Sylvia Bishop weaves her stories from a childhood steeped in fiction and a fascination with the real world, informed by her background in social science research and improvised comedy. She humorously describes her writing process as focusing on the 'bad' stories, while the 'good' ones arrive unexpectedly. Her work artfully blends keen observation with imaginative flair, offering readers a distinct and engaging narrative voice. This unique approach results in compelling tales that resonate with both wit and insight.
One small girl. An unexpected detective. A handful of suspects. All aboard the night train, where no one is as they seem ! As Max takes off on a thrilling journey across Europe by train, can she unravel the mystery of a priceless missing diamond and find a way to bring the jewel thief to justice ?
Kelda has always protected her little sister Isla from danger on the rivers, and from the suspicions of their community. For Isla cannot breathe underwater – and so her very existence is forbidden by silvermen’s Lore. Now the rivers of England are growing sick: monstrous creatures are awakening and a fierce torrent of blame falls upon Kelda’s family. When betrayal comes, the sisters escape on a desperate journey upstream. Joining forces with a mysterious boy, Kelda discovers the darkest depths of her kind’s secret history. But to save both her sister and the very life of Britain’s waterways, Kelda will have to make a sacrifice – one that will change her life forever. Cover art by Thy Bui
When Erica Perkins wakes up on the morning of her tenth birthday, the last thing she expects is to find a very confused elephant sitting on her doorstep. So begins an unlikely friendship. But can a small girl and a rather large elephant learn to live together in a tiny terraced house? And when the dastardly owner of the local zoo plots to steal the elephant, will Erica be able to outsmart him?
This story is about a little girl named Property Jones, so-called because she was left in the lost property cupboard of a bookshop when she was five years old. Property loves living in the bookshop, but she has a whopper of a secret ... she can't actually read! So Property doesn't see the newspaper article announcing the chance to win the Montgomery Book Emporium, the biggest and most magnificent bookshop in the world! When her family win the competition, Property finds herself moving to the Emporium, a magical place filled with floor upon floor of books and a very bad-tempered cat. But all is not at it seems at the Emporium and soon Property Jones finds herself in a whole heap of trouble.