Queen of Muck - Isaac Thackray

Lucy and Lily's Granddad is missing and they're desperate to find him. But first they must survive a great and unusual adventure filled with brutes in nail-polish, a strange bookshop, a children-eating beast, a huge rock and secret tunnel, a very bad orchestra, rotten tricks, flying chunks of cupcake, a talking fox, vomiting, swords, sneak-walking and someone who really isn't very nice.

“Silence! You vomitous pigs.”

There’s a growing noise on the children's chapter book scene and it’s all coming from the direction of Queen of Muck – the exciting and hilarious debut release from Auckland-based writer Isaac Thackray.

It begins with two sisters, Lucy and Lily, who are desperate to find their missing Grandad. But first they must survive a great and unusual adventure filled with brutes in nail-polish, a strange bookshop, a child-eating beast, a very bad orchestra, flying chunks of cupcake, a talking fox and swords, sneak-walking along with a wickedly entertaining baddie who has a lot to say for herself and a rather weak stomach.

Thackray, an advertising writer by day, says he was inspired to write Queen of Muck after reading “about a million” children’s books with his daughters, Alice and Lila.

“I felt there was a gaping lack of chapter books with great adventures, lots of funny bits, characters that actually have character and girls in the thick of the action.” So, has Queen of Muck corrected the problem? “The girls say I have and they’re usually honest with me to the point of brutality,” Thackray reports. He’s not scared to be tough on himself either. “I took the approach that the book had to be lively all the way through. And that no matter where you open it, I’ll be happy you landed on that bit. That meant so much more work, time and coffee than I ever imagined but I loved every bit of it. I’m already thinking up the next one.”

Queen of Muck was due to hit bookstores next February, but the story has clearly hit a chord with young readers and a huge surge of pre-orders has seen the release date pulled forward.

Paperback