My towering to-read pile collapsed with a crash a few days ago. Realising I had to take action, I plucked the most recent addition from the scattered heap and began to read. It was Chris Priestley’s new middle grade book, Maudlin Towers: Curse of the Werewolf Boy

I was soon chuckling. ‘The Curse of the Werewolf Boy’ is very funny. The convoluted plot is illustrated with Chris Priestley’s own wacky drawings. There’s another famous author-illustrator lurking among the characters. Do look out for him. Clue: ‘Gloom. That’s the key…’.

This is the start of a Maudlin Towers series, so we can look forward to more Maudlin fun to come. The first book is a time-travelling mystery. With its ghostly goings-on, gothic school setting, delightfully creepy teachers and plucky heroes, Mildew and Sponge, this is a perfect kids’ read for a late October weekend. It’s also pumpkin-coloured. 

Happy Halloween!