Manilla Press is a home for novelists, journalists, memoirists, thinkers, dreamers, influencers. Our reach is international, our range broad, we publish with focus, passion and conviction, and we seek to find and publish underrepresented voices.
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Piccadilly Press publishes books primarily for readers aged 5 – 12 years old. Their books are fun, family-orientated stories that possess the ability to capture readers’ imagination and inspire them to develop a life-long love of reading.
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It is a coming-of-age story for Generation Z. How to grow up or even live in a world where no steady jobs are available, you can’t pay your rent and can’t afford medical or living expenses. Moreover, it touches on how to be a socially engaged artist in such a world, and more so, a woman in a post-me too world? Dijana, a daughter of working-class immigrants, tells the story of her difficult childhood and adolescence, how should became a journalist and later a writer in a society full of prejudices, glass ceilings and obstacles. How she gradually became a stereotypical ‘success story’, even though she still struggles with writing, because she can’t afford a ‘room of her own’. Dijana is a daughter of working-class immigrants, who came to Slovenia in the eighties in search of a better future. The family is building a house but is made redundant from the local factory when Yugoslavia is in the midst of an economic crisis. When her parents get divorced, Dijana, her older sister and mother struggle with basic needs. She is ashamed of their poverty, her classmates bully her because of her immigrant status, but mostly because of her being ‘white trash’. In the local school she meets teachers with prejudices against immigrants, but is helped by a librarian who spots her talent. When Dijana goes to secondary school, she moves in with her older sister who lives in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Her sister is into rave culture and Dijana starts to explore experimenting with drugs, music and dance. At the secondary school, she is again considered ‘the weird kid’, as she isn’t enough of a foreigner for other immigrant kids because she is from the country, yet she isn’t Slovenian enough for other native kids. She falls even deeper into drug addiction, fails the first year of school and has to move back to live with her mother. She takes on odd jobs to make ends meet. Whilst working as a waitress she encounters sexism and sexual violence from customers and abuse from the boss. She finishes night school and graduates. She meets many ‘lost’ people of her generation along the way, who tell her their stories about precarious, minimum wage jobs, lack of opportunities, expensive rent, etc. Dijana writes for numerous newspapers but loses or quits her job, because she isn’t allowed to write the stories she wants or because of the bad working conditions or the blatant sexual harassment. Due to the high rent in the capital, Dijana has to move to the countryside to live with her mother. She feels lonely there, struggles with anxiety and cannot write a second book, because she is constantly under pressure to make a living. She realises that she must persevere regardless of the obstacles, she must follow her inner truth and by writing about it, try to create a community of like-minded people, a community of people who support each other – all literature/art is social.
Moo Moo Cow and Little J are going on a trip! But, Moo Moo Cow doesn’t know her manners. When do you say “good morning”? Do you say “thank you” or “sorry” when you bump into someone? Learn along with our plucky if confused heroine. Moo Moo Cow books offer an engaging introduction to many common PreK and kindergarten topics, like weater, counting, manners, computers, helping, and clothes. As students giggle at Moo Moo Cow's antics, they'll solifidy their own knowledge. Each book comes with a practice opportunity on the last page.
English with Fun is a course for children between 3-5 years old and learning English for the first time. The course develops the handwriting skills, letter and sound recognition, letter formation as well as simple sentence formation. It offers children opportunities to learn a wide range of lexical items and essential Sight Words. The course also includes a wide range of highly motivating activities that are based on fun, games, interaction and 21st Century Skills. Key features: Build confidence in recognizing letters and sounds Help children to recognize print in the environment Develop fundamental spelling and punctuation Empower children with lots of lexical items and essential Sight Words Develop language starting from “Letter Level” to “Word Level” and ending with “Simple Sentence Level” Link learning to real life outside the classroom Develop thinking skills as well as personal and social development through a variety of engaging activities Fun images and stories associated to letters and sounds
English with Fun is a course for children between 3-5 years old and learning English for the first time. The course develops the handwriting skills, letter and sound recognition, letter formation as well as simple sentence formation. It offers children opportunities to learn a wide range of lexical items and essential Sight Words. The course also includes a wide range of highly motivating activities that are based on fun, games, interaction and 21st Century Skills. Key features: Build confidence in recognizing letters and sounds Help children to recognize print in the environment Develop fundamental spelling and punctuation Empower children with lots of lexical items and essential Sight Words Develop language starting from “Letter Level” to “Word Level” and ending with “Simple Sentence Level” Link learning to real life outside the classroom Develop thinking skills as well as personal and social development through a variety of engaging activities Fun images and stories associated to letters and sounds
English with Fun is a course for children between 3-5 years old and learning English for the first time. The course develops the handwriting skills, letter and sound recognition, letter formation as well as simple sentence formation. It offers children opportunities to learn a wide range of lexical items and essential Sight Words. The course also includes a wide range of highly motivating activities that are based on fun, games, interaction and 21st Century Skills. Key features: Build confidence in recognizing letters and sounds Help children to recognize print in the environment Develop fundamental spelling and punctuation Empower children with lots of lexical items and essential Sight Words Develop language starting from “Letter Level” to “Word Level” and ending with “Simple Sentence Level” Link learning to real life outside the classroom Develop thinking skills as well as personal and social development through a variety of engaging activities Fun images and stories associated to letters and sounds
English with Fun is a course for children between 3-5 years old and learning English for the first time. The course develops the handwriting skills, letter and sound recognition, letter formation as well as simple sentence formation. It offers children opportunities to learn a wide range of lexical items and essential Sight Words. The course also includes a wide range of highly motivating activities that are based on fun, games, interaction and 21st Century Skills. Key features: Build confidence in recognizing letters and sounds Help children to recognize print in the environment Develop fundamental spelling and punctuation Empower children with lots of lexical items and essential Sight Words Develop language starting from “Letter Level” to “Word Level” and ending with “Simple Sentence Level” Link learning to real life outside the classroom Develop thinking skills as well as personal and social development through a variety of engaging activities Fun images and stories associated to letters and sounds
Science With Fun is a course for children between 3-5 years old. It prepares the children to think like scientists by applying elements of the Investigatory Approach. It encourages curiosity, observation, questioning, investigation and experimenting to effectively learn the scientific concepts. By the end of this course the children will be able to apply scientific process, communicate scientific ideas effectively and understand the nature of science. Key features: Age appropriate scientific concepts, experiments and hands-on activities Apply basic scientific thinking skills, like sorting, grouping, analyzing, prediction, etc. Use of illustrations to explains the scientific concepts Key words are color-coded for easy access Revision Sections to check the child’s understanding and progress Cover a range of essential topics, like the Earth, water, weather, living and nonliving things, plants, animals and humans
Math with Fun is a course for children between 3 and 5 years old. This comprehensive research-based course helps children develop and master the basic mathematical skills as well as the legibility of numbers handwriting skill. Math with Fun is a course for children between 3 and 5 years old. This comprehensive research-based course helps children develop and master the basic mathematical skills as well as the legibility of numbers handwriting skill. The content is fully understandable, engaging, meaningful and relevant to the children’s life. It covers the following areas: Numbers, counting and cardinality Basic algebraic operations and thinking Data and measurement Geometry Problem solving and critical thinking
Curiosity is an inspiring rover trundling around the surface of Mars! What does it see as it explores? What is it looking for in the red, sandy deserts? In this gorgeous pre-K book, the plucky rover itself shares its extraterrestrial findings and incredible photos. Curiosity's Eyes and the accompanying Eyes in Space titles are the perfect way to introduce young readers to the wonders of outer space and the human ingenuity that makes exploration possible.
Introduce prekindergarten reading skills with fun and effective daily practice activities. This prekindergarten workbook focuses on beginning reading activities to build key foundational skills. This reading workbooks makes at-home learning, whole class instruction, or small group support, quick and easy. It includes standards-based activities, easy-to-follow instructions, and an answer key to quickly assess student understanding. Parents appreciate the teacher-approved activity books that keep their child engaged and learning. Great for homeschooling, to reinforce learning at school, or to prepare for kindergarten. Teachers rely on the daily practice workbooks to save them valuable time. The ready to implement activities are perfect for daily morning review or homework. The activities can also be used for intervention skill building to address learning gaps.
This line of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) workbooks comes from the Learning Fun Workbook series and encourages kids to experiment and engineer, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to be problem-solvers and critical thinkers–now and for life. Grades Prek-2
Chugga-chugga, choo-choo. Welcome to a very special train... the SHAPE TRAIN! How many shapes can your learner identify as it comes chugging through? With gorgeous illustrations and a catchy rhyme, this book is an instant classic that'll make young readers smile again and again.
The ISS has orbited Earth for years, and it can't wait to share its beautiful photos with young readers! What do Earth's weather and clouds look like from above? What can we learn from the ISS's experiences? Kids will love this playful perspective on their world and its gentle introduction to fascinating science concepts. The International Space Station's Eyes and the accompanying Eyes in Space titles are the perfect way to introduce young readers to the wonders of outer space and the human ingenuity that makes exploration possible.
A courageous girl follows her dream of learning to fly in this beautifully illustrated story inspired by imprisoned human rights activist Loujain AlHathloul, perfect for Malala’s Magic Pencil fans. Loujain watches her beloved baba attach his feather wings and fly each morning, but her own dreams of flying face a big obstacle: only boys, not girls, are allowed to fly in her country. Yet despite the taunts of her classmates, she is determined that some day, she too will learn to do it--especially because Loujain loves colors, and only by flying will she be able to see the color-filled field of sunflowers her baba has told her about. Eventually, he agrees to teach her, and Loujain's impossible dream becomes reality--inspiring other girls to dare to learn to fly. Inspired by co-author Lina al-Hathloul's sister, formerly imprisoned Saudi women's rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Loujain al-Hathloul, who led the successful campaign to lift Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving. This gorgeously illustrated story is lyrical and moving. Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers is for young readers ages 4 to 8 years old. Along with the magical story of a young girl who perseveres and achieves her dream of flying despite gender bias in her country, the book will include age-appropriate back matter to help parents and teachers present Loujain’s life story, including her successful campaign to lift Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving, her subsequent imprisonment of nearly three years, and the worldwide girls' and women's human rights movement that her case has galvanized.
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THE PESKY TRIO: ROXY FINDS A HOMEWritten by Andrej E. SkubicIllustrated by Tanja Komadina Two new books from the popular Pesky Trio series A new dog named Roxy is adopted from a Bosnian animal shelter by Tomaž’s family. Dad has always said he’s more of a “cat person” and Mum resents that so much of the responsibility falls on her. Tomaž was unhappy to see the dog causing arguments between his mother and father. “A dog should bring joy, not bickering.” But this dog has so many problems. How will the Pesky Trio react to the new dog? Format: 14 x 20 cm72 pages | Age: 6+
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“Anyone looking for a goal will remain empty when it will be reached, but whoever finds a way, will always carry the goal inside.” Nejc Zaplotnik THE PATH is a novel by Slovenian author and climber Nejc Zaplotnik (1952-1983). It was first published in Ljubljana 1981. The book narrates, in a novelized way, Zaplotnik’s life and experiences as an alpinist in postwar Slovenia, culminating in the ascension of both Makalu and Everest. It is 41 years since Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik made history as the first Slovenians who reached the summit of the highest mountain in the world. By 1979, the summit of Mount Everest had been reached by every major ridge, yet a large expedition from Yugoslavia arrived to top their last achievement of making the first ascent of Makalu South Face. The West Ridge of Everest was a long unconventional line to the top. It was first climbed by the Americans in 1963, and is still well celebrated in the United States today. Except the Americans climbed only the upper half. The Yugoslavians came to traverse it all starting at the base, low in the Lho La pass. Like many national expeditions in those days, it was huge. It included 25 Yugoslavian mountaineers, 19 Sherpas, three cooks, three kitchen boys, two mail runners, 700 porters and 18 tons of gear. The ascent had to overcome a steep and severe gap, which required a winch to overcome so it was possible to haul the gear over the broken portion of the ridge. All efforts and ingenuity combined, the Yugoslavians positioned three Slovenian climbers at Camp V who were close to each other, Nejc Zaplotnik, Andrej Stremfelj, and Andrej’s brother, Marko Stremfelj. The aim of the expedition was to climb the West Ridge, first time in history. An expedition that worked in the spirit of a time when collective consciousness ruled to achieve a goal would not work as it did if it were not logistically and organizationally well managed. From Khumbu Glacier at 5350 m, where the base camp was located, rises 700m high rock wall of the Lho La saddle, followed by a 1200-meter-high slope of the Western Shoulder, continuing into a 2500-meter long, laid but sharp and windy ridge, at the end of which is the beginning of the steep and vibrant peak of the Everest Pyramid. Because the wall of the Lho-La saddle was overhanging in the upper part, cargo could not be carried on the back, so Stefan Marenče constructed a manual ropeway at home, with the help of which more than 5 tonnes of equipment was used for the altitude supply of the camps. The goal of the expedition was reached on 13 May 1979 at 13.51, when Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik stood as the first Slovenes on the roof of the world. “We sit by the Chinese pyramid and we don’t know what to do!” (Nejc Zaplotnik) On May 15, 1979 at 2.30pm, Stane Belak-Schrauf, Croat Stipe Bozic and Sherpa Ang Phu also reached the summit. Ang Phu accidentally slipped 2000 meters deep onto the Chinese side when descending. Format: 18,8 x 12,5 cm 282 pages Paperback
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THE FIRST LADY (Prva dama) This novel is a reworking, in minimalist style and condensed manner, of the Biblical story of the beautiful Bathsheba and King David. The king’s “controversial” wife is an archetypal femme fatale, who is aware of her charms also in an emancipatory sense and, regardless of the means and victims, in an almost mathematically calculating way exchanges them for a “better” life – marriage to the educated king loved by his people and through this a climb up the social ladder, a better position, and consequently better pay and independence. Although Bathsheba’s life seems like a fairy tale, inside her grows a nagging feeling of guilt. Using fate and god as an excuse does not bring her peace, but pushes her towards self-destructive behaviour.
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WHALE ON A BEACHWritten by Vinko Möderndorfer Whale on a Beach is a story about differentness, normality and about the many struggles involved in growing up for modern-day teenagers, caught between family and peers. Theatrical premiere in Ljubljana in September 2018. Nika, a lively, curious teenager, moves house with her parents. She goes to a new school now, in a new place with new classmates. All seems lovely and just as it should be. Nika is popular, she makes friends easily; she is outgoing and witty. But it turns out that she keeps a secret; a secret that quickly gets out of the bag and will now change the lives of everyone around her... This heartwarming story about accepting difference is bound to appeal to young adults and adults, too. Winner of the Desetnica Award 2017, IBBY Honour List 2018. Format: 14 x 20 cm224 pages | Age: 12+
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Golden Pear Mark of Quality! Cannibals, Insomnia, and Mad Cows, How a Surfer Won a Nobel Prize, and The Story of 2550 Litres of Powdered Urine are just three chapter titles that promise that the author’s continuation of his highly popular first book, a huge hit with readers of all ages, will teach us something new about our environment and ourselves through fascinating anecdotes from the world of science, and provide immense entertainment in the process. Continuing the exciting journey begun in FROM GENES TO STARS, this book brings amazing new stories from the world of science, in which you will learn, among other things, how scientists photographed an environment, how they observed the birth of a new language in real time, what they did with 2550 litres of powdered urine, and also that Nobel laureates know how to surf and they sometimes solve the most difficult problems while on holiday. Enriched with illustrations by Matija Medved, the stories also reveal how the internet and blockchain work and how cholera epidemics were contained in London using a ghost map; you will meet a man who counted to infinity, mysterious creatures from the depths of the sea, a pioneer of science in Slovenia and the combination of circumstances that allowed the Archimedes Codex to be preserved to this day. Year of publication: 2019 | Format: 13 x 23.5 cm, 168 pages Golden Pear Mark of Quality
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THE LADY WITH THE HATWritten by Maša OgrizekIllustrated by Tanja Komadina Mrs Ljudmila, a retired teacher of sewing and a highly unusual lady, sets off with a suitcasemobile and Ara Bella on a journey full of entertaining adventures. Without brakes, and with twice too much and half too little, she arrives at an unusual kiosk, continues her journey through a forest, finds out that if you are silent all the time you may go crazy, learns how to swim and grows to love the sea, and in the end returns to her friend, Mr Nuts. She realizes that life is a picnic. Winner of the Levstik Award for illustrations in 2017, nominated for the Večernica Award 2018. Format: 18.5 x 24.5 cm120 pages | Age: 5+
