There is something so wonderful about spending time writing children’s books because they provide so much opportunity to adventure into fantastical realms. Admittedly the humour aspect also appeals to me too.
What I find with writing children’s books is that the idea turns up and taps me on the shoulder until I give in and write it. Here are the books with the blurb and a little taster.
WYLD – ONE MAMMOTH ADVENTURE
AGED 8+
Sometimes the desire to explore can just get the better of you. That is what happened to Wyld when his family were sent to a remote valley to study the newly bred prehistoric mammals. Those prehistoric creatures weren’t the dinosaur kind either but the mammoth and sabre tooth tiger types. Of course Wyld didn’t believe there were creatures like that out there, so while his parents were in another stuffy meeting he thought that he would just take a ‘little look’ outside. That little look resulted in him discovering a fluff-ball of a creature. The pair of them ended up on a Wyld adventure that they could never have imagined.
The Evidence
Dear friend,
If you are reading this now, then something must have gone horribly wrong with this weird experiment. I can’t believe ‘they’ would dare to breed such dangerous animals. Now, if I was reading this then I would wonder what on earth was going on… Who was telling me this? The truth is it doesn’t matter, nor does why I’m involved. The key here is: I decided to share this with you. This letter is my security. Other kids out there should know that something like this is going on – just so it doesn’t happen to them. What I will say is: if you manage to get hold of this, then do your best to keep it from the prying eyes of adults.
Right come closer. Can you believe there are cameras everywhere? I think I even saw a microphone in a plant. Why put a microphone in a plant? Oh this place is just too weird! Now you understand why I have to disclose these crazy goings on. You see, all three families out here have all been sworn to secrecy. That is why I need to trust you.
TINGLE DINGLE AND THE TREASURE TREE
Aged 5 – 8
When Tingle Dingle’s Auntie tells Tingle a story about the Treasure Tree and river giants, Tingle does not believe her. To prove to Tingle that there is such a thing the whole family end up going on an adventure that takes them to a farm that grows giant vegetables, to meet the river giants and find treasure on the Treasure Tree. What Tingle and her family soon realise is that treasure is not what they thought it was.
‘Tingle do you want to hear the story about the treasure tree?’ Auntie Joanna asked. She glanced at Tingle’s mum and dad with a glint in her eye. Auntie Joanna glanced up at the branches above her as she remembered the story. Tingle’s parents watched Tingle shake her head and fold her arms. Josh looked up from playing with his two dinosaurs and made a little roar.
‘A treasure tree? I don’t believe you. Who puts treasure in a tree?’ said Tingle rolling and rolling sideways.
‘Who said someone had to put the treasure there? Maybe the tree grows its own treasure.’ Auntie Joanna held her necklace as she remembered. ‘Do you still have your treasure on your necklace?’ Auntie Joanna asked Tingle’s mum, Dianne. She smiled as she lifted her necklace to show a decorated piece of gold. ‘That is the best treasure there ever was.’ Dianne said stroking the treasured necklace.
LINK TO TINGLE DINGLE AND THE TREASURE TREE ON AMAZON.COM
LINK TO TINGLE DINGLE AND THE TREASURE TREE ON AMAZON.CO.UK
TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS
Aged 5 – 8
Tingle couldn’t help herself. She was always up to mischief. So one day, after one mischief too far, Tingle’s aunt warns Tingle that the Little Mischiefs were going to teach her a lesson. Of course she didn’t believe her aunt – she was just telling stories wasn’t she? They were just trying to make her behave. Well Tingle soon learns that mischief results in a visit from the little mischiefs who will in fact teach her a very big lesson!
CHAPTER 1
Spiders Wriggling
Tingle could not help herself as she quietly placed the huge spider on her Aunty Joanne’s plate while she was not looking. Tingle sat waiting quietly knowing that no one had noticed except for her little brother. He knew not say anything otherwise there would be trouble! There was silence in the open plan apartment while the two children waited.
They waited and waited and waited. For two minutes Tingle and Josh, her little brother, sat quietly watching the huge spider climb Aunty Joanne’s roast potatoes. Her aunty stopped chatting, lifted her fork and then… ‘AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,’ Aunty Joanne’s shrill scream made both Tingle and Josh cover their ears and giggled.
Aunty Joanne jumped backwards from her chair.
The chair hit a table full of ornaments. SMASH! CRASH! and BAMMMMM!
Tingle sniggered. Her mother quickly grabbed a glass and covered the spider. She then dashed to the communal garden where the spider was released onto the grass.
LINK TO TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS ON AUDIBLE
LINK TO TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS ON AMAZON.COM
LINK TO TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS on AMAZON.CO.UK
THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY
AGED 5-8
What was that hiding in the hedge? One afternoon, while Ben and Jenny played in the garden, Ben noticed a pair of extremely hairy legs belonging to a huge fluffy creature hiding in the hedge. Just as they investigated they were called in for their dinner. From that moment on the pair attempted to determine what the ‘creature’ was. During the night they watched from their bedroom window and could see the outline of a hairy shape lurking in the darkness. It had to be a monster didn’t it? What did that monster want? Why had the cucumber patch been destroyed? Had the creature taken the fruit bowl? Why were the prize roses beheaded? Was the creature trying to get their attention? Can you solve The Hairy-Legged Mystery!?!
CHAPTER 1
HAIRY HEDGES
What was that wriggling in the hedge?
Ben, a scruffy bean-pole of a boy aged nine, paused and picked up his ball. The sun had finally come out and the smell of damp grass and earth hung in the air. He glanced back at his little sister, Jenny, who was coated in mud. Her curly dark hair was encrusted against her face and her green eyes looked impatient as usual. She stood with her hands on her hips waiting because she wanted to play! With a Shhh! sign Ben waved her over and pointed. With a frown and a stomp she trampled over. ‘Come on!’ she said irritably. Ben made another Shhh! sign.
“What?” Jenny whispered.
With a confused look she followed his gaze and listened. There it was again, a rustling, a snorting and a gulping. What was it? “Oooop, ooop…”
The brother and sister crouched down and peered at the bracken beneath the hedge. Two very hairy legs with dark feet that looked like long sultanas stood in some mud. The pair glanced at each other. They had never seen anything like it before.
“What is it?” mouthed Jenny.
“It’s not human,” Ben replied with a shrug. There was definitely some kind of creature close by. Had it emerged from the forest beyond their garden? Did they dare find out?
LINK TO HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AUIBLE
LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AMAZON.COM
LINK TO HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AMAZON.CO.UK
ELORA – THE ONE WINGED FAIRY AND THE LAST BABY GIGGLE
AGED 8+
What would happen if all the laughter and giggles were stolen from the world? Mortlock, the darkest and nastiest fairy from the fairy realm, intends to steal all the baby giggles and laughter from the world so he can control humanity. He also plans to capture all the fairies so that he can use their magic to fuel his dastardly plan. What he didn’t expect was Elora, the One-Winged Fairy, escaped his grasp and has been called to the world by a baby giggle. She has teamed up with Jasper, a rather cheeky fairy, to find a way to stop Mortlock. There is just one little problem: gravity. Gravity is affecting Elora’s flight and having only one wing is proving a challenge. How can Elora overcome her erratic flying techniques to save the world and protect the last baby giggle?
‘Hey,’ said Elora.
The other fairies flew to the roses surrounding Elora’s bud. All plopped down, stopped and caught their breath. Each studied Elora and glanced at each other, to see if the others had noticed something different about the pink-haired fairy.
‘Hey,’ she said in a more uncertain tone.
The fairies glanced at each other and fidgeted awkwardly.
‘Have I missed something?’ Elora folded her arms. Why were they looking at her like that?
Finally the silence was broken. ‘My name is Alana,’ said one of the fairies sitting on a nearby rose leaf. She had curly plum hair that spiralled into the air and golden eyes. ‘We don’t mean to be rude but Elora you have a wing missing.’
‘Oh goodness have I? Now where did that go?’ Elora smiled cheekily as she replied matter of factly.
The group didn’t know what to make of her response and were silent.
‘My name is Elora-One-Wing.’ She fluttered her one silver wing and watched their reactions.
Another fairy sighed, ‘Hello Elora-One-Wing. My name is Buttercup.’ Buttercup was yellow with orange sparkles in her hair. ‘We aren’t trying to be rude but in this realm you will have to fly. It is a heavy place and you can’t just float like we could previously. I am already tired and I have two wings. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to just work with one wing. We are worried you might find flying a bit of a struggle here and we just want to help.’
Elora smiled, ‘I’ll be just fine. My one wing is large and worked well enough in our old realm.’
‘I am Jasper,’ another fairy interrupted as he crashed down. Jasper had a smiley face, turquoise clothing, a wisp of navy blue hair and big green eyes. ‘Do you want us to help you get to fairy school?’
Elora blushed and shook her head. ‘No I will be just fine. I just need to wait a little to get my bearings and I will see you there.’ There was no way she was going to be ‘helped’. She was not an invalid! She could do it herself and did not need sympathy. She was determined, and always found a way.
The group studied the stubborn fairy. They only wanted to help.
‘I have heard of you before.’ Buttercup revealed an expression of realisation and glanced across at Alana who had the same sudden recognition. They had both heard stories of a one-winged fairy. ‘Elora-One-Wing. Aren’t you THE fairy that faced Mortlock – the dark fairy, and are the only one to have escaped with one wing intact? The others… Well we all know what happened to the others. They became his shrivelled wingless slaves.’
Elora nodded and appeared embarrassed, ‘That was why I was renamed Elora-One-Wing. In honour of surviving the dark one.’
GARGANTUAN ADVENTURES – THE SECRET GATE
With a race and a chase Davina had to make an escape. She knew she had a mission but just could not remember what it was. There was something to do with a secret gate, a creature intent on world destruction and… something was missing: ah yes, her memory. How could she forget? So how on earth was she supposed to save the world from destruction when she couldn’t remember anything clearly?
He seemed completely unaware of Davina’s presence as he rested on his rake staring at the school’s stone walls. Behind him there was a swirl of activity and two of the nastier boys ran past. They kicked his freshly raked pile of leaves, scattering them in all directions. With cruel laughter they waited for him to respond. Ghost did not react; instead, he continued staring at the stone walls. In deep contemplation, he crouched down and examined something on the ground beneath his feet.
‘Ghost’s a freak,’ taunted one of the boys.
Silently Ghost picked up a stone and sniffed it.
Davina watched Ghost trace his fingers over the surface of that stone and scratch his face. What had he found?
‘Oy weirdo! We’re talking to ya!’ said the second bully.
Ghost adjusted his position so his back was to the two boys. He then parted the grass to reveal a second pile of perfectly aligned stones. The bullies soon grew bored, shrugged and ran off in search of their next victim.
Taking a few steps closer, Davina stood waiting for Ghost to notice her. He carried on studying each of the stones individually. She shuffled closer until she was beside him and coughed. Ghost didn’t make eye contact, instead he cleared away some leaves from what he had been shielding. Davina crouched beside him. The pair stared at a small pile of steaming stones. They were hot and fresh.
With a frown, Davina snuck a look at Ghost. What was he trying to say? He silently stared back. Ghost’s eyes were clear as pools but the blue eye had a white circle within it. They were kind and honest eyes. He was out of place at that school, he certainly didn’t suit being there. Ghost blinked, Davina quickly turned her attention back to the perfectly aligned stones: each was specifically balanced on top of another. Had she ever seen anything like it before?
‘Did you do that?’ she whispered.
Ghost sucked his lip in contemplation and studied her.
Intrigued, Davina went to pick up one of the stones.
‘Don’t,’ Ghost murmured quietly.
His reply startled her. ‘You can talk?’
Ghost nodded with a hint of a smile.
‘Then…’ Started Davina.
‘I only talk when I want to and to who I choose.’
Davina was stunned, ‘Why do you talk now?’
‘Because of that stunt you pulled last night,’ replied Ghost eagerly.
‘I didn’t pull any stunt!’ exclaimed Davina, not quite convincingly.
‘Yeh right! Then how do you explain it?’
‘Explain what?’ demanded Davina.
‘The fact these piles of stones only appeared when you arrived. Now they’re all over the grounds. Then there’s the stone carvings on the walls…’ Ghost said, pointing at the arches of the home.
Davina followed his gaze. ‘But there’s nothing there.’
Ghost looked up, ‘This is getting weirder – they were just there… Big stone carvings of…’
‘It’s just coincidence, that’s all,’ said Davina.
Ghost shook his head. ‘No Davina it’s more than that.’
‘Okay then… how do you explain it?’ she asked.
Ghost studied Davina, ‘I reckon you’re about thirteen years old and from a strange place, maybe overseas, maybe somewhere completely different. But whatever it is, there’s something ‘bizarre’ about you,’ he said studying her blue freckles.
‘That’s coming from you!’ Davina replied with a giggle.
Ghost smirked. He wasn’t normal either, normal was dull.
Davina gazed into Ghost’s haunting eyes. ‘So why are you here?’
Ghost shook his head. ‘Don’t change the subject.’
‘Come on tell me,’ insisted Davina.
‘You must have heard that I’m dangerous,’ Ghost answered with a sigh.
Davina drew closer.‘But why?’ She waited for his answer. Something shifted in the forest. It was a large, solid shape moving through the trees. ‘Did you see that?’ she asked, grabbing his arm.
Ghost glanced at her hand, frowned and turned slowly. ‘I saw something earlier. I thought it was the wind but I had me doubts.’
With a look of longing, Davina gazed into the forest.
‘I wouldn’t if I were you,’ said Ghost noticing her expression.
It was too late, Davina had already started toward the tree line – whatever was out there was beckoning.
‘I have to Ghost,’ she called back as she broke into a jog.
‘Be careful…’ called Ghost.
She shrugged off his warning. Maybe whatever was out there held answers.
LINK TO GARGANTUAN ADVENTURES – THE SECRET GATE ON AMAZON.COM
LINK TO GARGANTUAN ADVENTURES – THE SECRET GATE ON AMAZON.CO.UK
Michelle Dry's Children's Books 