The Curse of the Speckled Monster: Book One: Graverobbers and Gallows

Description

Age range 6 to 9 Cephas Catchpole is a young orphan in 19th century England, apprenticed as a chimney sweep to a cruel master. When he is mistaken for dead after an accidental fall and buried alive, he is rescued from his fate by two unwitting bodysnatchers. Against his will, Cephas finds himself drawn into the criminals' shady underworld and begins to uncover a murderous conspiracy involving medical malpractice, his mysterious parentage and the dreaded speckled monster itself - smallpox. This is a gripping and atmospheric Dickensian tale in two volumes for young readers, filled with suspense, humour and more twists than a hangman's noose.

John Townsend worked as a Secondary School teacher before becoming a full time writer of children's books and a writer-in-residence in a primary school tree-house. He specialises in fun, exciting information books for reluctant readers, as well as fast-paced fiction, reading schemes and 'fiction with facts' books. He visits schools around the country to encourage excitement in all aspects of reading and writing. He has recently written 12 plays based on Salariya's You Wouldn't Want To Be series that will be uploaded to the company's new website for use in classrooms.