Many years ago, I wrote a short story in ten parts for this website at Christmas, which ended up as Dylan’s Yuletide adventure. Other short stories followed, and eventually I brought them out as individual ebooks. But that didn’t really make sense, since most readers below ten years of age read paperbacks, not ebooks.

And, cardinal sin of authors – there wasn’t a girl main character!

So I rewrote the stories, packaged them as four short chapter books in one volume, and called it Messenger Misadventures, starring Dylan, Deirdre and Dougall. You may realise that the picture of Deirdre looks very much like Victor. He’s always been a very obliging chap!

Messenger Misadventures

by Jemima Pett

Four chapter books with chapter illustrations, suitable for good readers eight and upwards. Each chapter has an illustration at the start, relevant to the content.

Dylan is the castle messenger, Dougall is his brother, a stargazer, and Deirdre is their friend, daughter of the smith, who lives just outside the castle. Together they have four adventures:

• a smuggling adventure
• an encounter with a mermaid
• the rescue of a flying reindeer
• a mysterious magical cave adventure

Messenger Misadventures is available as an ebook and a paperback at online bookstores, and from me at craft fairs and other appearances. Note that the version with colour illustrations is only available at Blurb. Only about a third of the illustrations have colour.

Amazon.co.uk ~~~ Preview at Blurb.com

Books for Key Stage 1 (illustrated easy readers)

When I was talking to people about Messenger Misadventures, people kept asking if there was something for the younger brothers and sisters. And so, I investigated the reading standards for seven-year-olds, and starting writing an adventure set in my local area, starring Roscoe and Neville as themselves.

And of course, there have to be girl guinea pigs involved – they meet them, Bambi and Luna, as part of the first adventure.

The Cavies of Flexford Common

by Jemima Pett

Neville finds a way out of their room one day, so when it seems safe, he leads Roscoe outside and onto the common, by the light of the moon. But they don’t see all the dangers in front of them, and have to be rescued. Fortunately, Bambi and Luna are around, and that starts a friendship with a further adventure in this book, and possibly more to come.

The Cavies of Flexford Common has illustrations on most pages, to help guide the young reader. There is mild danger, quickly overcome, and some of the pictures are adorable (as you’d expect with Roscoe involved.)

It is only available in paperback from my publishers, Blurb.com, or from me in person at craft fairs and other appearances. I may also send it by post to UK addresses by arrangement. There is a non-commercial MP3 file with my narration, if anyone needs that to assist their reader.