Ribblestrop

Sequel: Return to Ribblestrop.

When your school’s motto is “Life is dangerous,” you know that anything can happen—and everything does! This raucous tale of education gone awry is “rollicking, ridiculous, and captivating,” according a Bulletin starred review. There’s no school that’s quite like Ribblestrop, complete with roofless dormitories, distracted teachers, and a perilous underground labyrinth. And then there are the students! You’ll meet Sanchez, a Colombian gangster’s son hiding from kidnappers; Millie, an outcast arsonist and self-confessed wild child; Caspar, the landlady’s spoiled grandson; the helpful but hapless Sam and his best friend Ruskin, plus a handful of orphans from overseas who are just happy to have beds—even if they are located in the roofless part of the building. With the “crazy-school appeal of Hogwarts and the grim humor of Lemony Snicket” (The Independent), Ribblestrop, which was awarded the Children’s Fiction Prize by The Guardian, is sure to delight the most mischievous among us.

From the prize-winning author of Trash and Dog, Ribblestrop is sure the delight the most mischievous among us. When your school’s motto is ‘Life is dangerous’, you know that anything can happen – and everything does! There’s no school that’s quite like Ribblestrop, complete with roofless dormitories, distracted teachers, and a perilous underground labyrinth. And then there are the students! You’ll meet Sanchez, a Colombian gangster’s son hiding from kidnappers; Millie, an excluded arsonist and self-confessed wild child; Caspar, the landlady’s spoiled grandson; the helpful but hapless Sam and his best friend Ruskin, plus a handful of orphans from overseas who are just happy to have beds – even if they are located in a roofless part of the building… ‘Masterful knockabout humour....the book bulges with irreverent fun and incident.’ The Irish Times ‘Ribblestrop has the "crazy school" appeal of Hogwarts and the grim humour of Lemony Snicket, and looks like a winner.’ The Independent ‘Ribblestrop is disgracefully dangerous high-octane fun of the highest order: an outrageous delight’ Philip Ardagh, in the Guardian

A new school year means new trouble in this rollicking sequel to Ribblestrop, which has the “crazy-school appeal of Hogwarts and the grim humor of Lemony Snicket” (The Independent). The headmaster at Ribblestrop is hoping for a bit more organization as a new term gets underway. But secrets remain buried, the new Chaplain is not all that he seems, and a truckload of circus animals has taken refuge in the school grounds. There’s also a new student who’s a soccer protégé, not to mention a pregnant panther and an escaped crocodile. Basically, things are about to go from bad to worse at Ribblestrop. Can Millie, Sanchez, and the gang help save the day once more?

Head back to Ribblestrop for the final term—or is it?—in this hilarious conclusion to the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize–winning trilogy, which has the “crazy school appeal of Hogwarts and the grim humor of Lemony Snicket” (The Independent). Millie, Sanchez, and the gang are headed back to school, but a plane crash and an unsteerable raft quickly land them in deep waters. Rescued by a mad librarian, the students of Ribblestrop find themselves on a dangerous quest across the wilds of Ribblemoor. Can they uncover the ancient mysteries of the secret tribe that lives there? Will they survive the dangers of Lightning Tor? Inspector Cuthberson is right behind them, and he’s determined to destroy the school—for good. Will Ribblestrop close down forever, or can the students keep the doors open for another zany semester?

"The headmaster at Ribblestrop is hoping for a bit more organization as a new term gets underway. But secrets remain buried, the new Chaplain is not all that he seems, and a truckload of circus animals has taken refuge in the school grounds. Can Millie, Sanchez, and the gang help save the day once more?"--

How would you feel if you woke up and found another head growing out of your neck? A living, breathing, TALKING head, with a rude, sharp tongue and an evil sense of humour. It knows all your darkest thoughts and it’s not afraid to say what it thinks . . . to ANYBODY. That's what happens to eleven-year-old Richard Westlake, and life becomes very, very complicated. Part thriller, part horror, part comedy – this is one of the most riveting novels about fear and friendship that you will ever read. Andy Mulligan won the 2011 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and his international bestseller, Trash, is now a major film – directed by Stephen Daldry and with screenplay by Richard Curtis.

In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three “dumpsite boys” make a living picking through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city. One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat—boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no money—to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong. Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable poverty—and the kind of hope and determination that can transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, Trash is a heart-pounding, breath-holding novel.