Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse

By Cathy FitzGerald

Midsummer’s Eve is about to get a whole lot more magical!

Someone is misusing magic. Curses have been cast and terrifying creatures are on the move …

Twelve-year-old Pinch Perkins lives on Tricky Dragon Lane, deep in the heart of London’s magical quarter. But when her mum is struck by a curse, and nobody seems to have a clue what to do, Pinch knows it’s down to her to find a cure.

Racing the clock on Midsummer’s Eve, Pinch will face the terrifying boss of the Thames Mudlarks, dance with the devious fairy king and queen and share a burger with King Arthur’s knights – all the while trying to avoid the clutches of two most fearsome villains …

Format: Paperback
Ageband: 9 to 11
Release Date: 06 Jun 2024
Pages: 384
ISBN: 978-0-00-860337-3
Price: £7.99, £7.99 (Export Price) , €None
Cathy FitzGerald is a writer and documentary-maker. She’s a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4, 3 and the World Service as presenter and producer, making programmes on subjects including magic carpets, love letter ghost-writing and why we like looking at blue sky. Her documentaries have won many prizes, including Arias, Third Coast Festival and Whicker\'s World. Radio Times called her ‘one of radio’s most original\' creators. She has a DPhil in the work of Charles Dickens. Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse is her first novel.

‘Brimming with adventure, enchantment and fun! A must-must-must-read!’ -

Ben Miller -

'Tremendous fun: an exciting story and a magical new world for young readers to explore!' -

Lucy Strange, award-winning author -

‘…Fast-moving and lively with a large and very memorable cast of characters, and a strong sense that we are there with Pinch and Henry in the race to lift the curse. The tone is mostly light though there are some genuinely scary moments and real tension when it seems as though Pinch might be too late to save her mum. Cathy Fitzgerald’s world building is very good, her imagination huge, and readers will be looking forward to Pinch’s next adventure!' -

Book of the Week / Books for Keeps, week of 17/6/2024 -

'I really enjoyed the action, the humour and the themes of friendship and love throughout the story and was gripped by the magical world that Cathy FitzGerald had created. A sparkling debut, I hope for many more in this series pretty please because it’s a big, fat five stars from us.’ -

Summer Reading round-up on the Mini Travellers blog -