Trouble on the Farm

By Chris Higgins and Emily MacKenzie

Bella is going to visit a farm! Tom and Kizzy have invited her to spend the day at their place. She'll get to meet the cows, play with Fetch the dog, see the big red tractor and pick raspberries with her new friends. But at the last minute, someone else comes to the farm too – Magda! Before she knows it, Bella's visit turns into a tractor-crash involving runaway farm animals, too many pasties, an unexpected wedding and lots and lots of cow poo!

With laugh-out-loud funny writing by Chris Higgins and delightful illustrations by the award-winning Emily MacKenzie, this series is perfect for fans of Kes Gray's Daisy books and the classic My Naughty Little Sister.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Aug 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781408868881

Chris Higgins

Chris Higgins started her author career writing for teenagers and young adults. She has won a number of awards including Young Minds, the Lancashire Book Award, the Lincolnshire Young People's Book Award, the KYBA, and she has been shortlisted twice for Queen of Teen. In 2012, Chris turned her hand to writing young fiction. Her My Funny Family series was published with great success with the first book being selected for Booktrust's Bookbuzz scheme. Chris Higgins has four daughters and is rapidly acquiring a whole bunch of grandchildren even though she feels far too young to be a granny. She has travelled the world extensively and now lives in West Cornwall with her husband.

Book preview

AN EXCITING DAY

Bella woke up and wiggled her toes in her nice soft bed.

The early morning sun was already peeping through a gap in her curtains. From outside came the sounds of a dog barking and cows mooing.

Bella liked living in the country. She and her little brother Sid had moved there from the city with their mum and dad earlier that summer.

Leaping out of bed, she yanked open the curtains. The cows were pouring out of the field opposite and following the farmer down the lane for milking.

A boy shut the gate behind them and gently prodded the cows into line with a stick. A dog ran up and down beside him, snapping at their heels.

It was Tom and Fetch. Tom was in her class at the village school.

Bella rapped on the window but they didn’t hear her. She pushed the old sash window up high and leaned out.

See you later! she shouted.

Tom looked up and waved, and Fetch barked a greeting.

Bella giggled as one cow leaped high into the air away from Fetch while another jumped sideways. They looked as though they were dancing.

Bella? Back to bed! came Mum’s tired morning voice from her bedroom. It’s not time to get up yet.

But it was. The sun was shining on the foot of her bed and the great outdoors beckoned. Bella hugged herself with excitement.

Today was Saturday and Bella and Sid were going to play with Tom and his sister Kizzy on their farm!

She couldn’t wait.

*

Over breakfast Bella looked around the kitchen table and thought, Waking up is a funny thing. Everyone does it differently.

Especially grown-ups.

When she woke up, she was always wide awake.

When Sid woke up, he was always half asleep.

Today, Mum and Dad looked as if they were still fast asleep. The pair of them were sitting at the table with their chins on their hands, drinking coffee with their eyes closed and groaning a lot.

Why are you so tired? asked Bella.

Working too hard, said Mum, without opening her eyes. At the same time Dad said, without opening his eyes, Late night.

Why don’t you go to bed earlier? asked Bella through a mouthful of cornflakes.

What are we doing today? asked Sid, who’d forgotten.

Too many questions, moaned Mum.

Stop crunching your cereal so loudly, whispered Dad.

Bella put down her spoon and drank her orange juice with her eyes closed to see if:

she could

it tasted the same.

Actually, it tasted better. Then Sid tried it too and poured it all over himself, which made Mum wake up properly.

What are we doing today? repeated Sid patiently after he’d been mopped up. I’ve got loads of energy. Look! He thrust his arms out and bent them at the elbow to show off his muscles.

Well, to be honest, a space where muscles might grow. One day.

We’re going to play on the farm! Bella reminded him. Tom’s mum said we could stay all day if we wanted to.

Mum perked up. She’d forgotten about it too.

It’s lucky I remembered! said Bella. Come on, Sid! Let’s get ready!

She was so excited.

She’d never been on a farm in her life.