"WELCOME TO CRONGTON - where your loyalties and wits will be tested ...
Things have been quiet in South Crongton. It's been an age since anyone last spotted Manjaro, South Crong's most notorious warlord. But there have been murmurs that something is coming.
Jonah is the fastest sprinter in South Crong, and has his sights set on an Olympic Medal one day. But with his dad now jobless, and his parents constant fighting because they can't make ends meet, Jonah has more on his mind than the North/South Crong gang war games.
So when he gets kidnapped and taken to Manjaro's secret hideout, it's the last thing Jonah needs. But Manjaro's latest game comes with a map and the promise of a big bag of cash at the end. Jonah's family, and his parents' marriage, could be saved with all that cash! It's time for Jonah to rally the Crongton Knights again and follow the clues.
But will the map lead them to treasure, or something much more deadly?"
"Welton Blake has done it! He's asked out Carmella McKenzie - the best-looking girl in school - and she's only gone and said yes!
But just as he thinks his luck is starting to change, Welton's phone breaks, kick-starting a series of unfortunate and humiliating events. With bullies to avoid, girls ready to knock him out and all the drama with his mum and dad, life for Welton is about to go very, very wrong ...
Hilarity follows disaster in this sharp-witted tale of the trials of teen life from award-winning author Alex Wheatle.
'Wheatle's characteristic lively language, impassioned Star Wars references and colourful invented insults make for a brief but riotously relatable slapstick romp' — Guardian
Laugh out loud funny with perfect comic timing' – BookTrust
'A hilarious, charming story … Peppered with Star Wars references and laugh out loud, cringeworthy moments that every awkward teen will relate to” -- Scottish Book Trust
“As thought provoking as it is hilarious” -- Books for Keeps"
"Kemosha and her brother have lived their whole lives in slavery. Sold away to work in lawless Port Royal, Kemosha takes her chance to escape brutal treatment. With fortune on her side, Kemosha befriends Ravenhide, a man with a mysterious past who teaches her the art of swordfighting, and introduces her to the beautiful runaway Isabella.
Yet Kemosha's greatest test yet is upon the deck of the Satisfaction: the notorious Captain Morgan’s ship. His next adventure on the high seas could be the making of Kemosha – and her one chance to earn enough pieces of eight to buy the freedom of her brother...
“A thrilling high seas adventure… Kemosha’s indomitable spirit, determination and wit make for an unforgettable heroine.” – The Observer
“[A] stunning historical adventure… Wheatle has a big heart, an easy style and natural empathy and doesn’t compromise on the grim details as he introduces us to a little taught period of history through a girl with many of the same dreams as today’s teenagers.” – The Times, Children’s Book of the Week
“A vivid and powerful story… Another tour de force by Alex Wheatle a truly gifted storyteller” - David Olusoga
A thrilling, incredible story with a wonderful young Black woman at its heart, told by one of the most accomplished writers in the world today. Wheatle creates a heroine who is impossible not to love and who will stay in the reader’s mind and heart long after finishing the book -- Sunny Singh
Alex paints a vivid character in Kemosha, a stubborn and strong willed slave who refuses to accept defeat at every corner. It is a story about courage, determination, and never giving up. -- Kereen Getten"
"New from the winner of the Guardian Children's Book Award: Home Girl is the story of Naomi, a teenage girl growing up fast in the care system. It is a wholly modern story which sheds a much needed light on what can be an unsettling life - and the consequences that can follow when children are treated like pawns on a family chessboard.
Home Girl is fast-paced and funny, tender, tragic and full of courage - just like Naomi. It is award-winning author Alex Wheatle's most moving and personal novel to date.
Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It's a pity there's only one of him (Kit de Waal)
Wheatle's empathy, authentic characters and rich dialogue illuminate (Observer)
I love Alex and all he stands for in the world of literature (Kerry Hudson)
Studded with Wheatle's characteristic slang, Naomi's story is both heartbreaking and hilarious, offering no easy happy endings, but a flickering sense of hope. (the Guardian)
Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It's a pity there's only one of him. (Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon)
I love Alex and all he stands for in the world of literature. (Kerry Hudson, author of Lowborn)
Straight Outta Crongton has 'classic' singing from every page ... A joyous shout of youthful exuberance ... Wheatle's Twain-like command of patois never falters ... Enriching and life-affirming ... A total gem (Independent)
Elegant, authentic and humane. Straight Outta Crongton hums with the beat of real life and the language sings from the page. This is mature, powerful writing by an author with great talent and great heart. (David Almond)
Brilliant, tough, heartbreaking read (Tanya Landman)"
