Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door

Alex Jennings has been sent away to boarding school, where he is stoically putting up with being bullied by the horrible Jeremy Butterworth. His father, once the most famous explorer in history, has escaped from hospital, and now the evil Davidus Kyte and his henchmen are on Alex's tail, convinced he can help them find his father - and in doing so, discover the truth about what lies at the heart of the mysterious Forbidden Lands. Can Alex rescue his father, escape from Kyte, and find our what lies beyond the Cusp?

This bizarre adventure features a host of eccentric but immensely likeable characters, from Matthew, Alex's Headmaster (who doesn't really look like a headmaster), to Martha, Alex's brave side-kick, a girl with unexpectedly sharp teeth, to a talking dog called Arnauld. Characterised by quirky humour and a rapid succession of unlikely happenings, this is a lively debut novel: adventurous readers will enjoy its surreal, madcap quality and anarchic sense of fun.