Malamander: The first in a hugely original and highly popular middle grade seaside mystery series for children aged 9, 10, 11, 12 from an award-winning author

Loved the relationship between Herbie and Violet. A great adventure story .

pamela9876

Fantastic page turner, couldn't put it down. Full of mystery, adventure and excitement which had me going along for the ride with every twist and turn. Lovely quirky but genuine main characters which blend the mystical world and reality beautifully. Highly recommend!

beckymw

fantastic book. really great for year 5-6. lots of great literacy can be built up around it. Certainly one of my favourite youth fiction books to recommend to young readers.

Trinkerry_samba

Really fun and action packed. Perfect for engaging KS3.

MJBarker90

This is very much a cosy mystery with some fantasy thrown in. It is set in a run down seaside resort which is full of odd and eccentric characters. Herbert Lemon is in charge of the lost and found department of a once stately hotel which reminded me of the Grand Budapest Hotel. A young girl stumbles into his life and turns his life upside down. Lots of mysterious circumstances and adventures with supernatural creatures on the loose. A good middle grade read.

austun

So much hype around this book, I felt I had to read it. Really enjoyed it and have found myself wanting to read more in the series however I was expecting a little bit more considering all the excitement.

rebeccaatlas

This book is a brilliant read. It's got magic, mystery and a Malamander !! It is set in a town called Eerie-on-Sea during the bleak Winter. A young girl called Violet is trying to find her long lost parents and so emarks on an adventure with a young boy called Herbie Lemon (great name) where they come across lots of strange but wonderful characters. Some of them they can trust but who??? the one thing that most peope seem to be after - the Malamander's egg but why. An exciting and thrilling read from start to end especially trying to decide who the good people were and the baddies. My favourite character was Herbie who works at the Grand Nautilus Hotel. It's a creepy place that I would definitley want to visit MidWinter along with the Eerie Book Dispensary and meet the curious Mermonkey. What book would he choose for me I wonder.

BooPayne

I think this was one of the best books for children that I have read! The storyline was gripping and it was a real page turner. Because the chapters are quite short, it doesn't feel exhaustive to read and it can be picked up and put down again easily. Herbie Lemon, who is the main character, is a great lead in this story, although Violet is great too. Her adventurous and 'tough' nature, make her a great character to be explored. My favourite character is Lady Kracken, who is very mysterious and as a reader, encourages you to ask lots of questions about the part she plays. Watch out for Eels!

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Simply put one of the best books I’ve read. A fantastic setting full of quirky characters and enthralling adventures. You will love Herbert Lemon and his friends. Some of the descriptive writing particularly about the setting I have used to demonstrate how well personification can be used and also how to move from a happy setting into an eerie (on-sea) one. There are 3 more books in the series (the last of these has only just been published (sept 22) I cannot wait to read it and find out more about Herbie. Suitable for any lover of adventure/fantasy/seaside adventures in UKS2.

Tennismum

This is a great book if you enjoy the combination of fantasy and sea monsters. What happened to Violet Palmer's parents? Nobody knows! And so, Violet (orphaned since birth) makes it her mission to find out. There are lots of twists and turns in this story which will keep you guessing to the very end. It is cleverly written and the author makes you fall in love with the characters. A great read for children aged between 7 and 10 years old.

Tracey White

With a collection of odd bod characters, Malamander is an entertaining read. Eerie-on-sea is not a typical seaside town and houses an array of secrets and mysteries. The two main characters - the reluctant Herbert and the daring Violet - set out on a quest to find Violet's parents only to be confronted with stranger and stranger mysteries. Anyone who loves a fast-paced detective adventure will not want to miss this spooky ride.

LizzieCamp

I really loved this seaside mystery. Not only do the two courageous, young heroes have to escape from the deadly clutches of the Malamander on several occasions but they have to unravel a mystery surrounding it, and Violet's parents. There is a tantalising clue round every corner to keep you hooked until the end.

Lizzy405

Excellent book. Great mystery adventure book. Intriguing and well written. Puts a twist on British seaside holidays. Great for 7-10 year olds.

Ninja2002

I have heard so many teachers raving about this book, and I can see why! Now I need to get hold of a copy of the sequel. This is definitely on my TBR pile for my upcoming Y4 class.

MHames

A *just scary enough* thrilling adventure filled with friendship, heroics and a good old fashioned baddie.

MDoherty

A highly enjoyable plot, following the unpredictable twists and turns of Herbie and Violet's lives. While the dialogue felt cheesy and unnatural in places, the main reason I've given this 3 stars is because of the feel-good feeling that you're left with after each chapter. The short chapters, in my personal opinion, were irritating, but could be a selling point for younger readers/ reluctant readers.

misscjmhayles

A great adventure/fantasy book with an ominous underwater creature and a super sprinkle of humour. Loved the character if the list property keeper and bonus that it us the start of a series of books about eerie-on-sea. Work definitely work well as a read aloud.

cathcollings

Creepy and mysterious. Enjoyed this fast-paced adventure woven with myths of the sea. Fab characters!

BookBairn

This book was incredible! Full of great adventure! I felt like I was transported to Eerie-on-sea and on the adventure with Vi and Herbie. Really and truly a wonderful tale. I can’t wait for the next adventure.

SashaJ

Fiction aimed at a Key Stage 2 audience. Would be a great read aloud text as there are so many 'don't stop reading there!' moments. Also a great text for developing language and exploring inference and retrieval. Author is the illustrator of the original cover to HP and the Philosophers Stone. Discovered lots of related merchandise including sweatshirts! This story brings together a whole host of weird and wonderful characters, each with their own unique story to tell. They all small reside in a seaside town with a large history! This is a classic tale of good vs evil and its a real page turner! Devoured in 3 days! Looking forward to the sequel.....

KateEmM