The Great Ice-Cream Heist

Description

'Those McIntyres are nothing but trouble!' When the McIntyre family moves in next door, Eva is intrigued - it is the first interesting thing to happen for ages. But her ever protective Dad - even more protective since Eva's mum died - does not agree. And the McIntyres are certainly noisy! But Eva is curious about Jamie, who she often sees on the roof of his garden shed, escaping the family chaos. Then Eva gets to know Jamie a bit better. And when he is accused of vandalising the local park, Eva is sure he didn't do it. It is up to Eva to stick up for him - but then Jamie disappears. Eva is now in a race against time, which snowballs into a helterskelter race with a 'borrowed' ice cream van, lots of irate keep-fit enthusiasts and lashings of ice-cream! A warm, funny adventure about sticking up for your friends.

Elen Caldecott graduated with an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University and was highly commended in the PFD Prize for Most Promising Writer for Young People. Before becoming a writer, she was an archaeologist, a nurse, a theatre usher and a museum security guard. It was while working at the museum that Elen realised there is a way to steal anything if you think about it hard enough. Elen either had to become a master thief, or create some characters to do it for her - and so her debut novel, How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant, was born. Kirsty Jenkins was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Prize and longlisted for the 2010 Carnegie Award. Kirsty Jenkins was followed by How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini, Operation Eiffel Tower and The Mystery of Wickworth Manor. Elen lives in Bristol with her husband, Simon, and their dog. Elen has her own website, www.elencaldecott.com.

I was inspired to read Elen Caldecott's Operation Eiffel Tower when I saw her talk about it at the Edinburgh book festival and was as entranced as all the eight-to-twelves . . . some scenes are funny (the children's attempted forgery is hilarious); others are poignant, particularly their visit to a B&B when they can't think what to say to their dad * Julia Donaldson, Guardian Online * Perfect for Jacqueline Wilson fans * Bookseller * Funny . . . poignant . . . hilarious -- Julia Donaldson * Guardian * 'Ordinary children tackle some quite extraordinary mysteries in Elen Caldecott's Marsh Road series. These lively, warm-hearted stories of family, friends and adventure are a real delight' * Katherine Woodfine, author of The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow *