Big Change for Stuart

Description

Stuart Horten (ten, but looks younger) is now the owner of a magician's workshop-except that without his Great-Uncle's Last Will and Testament, he can't actually prove it. Which is a problem, since someone else wants it as well; someone who has a lot of money. The workshop contains seven magnificent stage illusions, but when Stuart starts to investigate them, he discovers that each is the gateway to a magical adventure, with a puzzle to solve, and a clue to extract. As the clues mount up, the adventures become riskier. Friendship is strained, danger looms, and Stuart has to decide what sort of prize he really, truly wants.

Lissa Evans still remembers writing her first joke, aged 7 (it involved a hippo). She never lost her interest in funny lines, and, following a medical degree, she changed careers to become a comedy producer for radio and TV. Her children's novels have been shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award, Carnegie Medal, and Branford Boase Award, and her first - Small Change for Stuart - was an international bestseller. Her books for adults include Their Finest Hour and a Half, which was longlisted for the Baileys Prize and made into a recent film (Their Finest, starring Bill Nighy), Old Baggage and V for Victory.

A gem for budding heroes * The Times * It delivers everything a good old-fashioned adventure should . . . A smart book for a smart young reader * Marcus Sedgwick, The Guardian * A story fluctuating between humour and high drama . . . The first story about this likeable boy, published last year, came out to universal praise. This second one is just as good * Independent on Sunday * A great follow up to the previous story about Stuart, once again full of action and magical adventures. A fun and exciting read! * The Bookbag *