Malamander (An Eerie-on-Sea Mystery)

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Eels calls the behavior of the malamander “pathetic” and asks, “doesn’t it just make you want to puke?” He also adds, “But also, how very unsurprising that a softy like Peter Parma would be the one to discover such a ridiculous fact.” The book dispensary has an animatronic mermonkey, a monkey that “has the lower body of a fish” and dispenses the identification code for a book that it feels the reader needs. Jenny, who owns the dispensary says, “It’s the book that chooses you.” Herbie also tells Violet that many believe the machine to have “a sense of humor, too” because Herbie “met a man once who swears he belched in front of the mermonkey and got dispensed a copy of Gone with the Wind.” Education Shed Ltd, Severn House, Severn Bridge, Riverside North, Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK, DY12 1AB

It has taken me way too long to get around to reading Malamander. It has been sitting in my ‘To Be Read’ pile for a while and having heard so many brilliant things about it and its sequel, Gargantis, I felt compelled to take action. This is a fantastic fantasy mystery that is both thrilling and creepy in equal measure. Mrs. Fossil tells the children about the legend of the malamander. She says the creature lays an egg and then “devours it.” Since the egg has the power to grant wishes, she explains, many people have sought it. However, she tells them, “Every single one of them . . . gobbled up by the beastie!”

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After art school, Thomas set out to illustrate books, then to write them himself. His first commission was the cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Following this, he pursued a career in picture books, mostly from France where he lived for many years. Herbie calls an action in the story of Captain K “bonkers.” The museum owner agrees and says the captain was “drunk with power.” Families can talk about the violence and scariness in Malamander. When is it sometimes fun to be a little bit scared? What can you do to feel better when you're scared?

Your KS2 class will read the chapter, The Grand Nautilus Hotel and answer the following questions about the characters. We have also included a true or false activity sheet as part of this resource, to cater for all Year 5 / Year 6 abilities. Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger… Twelve-year-old twins Maudie and Arthur’s world comes crashing in when their explorer dad is reported dead in his mission to get to South Polaris, and they race to restore the family name.A real edge-of-your-seat Victoriana romp.The Eerie-on-Sea Mysteries, by award-winning author/ illustrator Thomas Taylor, are creepy middle-grade adventure stories for ages 9+. When the first book Malamanderwas published in 2019, it was an instant hit with kids, parents, teachers and librarians who loved the mysterious characters and gripping plot-twists. There are now three books in the series, with the fourth, Festergrimm, due to follow in 2022.