Odelia and the Varmint

‘What if I don’t want to go back to a life of storms and soggy seas biscuits?’ said Captain Blunderfuss. ‘What if I’d rather stay here and search for treasure instead?’

When a pair of unruly fictional pirates escape out of their book into Victorian London, 11-year-old Odelia Hardluck-Smythe’s lonely life is turned upside down. Captain Blunderfuss and Cook are rude, dangerous and obsessed with marzipan fruits, but they could be the answer to all her prayers. Pirates mean treasure and poor, fatherless Odelia could really do with some of that. Unfortunately, there’s more to ‘treasure’ than buried chests of rubies and diamonds, as Odelia’s about to discover the hard way.

A fast-paced, rip-roaring Victorian adventure with twists and turns galore!

About the Author

Jenny Moore is a freelance writer from Devon, writing for all ages from toddlers to adults. She was the first ever UK winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Competition and was shortlisted for the Greenhouse Funny Prize. Her numerous children’s books include Audrey Orr and the Robot Rage which was selected by the Reading Agency for the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge. Jenny read English at Cambridge University and holds an MRes from the University of Strathclyde.

About the Illustrator

Elisa Paganelli was born in Modena, Italy, and since childhood has considered books to be her best friend. After a career in advertising and as an entrepreneur, she now lives and works in the UK as a freelance illustrator and creative designer, accompanied by her beloved pets. Elisa’s award-winning books include The Highland Falcon Thief (Children’s Fiction Book of the Year at the 2021 British Book Awards), The House with Chicken Legs and Moon’s First Friends. Her aim is to work on projects linked to mental wellbeing, nature and animal rights. She feels most at home when she’s out in the natural world and on her bedside table is always a pile of psychology books, and very often one of her cats.