★A bridge to literacy for 8–12 year old readers who are reading at around an 8-year-old level.
　　★Each 32-page book, written by 2020 Hans Christian Anderson award shortlisted author Joy Cowley, contains three short stories about the same characters.
　　★The stories are modern, carefully crafted, easy to read, and designed to appeal to a range of ages.
　　★Perfect for ESL learners and spans the gap between junior reading material and chapter books.

　　5 titles: The Twins, Buster, Selena and Mia, Motor Sports, Grandpa and Boy, with more titles coming.

　　Each book contains three high-interest/low readability short stories about the same characters. Full colour illustrations on every spread by premium illustrators.

　　Joy Cowley is a prolific, widely-published, and much celebrated New Zealand writer of fiction for adults and children. Cowley began her career writing short stories and novels before moving into the realm of children’s literature. She has published numerous novels and short stories. She has written a remarkable range of children’s books – including over 1,000 educational books for children learning to read.
　　Cowley has won many awards for her writing. In 2005 she was made a Distinguished Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children’s literature, and she was awarded a Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement for Fiction in 2010. In 2018 she was awarded New Zealand’s top honour, becoming a Member of the Order of New Zealand. Also in 2018, Cowley was short-listed for the Hans Christian Anderson award, the top international award for children’s literature. In 2019, Cowley was short-listed for the Hans Christian Anderson award which will be announced in 2020.
　　Cowley began writing for children to help her son Edward who, like her, was slow to learn reading skills. Her first picture book, which uses humour to carry a serious anti-war statement, was The Duck and the Gun, published in New York in 1969. It was republished in 1985 with new illustrations by award-winning illustrator Robyn Belton.
　　Cowley’s work is characterized by being child-centred. high-quality literature for young readers. She says: “Children need to find affirmation in a story. The story should empower children in several ways: helping them to feel good about their ability to make cognitive connections and to solve problems; helping them to see their own worthiness in the characters.”
　　Cowley lives in Featherston, New Zealand, where she continues to write for children.