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.

 

Joanne Owen was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and read Social and Political Sciences with Archaeology and Anthropology at St John's College, Cambridge. Now living in North London, Joanne has published two previous Young Adult novels PUPPET MASTER and THE ALCHEMIST AND THE ANGELS. Both have been praised for their atmospheric, magical historical settings steeped in folklore and legends. PUPPET MASTER, which is set in nineteenth-century Prague, was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Branford Boase award and has been translated into German (Bindlach), Polish (Egmont) and Turkish (Artemis) . Joanne published her third novel, the wonderful gothic tale CIRCUS OF THE UNSEEN, with Hot Key books in 2014.

Tony Ross hardly needs an introduction but just in case you need this: he is one of the most popular and successful of all children's illustrators. He has illustrated more than 800 books, including the Horrid Henry series and books by authors such as Roald Dahl, Michael Palin, Paula Danziger and David Walliams.