hold the wings of a Boeing 777 plane together? Why does an astronaut''s spacesuit have a layer of liquid-cooled underwear? Who puts the jam in doughnuts? Find out the answers to these questions and much, much more in Stephen Biesty''s Incredible Cross-Sections of Everything. His intricate artwork will have children and adults alike poring over every detail, whether it''s following the production line of a factory making newspapers or exploring the insides of the Saturn V rocket. Taking you through every stage of each process is Chester the Tester, a character who helps explain how things are made, along with his sidekick Hector the Inspector. Written with humor and fascinating facts to guide you through the illustrations, this book is a glorious way to learn about the world around you. First published 25 years ago, Stephen Biesty''s Incredible Cross-Sections series has been updated for the silver anniversary, bringing delight to a whole new generation of curious young readers.

This illustrated book for children shows you how things work. Look inside the human body, explore the magic of Venice, and take a tour around a movie studio - and much more! Part of a unique series, More Incredible Cross-sections is Stephen Biesty at the top of his game. In this updated edition with a refreshed, contemporary style, he gives readers an exploded view of 12 objects, places, landmarks, and modes of transport. But look closer! In every picture is an alien who has lost his way: can you find him? As you pore over Stephen Biesty''s superbly detailed pages, you will also discover loads of awesome facts. Did you know that steam engines were notoriously difficult to stop, leading to frequent accidents? Or that people at an Antarctic research base rely on supplies from an aircraft''s parachute drops during winter? From windmills to cities, airports to space stations, More Incredible Cross-sections is for curious minds of any age interested in finding out how our amazing world works.

An essential compendium of some of the most world-changing discoveries and inventions of all time, from the first use of money to antibiotics and artificial intelligence. In a stylish miscellany, celebrated author Richard Platt and printmaker James Brown travel through time to showcase the amazing breakthroughs in science and technology that have changed our lives forever. From the wheel to the telephone to the Internet, human history is studded with innovations that have changed our world. Each bold, bright, and beautiful infographic is complete with engaging and easy-to-understand explanations. A follow-up to international bestseller A World of Information and its companion, A World of Cities, this book covers thirty groundbreaking discoveries and is perfect for inquiring minds of all ages.

Look inside an 18th-century warship as it sails into battle on the high seas. Packed with extraordinary illustrations, this history book for children covers everything from warship design to navigation. Biesty''s incredible drawings slice through a man-of-war to explore every corner, from the crow''s nest to the stinking hold. Packed with fascinating facts and gory details, the pages teem with sailors going about their duties. Find out how gun crews fired a cannon, examine a surgeon''s toolkit, and learn the best way to wriggle the maggots out of the ship''s biscuits. Look out, too, for the stowaway on every page. He''s the one with spiky hair, and there''s a reward for his capture! This absorbing book will have children--and adults--poring over every page. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Stephen Biesty''s Cross-Sections Man-of-War remains as entertaining as ever.

History comes alive in this incredible children''s illustrated book about castles. Slicing through different areas of a medieval fortress, extraordinary views reveal the people busy inside, preparing for battle as an enemy army approaches. Packed with facts, you''ll find out what it takes to build a massive 14th-century castle, dress a knight in armor, or prepare a feast fit for a king or queen. From the drawbridge to the dungeon, Cross-Sections Castle swarms with the people who keep the castle going--the workers, craftsmen, and servants. And, as you pore over every page, look out for the villainous spy. Is he in the well... the keep... the moat? No? Keep looking, he''s there somewhere! Back in print after 20 years, you can now cheer on jousters, be entertained by a troubadour, and witness the gory details of a traitor''s demise. This unique illustrated book for kids is not just the story of a castle; it brings medieval history to life.

This children''s book explores the innermost workings of some extraordinary buildings and machines. From helicopters to submarines, skyscrapers to coal mines, open up a fascinating world packed with unique and detailed cutaway drawings. Whether it''s a Spanish galleon or a medieval castle, each cross-section slice or exploded view reveals what''s going on inside. See the people swarming inside the Empire State Building, the workers busy backstage at an opera house, and where the crew sleep on a jumbo jet. Included also are two impressive fold-outs showing an ocean liner and a steam train. There are lots of fun facts to be discovered, and curious details are highlighted and explained. Did you know one of the funnels of the Queen Mary liner was fake, and used for storing deckchairs? And in almost every scene there''s the challenge... to find a man sitting on a toilet! With more than a million copies sold, Stephen Biesty''s award-winning illustrated book is as fascinating today as it was when first published, in 1992. Incredible Cross-sections is the ultimate way to see how things work.

Written by award-winning author Richard Platt, How They Made Things Work: Age of Industry examines aspects of technology in Victorian times, including ship-building, weapons, motion pictures, photography, railways and telegraphy. Suitable for Key Stages 2-3, How They Made Things Work looks at how people in history advanced their societies by pushing the boundaries of technology.

Learn how the Romans used technology.

Egyptians examines aspects of technology in ancient Egypt, including irrigation, cosmetics, building the pyramids, ship-bullding and astronomy. How They Made Things Work looks at how people in history advanced their societies by pushing the boundaries of technology.

Travel the world and look at some of the most amazing buildings – inside and out! Find out how they''re built, what they do and lots more fantastic facts in this exciting and very visual book. Each building is intricately illustrated, providing lots of detail to look at and talk about.

A story from Farmer Richy’s Sunnyflower Farm about a pig called Spud who really, really, REALLY did not like mud.

Build your child''s reading confidence at home with books at the right level Discover how people have mapped Australia - from songs that recorded what the landscape looked like, and early explorers'' drawings, to modern maps and satellite images. Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts. Text type: An information book Curriculum links: geography, history

This pack contains six of each of the following titles: Big Weather, Jungle Journal, Man Meets Metal, Time Zone, Invasive Species, Flashes and Bangs.TreeTops inFact is a non-fiction series that aims to engage children in reading for pleasure as powerfully as fiction does. The variety of topics means there are books to interest every child in this compelling series.The series is written by top children''s authors and subject experts. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.

TreeTops inFact is a non-fiction series that aims to engage children in reading for pleasure as powerfully as fiction does.The variety of topics means there are books to interest every child in this compelling series. The series is written by top children''s authors and subject experts. The books are carefully leveled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.

Get an understanding of one of the world''s ancient civilizations, and find out all about their way of life, intriguing rituals, and bizarre sports in this fascinating account of how the Maya first established themselves more than 20,000 years ago in Central America, and their eventual demise. Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a complex, substantial text with challenging themes to facilitate sustained comprehension, bridging the gap between a reading program and longer chapter books.

Man Meets Metal provides an introduction to ancient Britain, by introducing children to the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. TreeTops inFact is a non-fiction series that aims to engage children in reading for pleasure as powerfully as fiction does. The variety of topics means there are books to interest every child in this compelling series. The series is written by top children''s authors and subject experts. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.

"Platt weaves vast quantities of nautical information into a text as lively as it is absorbing." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Curious about life on a pirate ship? Check out PIRATE DIARY: THE JOURNAL OF JAKE CARPENTER, an account of adventure on the high seas as told by a feisty nine-year-old carpenter’s apprentice, circa 1716. Historically accurate illustrations of ship and crew, a map of Jake’s travels, and a detailed glossary and index vividly reveal the fascinating - and harsh - life of a pirate in the eighteenth century. Ships ahoy!

Set in the year 2098, in Galactic Mission five school children have won an international competition to visit outer space and journey to the distant star system of Alpha Centauri on the spaceship Argo to find a new home. But right from the start things don''t go according to plan-conflict, malfunctions, mistrust, and running out of fuel all get in their way of trying to enter Alpha Centauri''s atmosphere. Will they all make it back alive? Will they discover a new planet with great potential for human life to survive? DK Adventures are an innovative mix of narrative and nonfiction for kids ages 8-11 featuring engaging, action-packed stories that help kids build their skills in vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and critical thinking while developing a love of reading. With diaries, recipes, poetry, instructions, graphics, or songs, the genre spreads in each DK Adventures title enhance the story and reinforce curriculum learning, while the expansive range of entertaining nonfiction subjects will appeal to boys and girls everywhere. Supports the Common Core State Standards.

Project X Origins is a ground-breaking guided reading programme for the whole school. This pack contains 1 set of guided reading notes and 30 reading books, 6 of each of: A New Alliance, The Fear Machine, Nature''s Most Deadly?, The Lost: Dark Ground, Foolish Fears

The year is AD 107 and Iliona, an educated Greek girl, has been orphaned and sold as a slave in Rome. Apart from her diary, she hasn''t a friend in the world. But the family she works for are not unkind, and as Iliona begins to make friends and look around her, she discovers that the city at the heart of the empire is a fascinating place.

''Collins Big Cat'' is a guided reading series for ages 4-11. Top children''s authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that your children will love to read, banded to help you choose the right book for every child. Practical ideas for guided reading are included at the back of each book.

Every day, millions of people use trains uder our feet. Find out how underground trains help people to travel across busy cities.

As One Devil to Another is an astonishing debut work that C. S. Lewis’s biographer and foremost Lewis authority Walter Hooper calls “a stunning achievement, the finest example of the genre of diabolical correspondence to appear since this genre was popularized by C. S. Lewis.” Enter into this chilling and diabolical tale, one that reveals the very tricks and strategies of Hell. Through a series of letters between devils created by Platt, senior devil Slashreap trains his young protégé, Scardagger, to win an individual soul away from Heaven and into their clutches. As the devils plot their way to triumph, they reveal the spiritual dangers and risks we face in today’s society. Their frighteningly accurate perspective on issues such as contemporary technology and sexual mores is interwoven with timeless matters such as the power of prayer, the purpose of suffering, and the promises held out by Heaven . . . and Hell. Destined to become a modern classic, As One Devil to Another is a brilliantly written, deeply unsettling perspective on twenty-first-century society . . . a glimpse of ourselves through the eyes of those who have embraced their underworldly existence.

Describes ten different types of pirates throughout history, from Vikings and corsairs to privateers and yang-fei, and matches their strengths and weaknesses against one another in fictional battles.

Through Time: New York City tells the story of the Big Apple from its native American origins to the present day - including the arrival of European settlers and great feats of engineering such as the Brooklyn Bridge.

A fascinating account of the world of work from prehistoric times to the present day. Covering so much more than the 9 to 5 this book looks at all kinds of work from child labour and slavery to high powered or highly dangerous jobs. Learn about the machines replacing humans in the workplace and the communities who don''t even have a concept of what work is. What happens when work is scarce or people are forced to work against their will? And how many people''s dreams of leaving work behindcome true.

Find out about the four legged friends of the Aztecs, bloomers and the bike revolution and how the Wright brothers got it right! Read this book from start to finish for a social history of transport or dip in and out for fascinating and often hilarious facts. The informal style of writing issupported by wonderful illustrations and photographs throughout; this is a book that will engage and inform children of 8 years and above.