Gareth P. Jones - Author

The Considine Curse

Winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year 2012. A hair-raising family adventure that will have you howling with enjoyment from author of the equally funny The Thornthwaite Inheritance and the Ninja Meerkats series! Gareth P Jones comments on his Blue Peter Best Book of the Year 2012 win: ‘I am beyond thrilled to have won the Blue Peter Book of the Year for The Considine Curse. Blue Peter is a national institution which I have watched since I was a child and so this is a tremendous honour. Getting a positive response to a book from just one person feels like a pat on the back, so winning a national award like this is like being whacked between the shoulder blades by an entire army... in a good way.’

Reading Planet - Project Pet Book 2 - Level 6: Fiction (Jupiter)

Reading Planet - Project Grandma Book 1 - Level 5: Fiction (Mars)

Reading Planet - Project Time Travel Book 3 - Level 7: Fiction (Saturn)

Reading Planet - Project Fame Book 4 - Level 8: Fiction (Supernova)

The Daily Joker A Belly-Wobbling Joke for Every Day of the Year

Welcome to THE DAILY JOKER: with a belly-wobbling joke for every day of the year, and joking tips and challenges aplenty, this is the year you'll become the funniest version of you possible! Think of this joke book as a map allowing you to sail the seven sillies, plot a course to Hilarity Island, steer clear of the rocks of stony silence, surf the waves of laughter and dig up comedy gold. NOTE: Please keep THE DAILY JOKER somewhere safe. Maybe you can keep it on a shelf. Sort of like a shelf help book. Or in a sock drawer, since you'll be laughing yours off. Or inside your pillow. You know, just in case. Wherever you keep it, you'll need to open it every day to read your daily joke. And we guarantee that if you read one joke a day and complete one challenge a week, you will become the joker of all jokers! ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT BY BEANO ILLUSTRATOR NIGEL PARKINSON

Invasion of the Giant Nits

The Pet Defenders Code: 1. The safety of Planet Earth depends on you. 2. Humans MUST NOT know the truth. GOOD LUCK - you'll need it... Biskit and Mitzy are confronted by a large alien spider who plans to destroy the planet. Worse, she has an army of nits that she can enlarge with a blast from her own invention: the Relativisor. She can also shrink things with it - and suddenly Mitzy is the size of a louse and clinging to Biskit's head. Can the Pet Defenders stop the nits ripping the Earth apart? It's a head-scratcher! This fast-paced funny series features action, mystery and animal antics.

Cheese from Dimension Pong

The Pet Defenders Code: 1. The safety of Planet Earth depends on you. 2. Humans MUST NOT know the truth. GOOD LUCK - you'll need it... A mysterious cheese has appeared in Nothington-on-Sea and it smells so bad it's knocking people out! Biskit and Mitzy discover some alien cheeses determined to live on Earth. And they're being pursued by a giant mouse! Can the Pet Defenders get rid of the rodent and the putrid pong? You'd cheddar brie-lieve it! This fast-paced funny series features action, mystery and animal antics. Perfect for wannabe detectives and kids who love SPY DOG and THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS!

Escape from Planet Bogey

The Pet Defenders Code: 1. The safety of Planet Earth depends on you. 2. Humans MUST NOT know the truth. GOOD LUCK - you'll need it... Animals are disappearing from Nothington-on-Sea and the Pet Defenders suspect alien activity. Secret agents Biskit and Mitzy find themselves caught up in the Planet Bogey Games. Biskit suspects the contest might hold the key to finding his missing partner, Champ. Can our heroes win the game? And what's more, can they get back home after? This fast-paced funny series features action, mystery and animal antics. Perfect for wannabe detectives and kids who love Spy Dog and The Adventures of Captain Underpants!

Beards from Outer Space

The Pet Defenders Code: 1. The Earth's safety is your primary goal. Defend it. 2. Protect humans from the truth. Good luck - you're going to need it! From Gareth P. Jones, winner of the Blue Peter Award and author of successful young series fiction, including NINJA MEERKATS, comes a brand-new comic caper. THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS meets THE X FILES - Pet Defenders are secret agents with a difference. The humans of Nothington-on-Sea have no idea their sleepy town is a hot spot for space invasions, and it's up to secret agents Biskit and Mitzy to keep it that way. So when an army of alien beards arrives, the Pet Defenders need to act fast... If the Beard King gets his way, soon every living chin will be under his control. Things are about to get hairy! For fans of funny and action-packed animal adventures including Andrew Cope's SPY DOG series, ASTROSAURS and Jeremy Strong.

The Thornthwaite Betrayal

The companion novel to the hugely popular THE THORNTHWAITE INHERITANCE After a lifetime of plotting each other's demise, orphan twins Lorelli and Ovid Thornthwaite have reached an uneasy truce. No longer trying to kill each other, they are living a quieter life in the remains of the burnt-out Thornthwaite Manor. It's not long, though, before some peculiar 'near accidents' begin to take place and the twins begin to wonder - is someone else trying to bump them off? Could it be the oddball builder Dragos, or Beaufort Nouveau, the twins' triple Michelin-starred chef? What would old Tom the gardener have to gain from the deaths of Lorelli and Ovid? Or stinking rich Uncle Harry, who claims to be the twins' long-lost uncle on their mother's side? As the number of near fatal 'accidents' ramp up, it becomes clear that there are some dreadful forces at work - but just who is behind the Thornthwaite betrayal?

Rise of the Slippery Sea Monster

Wanted: Dead or Alive! (Or smashed into little bits and delivered in boxes.) The Steampunk Pirates get a taste of their own medicine when the Leaky Battery is raided by a sea monster that's greedy for gold. But when the rusty robots race to get their treasure back, they sail straight into a trap... Can they dodge the creature's twisting tentacles or will they be squished to smithereens?... This hilarious series from Gareth P. Jones, author of Ninja Meerkats, is sure to delight young readers with its madcap humour and larger-than-life robot pirate crew. Perfect for fans of Jonny Duddle's The Ghostly Galleon and the Space Pirates books who looking for more swashbuckling action!

Death or Ice Cream?

Larkin Mills: The Birthplace of Death! Larkin Mills is no ordinary town. It's a place of contradictions and enigma, of secrets and mysteries. A place with an exquisite ice cream parlour, and an awful lot of death. An extraordinary mystery in Larkin Mills is beginning to take shape. First we meet the apparently healthy Albert Dance, although he's always been called a sickly child, and he's been booked into Larkin Mills' Hospital for Specially Ill Children. Then there's his neighbour Ivor, who observes strange goings-on, and begins his own investigations into why his uncle disappeared all those years ago. Next we meet Young Olive, who is given a battered accordion by her father, and unwittingly strikes a dreadful deal with an instrument repair man. Make sure you keep an eye on Mr Morricone, the town ice-cream seller, who has queues snaking around the block for his legendary ice cream flavours Summer Fruits Suicide and The Christmas Massacre. And Mr Milkwell, the undertaker, who has some very dodgy secrets locked up in his hearse. Because if you can piece together what all these strange folks have to do with one another . . . well, you'll have begun to unlock the dark secrets that keep the little world of Larkin Mills spinning . . .

Clash of the Rival Robots

Wanted: Dead or Alive! (Or smashed into little bits and delivered in boxes.) The Steampunk Pirates are lured back to England by the promise of gold. But the appearance of their inventor, Mr Richmond Swift, signals big trouble. He has a new army of robots and it's not long before sparks begin to fly. Have the pirates finally met their match? This hilarious new series from Gareth P. Jones, author of Ninja Meerkats, is sure to delight young readers with its madcap humour and larger-than-life robot pirate crew. Perfect for fans of Jonny Duddle's The Ghostly Galleon and the Space Pirates books, looking for more swashbuckling action!

Attack of the Giant Sea Spiders

Wanted: Dead or Alive! (Or smashed into little bits and delivered in boxes.) The Steampunk Pirates jump at the chance to earn a handsome reward in return for doing some snooping. But when they find themselves sandwiched between the Dread Captain Inky beard and a spider on the attack, it's time to beat a retreat. Can they escape without a scrape or have the robotic rebels ticked their last? This hilarious new series from Gareth P. Jones, author of Ninja Meerkats, is sure to delight young readers with its madcap humour and larger-than-life robot pirate crew.

No True Echo

Told with Gareth's signature wit, humour and thoughtfulness, this story examines the way stories shape our past, present and future Eddie is pretty certain nowhere could be more small-town, more boring, and more inconsequential than his home town of the Wellcome Valley. Unfortunately, he is about to be proved spectacularly wrong. Eddie's problems start with the arrival of Scarlett, a new girl in town who seems rather too confident and mysterious for your average schoolgirl. She attracts trouble (and Eddie) like a magnet, and she's apparently only interested in two very strange things - protecting the town's local crackpot scientist, and telling Eddie absolutely nothing about what on earth is going on. And why is she so interested in Eddie's long-dead mother? Things quickly go from weird to worse for Eddie, as he finds himself right in the middle of a dangerous mystery - one with consequences not just for him and Scarlett, but time itself.

Constable & Toop

London, Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts: Sam Toop, Sohn des Bestattungsunternehmers Mr Toop, kann Geister sehen. Jedoch sehr zu seinem Leidwesen, denn haufig nerven ihn die Geister der frisch Verstorbenen damit, dass er ihren Liebsten Botschaften aus dem Jenseits uberbringen soll. Richtig dramatisch wird es fur Sam aber erst, als er Lapsewoodbegegnet, einem phlegmatisch-ergrauten Geist, der von der Geisterbehrde mit einem mysterisen Fall beauftragt wurde: Er soll herausfinden, warum aus Londons Husern die Hausgeister verschwinden. Und ist die Schwarze Fule, die sich daraufhin in den Husern ausbreitet, noch irgendwie aufzuhalten? Die beiden kommen einer Riesenverschwrungauf die Spur

The Hammer of Thor

Legend tells of the Clan of the Scorpion, four mighty meerkats who are armed to the teeth with ninja-knowhow. They are sworn to protect the world from their longtime nemesis, the Ringmaster... Small, deadly and furry, the Ninja Meerkats are four warriors on a mission. In Book 10 in the Ninja Meerkats series, The Ringmaster has stolen the Hammer of Thor, an electrifying weapon that controls thunder and lightning. The Clan race to the deep freeze of the Arctic to put the top-hatted villain's plans to rule the world on ice. But the Ringmaster isn't about to let the meerkats steal his thunder... May battle commence! A hilarious series for boys by Blue Peter Book Award-winning author Gareth P. Jones (The Considine Curse), featuring death-defying meerkat action! Full of comical characters, daft puns, fast dialogue and even faster action, these book are irresistible to boys and girls aged around six to eight years.

The Society of Thirteen

A lonely girl in contemporary London encounters dark magic in Victorian London London, 1891. When orphans Esther and Tom are caught stealing by Lord Ringmore, little do they realise the peril they are in. Rather than hand them over to the police, the lord employs the children. But what does he really want with them? Blackwood is a man obsessed. He has devoted his life to unearthing the roots of magic. Tormented by the thought of death he knows that only real magic can overcome mortality. He has in his possession a book that contains the secret of true magic, but he cannot unlock its meaning alone. Only Tom and Esther can help him unravel its terrible and dangerous secrets... London, 2013, and a young girl called Amy is about to turn thirteen. She is never happier than in a graveyard where, one day, she notices a gravestone named only 'Esther' with a magpie perched above it who speaks to her. He is called Tom! A spine-chilling tale of magic and illusion, and an induction into the world of sorcery both fair and shady - so beware!

The Forbidden Palace

Legend tells of the Clan of the Scorpion, four mighty meerkats who are armed to the teeth with ninja-know-how. They are sworn to protect the world from their longtime nemesis, the Ringmaster. Small, deadly and furry, the Ninja Meerkats are four warriors on a mission. In Book 9 in the Ninja Meerkats series, the meerkats are hot on the heels of the Ringmaster in the mysterious mountains and jungles of Peru. The Ringmaster has his sights set on a legendary palace with a magical throne, which brings power to anyone who sits on it. The meerkats must stop the Ringmaster in his tracks - but he's laid traps every step of the way... A hilarious series featuring death-defying meerkat action! Full of comical characters, daft puns, fast dialogue and even faster action, these book are irresistable to boys and girls aged around six to eight years.

Outback Attack

Legend tells of the Clan of the Scorpion, four mighty meerkats who are armed to the teeth with ninja-know-how. They are sworn to protect the world from their longtime nemesis, the Ringmaster. Small, deadly and furry, The Ninja Meerkats are four warriors on a mission. In Book 8 in The Ninja Meerkats series, the meerkats receive strange reports from the Australian outback. They fly down under to investigate, and discover strange goings-on in the desert. Who else could be behind it but that top-hatted menace, the Ringmaster? He is building missiles to take control of the world. With boxing kangaroos and killer koalas, not to mention the Ringmaster's crew of deadly circus goons, this is one deadly desert mission. A hilarious series for boys, featuring death-defying meerkat action! Full of comical characters, daft puns, fast dialogue and even faster action, these book are irresistable to boys aged around six to eight years.

The Ultimate Dragon Warrior

Legend tells of the Clan of the Scorpion, four mighty meerkats who are armed to the teeth with ninja-know-how. They are sworn to protect the world from their longtime nemesis, the Ringmaster. Small, deadly and furry, The Ninja Meerkats are four warriors on a mission. In Book 7 in The Ninja Meerkats series, the meerkats are invited to a mysterious island to take part in an elite fighting competition. But everything on the island is not as it seems and the meerkats suspect that the Ringmaster is plotting another of his evil plans. Do the meerkats have what it takes to become champions in the most deadly contest of all - their fight against the Ringmaster? A hilarious series for boys, featuring death-defying meerkat action! Full of comical characters, daft puns, fast dialogue and even faster action, these book are irresistable to boys aged around six to eight years.

Big City Bust-up

Legend tells of the Clan of the Scorpion, four mighty meerkats who are armed to the teeth with ninja-know-how. They are sworn to protect the world from their longtime nemesis, the Ringmaster... The mystical Stone of Life has fallen into the wrong hands and an army of living statues is causing chaos on the streets of London. The meerkats are summoned to help by the Secret Secret Service, and vow to leave no stone unturned. Can they succeed before the city crumbles? Get ready to rock!

The Tomb of Doom

Legend tells of the Clan of the Scorpion, four mighty meerkats who are armed to the teeth with ninja-know-how. They are sworn to protect the world from their longtime nemesis, the Ringmaster... When Chuck's brother Lob calls from Egypt to request the Clan's help, the meekats leap into action. Lob tells them that a local band of robbers known as the Thieves of Cairo are planning to infiltrate the mysterious Tomb of Doom and steal its contents, including an Egyptian mask rumoured to give its wearer the power to read minds. The meerkats smell a rat... Could the Ringmaster be behind this cunning scheme?

The Considine Curse

Winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year 2012. A hair-raising family adventure that will have you howling with enjoyment from author of the equally funny The Thornthwaite Inheritance and the Ninja Meerkats series! Gareth P Jones comments on his Blue Peter Best Book of the Year 2012 win: ‘I am beyond thrilled to have won the Blue Peter Book of the Year for The Considine Curse. Blue Peter is a national institution which I have watched since I was a child and so this is a tremendous honour. Getting a positive response to a book from just one person feels like a pat on the back, so winning a national award like this is like being whacked between the shoulder blades by an entire army... in a good way.’