I’ve added two more spooky desktop wallpapers to the Scream Street website which you can download and use to creep up your computer!

Scream Street 5: Skull of the Skeleton…

And Scream Street 6: Claw of the Werewolf…

You can download the right size for your computer screen here: http://www.screamstreet.co.uk/fun/wallpapers/

Tommy

As a long-standing fan and advocate of Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series, I was delighted to finally find the time to enjoy his latest standalone novel, Airman.

My first realisation was that Airman is written in a completely different style to the Fowl books or, indeed, any of Colfer’s other superb works (The Supernaturalist, Half-Moon Detective Agency, etc.)  It feels more ‘grown-up’ while not written in a way that would alienate any of his current fans.

The story starts by introducing us to the unusual birth and comfortable childhood of Conor Broekhart – a young lad living on the Saltee Islands who is fascinated by the prospect that one day men might fly.  It isn’t long, however, before Colfer turns our hero’s world – and our expectations – upside down with a pair of murders and a dastardly cover story.

Once the action starts, it doesn’t let up for a second (including a chilling scene in the dungeons where bad guy, Hugo Bonvilain, plays the most audacious double-bluff ever comitted to paper!)  The reader is quickly transported from the relative opulance and happiness on Great Saltee to the diamond mines of Little Saltee – a prison so dreadful it makes our monstrous accommodation  at Trapped By Monsters seem like a seaside bed and breakfast.

I won’t give any more away as I want you to enjoy this book for the page turner it is.  Clever, heartfelt and inspiring – Airman is great reading at its best.

I’m currently updating the message board on the Scream Street site and so, for the next few days, the forum will be unavailable.

We’ll be back up and chatting soon!

Tommy

News of Trapped By Monsters has made it to the publishing trade magazine, The Bookseller:

You can read the article here: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/77901-website-launch-for-trapped-authors.html

Tommy

I’ve just finished rewriting the seventh book in the Scream Street series – the title of which remains a secret for now!  You won’t have too long to wait in order to find out what it’s called, however, as it will be published this Halloween.

Something else is happening to Scream Street this Halloween, but I can’t reveal that either at the moment!  Trust me when I say it’s big news – and watch this space for more info!

Now onto Scream Street 8…

Tommy

It snowed again today…

So Sam took mummy and daddy outside to build a snowman…

Once we had the basic shape, Sam added a carrot for a nose…

Looking good so far…

Then we went on a hunt for some arms.  Sam found two great sticks we could use…

We hurried home to put them in place…

With a few extra touches, our snowman was complete.  We named him Snowy Dave…

Sam and Snowy Dave had a chat…

Then it was time to go inside, so they had a hug to say goodbye…

I’ve just watched a superb programme on the BBC’s iPlayer called Just Read with Michael Rosen.

In the documentary children’s laureate, Michael Rosen, travels to an everyday primary school in Wales to try and turn it into a school of book lovers.  Quite a challenge – and he only has ten weeks in which to do it.  I thoroughly recommend you click onto iPlayer and watch ‘Just Read’ before it drops off the site.  It shows a real dedication to spreading the importance of books – and I for one found myself incredibly inspired.

You’ll find it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00hk9ck/Just_Read_with_Michael_Rosen/

Tommy

Details of my reading habits have made it into the top children’s newspaper, First News…

What do you like to read?

Tommy

Each year, Readathon challenges thousands of children to find people who will sponsor them to read more books, with all the profits going directly to CLIC Sargent and The Roald Dahl Foundation – two wonderful charities who help children suffering from cancer, Hodkin’s disease, leukaemia, epilepsy, blood disorders or acquired brain injury.

I’m delighted and incredibly proud to announce that this year’s Readathon passports are now winging their way to 150,000 UK school children – with a welcome to Scream Street on the back!

Look out for yours – and get reading!

Tommy

Except for here, that is!

Yes, I’ve uploaded the very first Scream Street crossword to the Fun pages of the Scream Street site.  It’s in .pdf format, so you can download it, print it off – and start wracking your brains!

Tommy