Muddle Earth

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's The Edge Chronicles series has built the author/illustrator team a seriously solid fan base of children and young-at-heart fantasy-fevered adults. Muddle Earth will delight them all. Vivid characters--from young, bewildered Joe in his Warrior Hero suit comprising saucepan helmet, dustbin lid shield and toasting fork spear, to the deliciously bad-tempered battle-axe wife of a pointy horned baron--weave their way through this delightful but totally mad book. This is a story that ultimately results in a time honoured tradition: a battle between good, evil and the "sort of OK but just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time".

A fantastic read that should be added to the "what do we read between Harry Potters" lists at home and in schools, Muddle Earth is a funny, clever, completely loony novel with wicked illustrations. Stewart and Riddell are indeed a winning team who may well be able to tempt even the most reluctant of young readers into the library, while ensuring that the older readers (who really should know better!) are well and truly catered for. Age 9 and over. --Susan Harrison