The Great Hamster Massacre (Critter Capers #1)

Description

A very natural and honest version of life's events from the perspective of a young girl - from her suspicions about her neighbours, to her rocky friendship with the girl next door; from the sudden death of her beloved granny to her relentless quest for a pet hamster, only to then find it mysteriously slaughtered - which kickstarts a local investigation of 'suspects'. This is the first in a proposed series of short novels featuring the same characters and setting - with the themes of pets and detective work holding them together.

Awards

Winner of Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010. Shortlisted for Galaxy National Book Awards. WH Smith Children's Book of the Year 2010.

Author description

Katie Davies was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1978. She studied English and Drama at Warwick University and Acting at East 15. She has written for The Spectator and The Idler, and written and performed various sketches for Radio 4 comedy show, ONE. Her first children's novel, THE GREAT HAMSTER MASSACRE, will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2009. Katie is currently working on her second children's novel, THE GREAT RABBIT RESCUE, also for Simon & Schuster, and a collection of poems for and about teenage girls, set in a comprehensive school in Northumberland, where she grew up. Katie lives in North London with her husband. Illustrator and author.