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Find out moreLisa Thompson is a children’s novelist and the author of the best-selling The Goldfish Boy and The Light Jar. The Goldfish Boy was a Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, the Branford Boase Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. She lives in Suffolk with her family
The brand new, read-in-one-sitting, packed-with-twists mystery from bestselling Lisa Thompson. Todd and Laurie's dad is either on top of the world, taking them on fun adventures, or down in the depths and sleeping all the time. In the middle of the night, he bundles them into the car and drives them to the Paradise Hotel. He paints a picture of a luxurious mansion surrounded by acres of land - a fairground, a swanky swimming pool, a grand ballroom, firework displays. The reality is a rundown dump - and the disappointment means Dad takes to his bed. Todd and Laurie have the run of the place, and meet Scout, the daughter of the owner, who tells them about the night many years ago when a famous novelist vanished from her room on the top floor, which was locked from the inside... with clues to crack, a mystery to solve, and Dad to worry about, this holiday is full of twists and turns. A sensitive, empathetic portrayal of having a parent with bipolar Funny, moving and brilliantly plotted - a true page-turner The Grand Budapest Hotel meets Paddington 2!
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | Anna has friends at school, a kind teacher, she’s not being bullied, yet still she feels anxious, subdued, and terribly conscious that her friends’ lives are much busier than hers, a round of after school lessons, activities and clubs. The arrival in her class of new girl Ellie changes everything however. Ellie is ill and can’t come to school, instead she communicates via a special robot, quickly named Ellie-bot by the class. As the two girls become friends, Anna finds herself inventing the kind of home life her friends have, scared that her normal life is too small-scale to impress Ellie. The truth emerges, of course, but Ellie is wise enough to understand that it’s the small things in life that are the best. Quiet and gentle as it is, nonetheless this story packs a real punch and is delivered with the warmth, compassion and understanding that mark out Thompson’s writing. Published by dyslexia specialist Barrington Stoke, it is accessible to all readers.
Telling a little white lie now and then is harmless, right? But what if it leads to you being a household name and international celebrity? Cole is the boy who fooled the world and finds himself trapped in a huge web of lies... can he break free? The brand new, read-in-one-sitting mystery from the bestselling author of The Goldfish Boy.
Highly Commended in the UKLA Book Awards 2021 | Shortlisted for the Children's Book Award 2020 | Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2020, Best Story category | July 2019 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month July 2019 | A beautifully told, deeply moving story about how a boy finds a special way of remembering his soldier father. When Owen’s father dies fighting in Syria he finds himself caring for his mum who isn’t coping well. School becomes a struggle as he doesn’t want to tell anyone but he finds comfort and refuge in the local memorial garden when there is a crumbing statue as a memorial to those who died in the First World War. When the council decide to remodel the garden and remove the statue Owen knows that he must take dramatic action. And fast. Luckily, he gets the chance to write a poem for the opening of his school’s new library. Owen’s poem captures the importance of remembering while his presentation of it and the effect it has on the council brings him resolution. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+ Lisa Thompson, said of her Blue Peter nomination: “To have a book nominated for an award is wonderful, but to have a book in the final three of the Blue Peter Book Award is an absolute honour! I was an avid Blue Peter viewer as a child, and I am so delighted to see Owen and the Soldier included in the short list. It's so exciting!”
Shortlisted for the Children's Book Awards 2019, Books for Older Readers Category | The brand new read-in-one-sitting mystery from the bestselling author of The Goldfish Boy, 2017's breakout children's book hit.
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2017 A gripping debut middle-grade story skilfully told by debut novelist Lisa Thompson. Trapped indoors by his obsessive fears of germs and much else Matthew watches his neighbours’ lives and details their every move. That’s why he’s the person who knows when toddler Teddy was last seen in his grandfather’s garden. When Teddy goes missing is it Matthew who holds the answer that everyone is seeking? Alongside the detective drama in the background, Lisa Thompson is also insightful about Matthew’s crippling anxieties and how they resolve. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for January 2017 The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson The Crayons’ Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers The Crayons’ Book of Colours by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers Jim by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey His Royal Whiskers by Sam Gayton