Books by Ross Montgomery

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2021WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTHHIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTHTOPPSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTHSometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest¿When Col¿s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians ¿ a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight ¿ Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.PRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIANS"Montgomery's latest is an enthralling, Narnia-flavoured novel with the folkloric feel of a Christmas classic." Guardian"Beautifully drawn fantasy characters ... a story of hope and love underpinned by witty humour.¿ Daily Mail"A magical slice of historical fantasy fiction.¿ i Newspaper"This lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book." Book of the Week, The Week Junior¿Ross Montgomery¿s beautiful writing and epic storytelling weave together a magical adventure set against the backdrop of World War Two.¿ WRD Magazine"Spectacular. A story of real and rare power - The Midnight Guardians is one of the best books I've read in years." Kiran Millwood Hargrave"The Midnight Guardians is torch-under-the-duvet, can't-stop-reading magic. British folklore rebooted ¿ in an edge-of-your-seat, heart-filled search for hope in the darkest hour." Piers Torday"Embark on a mythic, comic, classic adventure with the finest fellowship since Frodo set a hairy foot beyond the Shire.¿ David Solomons¿Glorious! I think this is Ross Montgomery¿s best book yet: an adventure across WWII wintry Britain with a Kindertransportee, a boy dressed in shorts and his three imaginary friends. A joy of a joy of a thing.¿ Katherine Rundell"A gem of book, jam-packed with heart and humour and one utterly unique set of friends." Peter Bunzl¿Pure magic. Storytelling at its very best.¿ Abi Elphinstone"Brilliant! The Midnight Guardians is the perfect blend of humour, adventure and emotion. Simply beautiful." Lisa Thompson"Funny, thrilling, moving ... everything that is brilliant about children's literature. A triumph." Sophie Anderson¿Brimming with imagination and warmth, and powered by the strongest magic of all - hope. Fantastic from first page to last.¿ Catherine Doyle"Beautiful. A magical, big-hearted adventure full of wit and warmth. One of the best children's books I've read for ages." Anna James¿A tale of enchantment and friendship ¿ all the warmth of a timeless story, told between friends round a winter fire ¿ funny and true in the way all good stories are.¿ Thomas Taylor¿The adventure whisks you through wartime trouble and mythical danger like riding a giant tiger through falling snow ¿ A magical story.¿ Jack Noel¿With the spirit of Narnia, but a heart of its own. The Midnight Guardians is totally enchanting. I gobbled up every word.¿ Aisha Bushby"I inhaled this wonderful book in one sitting ... humour, beautiful writing, heartbreak, hope, and a fat badger in a waistcoat. I'll be recommending it to everyone." Katya Balen"A real triumph of the imagination, blending the appeal of a classic adventure with Montgomery's heart and humour, and a hint of Narnia." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller

Top school athletes Dom and Blake have been best friends for ever - B and D, D-Dog and B-Unit, the Cool Combo ... But with Sports Day approaching, their friendship is suddenly under threat. Mr Fortune, their headmaster, has pitted the school houses against each other by naming them after characters from his favourite Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet. With Dom in Montague House facing Blake from Capulet House, will B and D end the day as mortal enemies or will brotherly love prevail?Prepare for Sports Day carnage as the Montagues and Capulets battle it out for the House Medal in this laugh-out-loud Shakespeare-inspired drama from Ross Montgomery!

THE CITY OF THEBES, ANCIENT EGYPT, 1315. A boy called Seth creeps through the dark city streets towards the deserted marketplace. But he's not alone. Two figures watch him from the shadows. Seth doesn't yet know it, but this fateful night will lead him to the Valley of the Kings: the final resting place of the pharaohs. Here lie the rulers of Egypt, undisturbed in their tombs - a place no living person should ever go... Tomb Robbers is part of the Astro range from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Astro books are ideal for struggling and reluctant readers aged 7-11. Each book is dual-banded so that children can improve their fluency whilst enjoying exciting fiction and non-fiction relevant to their age. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Interest age: 8-9 Reading age: 7-8 years

Fair is foul and foul is fair ... bestseller Ross Montgomery returns with a laugh-out-loud, perfectly pitched introduction to Shakespeare's Macbeth.Beth has been looking forward to the Prizegiving Assembly all year. She's won best-behaved pupil two years in a row and is confident that she'll triumph again for a third time.But as preparations continue for the ceremony, which includes a performance of Macbeth by the drama club, Beth finds out that she's been pipped to the post by not one but two of her classmates, leaving her in third place.Beth cannot bear to lose, so she channels her inner Macbeth and will stop at nothing to tarnish the reputation of her competitors. But as she puts her dastardly plans into action, she realises that villainy comes at a high cost!

Heart-stopping fantasy from the twice Costa-shortlisted and critically acclaimed author of the bestselling The Midnight Guardians.Step into a world of faerie tricks and hidden danger...When an evil faerie steals Yanni¿s baby sister and swaps her for a changeling, Yanni is swept into a dangerous race against time to get her back. For faeries delight in tricks and rescuing her won¿t be easy. With the help of his cousin, Amy, and the reluctant changeling, Yanni must travel to goblin palaces and battle-swept oceans, discovering ancient treasures and secrets along the way. Yanni will need every drop of courage and even a few tricks of his own, if he¿s to outwit the faerie and save his sister¿Ross Montgomery brings the magical world of British folklore to life in this contemporary fantasy novel. Bursting with Ross's trademark charm, humour and heart, and with echoes of David Bowie's Labyrinth, The Chime Seekers is perfect reading for fans of Emma Carroll, Piers Torday and David Solomons.PRAISE FOR THE CHIME SEEKERS¿Cracking adventure from the wildly imaginative Montgomery.¿ Daily Mail"Funny, terrifying, full of folkloric strangeness hiding in everyday corner, this sparkling homage to David Bowie's Labyrinth is just as satisfying as last year's The Midnight Guardians." Guardian"[A] whirlwind adventure." Daily Telegraph"Richly imaginative." The Week Junior¿A quest like no other: Ross Montgomery is on spectacular form in this brilliant, edge-of-your seat story.¿ Emma Carroll"Fast-paced and hilarious." Ross Welford"Deliciously creepy, wonderfully imaginative." Sophie Anderson¿Very page-turny, with enough funny bits to stop it being too scary.¿ Philip Reeve¿All the hallmarks of an instant classic.¿ Carlie Sorosiak¿A fantastic adventure with shades of Jan Mark, Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman ... A brilliant example of the best children's fiction.¿ Christopher Edge"Ross Montgomery is a true master of storytelling." Jenny Pearson¿FLAWLESS. Witty, emotional, beautifully written, pacey, punchy, and a story that just keeps delivering.¿ Nicola Skinner"A modern classic." Phil Earle¿Rich in detail, humour and feeling. Ross Montgomery is a singular talent in writing brave and magical adventures." Katya Balen¿Fantastic! A brilliant cast of characters ... a whirlwind adventure and a fae world brimming with darkness, wonder and faerie tricks.¿ Aisling Fowler¿[An] enchanting masterpiece ... Charming, hilarious and brimming with magic." Catherine Doyle¿A tricksy, whirlwind of an adventure from start to finish with twists and turns I didn¿t expect!¿ Aisha BusbyPRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIANSShortlisted for the 2021 Costa Children's Book AwardWaterstones Children's Book of the Month for Christmas 2020Hive Children's Book of the Month for November 2020A Toppsta Children's Book of the Month for November 2020"An enthralling, Narnia-flavoured novel with the folkloric feels of a Christmas classic." Children's Books of the Year, Guardian"Beautifully drawn fantasy characters ... a story of hope and love underpinned by witty humour.¿ Daily Mail"A magical slice of historical fantasy fiction.¿ i Newspaper"This lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book." Book of the Week, The Week Junior¿Beautiful writing and epic storytelling.¿ WRD Magazine"A real triumph of the imagination." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller

Only a sensible, level head can save the day when disaster strikes on a school trip in this hilariously slapstick introduction to Shakespeare's The Tempest.Frank and his drama club are off on a dream school trip to perform The Tempest at a festival. But it turns into a nightmare when their ferry is hit by a terrible storm! Half of the actors wash up on a sandy shore and they can't believe their eyes. Is this a desert island? Why is there strange music coming from the forest? Where are the rest of the cast? To Frank, it all sounds strangely like the plot of The Tempest and he hasn't got a clue how they're going to get out of this mess. One thing's for sure ... they've been tripwrecked!

Nick is truly, madly in love with Jessie Stone. And she doesn't even know his name. In a ploy to win her heart, he plans to star alongside her in the school production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. But when he's cast as the foolish Bottom instead of the romantic lead, his whole world comes crashing down. Enter Robyn, school mischief-maker, who has some crafty tricks up her sleeve. With her help Nick is sure he can get Jessie to notice him just as long as his grand plans don't go up in smoke ... A laugh-out-loud comical caper of friendship, true love and a completely disastrous school Shakespeare production from bestselling author Ross Montgomery. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+

It's time for Ash to take charge and fight back against the robots who have replaced everyone in his home town. Despite being trapped inside the Town Hall with just Tabby, Barry and his gang, and the Mayor to help him, Ash has some tricks up his sleeve to tackle the alien invaders. Will their final stand work? Or will Perseon V defeat the last humans on Finney Island? The Finney Island Files: Alien Attack! is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.Reading age: 8-9 years

Ash, Tabby and Aunt Emmy have crash-landed in Finney Forest after escaping from Perseon V. They've even found the alien leader's spaceship - but they're not the only ones ... Now an unlikely team has joined together to stop the alien invasion. Can they make it to the Town Hall, find the robot-making machine and get rid of the robots who have taken over Finney Island? The Finney Island Files: Town Hall Terror! is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.Reading age: 8-9 years

Ash and Tabby are hiding out in Aunt Emmy's lighthouse and spying on the alien invaders who have taken over Finney Island. When an opportunity arises to find the robot-making machine which has transformed their parents, there's only one thing to do - gatecrash the Mayor's space party and start fighting back. What could possibly go wrong ...? The Finney Island Files: Disco Disaster is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.Reading age: 7-8 years

Ash leads a quiet, boring life on Finney Island. He keeps his sporty sister and his scatterbrained parents organised, and does his best to avoid Barry Sandwich, the school bully. But when his parents begin to act in a very strange way, Ash realises his world is about to change ... forever! The Finney Island Files: Alien Invasion is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.Reading age: 7-8 years