Screaming Sands: The Day the Donkey Dropped Dead

Ten-year-old Davie’s parents have relocated the family to a down-at-heel coastal town where his dad is attempting to make good a lifelong dream of running his own café. Only the seaside spot is more of a ghost town. There are few visitors, the town’s one attraction, an aged donkey, has just dropped dead, and the only other child around is a girl. Luckily Ruby is as bright as her name and she and Davie are soon firm friends. He might have willed his parents’ business to fail so he can return home, but when the shop looks like it will actually need to be sold, Davie has a change of heart and knows he must do anything he can to bring a bit of life back into Mid Spit Sands. Even if that does mean an open invitation to the undead…

Aimed at children aged eight and up, this new series is funny, lively and just a touch ghoulish. I’m not convinced the lurid green and black cover does the book many favours: its appeal is actually broader than the spookiness suggests and this plot is unlikely to scare many children, though the jacket might put some off. Inside, occasional black and white pictures add an extra dose of humour. This new series should be enjoyed by many.