The Orphans of St Halibut's

Lemony Snicket meets Roald Dahl in The Orphans of St Halibut's, a hilarious and quirky middle-grade about orphans, friendship, and the power of the underdog, from debut author Sophie Wills.

Life at St Halibut's Home for Waifs and Strays has been idyllic for two months, ever since the children buried their matron (don't look at us like that - it was an accident!). Helpfully, the not-so-dear departed matron left behind a surprisingly large stash of money, which will keep them in black-market lemon sherbets for the rest of their lives! Tig, Stich, and Herc just have to make sure nobody finds out they're on their own.

But when they find out that St Halibuts is to be inspected by DEATH (the Department for Education, Assimilation, Training and Health), they start to panic. They'll need to convince the inspector that everything is peachy or they'll be sent to the Mending House - where badly-behaved orphans go, never to return.

As the big day approaches, the children start to think they might just pull it off. But when the inspector arrives, things don't just go wrong, they get spectacularly out of hand. It turns out the orphans have far more to worry about than just the inspection! They will need a miracle to save them, but all they have is Arfur, the con-man, and the children of St Cod's, their sworn enemies.

Can dastardly deeds and treacherous trickery save their home?