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Find out moreWritten by Joanne Owen
Illustrated by Tony Ross
Part of the Martha Mayhem Series
A deliciously, wonderful read that highlights how courage, team work and a little bit of sparkle can help you overcome any difficulties.
One day one her way to school Martha unwittingly releases a ghoul trapped inside a gate and meets a rather grumpy (but fabulously dressed) witch in a ditch. As the ghoul escapes and the witch runs off leaving warnings of impending doom, Martha is left scared but excited. A real, actual ghoul in Cherry Hillsbottom! But things become rather worrisome when the ghoul chases Martha and her friend Jack home from school. It isn’t long before the ghoul is causing havoc in Cherry Hillsbottom and it’s up to Martha to sort out the mess and come up with a daring plan to trap the ghastly ghoul back in the gate. But will her plan work or will the villagers believe that it’s just Martha causing more Mayhem?
The magic and feel within Joanne’s writing rather reminded me of Roald Dahl. Martha is a super character with a slightly eccentric and loveable Professor Gramps who has the best pet names for her. And to top it all there are ‘paranormal polka-dot pants’!
The start of what promises to be a fantastically exciting series for young readers.
Books in The Martha Mayhem Series:
1. Martha Mayhem and the Witch from the Ditch
A laugh-out-loud magical story featuring witches and fun, the first in a series of three books by Carnegie and Branford Boase long-listed author, Joanne Owen.
Martha Mayhem (real name Martha May) is always causing chaos! She just can't help it, somehow chaotic things just happen to her. Martha lives in the small village of Cherry Hillsbottom with her eccentric grandfather, Professor Gramps and her small pet hog Elvis. Life gets really exciting though when, on her way to school one day, she discovers a rather bedraggled-looking witch in a ditch. Griselda Gritch (the witch) tells a thrilled and alarmed Martha that she has accidentally let loose a ghastly ghoul that Griselda was trying to catch - and Martha is going to have to help her to get it back again! Griselda, though, is a rather grumpy and difficult accomplice.
Can Martha, with the help of Gramps, Elvis and her best friend Jack (AKA Scrambled Egg Head), retrieve the ghoul and prove herself to Griselda? A brilliantly funny magical story, full of energy and action!
With fantastic illustrations from internationally-renowned illustrator, Tony Ross.
ISBN: | 9781848125360 |
Publication date: | 27th July 2017 |
Author: | Joanne Owen |
Illustrator: | Tony Ross |
Publisher: | Piccadilly Press Ltd an imprint of Templar Publishing |
Format: | Paperback |
Pagination: | 256 pages |
Suitable for: | 5+ readers, 7+ readers |
Genres: | Adventure Stories, Humorous |
Recommendations: | eBooks |
Collections: | 70 Series of Books for Kids with a Voracious Appetite, |
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real. An early passion for culture, story and folklore led Joanne to read archeology and anthropology at St John’s, Cambridge, after which she worked as a bookseller, and led the UK children’s book buying team for a major international retailer. Joanne has written several books for children/young adults. She’s now a fulltime reviewer, workshop presenter and writer, working on YA novels with a strong ...
More About Joanne Owen