The Ogre Downstairs

Description

Diana Wynne Jones at her finest -- family feuds and chaos, magic with hilarious results and some of the most original ideas ever to appear between the covers of a book. Casper, Johnny and Gwinny get a big shock when their mother Sally marries the Ogre. He is large and stern and not at all interested in children. His first wife left him years before - and the children aren't in the least bit surprised, considering what the Ogre and his two sons, Douglas and Malcolm, are like. Now the five children and two adults are squashed under the same roof, it's not surprising tensions are running high. Then the Ogre brings home the Chemistry Sets - one for Malcolm and one for Johnny. That's when the fun begins, as each side of the family discovers that these are no ordinary chemistry sets...

Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) spent her childhood in Essex and began writing fantasy novels for children in the 1970s. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she enthralled generations of children and adults with her work. She won the Guardian Award in 1977 with Charmed Life, was runner-up for the Children's Book Award in 1981 and was twice runner-up for the Carnegie Medal.

Praise for Diana Wynne Jones '[Wynne Jones] has a unique record of producing books you can't forget... Every book is different. And every book is likely to be in someone's top seven... I feel we need to acknowledge how lucky those of us are who grew up on her books, and to ensure subsequent generations enjoy the same intense and subtle pleasure.' The Guardian "...Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. Yet, at the same time, a great seriousness is present in all of her novels, a sense of urgency that links Jones's most outrageous plots to her readers' hopes and fears..." Publishers Weekly "Truly magical - guaranteed to leave you gasping - even hotter than Potter" The Bookseller "Diana Wynne Jones could teach Stephen King and JK Rowling a thing or two ... [she] has a skill for inserting just the right amount of detail in her written words, leaving you satiated but not stuffed." SFX