Monthly Archives: July 2013

CRASH! Nick is jolted awake at midnight by a loud bang in his garden. When he goes to investigate, he discovers a hamster in a spaceship amongst the wreckage!

Nick and Lola put up LOST posters all over their neighbourhood, but there are no claims to the furry visitor. One day, they return and discover the hamster is surfing the Internet! When he explains he is looking for plant specimens for an intergalactic flower show, it seems there is more to this spacey visitor than meets the eye...

A hilarious story of adventure and gardening, The Hamster Who Fell To Earth proves that aliens can come in the fluffiest of packages!

We caught up with Danny Pearson, author of upcoming Gems titles Deep Trouble and Cat Brace Face, to find out what inspired him to write for reluctant readers and what we can expect from his upcoming titles...
What inspired you to write for reluctant readers?

It all began whilst working in my local branch of Waterstones. It was my first 'real job' after I had graduated from university. After a while I found myself in charge of looking after the children's book section. It was there that I was reintroduced to the world of children's books. All the famous characters that I had known as a child were suddenly all again in front of me. It was an unexpected reunion but a valuable one. One which set me on the path to getting my own titles published.

Looking back on my childhood I would defiantly have classed my self as a reluctant reader. My nose was more likely to be pressed up against a TV screen rather than buried in a book. I joined the Badger team in 2008 and after watching

The local town is home to a dusty, abandoned cinema. Dani and her friends love going there to mess about and look at all the old film posters.

One day when they visit, an old silent film begins playing and a greyscale actor steps straight out of the screen! Then he invites Dani to take the stage...

What does the silent comedian want? Will he teach Dani about his craft? Or take her to a world of silence?

Kim isn't having the best day. She's just had her braces fitted and they are landing her in a lot of trouble...

As if the school bullies weren't enough, a crowd of cats chase her home! She is cowering in front of the claws, but suddenly she realise she can talk to her feline foes...

Can Kim use her new braces to an advantage? Will the cats be fluffy friends or enemies?

A world without chocolate? What!

Sweet toothed Chaz is devastated when he discovers cocoa plants are dying out worldwide. Chocolate stock is falling rapidly and people want their sugar highs!

Luckily for Chaz, his friend has a stash of chocolate, which he mistakenly tells the whole school about! When the chocolate stash goes missing and the crowds are swarming for sweet treats, will Chaz and his friend be able to escape the chocoholics? Or will they face a sticky end?

Twins Jenny and Felix feel left out when their dad gets a new girlfriend. Dad seems happy, but they notice Suzie seems a little unusual...

On the night of a full moon, the twins notice Suzie's hands are rather hairy, then there are reports of a werewolf on the common, could it be...?

In the dangerous dark hours, will Jenny and Felix discover the truth of the wolf?

Laura and her family have moved to the coast, and she is finding it hard to fit in.

She much prefers being by the sea than going to her new school, and it pays off when she makes her first friend. She finds a little squid and nicknames him Ziggy.

Taking him home to nurse him back to health, her dad flushes him down the toilet! Laura gets over it gradually, until a news reporter announces a large container ship being attack by a giant squid, who looks just like Ziggy!

Will Laura be able to save the Ziggy and the container ship from destruction?