Not many people know that I am a keen birdwatcher, mainly because it’s not true. I do, however, have a small feeder outside my studio and an A4 British Garden Birds print on my pinboard that I regularly use to help tell the difference between the Goldfinches and Nuthatches that visit my little corner of North London. As such, I was delighted to see that one of my favourite middle-grade authors, M G Leonard – I’ve been a fan since Beetle Boy – had written a follow up to Twitch, a fabulous book full of twists and turns that I devoured last year.
Spark, the second novel in a series of four, doesn’t disappoint. This time Jack takes centre stage, and when he discovers that someone is brutally injuring (and sometimes even killing) the neighbourhood cats, he decides to try and solve the mystery with the help of Twitch and the rest of our ornithologist detectives. They go on the hunt for the perpetrators and, needless to say, end up uncovering a lot more than they bargained for. The plot takes hold within the first few pages, pulls you along at pace and regularly fires the reader off in unexpected directions, but for me it’s the characters that really make this story shine.
The entire cast is so beautifully drawn and the genuine friendships, particular that of Jack and Twitch, warm the cockles of the heart. Not only is Spark is a skilfully crafted mystery adventure, it’s also a clarion call for environmentalists everywhere, and will, no doubt, help nurture a love of birds and nature in readers young and old. I’m now looking out of my studio window hoping that a lammergeier pays a visit to my garden soon. I think I need a spark bird. ~ Rob Biddulph, Guest Editor September 2022
M.G. Leonard, internationally bestselling author of Twitch, Beetleboy and Adventures on Trains, is back with the second thrilling wildlife mystery for birdwatching detectives The Twitchers! >> Shortlisted for the CRIMEFEST Award for Best Crime Novel for Children 2022>> Twitch won the Sainsburys' Children's Book Award for Fiction 2021>> Twitch won the CRIMEFEST Award for Best Crime Novel for Children 2021>> "e;A clarion call for environmentalists everywhere."e; Rob Biddulph on SparkWhen Jack rescues a wounded cat, he quickly suspects foul play. Could there be a wildlife criminal on the loose in Briddvale?Jack rushes to investigate, determined to catch the culprit, only to stumble into a deepening mystery and a sinister criminal plot.Can Jack and The Twitchers stop the villains before it's too late?Spark is a page-turning autumn mystery adventure about courage, friendship and protecting our planet, perfect for readers 9+ and for fans of Robin Stevens, David Baddiel and Jenny Pearson. It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone adventure or read as part of The Twitchers series. Praise for The Twitchers:"e;A skilfully crafted mystery adventure. A clarion call for environmentalists everywhere."e; Rob Biddulph, LoveReading4Kids on Spark"e;Another pacy wonderful adventure steeped in the magic of nature and friendship."e; Jasbinder Bilan on Spark"e;Absolutely magnificent. Gripping and funny, utterly engaging, unputdownable. Cannot recommend highly enough. Perfect storytelling, loved it with all my heart!"e; Liz Hyder on Spark"e;Leonard knows her audience and the jeopardy comes in flocks ... Find your nest, curl up and enjoy."e; The Times, Children's Book of the Week on Twitch "e;A twist-laden, thriller-like tale of a bird-mad boy, some bullies and an escaped convict hiding in the nearby woods."e; Observer on Twitch"e;A twisty crime drama as well as a persuasive story about friendship and nature."e; The Sunday Times on Twitch "e;Simply genius."e; BBC Wildlife Magazine on Twitch"e;Leonard has crafted an intelligent mystery from unlikely material, with bonus bird facts."e; Irish Times on Twitch "e;A winged masterpiece."e; Maz Evans on Twitch "e;Enthralling from beginning to end, it really touched my young bird-loving heart! Just wonderful!"e; Dara McAnulty on Twitch "e;Twitch is an absolute triumph. The perfect blend of mystery and adventure, a winning hero with an eye for ornithological facts and a heart as big as the countryside, plus a cracking whipsmart plot, I think this is M. G. Leonard's best book yet."e; Christopher Edge on Twitch "e;Cracking characters, beyond pacy plotting and an ending that is almost Bugsy Malone-esque!"e; Phil Earle on Twitch</p>
'A skilfully crafted mystery adventure. A clarion call for environmentalists everywhere.' - Rob Biddulph
'Another pacy wonderful adventure steeped in the magic of nature and friendship.' - Jasbinder Bilan
Praise for Twitch:
'Leonard knows her audience and the jeopardy comes in flocks ... Find your nest, curl up and enjoy.' - The Times, Children's Book of the Week
'A twist-laden, thriller-like tale of a bird-mad boy, some bullies and an escaped convict hiding in the nearby woods.' - Observer
'A twisty crime drama as well as a persuasive story about friendship and nature.' - Sunday Times
'Simply genius.' - BBC Wildlife Magazine
'Leonard has crafted an intelligent mystery from unlikely material, with bonus bird facts.' - Irish Times
'A winged masterpiece.' - Maz Evans
'Enthralling from beginning to end, it really touched my young bird-loving heart! Just wonderful!' - Dara McAnulty
'Twitch is an absolute triumph. The perfect blend of mystery and adventure, a winning hero with an eye for ornithological facts and a heart as big as the countryside, plus a cracking whipsmart plot, I think this is M. G. Leonard's best book yet.' - Christopher Edge
'Cracking characters, beyond pacy plotting and an ending that is almost Bugsy Malone-esque!' - Phil Earle
Author
About M. G. Leonard
M.G. Leonard has made up stories since she was a girl, but back then adults called them lies or tall tales and she didn't write them down.
As a grown up, her favourite things to create stories about are beetles, birds, and trains. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and won many awards. She is the vice president of the insect charity Buglife, and a founding author of Authors4Oceans.
She lives in Brighton with her husband, two sons, a fat cat called Kasper, a dog called Nell, and a variety of exotic beetles.
M.G. Leonard has a first-class honours degree in English Literature and an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. She is the author of Beetle Boy and is still overcoming her fear of all things creepy crawly. She works in London as the Senior Digital Media Producer for the National Theatre, and previously worked at the Royal Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe. Leonard spent her early career in the music industry running Setanta Records, an independent record label, and managing bands, most notably The Divine Comedy. After leaving the music industry, she trained as an actor, dabbling in directing and producing as well as performing, before deciding to write her stories down. Leonard lives in Brighton with her partner and two sons and her pet rainbow stag beetle.
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