By Dan Smith (author) , Chris King (illustrator) Part of the The Crooked Oak Mysteries series
"Spooky sci-fi adventure "
Paperback Temporarily Out Of Stock £7.99 £7.19
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September 2020 Book of the Month | Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8
If you like your adventures good and creepy, you’re going to love The Invasion of the Crooked Oak. Crooked Oak is a peaceful kind of place, but it seems something is up with the town’s grown-ups – they’ve stopped eating, are avoiding the light, and generally behaving really strangely.
When teenagers Pete, Krish and Nancy try to work out what’s going on, they find the trail leads to the fracking site on the town’s edge. The tension ratchets up nicely as the three realise they’ve got one chance to save their parents and themselves. The environmental theme feels very topical and author Dan Smith knows just how to keep his readers on the edge of their seats.
Published by dyslexia specialists Barrington Stoke, this is accessible to readers of all abilities and completely gripping.
Something sinister is happening in Crooked Oak ... Ever since the fracking site closed, Nancy's parents have been acting weird. Their eyes are blank, they won't eat - it's like they're no longer themselves. And now the symptoms are affecting others as well ... Nancy and her friends Pete and Krish are determined to find out what's going on. But the deeper they dig, the scarier the mystery gets.
Read the full description
A dark presence is spreading its tendrils across Crooked Oak. Can they stop it before it takes over the whole town?
Growing up, Dan led three lives. In one he survived the day-to-day humdrum of boarding school, while in another he travelled the world, finding adventure in the padi-fields of Asia and the jungles of Brazil. But the third life he lived in a world of his own, making up stories . . . which is where some people say he still lives most of the time!
Now settled in Newcastle with his wife and two children, Dan writes stories to share with both adults and children – and with an interest in World War 2, a great-aunt who was a flak-gunner, and a grandfather who was an army captain during the war, is it any wonder that his first book for children is set during those uncertain days of 1941?
You have books published for adults and children. Do you find it easier or harder to write for children? I don’t think I find it easier or harder. Of course there are differences in the way I write for adults and children, but those differences aren’t very big. I approach stories as stories whoever I write them for. My adult books often have children in them, and my children’s books often have adults in them, so I just change the focus of who tells the story – the adults or the children.
How did you get your big break? It’s difficult to say whether I’ve had a big break or not. I think I’ve had a series of small breaks – which makes me sound like I should be in hospital. My first break, though, was finding a great agent who loves my writing. I spent a lot of time sending letters and sample chapters to different agents until I found just the right one. She always gives me good but brutally honest advice about my books, which is sometimes hard to listen to, but helps me get better and better at telling stories.
Any advice for budding authors? Read, read, read. And then read some more! I really believe that the more a person reads, the better they will understand how stories and characters work. The other important thing is to write. It might sound obvious, but if you sit about, waiting for inspiration and dreaming about being an author, then you’ll never be an author. Writing makes you an author so … get writing!
Where is your favourite place to write? I sit on a small sofa in the corner of the sitting room. It’s not very glamorous but it’s comfortable and it’s the brightest, warmest room in the house. I put my laptop on a cushion and perch it on my knees and, you know what? It’s just about the best place in the world.
Have you ever wanted to do anything other than write? When I was very young I wanted to be a judge. I have no idea why. Then I wanted to be a vet until I saw Star Wars at the ripe old age of seven. After that I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to be Han Solo. I was never any of those things, though, and by the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Nothing else would have been good enough. Apart from, perhaps, being Han Solo.
You can only read three books for the rest of your life, what would they be? Well, if you asked me this on another day I might give you a completely different answer but today I’m going to say Lord of The Flies by William Golding because it’s a brilliant story about children who find themselves in a terrifying situation without any adults to help them, The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway because it’s the classic tale of man versus nature, and The Go-Between by LP Hartley because it’s a summery, dreamy tale about a shy child who is thrown into an adult world that he struggles to understand.
Do you visit your local library? Really, I like to own books, because they’re such lovely objects to hold and look at, but, yes, I do visit my local library. I find the library especially helpful when I’m researching a book of my own and I’m looking for information about something in particular. Also, both of my children love to borrow books and they take part in the Summer Reading Challenge every year.
Photo credit Mike Smith
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Something sinister is happening in Crooked Oak ... Ever since the fracking site closed, Nancy's parents have been acting weird.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Invasion of Crooked Oak and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-10 years old
The Invasion of Crooked Oak features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Crime & Mystery, Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Interest age 11+, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Interest age 9+, Featured Books for 7+ readers, Horror & Ghost Stories, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
The Invasion of Crooked Oak was written by Dan Smith and published by Barrington Stoke Ltd
The Invasion of Crooked Oak has 97 pages
Yes it is part of The Crooked Oak Mysteries series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
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