Whizzagazoom!

By Vera Lethbridge

Children's adventure story: a young family in trouble is magically helped by a snuffalump. When everything goes horribly wrong, it's the children who must do the rescuing.

The story begins when Jamie and Grace's Mum has a scary accident and ends up in hospital. Their Gran can't help them, but she knows who can, even if they disappeared suddenly many years ago. Enter William the Snuffalump, with magic powers, red hot ears, an enormous bottom and the sweetest smile.

There is nothing William can't magic. Jamie and Grace can't believe their luck, and their snot-faced baby sister loves him too. Everything that's been going wrong starts going right, and it's the most unbelievable fun they've ever had.

First, William 'whizzagazooms' their whole house, including the loft and their Dad's disgusting shed. Then their secret wishes start coming true. And William doesn't stop there. Snuffalumps are born to help, so when he hears that their local library is threatened, Jamie and Grace appear with him on the BBC News, with the most brilliant idea. Every child in the village is immediately hooked and even their grumpy Dad is impressed.

In one frightening moment everything changes and William nearly drowns them all. Why is William so terrified? What went so incredibly wrong all those years ago? Jamie and grace go hunting for answers, desperate to save their beloved snuffalumps - especially William!!

Hold onto your hands, and your heart! (And it might be a good idea to protect yourself with a wee magic tattoo - of a snuffalump hand complete with a perfect paddle thumb).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vera Lethbridge
• Release date: Sep 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310703720

Vera Lethbridge

Vera grew up in America but has lived in Britain - and occasionally in France, Canada and Australia - all her adult life. She was for many years a teacher in Cambridge and later in London. She now lives with her husband in the Kingdom of Fife, in Scotland, where she writes, illustrates, tends her allotment and enjoys her many visitors, especially grandchildren. She writes and illustrates story books and chapter books, often with a magic twist. Her newest book, Bully for You! is a useful chapter book for schools (Anti-Bullying Week is 17-21 November this year) for ages 7-11 and beyond! At present she is working on a story for teenagers set in Australia about families and bereavement.

Book preview

Chapter One

GRAN TO THE RESCUE

‘Hold on!’ shouted Gran down the phone. ‘I’m on my way!’

‘It was really bad,’ whispered Jamie, but the phone was already dead. He stood there, shaking like a leaf.

What if Gran couldn’t stay? She always knew what to do, even if Dad said she was useless. Mum said Gran had to watch out for Granddad, because the holes in his brain made him do daft things. Really daft things, like order fifty pepperoni pizzas, to be delivered to Jamie’s school.

Except this time it wasn’t Granddad who was in big trouble. It was him.

How fast could Gran get there? He looked miserably out the window, watching the rain. Grace stood next to him, listening hard.

‘I’ll tell Gran it was your skateboard,’ she hissed. ‘You always leave it lying around.’

‘Stop reminding me!’ Little Miss Perfect, thought Jamie, glaring at her. Then he remembered his Mum, lying at the bottom of the stairs, not moving. The vomit crept back up into his throat.

‘She fell a long way.’ Grace’s voice trembled.

‘The ambulance men said she’d be OK, remember?’

Grace nodded, but her face went all wobbly. ‘What are we going to do? We need Gran more than Granddad does. LOOK!’

Jamie stared at her. What was she talking about?’

‘The MESS, Jamie!’ She spread her arms wide. ‘We need Mum back.’

He looked slowly round the room. There were heaps of smelly clothes and tottering piles of books and dirty plates, but what did it matter?

‘How did that happen?’ A tin of paint was dripping off the table, making a bright red lake on the floor.

‘Tink. Mum says we have to remember she’s only a year old.’

‘At least it’s not blood!’

‘Jamie,’ wailed Grace, but she giggled and Jamie felt better.

‘And I need my glasses fixed,’ sighed Grace. ‘Tink sat on them.’

Then she jumped up and grabbed Jamie’s arm. ‘I think I can hear her!’ She rubbed the fuggy window with her sleeve.

Gran roared into Glass Street in record time, slicing through the huge puddles, her engine backfiring as usual. Jamie whistled and nearly grinned. Even his Dad admitted Gran’s Harley was a real humdinger.

‘Well, how about that, then!’ grinned Gran, hopping off and kicking the stand. ‘Nine minutes flat!’ She was wearing wellies and a long wax coat that drowned her and she looked pleased as punch.

‘I phoned the hospital,’ she shouted, running for the door. ‘Our Mary’s going to be alright!’ Jamie and Grace watched silently as she shook herself like a dog and made a puddle in the front hall.

‘You’re allowed to smile, you know!’ She grinned at them, her earrings bouncing. Grace suddenly threw her arms around her as tight as she could, her face very red.

‘Now, now, Gracie, everything’s fine. We’ll go straight to the hospital and check on your Mum, I promise.’ She gave Grace a big hug back and reached up for Jamie and her mouth fell open.

‘Lord have mercy,’ she gasped, dropping her arms and staring into the room. ‘What happened?’

‘Told you, Jamie!’ said Grace.

Gran walked in and looked slowly left and right. ‘Looks like it was the hell of a bomb!’ she finally muttered, shuddering like she’d picked up a huge hairy spider. Then she sighed and straightened her shoulders and looked Jamie and Grace right in the eye. For a very small Gran, she suddenly seemed quite large.

‘Now then,’ she asked briskly, ‘where’s your Dad?’

‘Work?’ said Jamie, not sure.

‘And where’s that Tink?’ Grace pointed up the stairs.

They all tiptoed up, zigzagging past the piles of dirty washing. Jamie’s Lego battleship lay broken in half on the landing, but he pretended not to see it. What he wanted was proper magic. He wanted someone to come and fix everything: his Mum, his house, his battleship, even Grace’s glasses.

Tink wasn’t in her cot. They finally found her on the bathroom floor, clutching her smelly rag doll and snoring like a steam engine. Her face was streaked with tears. Grannie knelt down and looked at her closely.

‘Has she got another cold?’ she whispered, picking her up gently. Jamie and Grace nodded.

‘That bleedin nursery! Well, at least you two seem fine. I suppose that’s a start!’

Chapter Two

THE FIGHT

When they got to the hospital their Mum was asleep, but Grace tripped over the drinks trolley and there was an almighty crash and Mum’s eyes flew open.

‘It’s my glasses,’ said Grace, starting to cry. ‘I can’t see without them.’

‘It’s O.K.’ Mum patted her face.

Jamie stared at his Mum. Her face was dead white and sweaty. Underneath her eyes were big black smudges that made her look like a raccoon. Her left leg was hanging up in front of her on a pulley, covered in a big white stookie. Jamie felt terrible all over again.

‘Where’s Tink?’ asked Mum.

‘Gran’s got her outside.’ explained Grace, wiping her eyes. ‘She might have germs. Gran says you don’t need germs. She says you’ve got enough problems already.’

‘Poor Tink,’ sighed Mum. She stroked Grace’s arm and smiled up at Jamie and patted the edge of the bed. Jamie and Grace sat carefully side by side, next to their Mum’s hanging white leg. A nurse gave them a thick red pen and they did funny writing all over it and got the giggles and just for a moment, they nearly forgot where they were.

‘Those your children?’ asked a voice. It was coming from behind a curtain and it sounded cross. ‘Noisy, ain’t they?’

‘Sorry, Mrs. Bentley. They’re just leaving.’ Mum rolled her eyes and her voice changed. ‘Jamie,’ she said sharply, ‘tell your Gran I need a private word. Now!’

Gran was dozing on a plastic chair in the corridor and Tink was still fast asleep. Yellow snot dribbled out of her nose and her coat was covered in smashed biscuit. ‘Disgusting!’ said Jamie, making vomiting noises. Gran’s eyes popped open.

‘Gran,’ said Grace anxiously, ‘I think Mum’s really cross at us.’

‘Never!’ Gran shook her head. ‘She’s just cross, full stop. That’s because she can’t move. If it was you, you’d be cross too.’ Grace nodded.

‘Mum says it’s your turn, Gran,’ said Jamie. ‘She wants to talk to you alone.’

‘Whatever for?’ Gran winked cheerfully. ‘Maybe she wants me to bring her a secret stash of chocolate, what do you think?’

‘GRAN!’ Jamie’s tummy rumbled.

‘Won’t be long, kids, promise.’

Jamie sat down and stared at Tink. He was starving again. Maybe they could stop at the Chinese on the way home, if only Gran would hurry up. He got up and peeked through the door.

‘Grace, QUICK!’ he whispered, pointing. ‘Something’s wrong.’ She put her nose against the glass. Their Mum was waving both arms and shouting and Gran was shaking her head furiously.

‘I think they’re fighting,’ said Jamie in disbelief.

‘They never fight,’ muttered Grace.’

It went on and on until Gran put her head in her hands and started to cry. Mum tried to hug her and Gran pushed her away.

‘Gran never cries’ whispered Grace, stunned. ‘Do you think Mum’s not going to get better? Do you think she’s lying to us?’ Grace slid to the ground, her face suddenly white.

‘She never lies,’ said Jamie, but his tummy turned upside down. ‘It’s just a broken leg, remember?’

They both watched, horror-struck, as their Mum started to cry as well. When Gran patted her head, she cried harder. Then Gran marched out and slammed the door behind her. She looked spitting mad.

‘Your Mum needs her rest. You two go give her a nice cuddle and then we need to get back,’ she snapped. ‘We’ve got things to do!’ She pushed Jamie and Grace towards the door.

They stood silently beside their Mum’s bed. She tried to smile, like nothing had happened. Her eyes were red and puffy, but her voice was hard as nails. ‘I need you to mind your Gran,’ she said. ‘Do exactly as she says, even if it sounds really really peculiar, OK? Promise me.’

They both nodded uncomfortably.

‘I mean it, you two.’

‘How long will your leg be like that?’ asked Jamie.

‘Only ten weeks, maybe less.’ Jamie felt like he was choking. Ten weeks was forever. ‘Off you go now! Things will look a whole lot better by tomorrow, promise.’

Grace stumbled as she grabbed the door handle.

‘Hey, you two!’ Mum smiled her best shining smile. ‘I’m not dying, you know.’

‘Mum!’ wailed Grace.

Jamie’s mind was churning. Gran couldn’t stay ten weeks. She might not be able to stay another day.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Mum, ‘it’ll all work out.’

Jamie didn’t think she sounded very sure.

Chapter Three

BONKERS!

Jamie and Grace watched silently as the rain streamed down the bus windows. By the time they got to Markinch, the wind was bending the trees and the pavements were running with water.

‘We’ll have to run for it,’ announced Gran, shoving them off the bus. She pushed the pram so fast the wheels spun and Tink thought it was a game and started to shriek. Jamie and Grace splashed through the puddles, running to keep up.

When they got home, Gran slammed