The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffat (Kate Temple, Lothian)
Kate Temple—one half of the powerhouse duo that brought us such gems as Bin Chicken, Yours Truly, Alice Toolie, and the Underdogs series—breaks out on her own for The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffat. Packed with her trademark clever humour, Temple’s fast-paced, time-twisting adventure sees young Trilby Moffat on a mission to discover why much of the population is suffering from a mysterious illness. Those affected find themselves speaking ancient languages, eating strange foods and, eventually, sleeping without waking. Trilby and her mother travel to a long-lost relative’s faraway shop filled with strange curios, where Trilby’s mother falls asleep. While there, Trilby discovers that time is broken, and it is up to her to fix it! Pursued by the Office of the Ministry of the Board of the Department of the Appropriate Division for the Committee of the Commission for the Corporation of the Agency of Association for Managers Administering Time, Trilby journeys out into the Sea of Time on a quest to help the afflicted, and save time itself. As a nod to Trilby’s love of crosswords, the chapter headings cleverly function as crossword clues, which readers young and old will enjoy deciphering. Filled with swashbuckling sea chases, evil office workers and the smartest talking thylacine in existence, this marks the beginning of an ambitious new series for middle-grade readers.
Hannah Gardiner has been a bookseller since the pre-Titlepage era, and currently works as a book buyer.
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